Aquaman #2

Aquaman #2, September 1994, DC Comics
writer: Peter David
penciller: Marty Egeland
inker: Brad Vancata
colorist: Tom McCraw
letterer: Dan Nakross
editors: Eddie Beranza & Kevin Dooley

Believe it or not, for as much as I love me my superheroes, I never read the issue where Aquaman loses his hand, until today. While at the time the move may have been ill-received and controversial, I'm just not impressed. Like Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday or Batman's crippling at the knee of Bane, this physically dramatic in the life of an icon occurred at the hands of some new villain, whom Aquaman meets and promptly kills all in this issue. Oh, and pardon my pun, there -- I won't brag about it the way Peter David touts his quips within the very same story. On one page, Aquaman says he doesn't need a hand in defeating this one-hit wonder, then, after the piranha thing, the bad guy boasts, "You did say you didn't a hand to finish me off. So I thought I'd test it out." Yeah, we get it. A clever flash of foreshadowing becomes a drawn out gag. Ho hum. Ultimately, we all know this "can't miss new direction" was eventually halted by yet another new direction, as the lives of our favorite superheroes often change like the tide. Still, in retrospect, I prefer the loss of Aquaman's hand as told in the animated Justice League series. At least those writers didn't want us to give them a hand for their efforts. You know, because that means they'd want applause for . . . oh, never mind.