TBT: A Modest Proposal: DCTV

Like most Batman: Brave and the Bold and Young Justice fans, I am more than a little frustrated by Cartoon Network's schedule for airing (or, in many cases, not airing) new episodes of both shows.

In the case of the former, I had to go onto iTunes to buy the episodes of B:BATB I hadn't seen, which was hardly difficult but certainly not good for the show; how many people, used to seeing the show for free, are going to pony up $1.99 or whatever for the chance to see episodes?

So while leaving a comment on the blog of comics legend (and frequent B:BATB writer) J.M. DeMatteis, I came up with an idea on the fly: DCTV!

DCTV would be an entire channel devoted to running nothing but movies, TV shows, cartoons, and the like starring DC characters. Just imagine! an entire channel that could run movies like Batman: The Movie, the four Batman films of the 90s, the five (to date) Superman films, Supergirl, Swamp Thing, Green Lantern, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Jonah Hex, and Catwoman (okay, maybe not Catwoman). Due to their length, they would be DCTV's main block of programming at night, taking up the 8-10 or in most cases 8-11pm time slot.

Later at night, the movies could be skewed for older, more mature audiences--V for Vendetta, Constantine, The Losers, A History of Violence, Road to Perdition, and Watchmen.

To fill one-hour slots, you'd have hundreds of hours of DC character-based TV shows to run: Batman, The Adventures of Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Birds of Prey, Superboy, Swamp Thing, Human Target, Lois & Clark, and of course Smallville.

Saturday mornings, of course, could be a virtual wonderland of classic animated shows; DC has particularly excelled at being involved with superb animated versions of their characters: Batman The Animated Series, Superman The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, all the various seasons of the Super Friends, Teen Titans Go!, the aforementioned Batman: Brave and the Bold and Young Justice, not to mention the 1960s Filmation shows (Superman, Batman, Aquaman), the 1970s Batman show, Plastic Man, and the 1980s Superman series.

Saturday and Sunday afternoons could be a combo of retro and new stuff: the Isis and Shazam! live action series plus the 1940s movie serials starring Superman (two of those), Batman (ditto), Blackhawk, Congo Bill, The Vigilante, and my personal favorite, The Adventures of Captain Marvel!

This would also be a great place to use all the new direct-to-DVD features that have been made in the last decade, like All-Star Superman, DC: The New Frontier, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.

Every other Friday could the cheeky "Failed Pilot Friday", where they could run the shows that never made it: Batgirl, the recent Wonder Woman, The Adventures of Superpup (yes, that's a real show), Justice League of America, and (of course) Aquaman. This would be a perfect place to help ameliorate some of the costs of producing these "failed" shows. With something like Wonder Woman, there's no earthly reason why a show with such a built-in audience can't make a little back on the initial investment.

And with a full cable channel at their disposal, Warner Bros. could produce TV movies (live action and/or animated) starring some of their characters from their "back bench"--characters that are probably too niche to risk spending Green Lantern-size money on.

This is where you could really get creative: an edgy director or writer who wants to make an Ultra The Multi Alien movie? Done! Somebody with a crazy, out-of-the-box idea for The Atom? Done! Disney wants to squeeze some more money out of the still-standing Pirates of the Caribbean sets? WB could rent them for their upcoming Captain Fear TV movie! WB Animation wants to do a classic Tex Avery-ish version of Plastic Man? Set those Korean animators to work!

This, of course, could be a Doc Magnus-esque laboratory for what kinds of characters might just work as blockbuster franchises: if ratings are huge for, say, a Dr. Fate TV film, then the WB and DC would have that a base to determine whether it could be expanded into a Summer blockbuster. Right now, its all just guess work, with hundreds of millions on the line. If Dr. Fate proves he can be a movie star, then in a few years we could have Guillermo Del Toro's Dr. Fate (with Ron Perlman as Wotan).

I realize, of course, that rights issues complicate all this--DC/WB doesn't necessarily own the rights to all this stuff (in fact, no one owns the rights to the Max Fleisher Superman cartoons of the 40s), but I always believe that if enough money is there to be made, rights issues can always be worked out.

If Marvel Comics can have Marvel Studios, DC can have DCTV.

This post originally appeared on August 8, 2011.

Post Script: Of course, this piece was written almost four years ago, before there was Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. This whole idea doesn't seem as pie in the sky now, does it?

TBT: Aquaman (Vol.8) #1

Comics Weekend "The Trench Part One" by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado.

Well, after all the hoopla that met this book upon its arrival on Wednesday, this recap/review might seem a little anti-climactic. But the Shrine will soldier on, nonetheless...

After a brief introduction to the nasty-looking critters who we know as The Trench, we're dropped straight into an action scene out of a 1970s heist movie: three armed and masked men are making a hasty getaway in a stolen armored truck. Suddenly something drops out of the sky, and the crooks are shocked to see this waiting in front of them:

The crooks are less than scared, and speed up. Big mistake! Aquaman sticks his trident into the grill of the truck, heaving it over him, dropping it upside down! One of the crooks fires his automatic weapon at the Sea King, who nevertheless keeps approaching even as the bullets draw blood.

After tossing the one conscious crook into a nearby windshield, the local police are happy but bewildered. One of them asks Aquaman if he needs a glass of water:

Cut to: a seaside seafood restaurant, where Aquaman sits down--trident and all--and orders a meal. Rather than being awed or scared of this superhero in their midst, the patrons are curious, if even a little rude: they pepper Aquaman with questions, about his powers, his diet, his relationship with fish. Aquaman answers all questions, though he seems more than a little annoyed:

We see that Aquaman came to this same diner as a boy, brought there by his father. The nosy blogger, who keeps talking, even has the temerity to ask what it feels like "To be nobody's favorite super-hero?"

Aquaman scowls, grabs his trident, and leaves, but not before paying the bill:

Later, at their lighthouse home, Arthur talks with Mera, and shares with her the decision he's made regarding his future, one that does not involve Atlantis:

While Arthur and Mera enjoy their moments of peace and tranquility, a bunch of fisherman are the first humans to run afoul of The Trench, who seem like nothing less than monsters from the pit of Hell:

...to be continued!


Well, what to say? This is the first true Aquaman #1 in the Shrine's existence, so just having a book called Aquaman in my hands felt like some sort of vindication, in some weird way: after writing about, thinking about, and generally obsessing over the Sea King for so damn long--during times when it felt like DC itself didn't care--to have Aquaman presented here so forcefully and dynamically...well, it's pretty damn cool.

I still have my issues with how slooooow Geoff Johns tends to tease out his stories; I think it took my less than five minutes to read this book cover to cover, and after so many months of anticipation, I have to admit there was an ever-so-slight feeling of "That's it?" after I got to the last page. But I like said on the latest episode of our Fire and Water Podcast, that's simply how Johns writes. I can either just accept that, or not buy his books. Of course, this being Aquaman, the latter is not an option.

That aside, Johns' love of Aquaman practically jumps off every page in this book. Aquaman foils a bank robbery--with extreme prejudice--and then for his trouble gets abused by some annoying blogger (um...), and what's his response? To toss his waitress some gold coins which will change her life. That's my hero!

I was thrilled to get the sequence with Mera, and not just because it had Mera! No, its because of the declaration that this book will not be about Aquaman as King of Atlantis. The whole "heavy is the head that wears the crown" bit has been done to death. Done well, done poorly, but done. I've been saying for years Aquaman needed to get to more traditional superhero trappings if he was going to succeed as a comic book star, and not just a highly merchandisable property. And in just a couple of panels, Johns points in that direction. Bravo!

As a devoted (to say the least!) Aquaman fan, I didn't need to be told over and over in this story how put upon the Sea King is, and how the public's perception of him (both inside the DCU and out) is totally at odds with who he is. But when I had a few moments to think about it, I realized that Johns was not talking to the core Aquaman audience of about 20,000 fans or so (that's the number of people who bought the last book on any sort of regular basis), he was talking to the throng of new readers he (Johns) knew would be coming aboard for the first time. And, judging by Aquaman's sales numbers, that was a smart move, thematically and financially. So while I felt a twinge of "I know all this" reading Aquaman #1, I am totally ready for the ride, for the next issue and beyond.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the art: it's phenomenal. The team of Ivan Reis and Joe Prado (with colorist Rod Reis, who, visually, knows when to be in your face and when to be in the next room with the door closed) are simply producing beautiful work here--they can handle both comic book-style action and more quiet character moments. Aquaman's pissed-off look when he takes a bullet in the temple is one for the ages. Aquaman looks like a movie star action hero, Mera is tough yet alluring, and the Trench are suitably scary. It may be a little early, but we may be on the road to having the team of Reis and Prado be mentioned alongside the Great Aquaman Artists, people like Nick Cardy, Ramona Fradon, Jim Aparo, Craig Hamilton, and others (your mileage may vary).

The Shrine has taken a lot of (IMO, well-deserved) shots at DC over the years for their seeming indifference to one of their most famous and enduring characters, but they seem to be making up for it with gusto. The Shrine has always said that if you just gave the Sea King a fair shake, he would deliver. I think seeing the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Aquaman #1--from new fans and old--shows we were right.



Finally, before we go, I thought this new book was significant enough that we hear from all the members of the Aquaman Shrine Staff, to get their thoughts on this momentous occasion in Aqua-History. Take it away, boys!

Russell Burbage: Let me talk about the things I liked about Aquaman #1 first....

The colors! Yes, the art is beautiful, but wow! what a job Rod Reis did from the darkness of the first pages to the wonderful oceans of the lighthouse scenes to the bloody water of the closing. Aquaman appears to shine, which is awesome. This guy is good. Is Rod related to Ivan?

The flashbacks! From the pirates' treasure scene (established with Tempest back in the old Titans book, but still cool) to the scene of Arthur and his father at this same restaurant and then later at the lighthouse...the scenes seemed to be almost in sepia the way they were illustrated (painted?) It established in an instant that Aquaman has ties to the land from even before he had ties to the ocean. Great!

The love! Arthur and Mera belong together. Period.

The villains! The trench is supposed to be around for four issues. That sounds just long enough for these walking piranha-men. That last page was chilling. Brr!

The action! Aquaman stopping a bank robbery...by *leaping* to the rescue! I have always thought Aquaman should be at about the power level of Captain America: not as strong as Superman or Wonder Woman, but stronger than any human allies. This scene very clearly showed he isn't a Shrinking Violet. Yes!!!

And now the two things I wasn't as thrilled with....

The humor. Okay, the joke is that Aquaman is treated as a joke, even in the DCU. I get it. I just thought it was a little bit thick.

The pacing. I have more to say about this, but I'll continue next issue. Just kidding. Yikes, that restaurant scene went on for seven pages.

Overall, I'm very happy with this issue. I know I am going to enjoy this series very, very much.

One question, though...what exactly is supposed to be happening when the blogger pisses Aquaman off? What is the "shingg" sound effect supposed to represent? I didn't get that panel at all.

Andy Luckett: Well, it was every bit as good as I hoped and expected, if not more. I picked up my copy of Aquaman #1 on Thursday afternoon, since I wasn't able to on Wednesday, and by that time I was chomping at the bit to read it. I'd read a lot of reviews of the issue, tiptoeing carefully around the spoilers, and I was gratified to see that the issue was almost unanimously liked, even by people who identified themselves as never having liked Aquaman. It appears that Geoff Johns succeeded in his goal of converting those who have picked on the Sea King in the past.

So yes, I loved the issue, even with the super-high expectations I had from reading a wave of positive reviews. I think it's a brilliant move on Johns' part to immediately address the elephant (or blue whale) in the room when a new take on Aquaman begins. That is of course his perception as lame and useless. In this issue, Johns basically lobs every criticism he can right to Aquaman's face, and he lets Aquaman take them on and then shrug them off, revealing the accusers to be ignorant and petty. It stands to reason that if all of the frequent criticisms of Aquaman are addressed and refuted, then the book is free to move on and show people how exciting and dynamic thiese characters can be. Hopefully people whose complaints have been silenced will then be able to fill that new void with an appreciation for how cool all of this is.

Let's break it down. The Trench bookend the issue, at first discovering a passage from their volcanic vent to the surface, and then realizing that "there's food up here". Yikes. While we don't explicitly see what happens to the fisherman pulled overboard near the end of the issue, its pretty obvious that he is devoured completely. The Trench are scary because A) like vampires or werewolves they're strong, fast, bloodthirsty, and driven by a need to feed, and B) like zombies, they look to be numerous. One or two would be bad enough but it looks like dozens or so. Aquaman and Mera are going to have their hands full. These things just look mean too, like anglerfish mixed with piranha and made intelligent; with lithe, agile bodies, claws and those needle teeth. I'm not really into gore, but I do love a good monster design, and these guys are definitely memorable and a new, horror-influenced foe for Aquaman to tackle. I have a hunch the next few issues might have the feeling of Aquaman dropped into an H.P. Lovecraft story.

The armored car sequence was great. First of all, Aquaman is shown leaping all the way from the ocean to the street where the chase is happening. This leaping is an ability I hoped they would use, as it has only been touched on before. But it makes sense: with legs full of super-dense muscle fiber from handling the pressures of the sea, Aquaman should have no problem propelling himself long distances through the air and landing safely. Secondly, his strength is nicely showcased by the trident-to-the-grill move. And then, Johns completes the trifecta by exhibiting Arthur's "nigh-bulletproof" skin. This fits with how I've always thought of Aquaman's powers; sort of like Superman when he was first introduced: he couldn't fly but was able to leap large distances, nothing less than a bursting shell could break his skin, and he was extremely strong but not able to juggle planets.

The way Aquaman reacts to the cop's comment about a glass of water is the same way he reacts to the annoying blogger in the diner. He's clearly irritated and angered by what they say, but he has enough self-control to stay calm and walk away from idiots. After all, he knows that none of these people could survive a blow from him, and he also has vowed to protect them. This issue clearly shows that Arthur is a hero that will take the abuse of those he protects because he is working toward a higher purpose. The eating seafood thing is an interesting idea to bring up. I've always thought of Arthur as a vegetarian, because it would be strange to eat something you've mentally interacted with. But I can get behind the idea; eating there reminds Arthur of good times with his dad, and it also shows his duality (of the sea but also of the land). I love the explanation of how Aquaman commands the sea life, however, that makes the power much more relatable. Actually talking to fish is just too nebulous and vague to wrap the head around.

The little bits of his origin we were given were nice as well. It was good to see Tom Curry again, having fun with young Arthur at their favorite restaurant. And the scene with Mera was very well-done also, getting across their bond, her support of him and his mission to be responsible for the interaction of two worlds. If anyone still complains about Aquaman being lame, at least he's got a gorgeous wife that adores him.

I think I enjoyed the art here more than the Aquaman bits in Brightest Day. Ivan Reis and Joe Prado are clearly excited about this gig and it shows. All the little details, like the tube worms hanging out by the Trench's, um, trench to the individual scales on Aquaman's shirt picking up the sunlight, really add to the whole. The reveal of Aquaman in front of the armored car is as majestic as one could hope for, and some of Arthur's facial expressions to the onlooker's comments are great. Even the background characters in the diner scene all feel fleshed out and part of the scene, not simply tools to fill the panel. If this level of quality in both writing and art keeps up, this is going to be one classic run.

I think that covers my rambling but excited thoughts for this issue. I know it sounds like I'm raving, but I honestly haven't enjoyed a single issue of a comic lately as much as I did this one (of course, I am a bit biased, I admit). It succeeds to me on every level; as a first issue, as an Aquaman story, as an explanation of why he's great, and as a superhero comic.

Joe Slab: Well it's been three years since I returned to comics, having taken a hiatus at the end of Infinite Crisis when the OYL story-lines were launched and Aquaman as I had known him disappeared from the DC Universe. I still followed news of the Sea King but only from a distance, on message boards and as a viewer of the Aquaman Shrine. Then in early 2009 I saw a house ad for Blackest Night in black & white, drawn by Ethan Van Sciver and featuring the tag line "The Dead Will Rise" and my inner fanboy jumped with excitement: "They're bringing Aquaman back!"

Since then we've been treated and teased by Black Lantern, White Lantern, elemental, and Emperor versions of the King of the Seven Seas but not until this week did we truly received Aquaman back into the comics fold properly. The new Aquaman series is by arguably the best, most marketable, all around creative team in comics today and this fan feels Aquaman deserves nothing less. He's paid his dues and so have his fans. With Geoff Johns at the helm and the art team of Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & colorist Rod Reis, they did not fail to deliver a great introductory issue with Aquaman #1.

Taking on the issues that we've all been faced with at one time or another as Aqua-fans, Johns turns perceived weakness into character strength and shows us perhaps the most human Arthur Curry we've seen to date. The story hits all the right beats from the opening sequence showing just how powerful Aquaman really is, to the deadpan comedy of the diner scene (to his credit Johns actually gives the Sea King a legitimate reason for being there), to the flashback scenes with his father Thomas which I understand will be an ongoing theme throughout this series--it all worked for me!

The art was just scintillating and it is here where I think non-Aquaman fans will be won over. Reis & Prado clearly know what's at stake with this new series and one thing is for sure, Aquaman will never be canceled due to bad art if DC is smart enough to keep this team on board. Special credit to colorist Rod Reis who really makes this issue brilliant (I've heard that when viewed digitally with back-lighting its even more amazing!) and thanks to him for checking with us about the color of Mera's eyes because he got them right!

My only art criticism is that some of the smaller panels appear rushed & less detailed, for example Aquaman's hair at times looks like a Mattel-toy doll's, ready to snap off in one plastic piece with a flick of the thumb. But that is a small complaint at best.

One final point, in keeping with DC's New 52 theme of moving forward, Johns' writing deftly maneuvers around any specific mention of past continuity. We know that many of the elements of Arthur Curry's birth story as presented in Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman are now canon, but what we don't know is what has happened with Aquaman in the five years that the new DCU has been in business. My guess is that now the only time Aquaman has lost a hand has been at the hands of Black Manta in Brightest Day and that the Peter David era is but a memory, as is certainly true for the Grant Morrison era of the JLA, the Waterbearer run, and the Sword of Atlantis. The statuses of Arthur Jr., Garth, and Tula are conspicuously not mentioned as well, although we do know that Jackson & Lorena will be popping up eventually in the series. Dare we hope for the former too?

All in all, I would give the issue 4 out of 5 starfish (oh yes I did!) with it needing just 2-3 more pages of story and art to give it that complete feel that would have allowed me to give it the full 5. What say you fellow F.O.A.M.ers? Do we need to put a digital countdown clock up for issue #2 of Aquaman to pace the anticipation?

This post originally appeared on October 1, 2011.

TBT: Superman 50th Anniversary

The Superman 50th Anniversary Special aired on CBS in 1988 and was produced by, of all people, Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live.

As you might guess from that, the special takes a humorous approach to the life of the Man of Steel, using a mockumentary format and featuring a bizarre cross-section of people in different segments: Dana Carvey, Peter Boyle, John Byrne(!), Jimmy Breslin, Brian Doyle-Murray, Hal Holbrook, Kirk Alyn, future senator Al Franken, Jan Hooks, Noel Neill, Carol Leifer, Robert Smigel, and Lou Reed!

I remember watching this when it aired and enjoying it thoroughly, thinking it was pretty funny. The only problem I had with it was it was the only celebration of Superman's half-century mark outside of the world of comics, which seemed woefully inappropriate, and kind of only underscored the belief that comic books--and the characters that spring from them--aren't worthy of any sort of serious evaluation or reflection.

Having only seen it once, I didn't remember the Aqua-connection, but F.O.A.M.er Marc Tyler Nobleman did. There's a live-action scene featuring a big party for Superman, and several of his superhero pals show up:

...its Aquaman, making his live-action debut! Wow!

Unfortunately, this is all we see of the Sea King, and there is no credit listed on the show's IMDB page, so we have no idea who played him. Considering the fact he has no lines and is basically just background, I think its safe to assume it was not an actor but a model who would fill out the suit. My inquiries regarding this to Michaels' company, Broadway Video (who produced it), were unsurprisingly not returned.

And as silly as this segment was (that's The Amazing Kreskin holding the bullhorn, so you can guess at the level of silliness this thing was operating at), I still think its kinda cool they made the effort, trident and all.

Thanks for the flashback and screencaps Marc!

This post originally appeared on February 28, 2011.

TBT: Undersea Heroes: DC vs. Filmation

This is the theme week that just won't die!

As a postscript to our Undersea Heroes Week, I talked about the Filmation character Manta, who briefly had his own show as part of the Tarzan and the Super 7 series.

DC Comics thought Manta was a little too close to Aquaman for comfort, so they actually filed a lawsuit claiming copyright infringement (the suit also involved Filmation's character Superstretch, who DC claimed was a lot like Plastic Man). I found a website that listed the suit and gave a few details about it. And that, I thought, was that.

But! Just a few days later, my pal and F.O.A.M. member Brian Dixon told me his girlfriend, who is a law student, and being such she has access to all sorts of legal databases. So he had her dig up the entire court decision, and send it to me! Wow!

I won't show the whole thing, since for a few pages it deals with rules of copyright law, but here are the parts directly concerning Aquaman:

I find the line on the top right of page 1280 of particular interest: "The only reasonable inference is the 1967 [Aquaman] series failed to gain network exposure in 1978 and 1979 not because of any wrongdoing by defendant, but because the show was obsolete and hence undesirable to a network, or because plaintiff, recognizing this, had voluntarily withdrawn the show from the network market, or because ABC's decision to exhibit Aquaman segments nationally as part of Super Friends had saturated that market." As if!

It's also interesting that, as part of the suit, DC alleged that Aquaman's comic book sales fell because of Filmation's Manta and Moray show. You don't have to be Matt Murdock to know that's a real stretch.

Despite this, the court basically agreed with DC, saying that Manta and Superstretch were a little too close to Aquaman and Plastic Man, in turn leading to those characters being pulled from the air, and, as of this writing, never to be seen again in any sort of official way.


You know, occasionally I do worry that at some point I am going to run out of Aquaman ephemera to talk about, and the Shrine will have to stop, or reduce my daily schedule at the very least. I mean, we're not talking about Superman or Batman here.

Then I get stuff like this, an item so weird and unexpected, that it puts a stupid grin on my face and makes me think the Shrine will run forever.

Thanks Brian, and thank your girlfriend too for her intrepid research!

This post originally appeared on September 7, 2009.

TBT: The Aquaman Shrine in Toyfare

The Classic Aquaman figure for the JLU line tops the "Marketwatch Top Ten" list in this month's issue of Toyfare (#154, out this week). When I first turned to this page, I was happy to see Arthur on the list at all, not to mention in first place. But when I read the word balloon the Toyfare staff added, I did a double, even a triple, take:

Great Neptune! The Aquaman Shrine's been mentioned in Toyfare! How cool and how...well, yes, meta! I had no idea anyone at Toyfare knew about the Shrine, and no one told me this was coming until I read it in the magazine. I'm simply stunned!

Anyway, like I said, it's great that the Classic Aquaman figure--long time coming--is getting such attention. Its a beautiful figure, one many of us Aqua-Fans have been waiting for.

Thanks Toyfare!

This post originally appeared on April 10, 2010.

TBT: Super Adventure Annual #9

This is the cover to another Australian SuperAdventure Annual book, a double (sometimes even triple)-length collection of DC stories reprinted for the Down Under market.

The Shrine has covered this series before (here and here), and while the insides are always faithful reprints of the original American comics, the covers are ten pounds of confusion stuffed into a five-pound bag: what, exactly, is going on here?

The Flash appears to be jitterbugging, while a mis-colored Green Arrow and Speedy chat with an even more mis-colored Aquaman! Meanwhile, Superman blithely takes off while Tommy Tomorrow(?) lurks in the background. And the whole scene seems to be taking place in a church, or maybe the United Nations.

All I know is, the Shrine wouldn't have it any other way!

This post originally appeared on July 26, 2011.

TBT: DC Super Heroes - "Prisoner of the Stars"

With General Mills back in the comics business (sort of), I thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at another DC comic given away as a premium in GM brand cereals--namely, the 1979 "Prisoner of the Stars" mini-comic!

This book was part of a four-book series; Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman each got their own, with Aquaman (*sigh*) only making an appearance in this group book.

I had never read this comic before, so of course I was excited to finally see it (I get that way about any Aquaman comic)--that was, until I read it. I've decided to post the whole book without comment, so I'll join you after page sixteen:

Sadly, this is the kind of comic book that really helped cement in kids' minds that Aquaman was pretty useless as a superhero. He's in this story just as a hostage; after page five he's basically an Aqua-cicle. To make matters worse, since this was part of a mass-merchandising tie-in, these General Mills comics were probably more widely read than any regular DC comic of the time, thereby reaching a lot more kids than, say, Adventure Comics ever did.

Also--why are the Super Friends planning to let Xisis go the next day? He did try and kidnap (and transport across planetary lines) a superhero, for Neptune's sake--you'd think that earns him a bit more of a punishment than being stuck in the Metropolis Zoo for a day. "Aw, come on, Aquaman, lighten up--he didn't do anything that bad!"

I don't know who produced this comic; though the cover is clearly by go-to guy Ross Andru. Can any of the regular Shrine readers who actually toiled at DC around this time clue us in?

This post originally appeared on October 27, 2011.