Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner Appreciation

[42n8s1]

[Bronze Badger]

You read? You write?

You post images.

[42n8s1]

I always try to start an appreciation thread with an image dump.

This is one of my favorite Namor covers.



I'm thinking of picking up the Byrne Namor TPB.
Would anyone recommend it?
Are there any other Namor trades worth getting?

[AcesX1X]

love this image as well.



the byrne run is OK, but kind of loses focus. HOWEVER, jae lee works on the title after and the imagery is stunning! One of my favorite tiger shark renditions. get it!

i also recommend sub-mariner: the depths.

[42n8s1]

Two more great ones:

[42n8s1]

the byrne run is OK, but kind of loses focus. HOWEVER, jae lee works on the title after and the imagery is stunning! One of my favorite tiger shark renditions. get it!

i also recommend sub-mariner: the depths.

Pretty much a Namor noob here.
What about Essential Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1?
Do the stories hold up? Are they lacking in b & w?

[42n8s1]

Wow, the art for The Depths looks gorgeous!

[AcesX1X]

Pretty much a Namor noob here.
What about Essential Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1?
Do the stories hold up? Are they lacking in b & w?

yes, lol get it! The b&w is fine. And it reprints an old daredevil issue where Namor forces matt Murdock to sue the entire human race!

[Rheged]

I'm thinking of picking up the Byrne Namor TPB.
Would anyone recommend it?
Are there any other Namor trades worth getting?

the byrne run is OK, but kind of loses focus. HOWEVER, jae lee works on the title after and the imagery is stunning! One of my favorite tiger shark renditions. get it!

i also recommend sub-mariner: the depths.

If you like Byrne, yes, the new Namor Visionaries is great and lots of people liked it. The thing is, Byrne tried to make Namor more ... likeable, so he took the edge off Namor, IMO. I did like the idea of Namor Environmental CEO, that was inspired! He does lose focus in the second year, I think, when suddenly there's an awful lot of Iron Fist in the book. Byrne tried a few neat experimental things with the art. There's a great review of Byrne's run here on CBR by Greg Burgas. Comics You Should Own

From that article, a great page with Bryne using DuoTone:




However, like Aces, I loved the Jae Lee / Bob Harras story arc even more. It was graphically cool and the story was more of a dark fantasy. But if you don't like 90s art with bulging muscles and spikes, this may not be for you.

Pretty much a Namor noob here.
What about Essential Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1?
Do the stories hold up? Are they lacking in b & w?

Essentials Sub-Mariner Vol. 1 is a mixed basket. The story is more in the fantasy genre, and you get a lot of stuff on the Atlanteans. But it's pretty broadly done, by Stan Lee with some cracktastic fun. If you've ever seen the old Marvel Super Heroes Namor cartoon, this is where they took the images and stories. Gene Colan is great, but they put Vinnie Colletta on him, so ... They botched the colors somewhat for the Marvel Masterworks, so I think the black and white is fine in this case.

[LEADER DESSLOK]

I always try to start an appreciation thread with an image dump.

This is one of my favorite Namor covers.



I'm thinking of picking up the Byrne Namor TPB.
Would anyone recommend it?
Are there any other Namor trades worth getting?

I'm going to guess, the leggy blonde is Betty Dean but who is the brunette? Diane Arliss? Wasn't she the sister or ex-wife of the Tiger Shark? Man, have I got some catching up to do...

[Rheged]

I'm going to guess, the leggy blonde is Betty Dean but who is the brunette? Diane Arliss? Wasn't she the sister or ex-wife of the Tiger Shark? Man, have I got some catching up to do...

Yep, that's Betty Dean. And that was my favorite issue of Stuart Moore's run! He didn't flinch at all at showing just what a arrogant butthead Namor could be, especially when he was young.

Yes, that's Diane Arliss, Tiger Shark's sister. That panel is from Subby #6, IIRC.

[Rheged]

It's not my favorite, but for modern Namor, this is a definite must. This sets up the situation that brings Namor to where he is now. I think they call the trade Sub-Mariner Revolution.

[LEADER DESSLOK]

Namor is one of my all-time favorite characters! The first time I saw him was in a reprint title called MARVEL SUPERHEROES which reprinted he and the Hulk's adventures from Tales to Astonish! I didn't think so much of he or greenskin until I saw them duke it out in The Origins of Marvel Comics, one of his few conclusive victories over The Hulk!

He just seemed so cool, an underwater Mr. Spock-look-alike who actually was created several years before the Vulcan! I just liked the contadiction that he looked like a slim swimmer but was so strong he could go toe-to-toe with some of Marvel's heavy hitters--AND WIN! Just an awesome under-used character! What did Stan Lee know that so many of these modern day wannabe writers don't? I think they just think he's like Aquaman (another character he pre-dates) and won't make the effort! What a shame...

[Rheged]

Namor is one of my all-time favorite characters! The first time I saw him was in a reprint title called MARVEL SUPERHEROES which reprinted he and the Hulk's adventures from Tales to Astonish! I didn't think so much of he or greenskin until I saw them duke it out in The Origins of Marvel Comics, one of his few conclusive victories over The Hulk!

He just seemed so cool, an underwater Mr. Spock-look-alike who actually was created several years before the Vulcan! I just liked the contadiction that he looked like a slim swimmer but was so strong he could go toe-to-toe with some of Marvel's heavy hitters--AND WIN! Just an awesome under-used character! What did Stan Lee know that so many of these modern day wannabe writers don't? I think they just think he's like Aquaman (another character he pre-dates) and won't make the effort! What a shame...

Stan Lee and Roy Thomas and most of the Silver Age creators knew Namor first hand as one of Timely's Big Three during the Golden Age and appreciated his original and unique ... attributes. LOL!

I have several of those Marvel Super Heroes issues filling out my Tales to Astonish collection! And that book Origins of Marvel Comics! I love that issue of the Hulk. John Severin's inks on that Hulk issue were great! Perfect for the fantasy setting of underwater Atlantis. Plus, it was great to see Namor wearing the jealousy shoe over Lady Dorma for once.

[LEADER DESSLOK]

Stan Lee and Roy Thomas and most of the Silver Age creators knew Namor first hand as one of Timely's Big Three during the Golden Age and appreciated his original and unique ... attributes. LOL!

I have several of those Marvel Super Heroes issues filling out my Tales to Astonish collection! And that book Origins of Marvel Comics! I love that issue of the Hulk. John Severin's inks on that Hulk issue were great! Perfect for the fantasy setting of underwater Atlantis. Plus, it was great to see Namor wearing the jealousy shoe over Lady Dorma for once.

JOHN SEVERIN?! Holy Mackeral, I've gotta get that story back! I don't own ORIGINS... anymore but I think that story was reprinted in ESSENTIAL HULK vol 3! That is now, DEFINITELY, on my MUST BUY list!