MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- King in Black: Namor #4 Review

The Namor mini-series is already reaching its conclusion, with only one remaining issue left after this week’s installment. And this is a full-on blast to the past, as the comic makes it very clear for the readers: the fight to stop Knull does not only happen today. It reaches far into the past, when the still inexperienced Namor, Dorma and Attuma had to fend off the Black Tide and save Atlantis. As mentioned in my review of the previous issue #3, what intrigues readers the most about this series is catching a glimpse of a more vulnerable Namor, versus the angry, confident version that we always see today. This time around, the focus shifts to the aftermath of the Black Tide’s onslaught… and the demons that Attuma must face internally and with his comrades as a result.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

King in Black: Namor #4

STORY BY: Kurt Busiek

ART BY: Ben Dewey, Jonas Scharf

COVER BY: Leinil Francis Yu, Valerio Giangiordano

The Black Tide’s wave of devastation now threatens Atlantis itself. Namor, Dorma and Attuma may be the undersea world’s only hope, but unless they can shake off their utter defeat from last issue, they don’t even stand a chance. And worse, the one possible weapon they could wield against the Black Tide is in Murmansk, thousands of miles away. It’s Atlantis’s darkest hour…

TROUBLE IN PARADISE!

PROS:

• Those readers who many not be the hugest fans of Namor, and are really reading on because it is a Venom crossover event, may at first wonder about the relevance of such a history lesson. But it is precisely the use of flashback that exemplifies and demonstrates the evil reaches of Knull and his terror on earth. The fact that not only has our planet been fighting off the hundreds of thousands of space dragons in current-day, but the undersea population has actually been dealing with similar dark and sinister forces in the distant past. The Black Tide, and its corruption of the undersea citizens were a dark foreshadowing and omen of things to come. And such storytelling emphasizes and highlights the grand and epic scope of such an invasion. The seeds were being planted even very early on, to the demise of the human… and Atlantean race.
• Seeing Attuma reeling from the death and destruction left by the Black Tide was a game-changer in the sense that it threatened and pushed the boundaries of his friendship and alliances with Namor and Dorma. He was obviously devastated by the death of his people, the violent slaughter of his own race, and it was expected that he would unleash this wrath and anger at Namor. Even though the young prince was not totally at fault, it is sadly understandable for Attuma to lash out. But what made his emotional force and presence even more admirable was the fact that he committed to teaming up with Namor and Dorma, to take down the Black Tide, despite his ill-feelings and sense of revenge and vengeance. This is a unique tale of the past because it is actually not a glorious victory in war. The underwater population suffered great loss, with only darker days ahead. This kind of circumstance is truly what makes or breaks characters like Namor, Attuma and Dorma.

CONS:

• I understand the importance of showing the far past’s connection to the present-day takeover of Knull and his symbiotes. But I actually would have enjoyed a little more time and space being given to the present-day war against the alien invasion. I know it is already being covered in the bigger titles, but if you’re going to show the connection between the past and present, more spotlight should be give to what is currently happening on Earth.

FINAL SCORE: B+

It’s going to get very interesting as we all enter the next, last chapter in this tale. Readers are surely anticipating the union between past and present, to really appreciate the full scope and dominance of Knull and his evil machinations against the galaxy. I am hoping that we get to see more present-day action in the next issue, where we get to witness Namor combat Knull and slay more space dragons, hopefully. But all in all, this has been a very educational and vital piece of history, not only to Atlantis but also to the entire Marvel records.