Review of Namor Issue #1

Written by: Jason Aaron

Art by: Paul Davidson, Alex Lins

Colors by: Neeraj Menon

Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover art by: Alexander Lozano (cover A)

Cover price: $4.99

Release date: July 17, 2024

Namor #1, by Marvel Comics on 7/17/24, sets the king of Atlantis on a mission to end an underwater Civil War before the air-breathing nations call an open season on all Atlanteans.

Is Namor #1 Good?

In Namor #1, we begin with a disturbing look at the King of Atlantis’s current status quo. He’s a prisoner in an off-shore prison, constantly mocked and insulted by fellow prisoners and ruthless guards. Every six weeks, Namor is forced to submit to the guards for a small amount of liquid to sustain his body. This time, the guards are ready with a small bucket full of urine.

Readers keeping up with Namor’s exploits may already be aware that he’s imprisoned as a convicted criminal for crimes against humanity. Jason Aaron paints a grotesque, off-putting picture of prison life, which is what you might expect. Readers concerned about Jason Aaron writing a Namor series after his disastrous turn on Punisher may have their fears slightly validated by the opening scene.

Consistent with Aaron’s Punisher run, the scene shifts to a separate, earlier point in the main character’s history, drawn by a different artist for visual effect. We visit Namor as an adolescent prince after insisting he be allowed to attend school with his other Atlantean children to learn how to socialize and integrate. However, Namor’s mixed-race appearance brings the typical insults and attempts at bullying.

One day, a group of fellow students invites Namor on a dare to a deep water pool that their adults say is too dangerous. The invitation turns into a ruse, which Namor is ready for, as the students try to drown Namor in the sulfurized pool. He easily tosses the students back when he’s beset by a gigantic angler fish with razor-sharp teeth.

We cut back to the present where a group of Atlantean mercenaries and members of Namor’s Defenders of the Deep break into the prison, destroying walls and killing guards in the assault. At first, Namor believes the raiding party has arrived to set him free. Unfortunately, they’ve come to kill Namor, but their attempts at murder are met with even greater force by Namor. The raiders are either killed or sent fleeing, and Namor returns to his cell in willing submission to air-breather law.

The breakout scene acts as a good showcase of Namor’s strength and power, even in a weakened state, but it lacks context. If Namor is voluntarily imprisoned, why attack him? What was the point? Fortunately, the next scene answers that question.

After passing out from another beating by the prison guards, Namor wakes up in the infirmary and is met by Stingray. He explains Namor was targeted because Atlantis and its nation states are in disarray since Namor abdicated the throne. Instead of one king to rule the sea, there are seven tribal kings all vying for Namor’s throne, and it’s open season on Namor to ensure he never returns to reclaim his crown.

Worse, the civil war among the ocean-dwellers, called World War Sea, is creating havoc for transportation and travel shipping routes across the world. If the disruptions aren’t quelled, the world leaders may move toward stripping Atlanteans of all civil protections, allowing hunting and destruction as air breathers see fit. Stingray implores Namor to accept a brief reprieve from his prison sentence to settle the Civil War, but Namor washes his hands of it all.

Jason Aaron’s explanation of the attack on Namor makes sense, and the idea of an underwater civil war is an intriguing one. That said, the idea that the world leaders would allow open season killing of Atlanteans pushes the concept too far, which suggests Aaron is soapboxing about the need for leaders to intervene in international conflicts to save innocent bystanders while chastising those same leaders for only acting in their own self-interest. The setup works, but the execution and politicking behind it come off as heavy-handed.

In the past, a history class is in session when the teacher notices Namor is missing. Suddenly, the head of the giant angler fish is dropped in the middle of the venue, and Namor swims forward to confront the leader of the bullies who tried to drown him. Rather than taking revenge, Namor calls upon the honor of his fellow students to take revenge on behalf of their future king.

Honestly, this is the best scene of the comic. We see how Namor becomes a strong king by playing on the patriotism and honor of his people rather than proving himself worthy by force. This scene strongly articulates a look into the fierce protector of Atlantis that Namor will one day become.

The issue concludes with Namor accepting the assignment to end the civil war and young Namor enjoying the sight of his fellow students pummeling his bullies.

What’s great about Namor #1? Jason Aaron gives Namor the Punisher treatment by successfully interweaving two timelines that inform the reader about the titular character’s past and how that past motivates his present. Young Namor’s trials also do a great job of showing why Namor has the respect and the loyalty of his people and why he’s such a fierce protector of the oceans.

What’s not great about Namor #1? The entertainment value of the issue takes a hit for the two points already mentioned. Namor’s dialog gets tedious quickly with his choice to treat every thought like a Shakespearean soliloquy, and the inclusion of a heavy-handed bit of rationale behind Namor’s mission to stop a civil war comes off as silly soapboxing.

How’s the Art? Davidson and Lins synergize their styles well for a comic that’s distinctive and visually engaging. Neither style overshadows the other in terms of quality, so the timelines are as visually distinct as the story requires while contributing equal visual appeal to the issue.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Namor #1 is an interesting start to a miniseries detailing the early life of Namor and how his upbringing led to his recent downfall and possible redemption. Jason Aaron’s script isn’t perfect, but the concept is interesting, and the art teams work well together.

6.5/10

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