Ripples Through Time - 073

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 #140 (May 1949) - The Sleuth of the Sea!

Phineas Pike, a master detective who knows everything there is to know about the sea, is unemployed and looking for a job.

The introduction of a new repeating character happens in this story, as we meet Phineas Pike, the Sea Sleuth, for the first time. Phineas is a Sherlock Holmes wannabe, even down to wearing a deerstalker, who uses small clues to figure out details. Like figuring out where a ship docks based on the barnacles on its hull. He also knows how to ride a giant turtle by using a fish as a lure to keep it moving forward. He can tell the age of a fish by looking at its teeth. And figures out where a message in a bottle came from using a map of currents. Aquaman takes advantage of Phineas' skills, and they apparently work well together as a team.

Phineas likes using the Latin names for fish species. He refers to a salvelinus fontinalis, a coralima equatis, and the chelonia major he uses as a steed. He also inadvertantly reveals to Aquaman that he cannot swim.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman is visiting the Aquarium to deliver a rare fish from Madagascar. He has a clam squirt a thug in the face, then when they try to escape to a boat, he has two sharks stop them. Phineas rides a giant turtle, not under Aquaman's command, to stay with the action. Aquaman has an octopus throw him aboard the ship he's attacking. Then he has his fish friends weave a net, which he throws over the bad guys after electric eels shock the guns out of their hands. When Phineas falls off his giant turtle, Aquaman has an octopus rescue him.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Not in this story.

Quotefile: Aquaman, "The Sleuth of the Sea! The Wizard of the Waves! The Marine Mastermind! But he can't swim!?!"

Have you read this story? What do you think?