Namor #1- The Return of the King!
From Marvel Comics
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Paul Davidson & Alex Lins
Cover Art by Alexander Lozano
Namor was one of the first characters created by Timely Comics- the predecessor to Marvel Comics all the way back in the 1930’s, cementing his legacy as a foundational part of Marvel history. It may be surprising to hear then if you aren’t as familiar with modern comic book releases, that Namor hasn’t had a dedicated ongoing series outside of elseworlds titles since as far back as 2012. After over a decade of Marvel Comics deciding that Namor books don’t sell, we finally have a dedicated return to the King of Atlantis with one of the most legendary modern comic book writers, Jason “redacted” Aaron.
Now, I usually start these reviews with a bit of necessary context, a bit of vague foreshadowing in regard to my personal opinion, some playful banter, but for the sake of this book's future success, I feel the need to tell you bluntly upfront- THIS IS SO GOOD.
There have been few cases in my long readership of comics that I have been this childishly giddy about the future prospect of a narrative- I think the most recent example of when I felt this way was probably Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s first Hulk, and before that probably Ram V and Al Ewing’s first Venom, and feeling is certainly reminiscent of my first time reading Jason Aaron’s legendary beginnings on Thor.
You may be asking yourself, “why should you feel so passionately about Namor? A character that you freely admit hasn’t been important in the grand scheme of Marvel Comics for quite some time now?”
To put my perspective in simpler terms- let me offer some thought experiments. Imagine the world of DC comics without Themyscira, Paradise Island. Oh, Wonder Woman still exists- and she mentions her home world and events that take place there- we just never see it. After awhile of reading DC comics, any curious mind is going to start thinking, “This is getting a little ridiculous… What the fuck is Themyscira? Why can’t we go there? How much of the big picture of this universe that I am investing so much of my time and attention into understanding and seeing evolve and change am I actually missing out on?”
I think this is an apt comparison because, like Wonder Woman, so many facets of Namor’s characterization are inherently fantastical and interesting and they both feel like integral forces in their respective worlds, though often underrepresented.
However, perhaps I’m being unfair, because it’s not like Marvel hasn’t tried to include Namor and Atlantis in their broader mythos in recent years. In fact, Namor is probably the most regularly occurring high profile cameo character throughout Marvel. He has appeared in Hulk comics (still confused by his amazing cameo in Immortal Hulk that went nowhere other than being an apt metaphor for Hulk’s turn as an anti-hero), Fantastic Four comics (where he is still crushing on Sue Storm, and they are SO toxic together and they need to stop before Franklin and Val are old enough to understand what’s going on), and even huge events like The King in Black (which has the potential to be a great piece of historic Marvel lore for symbiotes and Namor and I’m still disappointed with how that story ended.)
However, I think that this phenomenon of inclusion is more indicative of Marvel Writer’s fandom than an honest reflection of the expectations of Marvel readers. Which is seemingly why we haven’t had a Namor ongoing series in so long, the lack of collective fan outcry for and earnest investigation of the past history of the character. We as the community of Marvel Comics fans cannot let that disinterest infect this series from Jason Aaron. We have to put this series on our pull list. We have to tell a friend. We have to rebelliously cry “Imperius Rex!” on every street corner no matter how many concerned looks flash in our direction!
Let’s dive into this historic Issue #1 now, which means-
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Namor #1 picks up from the ending of Jason Aaron’s Avengers series which saw Namor faced with an Atlantean uprising, stripping him of his crown as King, which then placed him as an exile in the hands of the Avengers, who mutually agreed that Namor should finally face imprisonment for his long past history of crimes against humanity. We now see Namor stripped of all dignity, brutalized by the guards of the Sea Gate prison, who force Namor to wash in their own collective urine as a means of merciful hydration for the half-aquatic former King. However, instead of the typical rebellious and regal persona we expect from Namor, we see a man resigned to his fate, tempering his righteous anger, content to be punished and tortured because it is what he deserves. We literally see Namor staring out the window of his cell, praying to all the gods he knows that he will never be allowed back into the sea again.
It’s not very often that we get to see this raw and vulnerable side of any Marvel hero, but it is particularly shocking when it comes to Namor. A huge aspect of Namor’s characterization is his unfailing pride, charisma, and bombastic otherworldly personality- so to begin our story with all of those familiar qualities demonstrably repressed is gut-wrenching.
Adding to the forlorn quality of our narrative, Aaron also ironically implements the use of a classic “golden age” narration style that heroically heralds, “Here now is the Sub-Mariner, the avenging son, an ultra-man equally at home in the sea and the sky!” Bold words that are cleverly juxtaposed with the imagery of the battle scarred, frail, defeated form of our once hero hunched in the corner of his jail cell.
From here, we then cut to the decidedly more hopeful and fantastical imagery of Namor’s youth as he follows a group of his peers to a forbidden underwater lake. There is a two page splash here that is first of all objectively evocative and beautiful, but also allows for Aaron to clearly lay out the entire reason why Namor comics should exist with a description of the rich history and intrigue of the vast underwater world. As the group of teens arrive at the deadly pool, they reveal their true intentions and attempt to force Young Namor into the brine- but soon find that he is much stronger and capable than they anticipated. Nevertheless, Young Namor is pulled within by the tendrils of a hideous behemoth that he must overcome.
Cutting back to the prison, we see Namor easily tearing through the bars of his cell while still restrained as he senses the presence of his fellow underwater compatriots, the Defenders of the Deep, arriving on the shoals of the prison. However, Namor incorrectly takes this band as a rescue party, when in actuality they are a kill squad, leading to a desperate battle with the Sub-Mariner. As the fight progresses, Namor cunningly positions his numerous restraints in the way of his combatants blows, allowing him to slowly break free and unleash his full strength on his attackers. It is a dazzling display of Namor’s terrifying power and he isn’t even at his full strength because he refuses to step foot back in the rejuvenating water. That’s right ladies and gentleman, he did all that with the power of piss! As the battle concludes, Namor slowly succumbs to the effects of the poison seeping into his wounds from his enemies coated weapons, as he wonders what the world will say about him in death. Will Namor be remembered as a hero? an invader? a mutant? a prisoner? a king?
But it seems fate has other plans for our repentant hero as he awakes in a hospital having been treated by the little used oceanographer hero, Stingray. It is Stingray that provides us with the full scope of Aaron’s tale, as he explains to Namor that in his absence as King, the underwater kingdoms have splintered into factions resulting in Seven kings of the underwater realm. Moreover, if the chaos and derision is not abated soon, then the United Nations of the surface world will strip the rights of underwater civilizations, reducing them to creatures to be hunted. If Namor wants to save his kin then he has to restore order to the seas in a mere four days. It is a monumental, herculean labor, with a ticking clock to boot that I am already so invested in.
Cutting back to the past, we see Young Namor confronting his treasonous peers with the corpse of the creature that attacked him. What’s more, he invokes his authority as king-to-be and orders his fellow peers to assault the traitors while he watches. This reflection imparts a sense of the cruel, hard justice and unflinching power that Namor once implemented with the lingering question pervading to his future predicament, “Will he return to his old ways? Or will he change?”
In the final pages, we see Namor released from prison in his gold and black attire (one of the most badass costumes in comic book history in my humble opinion) as he threatens the prison guards with retribution should they ever treat anyone else like they treated him. The courageous narration returns, urging us forward with the knowledge that Namor “IS the eternal Atlantis, Now and Forever!”
The thoughtful juxtaposition of fickle time and fateful circumstance, the sobering grit, and the concise adventurous direction presented in this first issue all contributed to leaving me with literal chills running through my body in the final pages, which is assurance enough for me as a reader to seek out the next installment of this series ravenously.
Remember to support your local comic book stores and pick up Namor #1 on shelves now!
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
