Ripples Through Time - 163

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 #240 (September 1957) - The Alphabet Book of the Sea

Aquaman helps write the A-B-C of the Sea, but they get stuck on the letter "X".

Glove Color: Green.

Regular Supporting Cast: Topo.

Finny Friends Report: On the splash page, seals are carrying letter-blocks to a giant book. Aquaman rides Topo. A cutlass fish slices through the anchor rope so Aquaman can save Sinker. Whales carry Blackbeard's boat from Madagascar to Christmas Island so Sinker can take a picture of it. Aquaman brings up a catfish and dogfish for Sinker to photograph. Electric Eels spell out their own rhyme. Flying fish pose, as do guppies and kissing fish. Aquaman retrieves a Latimeria (Coelacanth) for Sinker to photograph. Also a manta ray, needle fish, oyster, and porpoise. Starfish pose with eels as an American flag. Viperfish and walking fish fill out the finny friends report.

Quotefile: Sinker, "Thanks for saving my life, Aquaman! I'm J. Oswald Sinker! I write children's books! I'm the author of "The A-B-C of Animals," "The A-B-C of Birds," "The A-B-C of Stars," and others! Now I want to write an "A-B-C of the Sea"! In fact you're my first letter!"

Oh man, this story is FULL of information and fun. And while every letter is not represented, we get a lot of them and quite a few of the awful rhymes as well. While I'm tempted to inflict them on you, I think I'll spare you the worst. Here's one for you, "'C' is for Catfish, with whiskers so slim! Who is the fool who said cats can't swim?"

Aquaman goes to the Tuscarora Trench and uses an infrared camera to take pictures.

Aquaman goes after the letter "I" by taking a picture of the "Island of Atlantis"... and he specifically says, "These will be the first pictures of the sunken island ever taken! Who said Atlantis doesn't exist?" But back in Adventure #224, Aquaman took a picture of Atlantis for the Seven Wonders pictures. That was only a year and a half previous. He's going to reveal Atlantis as a living city in less than two years. That doesn't quite contradict this story, as Atlantis is more than just a city.

Have you read this story? What do you think?