Written by Peter David
Art by Kirk Jarvinen; Brad Vancata; Tom McCraw; & Dan Nakrosis
Cover Art by Kirk Jarvinen
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for January 1994, the second installment of this four-part mini-series is entitled “Fish Tales.” After protecting defenseless mother-and-infant dolphins from nefarious Japanese poachers, Aquaman (sporting a blond mullet) chronicles his life in a journal.
Starting with his willful abandonment as an infant upon Mercy Reef, he recounts his rescue by a family of dolphins and his childhood with them. Saving his dolphin friend, Nera, from a shark, eighteen-month old Aquaman first realizes his human-shaped hands. Years later, a teenage Aquaman encounters fishermen for the first time and must make a fateful decision.
REVIEW:
Among DC’s innumerable Aquaman reboots, writer Peter David poignantly envisions Aquaman as an underwater Tarzan. Not quite in the same spirit as a Disney animated film, David’s low-key plotting incorporates the point-of-views of dolphins and sharks. He succeeds in not being cartoony in another wink to Edgar Rice Burroughs. In conjunction, this issue’s art squad consistently provides good visuals, including the underwater sequences. Kirk Jarvinen’s classy cover image also provides another ideal selling point.
For long-time Aquaman fans, Time and Tide # 2 is a nice re-discovery of what super-hero origins can be by focusing on a character’s personality development instead of predictably pushing action-adventure.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There is a two-page “Tide and Time” letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
