Marvel Knights: 4 (2004) #8

I quite enjoy the relationship between Namor and the Fantastic Four if only for the mutual attraction between Sue Richards and the Avenging Son.

Oh, we know the Richards won't split up. Not for any significant length of time, anyway. But the interaction between the three characters is usually entertaining.

This is what prompted me to read the issue below.

FROZEN PART 1 While New York freezes in the icy grip of winter, an old foe resurfaces with a grudge: Namor! And the crown prince is demanding Sue make good on an old promise, even if it's over Reed's dead body. 

Based on the brief recap at the beginning of the book, it seems that the FF are not at their best at this point. Things are SO bad that they had to...get jobs!

Sue, in particular, became a substitute teacher.

Damn, man...That kid is probably not struggling to read Shakespeare, he's just distracted. If Sue was my substitute teacher, I'd poison the regular one.

In mid session, he comes Namor doing his best combo of Al Pacino and Pepe Le Pew.

Sue bails on her class to take a stroll with Namor to a museum. He puts on the sweet moves which eventually anger Mrs. Richards. The timing of her outrage is rather good because as you might have expected, Mr. Richards had planned to surprise her.

Oh dear.

Namor suggests that Susan finds Reed to be a lousy husband, Reed calls Namor a no-life parasite that smells funny, all obviously building up to...

Namor literally suggests they take this outside and off we go!

To be continued in issue 9.

It's a good read for the tense moments and banter but it just seems...pointless.

Again acknowledging that it could be a function of not having read the previous issues, it seems like Namor shows up out of nowhere for no other reason than to be a dick. He has no cause to think Sue will be more open to his advances that day than the previous time, so...what are you doing there? I saw nothing about the old promise that was mentioned in the solicitation text and I don't get the reference to the "icy grip of winter". Presumably all is made clear(er) in the second part but part one is a little light in actual story.

Still fun to see this triangle match though.

Giant-Size Super-Villain Team Up (1975) #1

There had been a bit of interaction between Namor and Dr. Doom in the Black Panther books I read recently hinting a some tense history between the two characters. As a result, I'd been looking forward to reading Super-Villain Team-Up quite a bit but I'm sorry to say it turned out to be rather disappointing.

"Three titanic tales" told over 68 pages for $2 (digital). So far so good. Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott on creative duties sounds like a win too.

We get a recap of the events of recent (at the time) issues of Fantastic Four which led to Doom plunging from space and into the ocean where he is found, rescued and revived by Namor. Doom's reaction?

Arsehole. I'd have corked him in the chin right there and then.

Instead, Namor chooses to ignore the insult, and Doom's own reminder of a past betrayal, to suggest they are natural-born allies. While Doom contemplates this we flashback to...Sub-Mariner #20. It appears as though the entire issue is reprinted here.

Okay, so in THAT issue...Namor is ranting and raving in the city (presumably New York) following a recent battle. The military is after him so he beats a rare retreat and ends up at...The Latverian embassy.

Doom attempts to recruit Namor to his side to, basically, take over the world. Namor, at this point, had no desire to take over the surface world again, so he bluntly refuses the offer.

Doom, then, orders his henchmen remove every drop of water from the mansion, right down to the ice cubes, in order to keep Namor weak and therefore force him into submission.

You picked wrong Atlantean to pull that trick on, Doom! Namor attacks nonetheless and the two monarchs scrap for a while.

  Doom, of course, has every advantage (including home turf) so Namor turns the tide (so to speak) by starting a fire. The fire department displays incredible response time, Namor gets a good soaking from the fire hoses, and beats it.

And that's the end of the flashback. The book then reprints another story in which Doom had unsuccessfully teamed with another villain, Diablo. Namor does not appear in that story at all.

After all that reminiscing, Doom refuses Namor's offer by blasting him into the wall. You've got to give it to him, the dude has a way of making a point. And so they scrap again.

Doom, claiming he can't be bothered to fight (even though he started it), leaves the ship. Namor lets it all go, reasoning that Doom will go on failing at his own plans and come crawling back to him one day.

And that's about it. The story can be broken down to Namor saying "join me" followed by Doom responding with "screw you". And the logic involved with both the question and the response is questionable.

The reprinted material from Sub-Mariner #20 includes about a page-long cameo of Dorma and Triton of The Inhumans. That was a pleasant surprise.

Defenders (1972) #13

While Namor doesn't appear prominently on the cover of this book, I bought it anyway because I recall that it was one of the first comics I read as a kid. That was several years after its publication, mind you, because the version I read was a black and white reprint, translated into French. Nonetheless, I really got into the Squadron Sinister (great name!) as a result of that and, of course, the Sub-Mariner.

What my 40-year old memory failed to recall is that Namor doesn't appear until well into the story. It begins with Nighthawk literally blowing the doors open at Doctor Strange's mansion in order to get the attention of the Defenders.

Ha ha ha ha ha! I love these dramatic leaps of logic of the time. I'm going to try that with my neighbor. Blow the doors off her house and tell her I've saved 15% on my car insurance. I'm sure she'll be impressed with my intensity. And my savings.

In fairness to Nighthawk, his situation is a big more dramatic. After the obligatory scrap against the team (Strange, Valkyrie and Hulk, at this point), he explains that some cosmic tool named Nebulon has freed the Squadron Sinister and will use them to destroy the planet. Shit!

So basically accelerated climate change.

Doc Strange figures this is right up Namor's alley and teleports him in against his will. That goes over with Namor like a turd in punch bowl but since he can't resist blonde chicks, Valkyrie talks some sense into him.

Agreeing that global destruction is bad, the Avenging Son joins in.

The Defenders reach the glacier on which the Squadron sinister have begun their melting villainy and split up to tackle them. Namor ends up against Whizzer (worst name ever). And he does quite well.

Then when Whizzer tries to truck him...

Nebulon, however, traps the whole team in a force field and we have ourselves a cliffhanger.

Pretty fun stuff from Len Wein and Sal Buscema. This would be among the first times that Namor wore the blue pants outfit, too, based on conversation when he is forced onto the team. \
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I don't believe Namor stick around much beyond the next issue, but Nighthawk would become a regular from this point on.

Black Panther (2008) #11

This is the third and final planned installment of my nod to the Black Panther film which opened this weekend. Judging from the lady Panther on the cover, I thought it might be the least relevant of the three books read and reviewed but it may in fact turn out to be the most appropriate.

This issue is part five of a story called "Power" and so the first-page recap below came in quite handy.

Interesting. I don't know much about Black Panther's entourage so the Shuri character meant nothing to me. But some of the more specific feedback I've read about her part in the Black Panther movie is that she kind of steals the show. She seems, from short clips I've seen, to add some spunky attitude and perhaps a few laughs. this book just got more interesting.

Shuri is off to confront Namor about this proof. She finds him enjoying a good book on a tiny island.

For some reason, that cracks me up...

She is not particularly diplomatic and Namor, while as patient as he ever is under her questioning, is somewhat dismissive of her. So Shuri's strategy is quite literally to kick him in the ass.

Ha! Maybe she IS pretty likable!

But just because it was successful doesn't make it a good idea, as Shuri's support team tries to explain repeatedly. She does gets most of the early licks in, and surprises Namor with a little techno trick that saps his strength but Namor manages to reach water and when that happens, about the only thing you can do is...

Awesome.

Namor takes the upper hand from here but Shuri won't give in. This fight is excellent in that both participants come out looking great no matter how many blows they take. But when Namor looks prepared to put it away, they get interrupted.

"Friends". I'm sure as I continue my little journey through Namor's life, that terminology will be tested.

Reed Richards goes on to explain that the proof against Namor was fabricated and following tradition, everyone teams up to take on the perp.

Intense yet fun book which is very accessible despite being part five of an ongoing story. It was brought to us by Jonathan Maberry and Will Conrad.

Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner (1968) #5

Unimaginatively, I attempted to post something more or less Valentine's related yesterday involving one of the ladies in Namor's life.

We recently saw some flirting with Emma Frost and we know he's been pining for Susan Richards for some time but neither relationship seemed appropriate (particularly not the one with the married woman).

He's been married twice that I know of, to Dorma, and to Marrina of Alpha Flight. In the case of the latter, much of the relationship was off panel so difficult to share here so Dorma it is.

I figured the issue below might feature some good lady-in-distress stuff so that's what I settled on. Plus I dig Tiger Shark so I cheated a bit.

Roy Thomas and John Buscema are on the case. And we open with Namor experiencing...memory loss! Again!!

That's twice in just the few books I've read and I know it's part of his history. Dude needs to be checked into concussion protocol.

So you wander into some coastal cave and naturally the first thing that happens is that you get attacked by...

Of course, no tomato can will stop the Avenging Son, scrambled brains or not. He destroys it but the ensuing blast knocks him out. When he wakes up, he's wearing a metallic vest and some lady is about to serve him a pork chop on rice. When he threatens to kick her ass, this guy reveals himself.

Ha ha ha ha ha! Great name, jackass!

Meanwhile, Dorma knows something is up and she seeks to find her missing prince with some encouraging words from her entourage.

While Dorma navigates her way around a giant squid, Dorcas prepares to transfer Namor's powers, and that of a shark (lol...), to a former Olympic swimmer named Todd who lost the ability to swim and would do anything to restore it. End result? Classic Sub-Mariner villain, y'all.

Tiger Shark loses his shit, messes up Dorcas and bails just as Dorma arrives. He threatens Dorma's safety and that's not going to fly. Namor could probably give a shit or two about Todd normally, but don't be threatening his lady love, my bro.

The whole power transfer thing wore out Namor so Shark does ultimately get the upper hand, however. And so we have a good ol' cliffhanger to lead us into issue #6.

Boy, an awful lot of stuff went on here. It was goofy entertaining and while the original plan was to jump around between eras with this character, I may need to conclude this one sooner rather than later.

By the way, I thought this Dorcas guy was a throwaway mad scientist but damned if he didn't appear in future issues of this book and as recently as the Thunderbolts in 2012. Waste not want not, Marvel!

Black Panther (2005) #21

It is the second of three weekends during which the book being read/reviewed will be a Black Panther book as something of a countdown to the movie. Comixology and Marvel made it nice and easy for me by having a sale on Black Panther material so I've bought a couple of $1 each.

Coincidentally, they are also having an X-Men Red (whatever that means) sale for a while which includes several Namor titles so I'm spending more than I should but I'll be stocked up for quite a while.

And with that, let's look at Black Panther #21 and its rather striking cover by Gary Frank.

CIVIL WAR: BLACK PANTHER PART 3 King T'Challa and Queen Ororo continue their diplomatic tour. They've been to Latveria and the Moon. Next stop: Atlantis, for a meeting with Namor. Will T'Challa's comrade receive the royal couple with open arms?

Yes, actually, despite what the cover might suggest. The point of the meeting is for Namor to suggest to his Wakandan counterpart that the Panther should lead the resistance against Iron Man and Reed Richards and the superhero Registration Act (or whatever the hell it's called). Much of the book is Namor making his case and Panther debating the merits of this course of action until he (Panther, that is) eventually agrees.

A Sub-Mariner fan, however, will enjoy a flashback to the character's days as an Invader and meeting Black Panthers' grandfather. Its relevance is somewhat questionable but Namor's trademark arrogance is on full display in a comical way, as is his power as he fights a Nazi dick named Master Man.

Meanwhile, in the present, it is his sexism that is on display as Storm questions his motives. She believes Namor is sending Black Panther against Reed Richards in order to remove Richards from the playing and making Susan Storm/Richards that much more accessible.

A miracle to behold. Oh my. Try that line on Twitter, Avenging Son, I dare you.

A pleasant read, brought to us by Reg Hudlin and artists Manuel Garcia and Jay Leisten. Namor doesn't respect many people (he takes a shot at Doctor Doom at some point) but Black Panther is one of few people he holds in high regard, as he should. As entertaining as it can be to watch him tell everyone off, his relationship with Panther makes for a nice change.

Avengers (1963) #262

This was a very pleasant surprise.

I own a few issues of this series from that time period and I don't remember being blown away by them. This one had a slow start but was a good read overall.

The Avengers need a storage space for the Quinjet and become aware of a place called Hydrobase, essentially a man-made island. As it seems ideal, they decide to check it out.

As luck would have it (wink wink) the people running the place are old buds of Namor. He drops by for a visit.

Kind of like dropping by a friend's house unexpectedly with a frozen turkey...

There's some tension at first, based on past meetings that didn't go particularly well, but Namor is polite and quiet. "Subdued" is the word used by Captain Marvel (the Monica Rambeau version). Diane above points out, very spoilerifically, that the High Council of Atlantis has asked Namor to give up his throne so he is now a man without people and country. Pricks.

Namor's sad puppy face irritates Hercules though and so he attempts to get The Avenging Son out of his funk.

Good one!  But Namor don't play that.

The two scrap for a bit, hurling boulders about and uprooting trees, until the Avengers come to settle them down. It is at that point the Hercules reveals his genius master plan.

Namor actually finds this hilarious, which is a nice change, and out of gratitude, he organizes a clam bake.

No, I'm serious. It's better when you actually read it.

Namor and Captain America take a moonlit walk on the beach during which Cap offer "No-More" Avengers membership. Namor is reluctant as he feels that those times he attacked the surface world might work against his image. That's a fair point.

But Cap reminds him of a time years ago when Namor broke up an Eskimo worship service.

I hope to come across that story at some point because even if it turned out well, tossing the totem into the sea is still kind of dick move. I'm not sure I follow Cap's reasoning fully here. My guess is that Namor didn't do that out of the blue and there's a good reason behind it, but he does have a tendency to fly off the handle. We'll figure it out some day.

Regardless...How about that? I'm not sure if it's still considered part of continuity that Namor wasn't aware of this but it's a good way to further connect two characters who have known each other for decades. Clever, if that was the first time it was ever revealed.

Namor accepts the offer above and begins his first official stint as an Avenger.  The book was written by Roger Stern and drawn John Buscema and Tom Palmer and published in late 1985.

Black Panther (1998) #28

I don't watch Marvel's movies. I don't avoid them out of some sort of protest, they just don't appeal to me. They typically appear to be nothing but flashy explosions and one-liners. If there's any substance to most of them, it isn't immediately obvious.

This does not appear to apply to Black Panther, however. No doubt there are humourous moments, but the drama/action/humour ratio seems to be more on point.

Having seen good early reviews, I thought I would direct some of my attention to interaction between that character and the Avenging Son. This weekend, we look at issue #28 of the Panther's 1998 series. It is written by Christopher Priest, who's about as good as it gets.

Suggestion: I went back and purchased #27 after reading #28. While there is a clear attempt at catching up the reader in #28, reading the previous issue helps tremendously and I'm glad I did.

While no Marvel Comics fan by any stretch, I do like their ability to tell a political tale. Rulers of Latveria, Wakanda, Atlantis and others debating alliances and resolving conflict can be entertaining. I much prefer DC Comics, and have my entire life, but I don't find they can carry that aspect quite so well (even with their own Atlantis and Themiscyra, etc.). Or if they do, I haven't come across it.

Namor's appearance in #27 is minimal but his role is much more significant in #28. Summarizing it briefly would be difficult (and spoilerific) but suffice to say that someone is making it appear as though Wakanda is holding a child hostage (which he is, but with cause) and planning war (which he's not, of course). That war would affect water dwellers and naturally, that doesn't sit well with Namor.

Following a meeting of "world leaders" (Panther and Namor are joined by Magneto and a holographic projection of Dr. Doom, among others) in New York, Panther stops a robbery in progress. He is unaware that Wakanda is being made to appear as though they launched an attack against Atlantisd. That attack, false though it may be, irks Namor greatly and he seeks out King T'Challa right away.

After a brief skirmish, Magneto, of all people comes by to clarify things. The two accept the explanation and move on.

Namor's appearance is a short one, but a quality one. He takes no crap from Doom or Magneto, comfortable in his position, and has his people's well-being first and foremost in his words and actions. Good stuff from Priest, as usual.