About the Book
A violent storm strikes the Gulf of Mexico, damaging a drilling rig off the Louisiana coast. Only one man can stop millions of barrels of oil from spilling into the ocean . . . AQUAMAN, the King of the Sea! Without delay, the super hero and his underwater friends surge toward the disaster. Suddenly, out of a black plume of oil, an even greater darkness emerges. The evil Black Manta is siphoning oil into his submarine. The Sea King can't believe the villain could sink to such terrible depths! Before the gulf is destroyed, AQUAMAN must convince his enemy that a threat to the sea is a threat to them both.
About the Author :
J.E. Bright is the author of many novels, novelizations, and novelty books for children and young adults. He lives in a sunny apartment in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, with his difficult but soft cat, Mabel, and his sweet kitten, Bernard.
Review :
Earlier this year I reviewed Wonder Woman: Rumble in the Rainforest and this next book is in the same DC Super Heroes style, perfect for any fan of fast-paced, action-packed adventure with an environmental twist. Aquaman, also known as the Sea King, is delivering a few seafaring men to shore who were struck hard during a terrible storm. As he's about to leave, a coast guard officer approaches Aquaman and relays, "We're getting alarming reports from the Sea Floor Explorer oil rig off the coast of Louisiana...Workers on the rig radioed for assistance, but since then we've lost contact." He's off to go help and along the way sees panicked mako sharks, bluefin tuna, and squid swimming away from the rig. Oil spill. And a big one. Aquaman recruits the aid of many animals - moray eels, sawfish, humpback whales and even cranky crustaceans - to rescue workers and plug up the hole that's seeping the deadly oil. Also in the disaster response team is the normally devilish Black Manta, Aquaman's arch nemesis, who agrees to put their quarrel aside in this desperate time of need. Are they successful? You'll have to read this quick, well-written, 48-page-turner to find out. Please note that this book is very timely now that it's been one year since the Gulf Oil Spill. However, it is by no means an accurate portrayal of what took place and doesn't pretend to be. It's still a colorful read and ends on a hard-hitting note as Aquaman addresses the sea creatures, "in this time of our greatest tragedy, some of you must stay and help. Some of you must escape to places where you can be safe. But ultimately, we must trust the land dwellers to clean up our home." http: //vegbooks.org/index.php/2011/05/11/aquaman-deepwater-disaster/-- "Vegbooks blog"
I used to love reading Aquaman comics when I was a kid in the seventies, so he's always been one of my favourites. In this fictional story we have a ripped from the headlines plot about an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that catches fire and then they discover that the pipe has broken and oil is spewing into the ocean causing an ecological nightmare. Aquaman is off to the rescue getting all the crew off the rig but while there he comes across his arch nemesis Black Manta. Hardly believing Black Manta is behind this mess they talk and Manta has just come along to fill up his vehicle with free oil but is not the one responsible. Aquaman convinces Black Manta to join with him in a temporary truce to fix the problem at hand. And along with the help of the creatures of the sea they manage to cap the pipe. I'm not a fan of eco-fiction as it can degenerate quickly into didactic lessons and political agendas but this is well written with none of those problems. The focus is on the issue at hand. The danger to the environment and animals is realistic. While onus is quickly established, the book never sinks to concerning itself with blame but with taking action in solving the situation. Now if we only really had superheroes out there to fix all our problems!! A fun and exciting story as usual from this series for emerging readers or older reluctant readers. http: //back-to-books.blogspot.com/2011/05/101-aquaman-deepwater-disaster-by-je.html-- "Back to Books blog"
The Shrine talked about this book when it was first announced several months ago, but only recently did I get my hands on this baby--Aquaman: Deepwater Disaster! The artist from this book, F.O.A.M.er Dan Schoening, was generous enough to send me a copy (autographed, yet!) after I mentioned every time I tried to order it via Amazon, it was out of stock (a good sign?). And this book definitely deserves to be highlighted here! Written by J.E. Bright, with art by the aforementioned Mr. Schoening, Mike DeCarlo, and Lee Loughridge, Deepwater Disaster is what's known as a children's chapter book--a mostly prose story with accompanying spot illustrations, like this handsome frontspiece: The story concerns out hero, after rescuing some sailors from a massive storm, is called to the Louisiana Coast where an oil rig has burst into flames, and is about to explode, spilling thousands of gallons of oil into the sea! With the help of some finny friends, Aquaman rescues the rig workers, but cannot stop the rig's tanks from bursting, dropping the oil into the ocean: Aquaman then a submarine in the area...a sub shaped like a Manta Ray! It's the Sea King's old foe, Black Manta! Aquaman catches up and gets the drop on Manta, demanding to know why he sabotaged the oil rig. Manta, for once, protests his innocence--claiming he had nothing to do with the rig's destruction...but he sees no need not to profit by it by stealing the oil. Aquaman convinces Manta that, if the oil is left unchecked, it will wreck the sea for hundreds of miles...leaving nothing for Black Manta to plunder. Would they, could they, work on the same side just this once? Manta agrees, and soon the denizens of the sea spy something remarkable: Aquaman and Black Manta working together!: By their combined efforts, the oil geyser is capped, stopping the flow of oil. Aquaman then commands a group of microbes to gobble up as much of the remaining oil as they can. With the disaster halted, Aquaman takes a moment to thank Black Manta, who climbs back into his Manta Ray sub and disappears. Aquaman then addresses all of his subjects, telling them that while they've achieved a brief victory, there is much more work to be done. Deepwater Disaster is a great little book: a good story, well told. Writer J.E. Bright works in most of Aquaman's powers, plus Black Manta, with more than a dollop of Real World significance. The book is hardcover, and comes with a character bio of Manta, biographies of the people who made it, a glossary of terms, plus a page of discussion questions and writing prompts. With its full-color illustrations and double-page spread endpapers, it makes for a very handsome little volume. Aside from all that, its simply fantastic that Aquaman is getting a solo shot like this: for decades, he's almost never been featured by himself in any sort of mass merchandising effort; now he's had two in less than a year. A banner time for the Sea King! Aquaman: Deepwater Disaster makes a fine book for any of you Aqua-Fans out there with kids who love superheroes and love to read; the Shrine heartily recommends you pick up a copy! http: //www.aquamanshrine.com/2011/06/aquaman-deepwater-disaster.html-- "Aquaman Shrine blog"
