DC Infinite Halloween Special #1 - Dec. 2007

Comics Weekend Boo!

When deciding what comic to talk about today, I came across this DC Infinite Halloween Special, a book I had somehow missed talking about last year.

I remembered telling myself that, having forgotten to talk about it last October, I wanted to save it for the next Halloween. And since this is the last Comics Weekend segment before Halloween '08, now's the time!

This book is stuffed to the rafters with stories--as the cover promises, 13 stories in all--and is narrated by a group of Arkham Asylum inmates, a fun and appropriate gimmick.

There's stories featuring Zatanna, Robin, Batman, Lobo, Superman, Flash, Deadman, and others. But of course, we're here to talk about "Children of the Deep", by Tony Bedard and Sebastian Fiumara, starring Aquaman--or the then-version of Aquaman at least:

This tale is told by Dr. Destiny, and is about three comely women, known as The Morgan Sisters. The three sisters lived in a creepy house on the edge of the water, a place the men of the town have long since stopped visiting.

Turns out the Morgan Sisters were waiting for "a true man of the sea", so they are of course happy to see this strapping young man who calls himself Aquaman (actually, he simply calls himself "Arthur", but you know what I mean).

Being very friendly, they lure poor Arthur into their house, and it seems like it's going to be a scenario out of Penthouse Forum. But unfortunately, once they walk him onto a pentagram on the floor, it sends a spear of mental anguish into Arthur's head, driving him to his knees.

Of course, the Morgan Sisters are witches, who finally have the sacrifice they need. Or so they think:

...pretty tough stuff there, from Arthur Joseph: dragging the three Morgan Sisters to their deaths! A perfectly dark, gruesome ending for a Halloween-themed story.

A solid little tale, and it makes me sorry all over again that Sword of Atlantis got canceled so abruptly.

Aquaman--any version--has now been without a regular comic book for over a year now. There's arguments to be made all over the place, but I have a deep-seated belief that there are a stable of DC characters--ones that have endured for decades--that simply should always be available in some regular comic book.

While not reaching the legendary status of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, characters like Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, and maybe even Plastic Man I think should always be regularly visible in DC's publishing schedule.

C'mon, DC, let's get Aquaman back on the schedule. Howabout Adventure Comics Vol.2, starring Aquaman, Hawkman, and Plastic Man?