Retro Comics are Awesome

[Sparky Prime]

Marvel Masterworks The Uncanny X-Men vol. 2
The All-New, All-Different X-Men #101
October 1976

"Like a Phoenix, From the Ashes!"
Picking up with the X-Men returning to Earth in the "starcore" space shuttle, Jean is controlling the craft and is dying as a result of a solar storm they had to pass through. She manages to touchdown at Kennedy Airport, but the landing is not smooth, and they crash through the barriers of the airport into Jamaica Bay. The X-Men free themselves from the radiation proof chamber that protected them from the storm, and fear the worst of Jean, when she suddenly emerges from the water, now Phoenix, and quickly passes out. Xavier erases everyone's memories of the X-Men leaving the site of the crashed shuttle, while they rush Jean to a hospital. Shortly after, they find out Jean will be alright. Xavier sends Storm, Banshee, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Colossus on a vacation and they head to Ireland. But the castle they're staying in turns out to be a trap from Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut...

The Phoenix saga of the 90's animated X-Men cartoon was my favorite story of the cartoon. It surprises me just how different it is in the original comic. For her debut, Phoenix really isn't featured much in this issue. It's literally just her announcing herself as Phoenix in her new costume and then passing out. The X-Men lack explanation, given Jean hasn't shown the ability to make a costume out of nothing before, or how she survived the radiation. It is interesting how Xavier, Cyclops and Wolverine all express their love for Jean while waiting to hear if she'll be alright.

[Sparky Prime]

All-New, All-Different X-Men #102
"Who Will Stop the Juggernaut?"
December 1976
The X-Men are not faring well in their fight with Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut, with Storm completely frozen in fear with a suppressed memory of her mother's death suddenly surfacing... for some reason. Xavier telepathically hears her calls for help. He tells Cyclops that the X-Men need his help, but Scott refuses as he wants to stay with Jean. I'm not really sure what Xavier exactly expects Scott to do when there's no way he'd be able to get to Ireland in time to help them anyway. And Xavier can't use his powers due to having seizures lately in relation to these dreams he's been having. As the two argue, Xavier suddenly sees an alien figure from his dream in a reflection. And the X-Men are summarily defeated.

All-New, All Different X-Men #103
"The Fall of the Tower"
February 1977
Nightcrawler (who blended in with shadows) is saved by Leprechauns while the other X-Men are captured. A man by the name of Eamon O'Donnell reveals he is the keeper of this castle and his family are also being held prisoner. He asks for Nightcrawler's help freeing them along with the X-Men. They also explain to Nightcrawler how they managed to save him, which even he was unaware he had this ability to vanish into shadows. In Black Tom's lab, he plans on torturing the X-Men to lure Xavier to them as part of a bigger plot. This gives Nighcrawler an idea and uses his holo-disguise to make himself look like Xavier and gets Juggernaut to smash the equipment for him without the brute realizing what he's doing. With Storm able to use her powers again, she summons a a wind storm in the room which frees the X-Men, and they resume the fight. This time, they are able to throw the two villains out of the castle. Meanwhile, the true masterminds of this plot converse as they are trying to destroy the X-Men before Princess Neramani can contact them.

I had no idea Leprechauns existed in the Marvel universe. Guess I shouldn't be surprised by it, but it's not something I've seen come up anywhere before. I'm also a bit surprised how Storm's backstory and Nightcrawler's abilities are still being explored in these two issues. They were still relatively new characters at this point, having been introduced in 1975, but I would have thought they'd have fleshed out these details already. Jean only briefly appears in #102, still in a hospital bed. It's nice to see her recovery isn't instantaneous, but it also seems strange to me that we haven't really even seen much of her since she became Phoenix. I also find it a bit odd how Storm's suppressed memory comes about by Black Tom simply mentioning the word "tomb". I know she's claustrophobic, but simply saying a word isn't what triggers that, actually being in an enclosed space does

[Sparky Prime]

The All-New, All-Different X-Men #103
"The Gentleman's Name is Magneto"
April 1977

The X-Men are trying to board a hovercraft to reach McTaggert's lab, but are refused because they're "costumed freaks", and the man also refuses to give them a refund. Colossus leaves the man hanging by his coat and they take the craft anyway, which is shortly destroyed. They wash up on the lab's island where and are trapped by a force-field. They're flung into McTaggert's nearby lab, where Magneto reveals himself. Meanwhile, Cyclops (guess Jean has improved to the point he no longer feels he has to be by her side) and Moira arrive where they find Multiple Man, who explains Eric the Red restored Magneto to adulthood (apparently he had been turned into a baby) and has ordered him to attack the X-Men in return. Cyclops realizes Magneto is just a distraction and orders the X-Men to leave, and that Xavier is the real target Eric the Red is after.

The All-New, All-Different X-Men #104
"Phoenix Unleashed!"
June 1977

The X-Men arrive back in New York just in time to confront Eric the Red, who is backed up by Firelord, former herald to Galactus. Meanwhile, two Shi'ar ships have arrived at Earth (the larger of the two has the bridge clearly modeled after the Enterprise) with the larger ship attacking the smaller of the two. Pulling up the file on Earth, the commander is informed Earth has faced off against Galactus 4 times and beaten him back. Believing humans to be a threat despite their primitive status, the commander calls a retreat, while on the smaller ship, Lilandra beams down (with the characters pointing out it looks like the effect from Star Trek) to talk to Xavier. Lilandra passes out and they're attacked by Firelord, but Jean is able to fight him off with her new Phoenix powers. Eric the Red then confronts them and knocks out Lillandra (who had just woken up again) with an energy blast. On the roof, they've built a stargate where Eric the Red escapes with Lilandra, but Jean is able reopen the gate with her powers and the X-Men follow them.

I guess Chris Claremont was a fan of Star Trek. It's interesting to see someone like Magneto being used as simply a pawn to distract the X-Men. I guess this is to show how big the stakes are. And the X-Men certainly are able to make it back across the Atlantic in a short amount of time, just in time for Eric the Red to go after Xavier himself. And finally, 4 issues after her debut, we finally get to see Phoenix in action for the first time, even displaying the fire bird around her during the fight with Firelord.

[andersonh1]

Aquaman vol. 7 - Exiled
Cullen Bunn, Trevor McCarthy, various other artists
DC Sneak Peek Aquaman, Aquaman #41-48

I had heard bad things about this storyline, and as I read it, I had to agree that it's just not very good. The basic plot is fine, but the dialogue and story structure are poorly written, and the characterization feels off all around. And the art is not very strong either, particularly following from 40 issues of Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier.

The book starts showing Aquaman in a different costume, on the run from Atlanteans, with a new trident that lets him call down lightning. The art is rough and scratchy, and as Aquaman calls down lighting on his Atlantean pursuers, he shouts "Your king is pissed!" Nothing about this feels like the Aquaman of the last four volumes, and I'm sure that was the point: to provide a contrast. This is the DC You storyline that ran at the same time that Hal Jordan was the "Renegade" over in Green Lantern.

The main storyline does eventually provide some answers. It cuts back and forth between the present day, where Aquaman is a hunted fugitive, and incidents in the past with Aquaman in his traditional orange and green investigating a tower-like structure under the ocean that's leaking poison into the sea. The art is poor and hard to follow, and the cuts between past and present constantly break any momentum the plot starts to generate. This is not storytelling that flows well and communicates the plot clearly.

The plot involves an invasion by Thule, an enclave of ancient Atlanteans that had been banished to another dimension after a rebellion against Atlan. They "dip their toe in the water" and test the ground before pushing for an all out incursion. They appear on land and under the sea, and poison the environment whereever they appear. But not everyone in Thule is an invader. There are innocent civilians there, who Aquaman is determined to save before he can take action to destroy Thule, and this is supposedly the reason he's been exiled. But in another poorly revealed plot twist, Mera, who had been left behind to rule as Queen while Aquaman fought the invasion, has secretly been imprisoned and impersonated by her sister Siren, a shapeshifter. Siren, acting as Mera, is doing her best to turn the people against Aquaman, calling him a traitor for putting the lives of the innocent in Thule above Aquaman's own subjects. Aquaman learns that it isn't really Mera in the infamous sex/rape scene where Arthur sleeps with her, thinking she's Mera, and then she reverts to her true form and gloats about it. The book course corrects in the last few chapters, but it's too little, too late to really save the story.

So in the end, like most of the DC You status quo upheavals, this one has to be judged a failure. It doesn't really add anything to Aquaman's ongoing story, It's poorly written and poorly drawn, and though it does have some nice ideas here and there, they can't save the story. It was probably best that they course corrected and went back to something more traditional for the last few issues of the series and continued into DC Rebirth.

[andersonh1]

Green Lantern #17
December 1962

The Spy-Eye that Doomed Green Lantern!
In some ways, this is a plot that would better fit in the modern day, with cameras and surveillance everywhere, surely making it harder to maintain a secret identity. But here it's a bunch of spies who stumble on Hal's secret identity as they surveil him in hopes of learning about the new orbital plane he's texting, and they catch him recharging his ring. Even though the power battery is invisible, they see the glow and hear the oath and put two and two together. In addition to stealing the plans for the plane, they attempt to take Hal's ring, which they think is powerless since he's been in space for 36 hours without recharging. However, Hal rendered himself invisible, returned to Earth, recharged his ring, got Tom to impersonate him again so he and Green Lantern could appear together, and put an end to the spy ring while preserving his secret.

Green Lantern #18
January 1963

World of Perilous Traps!
Hal's ring malfunctions while on a mission, and as he's telling Tom about it, Tom is paralyzed. Hal goes to look around and everyone is paralyzed. Frustrated Hal flings the ring to the ground in frustration, only for Sinestro to appear and capture both him and the ring, transporting him to Qward, where Sinestro is (sigh) still trying to win the "most evil" contest. Since just killing Hal outright isn't evil enough, Sinestro needs to be more clever. He decides to put Hal in a trap, just as Hal had tried to trap him. Hal's ring had not really malfunctioned, Sinestro had put a mental command that made him use it as he did. Hal mocks Sinestro for "monologuing" and reveals that he suspected a trap and still has his ring. He captures Sinestro and subjects him to the same fate Sinestro had planned for him by shrinking him and placing him inside a block of amber. We won't see Sinestro again for a few years, if I remember right. Apart from the silliness of the "most evil Qwardian" contest, this is a pretty good example of Hal using his wits to outthink Sinestro, showing how well he's come to know him.

Green Lantern vs. Power Ring!
Hal and Tom run some tests to see how well Hal can control his ring remotely, without being in physical contact with it. You can guess where this is heading, as a wandering hobo named Bagget finds the ring, puts it on, and figures out how to make it work. He goes on a rampage, thinking it's fun, and of course, Hal has to get close enough to control it mentally and get it back, which he does after a bit of trouble. This may be where Gerard Jones got the idea for Hal to mentally control his ring from a distance in GL #3 when he and Guy had their rings stolen by some rednecks. I don't know how often Hal has to resort to controlling his ring without wearing it, but at any rate, this is the first time that happens. And testing his limits is sensible, though Tom should have watched the ring the whole time, obviously.

[Sparky Prime]

The All-New, All-Different X-Men #106
August 1977
"Dark Shroud of the Past!"

Xavier and Misty Knight are confronted by Firelord, who is demanding to know where Phoenix is, with Xavier explaining they've gone through the stargate. Xaiver is suddenly overcome with the nightmares he's been suffering from in the past few months suddenly returning. In his nightmare, the new X-Men team ends up facing off against the original 5. He eventually realizes he can control this, and makes the old team disappear. But in the process, an evil version of the professor appears (which despite more menacing eyebrows, looks a bit ridiculous wearing a normal suit with a cape). The new X-Men can't touch him, but the good Xavier recreates the original 5 team and they all disappear. Finally, Xavier feels he has found peace with his nightmares having confronted his dark side with his own creations...

Seems like an odd stand-alone issue. I guess it's nice to see Xavier to finally get a bit of resolution to the nightmares he has been complaining about in the last several issues. But I don't see that it was really necessary to dedicate an entire issue to it like this, especially when the X-Men just got transported to another planet some where. This is also the only issue in this book not written by Chris Claremont.

All-New, All-Different X-Men #107
"Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!"

The X-Men find themselves transported in front of the M'Kraan crystal along with the Shi-ar imperial guard. Cyclops asks that they return the Princess, but when Gladiator refuses because she is considered a traitor, a battle ensues and Phoenix is drained from having opened the stargate to get them their. Nightcrawler is able to free Lilandra who explains what's going on. Her brother has gone mad with the idea of controlling the deadliest weapon in history. She opposed his plan and was branded a traitor for it which caused the Shi'ar to go into a civil war. During her escape, her mind somehow touched Xavier's, and decided to seek him out. Unfortunately, her brother was able to figure out she was being drawn to Earth and sent his own agents to stop them from meeting. The X-Men begin to loose the battle when the Starjammer's arrive, and Jean quickly learns their leader is Scott's father from a telepathic probe. But they are too late, as a portal to another universe begins to open, pouring energy into the M'Kraan crystal...

This is what big battle issues of comics today I feel are often missing. So much of the time they are just the big battle. And that's it. No plot progression, no explanations. But this issue has it all, with Lilandra filling us in (finally) on what's been happening leading up to this point, moving the story forward with the real villain and the real threat he's been after all along, and also introducing us to a whole bunch of new characters. Not only that but, this is the first issue Nightcrawler apparently teleports with someone else, which we see physically exhausts him. I believe over time this is something he would get better at, to the point he can teleport a small group of people. This issue also shows us Phoenix has her limits, with her strength drained in opening the stargate portal. Although we'd see in the Dark Phoenix Saga, her power will grow quickly.

[andersonh1]

Sparky, I've never read those X-men issues, but I'm still enjoying your issue reviews.


Aquaman vol. 1 - The Trench (New 52)
Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis
Aquaman #1-6

Going back to the beginning of the New 52 Aquaman series, I remember enjoying this series when it began, only for my enjoyment to die off as the Others storyline dragged on and on. Geoff Johns concept behind the reboot of Aquaman was to make him a joke in-universe, the hero that people didn't take seriously, reflecting I suppose the lingering reputation from Superfriends in the real world, so that by acknowledging the perception of Aquaman as a character he could build him up later. We won't see that in this volume, and it's not until "Throne of Atlantis" and "Death of a King" that things change in-universe, and possibly with popular perception. Whatever it did for DC's other characters, it's generally agreed that the New 52 benefitted Aquaman.

A trio of bank robbers laugh when they see Aquaman standing in the road blocking the path of the armored car they're driving... until Aquaman impales it with his trident as they approach and hoists the whole car over his head, bringing it crashing down, top first. The one robber who tries to shoot Aquaman is disconcerted when the bullets have very little effect. The police are all embarassed that they've been upstaged by Aquaman of all people. Johns really lays it on thick, but it still works. When Aquaman goes to get some lunch in a seafood restaurant his dad used to take him to, he can't just eat in peace and quiet since some of the other patrons keep invading his privacy, asking him dumb questions. He leaves in disgust, pausing to leave his waitress a couple of gold doubloons to "put her kids through college". He goes home to the lighthouse where he lives with Mera, with the two of them just wanting a normal life.

But it's not going to happen, of course. The story also follows a group of creatures who live in the Trench at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as they make their way to the surface in search of food. It's not hard to guess that they think humans make pretty good food, as they attack a fishing boat and then a coastal town. A policeman goes to solicit help from Aquaman, who goes to take a look and ends up in a fight with the creatures. He, Mera and the police manage to finally drive them off, but only after discovering that they've taken some people captive, taking them back to be consumed later. Aquaman has no idea what these creatures are, so he takes the body of one to Dr. Shin, a man who Arthur has some bad feelings about, but who has some expertise in marine life, and they determine where the creature likely came from. From there it's a rescue mission as Aquaman and Mera make their way so deep that even they can't see in the darkness. They find the captives and are able to fight their way free of the colony of creatures to bring them back, but only after Aquaman kills the massive queen by breaking open a volcanic vent. The rescued captives are grateful, and Aquaman and Mera are given a dog that belonged to some of the dead victims of the attack.

That's four issues out of the way. The fifth issue involves an Atlantean artifact that Aquaman brought back when he rescued the captives from the Trench. It's taken by what turns out to be an Atlantean raiding party in an aerial vehicle. Aquaman leaps on it, attempts to enter, learns the helmeted commandos are Atlanteans when he punches one and the facemask cracks to reveal a helmet full of water, and then the ship explodes thanks to a stray shot from a rifle, leaving Aquaman stranded in the desert. As you can imagine, that's about the worst place he can be, and he staggers along, hallucinating a bit, before reaching the wreckage, retrieving the artifact, and being rescued by a helicopter sent in pursuit. The newspapers have a field day with the idea that Aquaman got lost in the desert.

The final issue involves Mera going to the store to buy dog food and having a run-in with a pretty over the top sexual harasser store manager. He's such a cartoony villain it's hard to take him seriously. He puts his hands where they shouldn't be, Mera breaks his arm, the police arrive, and the whole thing escalates as they try to arrest her for assault. The issue is the exact opposite of subtle, and the main thing it has going for it is that it offers the reader a chance to see Mera solo, dealing with the surface world, and doing so with a lot less patience than Aquaman exhibits.

All in all, It was a good start to this series, with a few flaws and some retcons to Aquaman that I'm not sure were entirely necessary. For instance now he doesn't talk to fish, because they're too primitive, he just telepathically commands them. But I think making Aquaman disrespected in-universe gives Johns and future writers some built-in conflict that they've used to pretty good effect.

[andersonh1]

Aquaman vol. 2 - The Others (New 52)
Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis
Aquaman #7-13

This is the storyline that made me give up on New 52 Aquaman, and having re-read it in collected format, I'm reminded why. I see where it fits into the larger story that Geoff Johns was telling, and I understand the focus on Black Manta to reestablish him as a major villain before moving on to Ocean Master in the next storyline. I understand the attempt to fill in Aquaman's past in the blank slate that was the New 52 continuity. But the whole thing is still so bleak and joyless that it's a struggle to get through.

The story opens with a muslim woman, Kahina the Seer, chased through the jungle. In an act of brutal violence, she is killed and gutted "like a fish" by Black Manta. That sets the tone for a story of murder and revenge as Black Manta targets old associates of Aquaman as he hunts for various Atlantean relics, with the final prize being the sceptre that sank Atlantis. Aquaman's friends are various outcasts with powers who don't really fit anywhere else, and are often as angry as Aquaman was when he was younger. The group is collectively referred to as "the Others", and some of their history with Aquaman is shown in flashback. Of course, they're all new characters, created for this storyline rather than taken from earlier eras of Aquaman's history. It might have been interesting to see the members of the Detroit era Justice League used instead since those characters had a genuine past with Aquaman, but in the New 52, who knew if that team had ever existed? In any case, I have no real objection to Aquaman having a previously unknown chapter of his past invented and revealed for the storyline, but there's a certain artificiality to the whole thing that makes it hard to care about the Others, even though we're clearly meant to empathize with Arthur's feelings for them. He's angry when Kahina is killed, and enraged enough to murder Black Manta after Vostok, another "Other" is also killed. In the end he does not go through with it, opting to have Manta imprisoned, though he does not capture him until after Manta has delivered the sceptre to the unidentified person who hired Manta to retrieve it. "Throne of Atlantis" will reveal that this is Vulko, Arthur's old advisor, who had not appeared in the series up to this point, and who is not introduced until the issue #0 that immediate followed this storyline.

The story is honestly a chore to get through, with so many new characters I have no investment in, so much brutality, and just an overall bleak tone that drags on for seven issues. After enjoying the early storylines, I dropped the series when this storyline ended, only recently picking up the collected volumes at a discount and discovering that the series recovered and got a lot better with the remainder of Geoff Johns run and then Jeff Parker's excellent storytelling. I see where "the Others" fits in the bigger picture, and perhaps if it had been half the length and featured characters I cared about, I might have seen it differently. As it is, I can't really recommend this book for anything other than the relevant scenes at the end that explain how Vulko got the sceptre, unless you just like bleak violent revenge storylines. There's certainly a place for that type of plot, but I did not enjoy it at all here.

[Sparky Prime]

The All-New, All-Different X-Men #108
"Armageddon Now!"
December 1977

The X-Men, Starjammers and Shi'ar Guard all marvel at the sight of the powered up M'kraan crystal. The effects of which even makes it all the way back to Earth, where the Avengers and Fantastic Four detect it, but are at a loss to explain it or do anything about it. The X-Men's battle resumes until they somehow end up inside of the crystal. The energies effect them with their worst nightmares, except for Phoenix. Cyclops' optic blast accidentally hits a sphere containing the crystal's power which begins to shatter, and Phoenix is forced to try to contain it. She finds her power is not enough. But Storm offers to be an "anchor", sharing her life force to help Jean. But Jean knows this still wont be enough, and asks Corsair to 'donate' as well. Powered up by the two, Phoenix enters the sphere, where her fire bird effect grows to the point it engulfs the entire solar system. Back on Earth, the stargate reactivates, and the X-Men return home along with Lilandra. She explains to Xavier that what happened inside the crystal drove her brother insane and left him almost catatonic, making her the new Empress of the Shi'ar Empire.

Seems odd how this issue kinda skips right to the X-Men returning home, rather than showing what Lilandra describes to Xavier at the end. This is really when Phoenix first gets to shine, displaying just how powerful she has become to contain the power of the M'Kraan crystal. I also find it interesting how Lilandra's brother ultimately doesn't do anything. He might have been giving the orders, but when it comes time to claim what he's after, he looses his mind as a result.

The All-New, All-Different X-Men #109
"Home are the Heroes!"
February 1978

The X-Men unwind, happy to be home after their ordeal in space, with a brief recap of the events following Phoenix resealing the M'Kraan Crystal that the last issue basically skipped. Jean also explains her transformation into Phoenix to her parents. Meanwhile, Wolverine is taking a stroll when he's attacked by Weapon Alpha, who has come to bring him back to Alpha Flight. He gets some help from Colossus, Storm and Banshee who are out sun bathing. Moira is injured and realizing he is outmatched, Weapon Alpha leaves, telling them he will bring the rest of Alpha Flight next time.

And then this issue shows what felt like was missing in the previous issue. Seems odd to me that they waited until this issue to show Lilandra making her claim as Empress to the royal guard. I feel it would have made more sense to show the X-Men returning home at the start of this issue with that scene in the previous issue. It's nice to see the X-Men enjoying a well deserved break, although things never stay peaceful for them for long. This also gives us some background on Wolverine, I believe this is the first time it's mentioned he was a member of Alpha Flight.

The All-New, All Different X-Men #110
"The 'X' Sanction!"
April 1978

The X-Men enjoy playing a game of baseball. Meanwhile, Moira is shot (by what turns out to be a tranquilizer) and a short time later the mystery man also takes out Jean and Xavier while the X-Men go to the danger room for training. The man reveals himself as Warhawk, sent to observe and test the X-Men to find out what makes them so powerful. The X-Men eventually break out and defeat him, although they aren't able to find out who sent him or why. Concerned about her powers and having been taken out by a foe she should have been able to stop easily, Jean decides to take some time away from the X-Men.

Poor Moira in these last couple of issues. Warhawk basically comes out of nowhere, but it makes Jean realize just how much in-flux her powers are... Displaying cosmic level power one day, and completely weak the next. Of course, she still doesn't understand how it is she became Phoenix. It makes sense she'd need to take some time to explore what's happening to her.

Thus ends this volume of the X-Men.

[andersonh1]

Aquaman and the Others vol. 1 - Legacy of Gold
John Ostrander, Dan Jurgens; Allen Martinez, Lan Medina
Aquaman #20, Aquaman Annual #1, Aquaman and the Others #1-5

I'm still in an Aquaman reading mood, and though "the Others" storyline is still one of my least favorites, the price was right ($6.97 for the book) to try out at least the first trade paperback of the short lived spin-off series featuring this team. I think it's the first time Aquaman has ever headlined a second book, so it's notable for that if nothing else. After the "back door pilots" of Aquaman #20 and an annual, the series proper only lasted 11 issues (ending right before Convergence), and interestingly it tied into Future's End in the main series, as well as having a Future's End issue of its own.

John Ostrander wrote the first two issues collected in this book: Aquaman #20 and the annual, which introduced Sky Alchesay, a new character to (temporarily as it turns out) replace Kahina the seer, killed by Black Manta. Sky is an Indian who can speak to the dead and enter the "ghost realm". The other characters created by Geoff Johns all return: the Operative, a older man and skilled spy; Prisoner of War, a former soldier who can talk to the spirits of dead soldiers and have them fight for him, and Ya'Wara, the token scantily clad jungle girl who controls great cats. All have powers that are enhanced because they hold Atlantean artifacts (which Black Manta was hunting in the original storyline). Issue 20 involves a shapeshifting werewolf Indian, and the annual involves Morgan Le Fay trying to obtain the helmet used by Vostok X, another deceased team member. Neither the stories nor the art are very strong, and if this was a trial run for Ostrander to see how he might write an ongoing series, he must have failed, because Dan Jurgens ends up writing the series proper.

I didn't think either of Ostrander's stories were all that good, honestly. But the book does improve when Jurgens takes over. While the interior art is serviceable, we get some great Ivan Reis covers that make me wish he was drawing the whole book. The opening scene shows king Atlan after he's been exiled, murdering an alchemist and taking the enchanted gold which he will use to forge the magical artifacts, including Aquaman's trident and the sceptre that will sink Atlantis. Cut to the present day, and once again, someone is hunting the Others because they want the Atlantean artifacts, which are losing power because the various team members have not been together for some time. Aquaman gathers them because they're in danger, and the hunt is on for whoever is after them, even as the team themselves are being hunted, and Kahina's sister is kidnapped for having visions of the coming Omac-dominated Earth depicted in Future's End. The antagonist of this five issue storyline is the son of the murdered alchemist, who has kept himself alive by building one mechanical body after another over the centuries, all to take back the stolen gold and build himself a suit that will keep him alive forever. He has a legitimate claim to the gold, no doubt, but the means he uses to take it back put him firmly in villain territory, and the team eventually beat him and retain the artifacts. Over the course of the story, Vostok X is brought back in a mostly believable way, and Sky leaves to be replaced on the team by Kahina's sister, so in the end we have more or less the same Others that Geoff Johns originally wrote about.

The verdict: not the best storytelling and characters, but I enjoyed it, and good enough for me to want to read volume 2. This is a group of C-list characters I probably wouldn't be interested in if they weren't connected to Aquaman, and in that respect this book follows the "Batman and the Outsiders" model of taking a prominent DC character and using him as the draw to build up some newer, lesser known characters, hoping the audience for the marquee character will stick around. I'm not sure the Others can really stand on their own (and the brief existence of their series bears that out), but as supporting characters for Aquaman they work, and occasionally shine on their own merits.