Friday, November 03, 2006


Sea King A Clever Title

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order, one per day. After I read each story I'm going to post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

I'm still mulling them over title suggestions for this feature, and H's suggestion for a temporary title was too good to not use.

More Fun #75 Aquaman Splash Page
More Fun #75 (January 1942)

After saving a diver from a giant clam and octopus, Aquaman learns that Black Jack is alive and has taken over Pearl Island.

First appearance of the "Aquacave", although it is referred to as Aquaman's Sea-Fortress, and described as a temple of the ancient lost city that Aquaman keeps free from water and filled with his possessions. This is probably the same place we saw Aquaman's father living during the first story.

Again with the great artwork! The dialogue is snappy, but not quite as snappy as the last story because there aren't a bunch of pirates to be constantly beaten by Aquaman. I love the splash page.

Most of the natives of Pearl Island are dressed only in loincloths, but one of them wears robes and gets all the expository lines. I suspect he's meant to be the priest. The only woman we see is Loana, and she's mostly tied up or in peril from Black Jack, though she does take the initiative and runs from him at one point.

In the last story, Aquaman didn't call for help from his finny friends at all. In this story, he ends up fighting two sea creatures, and killing them both. So much for "friend of all ocean life".

Keoki is the diver that Aquaman saves... The location of Pearl Island is a complete mystery, since they act like South Pacific Islanders, but are apparently in the Atlantic near to Aquaman's Sea-Fortress... Keoki becomes the chief at the end of the tale, and banishes Black Jack instead of executing him... The islanders offer to make Aquaman the chief, but he suggests Keoki instead saying "the whole sea needs me."

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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