MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- KING IN BLACK: NAMOR #5 REVIEW

This is it! This is the final chapter and conclusion to the epic tale of Namor that encompasses two very unique and different points in his rich history and timeline. And we are given a tale detailing two separate and grand wars, while also putting more spotlight on the very tough decisions a king has to make for his world and for his people. Young, or old, life was never easy for Namor, and the crown is truly a heavy object to carry around, with the great weight of responsibility and guilt it can bring its bearer. But at the end of the day, this series has made Namor more relatable to the unfamiliar reader, as we see a very vulnerable side to the underwater royalty.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

King in Black: Namor #5

STORY BY: Kurt Busiek
ART BY: Ben Dewey, Jonas Scharf
COVER BY: Leinil Francis Yu

The grand finale! As the Dark Tide threatens Atlantis, Namor, Attuma and Dorma make a desperate, dangerous attempt to save the undersea world — but even if they can manage it, it’ll come at a great cost. Learn the fate of Atlantis — of Attuma — of the Dark Tide — and the future of the Dark Tide as well. What will come out of THE KING IN BLACK for Namor and Atlantis? Watch it unfold here.

PROS:

• The invasion of Knull and his symbiote army, along with the full wave of space-dragons has driven Namor to the point of no return. Desperate times indeed call for desperate measures, and it is no more evident in this issue. Namor is forced to unleash the Black Tide in order to fight off the symbiote invasion of the King in Black. And he knows… and the Black Tide knows… that the very thin alliance is temporary. While they may have somewhat joined forces to fight off Knull… right after, there will definitely be consequences to be paid. But this is what makes the story so intriguing: sometimes we look at royalty and leadership and wish we were in their spot, or in their shoes. Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that it must be quite easy being on the top. But as Namor has shown us, even the most grandiose and intimidating figures like himself, when having your back pushed against the wall, can succumb to pressure, and be forced to resort to desperate alternatives in order to protect the land. This leads to strange alliances.
• What is masterful about this mini-series is that, while it is clearly a tie-in to the bigger and larger crossover event centered on Knull, it is equally its own Namor tale. And the ending of this mini-series is by no means a conclusion to the darker road ahead, and the violent and bloody conflict, that will result from Namor’s choices. The Black Tide is free… and Atlantis, and perhaps even the entire world, will have to pay eventually. But as Namor has shown us… sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
• As this series ends, I would also just want to commend the art team for a wonderful job on the book. While I believe that visually, their style is better suited for the flashbacks, nonetheless the stakes of war were effectively captured and portrayed in the drawings, colors, and inking of the title. Namor’s adventure was truly brought to life in these pages.

CONS:

• I know that Namor’s larger role in the crossover was captured in the pages of the more major books and titles, but I still feel that maybe too little of the present-day war was shown in this series, especially considering it is a direct tie-in to ‘King in Black.’ While the flashbacks were definitely fleshed out to the max, some readers who wanted to see more Knull may be left wanting more at the end of this narrative.

FINAL GRADE: A

This dark, and broody story of a king’s hardships gave so many new, fresh, innovative and interesting dimensions to Namor as a character. As it is explicitly stated in the last page of the issue, this is far from over. Namor’s dealings with the Black Tide are only beginning because now they are unleashed and now they are out for blood. Vengeance will be a major driving factor in their next steps, but as Namor stated… maybe they will sit back for a while and study up on the modern-day world before making their huge attack. 2021 is going to be a very scary year for Atlantis.