Aquaman vs. Triton

"Aquaman vs. Triton" from Aquaman vol.5 #45 (DC, 1998) by Peter David, Jim Calafiore, Peter Palmiotti and Mark McKenna

Yes, in retrospect, having Aquaman's hand eaten by villain-controlled piranhas and replacing it with a hook looks like 90s anti-hero excess. And it is. However, Peter David's retooling of Aquaman WORKED. These days, Geoff Johns seems desperate to make readers believe Aquaman is a badass despite the "silly powers" non-comics readers associate with him. Peter David does that and more without calling attention to it. In the first few issues, Aquaman trounces Green Lantern and Lobo and from then on, we get it if we didn't before. Maybe "pirate Aquaman" is what got the kids to pick up the book, but what kept you reading is David's excellent building of the character's supporting cast. In addition to Garth, Porm, Mera and Vulko, he brought in Dolphin, Arthur's illegitimate son Koryak, and the Sea Devils. It became Marine Showcase, and I loved it. It's perhaps too bad that its legacy is to have made Aquaman a rather dour character who doesn't work well with others (which the above description should partly put the lie to). But it still holds up.

Volume 5 lasted 77 issues and 5 Annuals from 1994 to 1999, though Peter David left after issue 47. 2003 would see the release of yet another Aquaman ongoing.