Hulk (2008) #10

While not my favourite superhero team by any stretch, the return of the Defenders, announced about a week ago, is nonetheless good news. It means that while he may often be in situations to which he's poorly suited (fighting in space, other dimensions, whatever), Namor remains on pages of comic books.

It's hardly the first time that Marvel has touted the return of their so-called non-team. It happens every few years, whether it's in a new title or a guest-appearance.

So we're going to take a look at a couple of those instance, starting with Hulk #10.

When we join in, The Hulk is loving life until his lady Jarella gets taken away by a giant blue hand (in a yellow glove). She is used as a pawn to get the Hulk to fight on behalf of the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster and his brother (The Collector) are a couple of cosmic dicks who are constantly involving Marvel heroes in their little games and competitions.

To fill out his roster, Hulk immediately thinks of his old Defenders buds. Grandmaster, clever cosmic dick that he is, chooses which version of those characters Hulk will get to fight with. He deliberately chooses each member at a time when they have suffered the loss of a female companion so that they are properly motivated. For Namor, that means...

This is a shitty time to interrupt someone and, as he will, Namor loses his temper. Hulk subdues him and the Silver Surfer talks him down.

That's some good intensity in those eyes. Major appreciation for artist Ed McGuiness here.

Once the foursome is gathered, The Collector reveals his own team and wouldn't you know, he had a similar but twisted idea.

Damn, man. That would be some scrap. It appears as though the story runs through the next two issues of this series, which is good news. This was a great way to set things up.

The Best Defense Comes In December

This news is a few days old now. I tend to be more preoccupied with Namor's past appearances but I decided to make note of it as a reminder.

Marvel's promotion of this event began with single-character images. Hulk came first, I believe, and Namor shortly thereafter.

Before long, they revealed a full team picture.

Several comics and general entertainment news outlets have reported on it, clearly parroting a press release. Of the few I've read, Graeme McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter did the best job of explaining the set up so let's turn it over to him for a couple of paragraphs. I've changed the punctuation a bit to make it (in my opinion) easier to read.

Spread across five special issues, The Best Defense will feature the original comic book membership of the Defenders — the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Strange — in one-off issues featuring all-new stories, alongside a fifth release titled The Defenders: The Best Defense. Marvel is describing the five titles as “interconnected specials that tell a unique and captivating story for each original Defender.” 

Both the Immortal Hulk: The Best Defense and the Defenders issue will be written by regular Hulk writer Al Ewing, with art by Simone Di Meo on Hulk and Joe Bennett on Defenders. Namor: The Best Defense will be by Chip Zdarsky and Carlos Magno, with Doctor Strange: The Best Defense by Gerry Duggan and Greg Smallwood. Jason Latour will both write and illustrate Silver Surfer: The Best Defense.

Let's also note that Namor is not wearing the Rockabilly Lobo outfit that is expected to debut in Avengers #9. We may then have some confidence that the image change will be only temporary.

Captain America: Sentinel Of Liberty (1998) #2

All right, back on track. I had planned on reading a few Captain America and/or Invaders books around the fourth of July or so and did, but with vacation and such I didn't get around to actually posting about them. I do so now, with the following book and its rather grandiose title.

I'd actually started working on it a while back but came across an odd challenge; Much of the art is vertical rather than horizontal so it is difficult to copy into a post. Let's see what we can do.

The book begins with the original Human Torch mysteriously making himself hot enough to dive into the ocean and attack Atlantis. The (literally) boiling Atlanteans get reinforcements from the Nazis, while Namor and Captain America look on, shackled.

What what what?? None of this makes any sense. We transition to flashback material for some answers.

The Invaders are battling Nazis attacking a shipyard but Cap-Am is suspicious at the lack of aircraft in the Nazi assault. It's as if destroying the facility is not their primary goal. Peculiar.

As if on cue, an airship appears and Namor decides to attack it. The move is ill-advised as he gets blasted out of the sky by the ship.

The Human Torch attempts to help Namor but is instead snared into an asbestos net cast from the aircraft. The airship reveals itself to be some sort of advanced spaceship-looking craft. It drags the Human Torch into the ocean. Namor follows...and neither return.

Until a few days later. On a military base, Captain America is fresh off a chewing out from a commanding officer over his team's poor performance during the Nazi attack when Namor shows up out of nowhere with a rather grim command to follow him. They set off to...Nazi-occupied Atlantis.

It isn't long until they are seen by Nazis and attacked.

And now we're caught up. The Human Torch arrives as Namor and Cap are subdued. The Nazis are controlling the Torch and using him as a fabricated threat to gain confidence from the Atlanteans.

As Captain America attempts to explain this to Namor, he is told to shut his pie-hole by a female newcomer.

Cap wonders why the normally hot-headed Namor doesn't just tell her to go stuff her gills. He gets his answer in short order.

Ah! Lady Fen (assuming she's the real deal)!

How about that? This is a rather personal story for Namor considering that it was the second issue of a Captain America series. Good deal, looking forward to the conclusion.