ADVENTURE COMICS #449, 450, 451, & 452

”THE MENACE OF THE MARINE MARAUDER”
Reuniting the twin titans of Aquaman’s past:
Writer: Steve Skeates | Artist: Jim Aparo
Aided and abetted by: Colorist: Liz Berube

It occurs to me that in two posts covering several issues so far, I haven't once said anything about Jim Aparo’s artwork! I know I've seen “Aparo’s Aquaman run” referenced here and there on the internet over the years, and I must assume those references are to this run of issues specifically. And since most of those references have held the work up as excellent, I must concur with them. This is really good stuff!

Mind you, I have no real baseline to go off of; I've never read any other Aquaman comics. But Aparo has a great handle on the character (I love the wavy locks he gives him; all the better to float about in the seawater as he swims), and his grasp of the supporting cast and environments is just as good. His Mera in particular is very fun to look at, with her massive mane of flowing red hair.

It's interesting to me that Aparo is working on Aquaman here just after his brief run with the Spectre, and he has adapted his style accordingly. Where the Spectre stories featured glorious use of heavy, overwhelming blacks, Aquaman is much more open for traditional superhero coloring. It's quite a remarkable adjustment in the span of only a couple months.

Oh, and Aquaman fights some guy named the Marine Marauder in this issue.

”THE WATERY WAR OF THE WEATHER WIZARD”
“THE SECRET OF THE SINISTER ABYSS”
Writer: David Michelinie | Artist: Jim Aparo | Colorist: Liz Berube

Well, that “reunion” between Skeates and Aparo didn't last long, and I'm beginning to see a trend here. Since this Aquaman serial began, we've seen a parade of writers from Steve Skeates to Paul Levitz to Gerry Conway to David Michelinie to Martin Pasko, and while Levitz did plot a number of the stories scripted by those others, it does seem to speak to some level of disinterest on many of DC’s writers with regards to Aquaman.

So now Michelinie is back, in the capacity of full writer rather than mere scripter, and he pits Aquaman against a member of the Flash’s rogues’ gallery followed by the Justice League’s very first villain — which in itself speaks to another criticism I had a while back; namely that Aquaman’s own rogues’ gallery seems to consist of precisely three villains in regular circulation.

So we have disinterested writers and a lackluster stable of villains. The first story arc was good, but Aquaman’s adventures still lack some much-needed stability in every area other than the art.

Oh, and Aquaman fights the Weather Wizard and Starro in these issues.

”DARK DESTINY, DEADLY DREAMS”
Writer: David Michelinie | Artist: Jim Aparo | Colorist: Jerry Serpe

Well, at least the creative consistency problem seems to have been resolved, as David Michelinie returns for his third issue in a row—but the matter of the rogues’ gallery remains a problem, as we have yet another engagement with Black Manta. But in this case, well — it kind of had to be Black Manta, Aquaman’s greatest foe.

I should mention at this point that there's been a sub-plot running through the past few issues where this Atlantean named Mcaan has convinced Aqualad to help him find his long-lost son. That story reaches its climax here, as Aquaman catches up with the duo in the village of the Idyllists, a peaceful people under the rule of Black Manta, who also happens to have Aquaman’s son prisoner.

Manta forces Aquaman and Aqualad to fight a gladiatorial duel to the death, or he will suffocate Aquababy by draining the water from a sphere in which he's encased. With no choice, Aquaman goes all-out against his protégé, but also manages to telepathically command his octopus, Topo, to attack Black Manta. Aquaman uses this distraction to free Aquababy and he and Aqualad mop up while the Manta escapes.

But—and this is where things get insanely dark for a Bronze Age comic—it turns out Aquaman’s rescue was too late, and Aquababy has died. Aquaman vows revenge and takes off to find Black Manta.

Yeesh! I don't know whose idea it was to murder a toddler in these pages, but every so often I see something in a comic and wonder how it ever made it to the printed page. This is the sort of thing that would have depressed the heck out of me as a child. I'm sure the goal here, as it always is with these things, was to get the kid out of the picture in an attempt to not “artificially age” Aquaman, but—killing him off?? A toddler?? Sure it makes for great drama, but it's just a horrific thing to do in a kids’ comic.

And thus ends Aquaman’s adventures in ADVENTURE COMICS. But the DEATH OF A PRINCE collection isn't over yet; there are still seven issues of AQUAMAN to go. Let's see what happens next…