Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Ripples Through Time - 014

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.

More Fun #85 Aquaman Splash Page
More Fun #85 (November 1942) - The Unhappy Hunting Grounds

A group of poachers attack Seal Island, but are soon in trouble when Aquaman is warned and comes to stop them.

To kill Aquaman, the leader of the poachers, Morrell, leaves him on a tropical island. Yes, they had to go south to get to one. Aquaman drinks all the coconut milk and attempts to find shade under a palm tree. He's briefly saved by a tropical rainstorm. But then, after all that, the caption says that he tries to escape for "hours". Clearly there's no one hour limit, and equally clearly it's the sun and heat that are causing him problems, not the lack of water. But I wonder if this story isn't one of the inspirations for the infamous one hour limit?

The poachers are using "electric guns" that deliver a fatal shock to the seals in order to preserve the furs... Ark the Sea Lion makes a very brief one panel appearance in this story... The electric guns don't work on the polar bear... The poachers are terrified of the walruses, but still apparently have time to get dressed before jumping into the icy water to escape... Aquaman leaves a gloating note for the poachers threatening to introduce them to his whale friends... Aquaman digs his way to freedom after finding an oyster inland and figuring out that there's a water passage under the island... Aquaman radios for help for the poachers after he sinks their ship. On the strength of Aquaman's radio testimony, the poachers are thrown in jail.

Finny Friends Report: A seal seeks out Aquaman to warn of the poachers. A polar bear attacks Aquaman, and he throws it at the poachers to scare them off the island. Aquaman gets a group of walruses to board the poachers boat while they sleep and scare the poachers into the water. He's attacked by a swordfish, but tames it and has it ram a hole in the poachers ship.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman rescues a poacher who apparently fell overboard, and is captured in a net. He's then placed on a tropical island to die from exposure.

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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