Friday, January 05, 2007


Ripples Through Time - 049

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.

Adventure #115 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #115 (April 1947) - The Phantom Fleet!

A society is holding a pageant in remembrance of the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac, but Black Jack has plans of his own involving the replica ships.

I love when we get history lessons in Golden Age stories. This one covers the Battle of Hampton Roads. The whole story isn't in there, of course, and reading an article on the subject clears up some of the tale if you aren't familiar with it.

This is a fairly straightforward tale... there's a recreation of the battle happening, only Black Jack has put his thugs on the replica ships. They plan to use the ironclads to rob the various yachts watching the show. To keep the rich folks from fleeing too early, they go ahead with the pageant, but then start using real cannonballs. Luckily, Aquaman is in the area. He rescues a girl who accidentally got involved, then scares Black Jack's crews with a ghost ship. Lots of fun.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman has fish call for help when he's tied to a loaded cannon and ditched in the water. The fish bring back a swordfish who frees him. Then he sends the swordfish to get a couple of whales, who help him lift the U.S.S. Cumberland to make the illusion of a ghost ship.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is hit on the back of the head by one of Black Jack's thugs with a ramrod.

Quotefile: Doris, to Black Jack, "You fiend!" Ok, it made me giggle.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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