Review: Adventure Comics #451           

ADVENTURE COMICS #451
(Cover by Jim Aparo)
Published and © by DC, May-Jun. 1977
[Buy from Mile High]

“The Secret of the Sinister Abyss”

Synopsis: Topo the octopus runs off with Aquababy; Aquaman pursues, but winds up battling Starro the Conqueror instead.

Writer: David Michelinie
Penciler: Jim Aparo
Inker: Aparo

Review: No, really. Read that synopsis again: “Topo the octopus runs off with Aquababy; Aquaman pursues, but winds up battling Starro the Conqueror instead.” A kidnapping octopus? And the big bad is a super-powered, alien starfish? The lameness of this run’s villains keeps it mired in Silver Age silliness.

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“The Suspects”

Synopsis: J’onn J’onzz continues to hunt the Justice Leaguers he believes responsible for the murder of his friend.

Writer: Denny O’Neil
Penciler: Mike Nasser
Inker: Terry Austin

Review: J’onn continues his out-of-character punch-a-thon, this time pummeling Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Mike Nasser and Terry Austin’s art is the highlight.

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Grade (for the whole issue): B

Second opinions: “Like I have for every issue in this run, I marvel at the wonderful splash pages Jim Aparo cooked up for them, and this issue’s is a particularly fine one.” — Rob!, The Aquaman Shrine. … “ … the weakest of the three stand-alone stories and the last of the innocent era of the series.” — H, The Comic Treadmill. … “Despite the inclusion of one of the JLA’s nastiest foes, this story reads like a set-up issue.” — Laura Gjovaag, The Unofficial Aquaman Website.

Cool factor: A great issue for art lovers.

Not-so-cool factor: No so much for fans of compelling stories.

Character quotable: “B-but Topo’s never acted like this before. I – it’s almost as if he’s gone — mad!”— Mera. (Remember, this is coming from a mother who lets an octopus babysit her kid.)