This was a book that I was so delighted to read. In my first comics collection, I owned 2 copies of DC's 1960s water adventure series Sea Devils. I had one of my dad's Showcase Presents issues that introduced the team and then I bought a battered but much loved copy of issue #6 from my then favorite comics shop, Tales Resold in Raleigh, NC.
As an overweight and asthmatic kid, I wasn't the best athlete on land. But in water, I rivaled Prince Namor and Arthur Curry in my swimming prowess. I loved the water. I just couldn't get enough pool time, ocean time or lake time. And my reading interests as a kid reflected that love.
Thus when I found this copy of the 1961-67 DC title, I actually shouted 'Mine!' at the store and promptly added it to my stack of books I was planning to buy that day. Needless to say, I was overjoyed!
Enough backstory about me. So just what was issue #19 about? Titled 'The Sea Devil Robots!', a mad scientist named Doctor Deep has plans to become the ultimate ruler of the seven seas. In order to do that, he'll need to replace the Sea Devils with robot duplicates. (Apparently, this guy hasn't heard of a sea dweller named Aquaman...)
Doctor Deep manages to transplant the brains of Sea Devils Biff and Nicky into their robot counterparts. But Sea Devil leader Dane and his girlfriend Judy elude the sinister researcher. That is until the Deep manages to hit Dane with his ray gun and now the expert skin diver's mind is trapped in the body of a thresher shark!
This is an issue fraught with plot holes. For one, if you put the brain of a hero into that of a robot, why would the protagonist all of a sudden start listening to that mad scientist? Shouldn't Biff and Nicky be rebelling against their captor? Obviously, Doctor Deep threatened the captive Sea Devils with something to make them do his bidding. But it's never revealed just what that blackmail is used for their compliance.
Another problem I have with this issue is how the Doctor Deep is taken down. This is a nearly 60 year old comic, so I think I can spoil things a little. Judy saves the day by allowing herself to get captured. And we see Judy with her blonde hair and purple outfit taken in by the evil scientist. But then all of a sudden, Judy's robot starts to move on its own accord, taking control of that dastardly ray gun and restoring her friends to their correct bodies.
It turns out Judy was hiding in the Judy robot all along. So when did she do this? Didn't Doctor Deep realize she was missing for a while? Or do all of the Sea Devils have mannequins aboard their home base cruise ship and that was what was captured earlier?
Okay. So a beloved comic book from my childhood has plot holes the size of what that iceberg did to the Titanic. DC wasn't really known for quality checking their storylines during the early to mid-60s. These things were written mostly to kids and if something didn't make sense, well hopefully the youngsters reading this weren't wise enough to figure out the mistakes.
I'm okay with that if not just for nostalgia sake. But I did have issue with was illustrator Howard Purcell's (Doom Patrol) thresher shark. I Googled what a thresher shark looked like. And while yes, the tail fin really is that long; it's dorsal fin and side flippers are nowhere near as flowy as they are in this comic. That sort of artistic license is just something I can't overlook.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment