Aquaman holds a unique place in the history of comic book super-heroes. Along with DC's holy trinity and a half of super stars (Superman, Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman) and fellow back-up feature star Green Arrow, he was part of the only fraternity of heroes who were continuously published from the beginning of the Golden Age of comics through the dark days of the 1950's right into the Silver Age Renaissance. Comic book politics may have played a hand in both Aquaman's and Green Arrow's survival into the dawn of a new age.
The man who had a hand behind both of their creations (both first appeared in the 1941 issue of More Fun Comics #73), Mort Weisinger was editor of the Superman stable of comics, including Adventure Comics which featured Superboy, after his move from More Fun Comics. Both Aquaman and Green Arrow had made that move also. Another of his creations, Johnny Quick, a superior knock-off of the Flash, made it well into 1954- but just short of the finish line.
Aquaman's stories through his early years were for the most part rather routine. He adventured around the world and, of course, the sea- fighting Nazis and modern-day pirates and saving lives along the way. Originally, Aquaman was the son of an American scientist who discovered the lost underwater city of Atlantis and who spent his life studying its scientific secrets and haunted remains, passing all that knowledge along to his son. Aquaman's sense of history, though, was rather non-existant, each story ignorant of, and never referencing, those before it. I doubt anyone reading any Aquaman story after his first appearance ever really knew how the orange and green clad hero came to be. He just was, doing his thing, helping people out at sea. No back-story needed!
His first ten years of publishing history followed this pattern. In 1951, one thing did change- the art. A newly graduated Parsons art student, Ramona Fradon, through a friend of her husband (New Yorker illustrator, Dana Fradon) landed a gig drawing a Shining Knight story. She did an alright job and was soon given the regular assignment of drawing the sea-adventures of Aquaman. She was a rare gem in the comic book field. At that day and age, females were even more difficult to be found working in the industry than today. Her clean, slightly cartoony artwork stood out from the pack, it's bold fluidity perfect for the King of the Seas.
The stories still followed the same pattern, however, they were now beautiful to look at! What I enjoy about these tales is that Aquaman was not a super-hero per se. He was an adventure-hero appearing fittingly in a comic called Adventure Comics. (It is here where I'd like to explain the misguided perception that Aquaman is lame. Aquaman wasn't meant to be a super-hero, really. He was the King of the Seas, having fun in his dominion, keeping all those safe within his realm. He didn't fight super-villians, just those imprudent enough to not follow his sea rules. He was a benevolent man of action who showed up, with a golden smile, to help things go smoothly.)
It was during this time, under Fradon's pen, though, that the perennial back up star's life started to evolve a bit. The Silver Age was starting and the various characters were getting their modern mythologies, as we know them now, built. Superman gained Krypto the Superdog, Supergirl, Brainiac, the bottled city of Kandor, and Bizarro. Batman and Robin gained Ace the Bat-hound, Batwoman, the first Bat-girl, and Bat-Mite. Wonder Woman gained a crazy cast of multiple selves! Up until this point Aquaman, for the most part, operated alone. In 1956 he gained an underwater ally in the poly-dexterous Topo the Octopus. In 1959, Aquaman was given a proper background story and origin, the union of a classic love between a lonely lighthouse keeper and his mermaid soulmate. After this Aquaman's life kind of hit a fast-forward button. He gained a partner in the young Aqualad, helped form the Justice League of America, and soon graduated into his own comic book after rediscovering Atlantis. Ramona Fradon didn't follow Aquaman in this move; however Aquaman soon gained another woman in his life, in the form of Mera- his soon to be wife and mother to his son.
What I like about these stories, like "The Sorcerer of the Sea!" is that we get a chance to see Aquaman enjoying his comic-book bachelorhood before he was given a chance in the big-time. Before familyhood and kinghood took over his life, before the Super Friends cartoon, and before the underserved fish-out-of-water bad reputation that has persisted for years and years (which I'd like to report is finally now being debunked and laid to rest, following an amazing Aqua-renaissance!).
Behold: "The Sorcerer of the Sea!"
PS: I am soooo knocked out by the amazingly vibrant color palette of this printing! So vivid and sweet are the colors, I want to eat it up!
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