Ripples Through Time - 098

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #174 (March 1952) - The Whale That Was Wanted For Murder!

Aquaman is rescued by Black Beauty, a giant whale, only to learn that a posse has been formed to hunt the whale for sinking ships.

Captured/Knocked Out report: At the beginning of the story, Aquaman somehow manages to get himself trapped between two icebergs that are moving together.

Finny Friends Report: Black Beauty helps push the icebergs away from each other, freeing Aquaman. Aquaman rides a shark to lead the hunt for Black Beauty. He finds the whale before the posse, and quickly figures out that he can't be guilty because his back is still sore from pushing the iceberg off Aquaman. So Aquaman's finny and feathered friends help protect Black Beauty from the posse. The shark pulls the depth charge away, and sawfish cut the whale free from a net. A sea eagle stops the first harpoon, and a group of hard-shelled turtles protect him from the rest. Meanwhile, Aquaman has fish hold up a shell that he rubs with silver nitrate, then 1000 glowing ray fish and a "battery of electric eels" help Aquaman create an x-ray machine, which he uses to discover the real reason Captain Verne is desperate to capture Black Beauty.

Quotefile: Aquaman's thoughts, "Verne, huh? I've always suspected he bought his fleet of merchant ships with profits he made from diamond smuggling! But so far, we've never been able to catch him with the goods!"

Another very straightforward little Aquaman tale, with Aquaman reluctantly participating in a hunt for one of his friends. Of interest is Aquaman's use of a shell tapping on the ice to attract help when he was trapped in the icebergs. Again, the whole idea of his telepathy hasn't yet been fully developed.

Have you read this story? What do you think?