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Animation:
John Byrne's Namor The Sub-Mariner
In 1990,
Marvel Comics began a second on-going series for an established
character; The Sub-Mariner. This was not, however, a redo
of the former series which had ended over a decade before.
Gone were the "Atlantean King" storylines and undersea
adventures. Instead, using the vast riches of the sea to finance
a different kind of coup, Namor decided to tackle the business
world, in hopes that, as a corporate mogul, he could affect
the cleanup and maintenance of the world's seas. This was
the premise of Namor The Sub-Mariner.
Considering
how many attempts have been made over the years to revitalize
seemingly worn-out characters, I believe this was one of
the best such projects the industry has ever seen. One of
the things which made it so was the introduction of new
foes, by writer and artist of the series, John Byrne.
Namor's
main nemeses in the series were Desmond and Pheobe Marrs,
the brother/sister head of the Marrs Corporation. Also introduced
in the series was an albino businesswoman called "Head
Hunter," who, fittingly enough, had the heads of her
defeated corporate enemies mounted on her walls; or...did
she?
Also
appealing in the series was Byrne's art. Many comic fans
will say that his best work was done during his runs on
The Uncanny X-Men and The Fantastic Four,
but his work on Namor gets my vote. I've never
seen a better use of shading and textures in Byrne's work
than in this series. In fact, I've rarely seen better in
comics, period. Of course, his ability to relate great action
sequences, as well as more subdued scenes is as strong in
this work as anywhere.
Namor
The Sub-Mariner is suggested for anyone who enjoys
thrilling super hero action, stories of corporate intrigue,
or just good comics art.
You
can find the series at comics shops, online auctions, and
comics conventions. It can often be found in 25 or 50 cent
boxes.
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