written by Jason Aaron
drawn by David Marquez
colored by Justin Ponsor
Following the events of last issue, in which employees of Roxxon brutally murdered Atlanteans and put their corpses on display, a drastic change has come over Namor, King of Atlantis. Although he willingly negotiates with the Avengers for the release of the murderers, his fury leads him to take decisive, if startlingly deadly action against those he now views to be his sworn enemies, i.e. everyone on the surface world. The consequences could be dire, not only for the Avengers, but for the world considering that 3/4s of it is covered in water.
This issue, for me, is remarkable for two things: David Marquez's sensational art, and the fact that, even though Namor is now being pitched as antagonistic to the Avengers, it is extremely hard to disagree with him. Even if the Avengers are technically still in the "right" because they want to prevent Namor from starting a war by killing the Roxxon employees, they basically offer Namor little by way of recompense for the lives that they brutally took, and the depredation that Roxxon and others have long inflicted and will continue to inflict on the oceans. In short, Namor's rage, even if it leads to an act of murder in the first few pages, is nonetheless completely understandable and what makes this story interesting is that is poses the very legitimate question of how do you root for the good guys in a scenario like this? It's not unlike the debates that Black Panther sparked a few months back, with a large segment of the audience finding themselves agreeing more with the antagonist, Erik Killmonger than the film's title character (and hero). Following Aaron's first story arc on this series, which I didn't exactly love, I have to say I'm grateful that
It helps, of course, that Namor is vividly realized by David Marquez, who's gone from strength to strength since I first started following him back in 2011. To my mind, this guy's one of the most talented artists Marvel has on their roster right now. That said, I'm not a fan of his redesign of Namor's costume, which, while certainly an upgrade from scaly green swim trunks, isn't as good as his black suit, and with the apparently see-through sides of his pants it's weirdly evocative of an adult film. Assuming this new look sticks I hope they at least they change those weird fishnets. Apart from this, though, Marquez shines, as he usually does.
Next month's issue is being hyped as a big one, being the 700th issue of the series, constant re-numbering aside, ever published, and I have to say, even though Aaron's first arc felt like a bit of a dud, this one looks like it's got real potential.
8.5/10
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