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Saturday, September 13, 2008

Adventure Comics #451 - June 1977

sgComics Weekend Aquaman vs. Starro the Conqueror in this issue of Adventure Comics!

When we last left Arthur, he had just defeated The Flash villain The Weather Wizard, who basically admitted upfront that he was in the middle of a long plan of revenge against his old foe. And Aquaman, having stumbled upon it, should pretty much just butt out.

For somebody named The Weather Wizard, he sure has guts.

This issue's story is "The Secret of the Sinister Abyss" by David Michelinie and, of course, Jim Aparo.

Like I have for every issue in this run, I marvel at the wonderful splash pages Jim Aparo cooked up for them, and this issue's is a particularly fine one
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Unlike many of the previous splash pages, this one isn't a flash-foward in the story; rather it kicks off the story, as well follow Arthur as he chases after his finny friend Topo, who it looks like has kidnapped Arthur Jr!

We then flashback to how we got here--Topo had been trying repeatedly to get his master's attention, but Aquaman was so busy tending to Mera (who was injured last issue by the Weather Wizard) that he ignores him. Its here that Topo then takes off with Arthur Jr:
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Aquaman then runs afoul of a giant crab, which attacks him after it tries--and fails--to snag Topo.

At the same time, we see some Atlanteans get attacked by a mysterious creature, which calls itself "a conqueror." Hmm...

Aquaman manages to escape the crab, but he is nearly fried by a blast from...you guessed it:
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...Starro the Conqueror!

Turns out a small sliver of Starro survived his fight the newly-created JLA (in the classic Brave and the Bold #28), and it found its way to a deep crevice in the ocean and thrived on all the pollution in the water, regrowing him and making him more powerful than ever!

Starro uses the Atlanteans that discovered him to attack Aquaman, so Aquaman tries to go easy on them, since they are under Starro's control. He then gets an idea--he commands a school of Porcupine Fish to "attack" Starro with...water? Yes, water:
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"...any questions?" Yeah!--I love it when Aquaman trash-talks.

Aquaman then calls his buddy Green Lantern to cart off the unconscious Starro, and meets back up with the Atlanteans.

Turns out these Atlanteans were searching for...Aquaman! Turns out a "great hero" recently returned to them, but is in deep trouble. This great hero is...Aqualad?!?

To be continued!

Let me just point out that it took the entire JLA to defeat Starro in B&B #28--and it would again when Starro returned in JLA #'s 189-190, but here, Aquaman did it all by himself.
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The Aquaman Shrine's 2nd Anniversary is a month away--October 13th--so please send in your pics of however it is you worship the King of the Seven Seas.

A few people have sent in theirs already, but I want more, more, more I say! Hang those who talk of less!

Deadline is October 12!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Another great Aquaman story. And like you, I also love to point out that Aquaman single-handedly defeated a menace that would sometimes take the entire JLA (or Zoo Crew) to defeat!!