From Cassius Comics

#15

(June 1998)
"Out of the Dark Cloud"
"Battle Royal"
Steve Vance (writer), John Delaney (pencils). Cover by Delaney.

Featured Characters- Aquaman (Orin/Arthur Curry), Captain Marvel (Billy Batson), The Lady of the Lake, Morgana Le Fay, Shazam, Vulko (all non-cannon).

Summary and Comments- Like most issues of Adventures in the DC Universe, this issue features two non-continuity short stories about second-tier DC heroes, drawn in a style reminiscent of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s various DC animates series. This month’s stories are “Out of a Dark Cloud” with Captain Marvel, and “Battle Royal”, featuring Aquaman with his long-haired, hook-handed look. Though the plots to both stories are aimed at an all-ages market, the dialogue is oddly complex- I’m not sure how many kids know what the word “capriciousness” means.

In some ways, “Out of the Dark Cloud” can be seen as the spiritual predecessor to Jeff Smith’s incredible Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil, published in 2007. Both are lighthearted stories that pay homage to Marvel’s whimsical past, while infusing the goofiness with a decidedly modern sensibility. In this case, it’s a dull day on Mount Olympus, and Zeus decides to “test” Marvel by screwing with his powers. It’s mostly meaningless fluff, but an entertaining read, with a decent moral at the end- don’t overlook the little guy.

“Battle Royal” sees Aquaman growing tired of the endless bureaucratic duties that come with being the king of Atlantis- apparently, his life isn’t all shark-fighting and mermaid-shagging. He ends up playing hooky, and after getting sucked up into some kind of a time vortex, finds himself fighting alongside The Lady of the Lake to safeguard Excalibur from the evil Morgan Le Fay. Again, this story is rather silly, but it’s a nice change of pace when Aquaman uses his powers to talk his way out of a fight for once. Also, unlike most Aquaman stories from the 90s, the usually grumbly and dour hero actually ends up with a smile on his face- that’s worth the cover price all on its own.

The Bigger Picture- Aquaman (in his 90s anti-hero look) later appeared as a recurring character on the Justice League/Justice League Unlimited cartoon. Captain Marvel appeared in a single episode of JLU.

Final Rating- 5/10