Namor, The Sub-Mariner (1990) #60

I just added a label category called "Story Arcs" in the event that someone might be interested in tracking down Namor's appearances in major events throughout the Marvel Universe.

The inspiration for this was the Atlantis Rising multi-title crossover.  I bought the compilation on the cheap on Comixology some time ago. It includes issues of Namor's own series of the time, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Force (*shudder*) and as the cover below will give away, also features The Inhumans.

Marvel showed a little consideration here in that the books provides a few relevant pages from issue #58 and #59 of the Namor series to make things clear as we leap into issue #60 as the first official chapter of Atlantis Rising.

We open with a history lesson as Namor lifts the sword of Kamuu, said to be "The symbol of Atlantis' majesty before the fabled continent sank beneath the waves". It feels a little sudden and random but sure, whatever.

That's Andromeda back there. I'm not very familiar with her but she seems relatively cool.

Triton of the Inhumans is found by this oceanographer lady and some dude and brought back to their crib. Meanwhile, Namor's sword, for some reason, draws him (and Andromeda) to Triton as well.

But it's not the only sword to do that! This guy has the same issue!

Blood Wraith so terribly sounds like a 90s name, doesn't it?

Everyone seeking Triton shows up at the same time which, naturally, means a scrap.

Good reference to Krang there. Even though he ended up being a treasonous bastard, his skill must be acknowledged. Well done.

The battle is fairly even until BW pulls this dirty trick.

Right. See, back in the day, Namor had to kill his second wife, Marrina from Alpha Flight, when she became the creature known as Leviathan and he used the Ebony blade (the one wielded by Wraith here) to do so.

The whole thing is a giant distraction for our favourite prince and he loses his focus, leading to this:

Slutch!

I think at this point it was understood that Namor's series was coming to an end so perhaps this made for a good cliffhanger at the time? Obviously he survived this and we'll find out how when we get around to issue #61 some day.

Pretty cool book though. The series may have been nearing its end but it doesn't feel like anyone mailed it in. Quite the contrary, they were going for "epic" with this one!

Wolverine (2003) #45

I am starting to understand why Marvel's recent output has faced so much criticism. I have read material from several decades now and it seems that anything I read that was published in the current millennium is largely crap. That applies to Wolverine #45 though it does have one redeeming quality.

Humberto Ramos' art is not it. I'm sure he has his fans, and he's certainly built a solid career for himself, but his exaggerated facial expressions and physiques is not to my personal taste.

Let's catch up here.

It bears pointing out that Namorita, Namor's cousin, is believed to be among the dead. Otherwise, while the hell would anyone in Atlantis care? I spent half the issue asking myself that very question until Namor blurted it out.

We go through Wolverine's tedious "I'm the best at what I do" routine just in time for him to get punched in the face.

Is he naked again? Why is he naked so damn often? Is that what he does best?

Wolverine takes the first round by sticking all six of his claws through Namor's chest. If Logan weren't so clueless about Atlantean anatomy, Namor would be dead because apparently Wolverine managed to miss all major organs. Six times. The best at what he does. We'll just assume he knew that and that it was NOT attempted homicide then. Or regicide, for that matter.

While Wolverine is dispatching the Atlantean sleeper agents, Namor recovers and ends the fight with a well-placed punch. Nitro is taken to Atlantis. Wolverine still feels responsible for protecting him though so he calls in some help and follows.

That is Wolverine is an one-size-fits-all borrowed Iron Man armour. He's able to pop his claws from that thing and everything.

And here we have the shining moment in this book. When Iron-Wolverine threatens to kill an Atlantean woman to recover Nitro and stay true to his word to protect that villain, Namor pretty much spells out his idiocy to him.

Wolverine actually concedes to this reasoning and leaves the Atlanteans to deal with Nitro. Namor catches up with Logan later in some pub to share the results of their interrogation of Nitro.

There are so many nonsensical decisions made here that it's difficult to get into the book. Each side should easily be able to grasp why the other has an interest in Nitro. Neither guy is known for level-headedness, granted, but the whole thing could, and should, have been talked out. This book feels like editorially-forced filler.

Iron Man (1968) #120

I needed a friggin' break from the Fantastic Four and the Invaders (Captain America in particular) so right on cue, Comixology tosses out an Iron Man sale. I knew our hero had made a couple of appearances in that series, did a little scouting, and settled on the issue below.

This takes place during Iron Man's drunk phase which, at the time, was pretty ballsy for squeaky clean Marvel. To my mind, this publisher made its name on "flawed" heroes such as cash-strapped Peter Parker, blind Matt Murdock and cane-wielding Donald Blake. Tony Stark had a heart problem, which is a "flaw" in and of itself, but tackling alcoholism is a whole other matter. I didn't read the whole saga at the time but I do recall being impressed that they would go there at all.

David Michelinie does the writing honours here while John Romita Jr and Bob Layton remind me of what a great art team they made.

So what's going on? Well, Stark is on a flight, sipping his 4th martini and flirting with a stewardess when a flying tank takes a wing off his plane and causes it to crash into the ocean. Hey, it happens!

After he saves the people aboard, he has a chat with the military personnel which suspiciously just happened to be nearby. They explain that they'd been dumping radioactive waste on a nearby island when some codger resident started taking exception and tried to fight them off. Mysteriously, the geezer had royal support.

Namor tossed one of their tanks into the stratosphere. Hey, do you suppose that's the one that just happened to break the wing on Stark's plane? Of course it is!

Iron Man and Namor scrap for a while, the latter hinting that there is more at play than shellhead realizes. The battle is fairly even until the old dude distracts Iron Man long enough for Namor to take the matter to his home turf.

Iron Man combines his boot jets and repulsor rays to get the avenging son off him...

But a sub-plot rears its ugly head! Someone has control of the armour and in a rather chilling development, they open the mouth and eye slots and allow water to pour in.

That would suck.

And so we have ourselves a cliffhanger. Namor really only shows up to fight; his role in the story is not clearly defined at this point, but it's a good fight and the stage is set for a good ol' team up in #121! Imperius Rex!