IMPERIUS REX! Namor the Sub-Mariner Appreciation 2024

[Marvel Wars]

"No more Aaron"

[ImperiusWrecked]

Alexander Lozano concept/inks/final arts for Namor (2024) #1 cover art

[Reviresco]

The art is okay, though I know the artist can do so much better, but he's shackled by a concept sucks. Namor is nigh indestructible. This is nonsense, and just degrading. Namor has fought the Hulk and never looked like this. I look at it as an accurate reflection of how Marvel has treated this character.

But even with this crappy concept, we could have gotten something iconic like this.

[Reviresco]

I do think Alexander is a Namor fan and will give us better covers, if they don't saddle him with crappy concepts. Here's some earlier pics he did for fun.


Keanu Reeves as Namor

[Reviresco]

Jason Aaron interview about the book. It appears we are going to get the Busiek / Jonas Scharf / Benjamin Dewey method, with one artist handling the present day and another handling the flashbacks. Also Prepare For the Retcons!!!



https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...aron-interview

I'm so mad. Because this sounds alot like what we've wanted ... but done by Aaron. sigh.

[Reviresco]

The Interview at Marvel.com

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...aron-interview




This summer, the secrets of Atlantis will be laid bare.

In NAMOR, a new eight-issue series from writer Jason Aaron and artists Paul Davidson and Alex Lins, the ancient underwater kingdom has found itself without its king and protector. In that vacuum, several would-be kings vie for the throne, while the mighty Namor languishes in a prison cell on the surface with no intention of returning to the sea ever again. Discover the events that shaped this antihero and how they chart the future of his kingdom with "The Last King of Atlantis" this July!

Speaking to Marvel.com, Aaron revealed the scope of NAMOR, which spans the "intimate portrayal" of Sub-Mariner's past to the great cataclysm that sunk Atlantis. He promised to explore the "various exotic cultures" of Atlantis and compared this story to his previous work on PUNISHER: KING OF KILLERS and THOR: GOD OF THUNDER. He also teased some familiar faces, new friends and foes, and so much more.

MARVEL.COM: Namor is a lot of things: king, mutant, Atlantean, hero, villain—the list goes on. What, in your opinion, is the quintessential element that every Namor story needs in order to be authentic to the character?

JASON AARON: I think a good Namor story needs a little bit of most all that, because he's walked a lot of different paths over the course of his long, violent life. He's always been a guy who has wavered back and forth between outright hero and outright villain, while spending a lot of time floating around somewhere in the middle. And all of that has left him in a very dark place, locked in a surface world prison, praying he never has to set foot in the seas again. That's where our story begins.

MARVEL.COM: "Last King of Atlantis" finds Namor as a literal fish out of water. How does this set the stage for what's to come in NAMOR?

JASON AARON: With no king to rule Atlantis, the realms of the deep have fallen into chaos and tribal warfare. Seven would-be kings are now vying for the throne, some of them characters we know, some of them all-new and hailing from corners of the undersea world as yet unexplored.

MARVEL.COM: What interested you the most about exploring the politics of Namor's (former) underwater kingdom?

JASON AARON: For a long time now, I've wanted to do a Namor story like this, something that's very much a dark exploration of one of truest antiheroes, while also serving as a roadmap and a redefinition of the entire undersea world. In the same way I used THE WAR OF THE REALMS to explore the various lands and denizens of Thor's particular corner of the Marvel landscape, this book is meant to guide us through the various exotic cultures and wondrous locales of the deep sea kingdoms in a way we've never seen before.

MARVEL.COM: Aside from Namor, what other familiar faces might we encounter in this series?

JASON AARON: You can expect some faces from Namor's past, plus a bunch of new friends and foes.

MARVEL.COM: In a universe that spans cataclysms at the furthest reaches of the galaxy to the most personal battles on the streets of New York, where does "Last King of Atlantis" stand?

JASON AARON: This is the most epic war story in the history of Atlantis, but also a very visceral and intimate portrayal of the darkest events that have shaped Namor over the course of his long, troubled life.

MARVEL.COM: What do Paul Davidson and Alex Lins bring to the series? Tell me a little about working with them.

JASON AARON: Both are stellar artists handling different aspects of the story. Paul is drawing the present day scenes, while Alex tackles flashbacks to various periods from throughout Namor's life. It's the same sort of breakdown we had on my most recent PUNISHER series, which I think worked to great effect.

I feel like this NAMOR series captures some of the same tone and feel I was going for there. In some ways, I would call NAMOR a combination of both PUNISHER: KING OF KILLERS and my work on THOR: GOD OF THUNDER. I even broke out my old Thor notebook, which I haven't used since I finished KING THOR, to use for notes and ideas for this new NAMOR project.

MARVEL.COM: What are you most excited for readers to see?

JASON AARON: Namor's prison life. The Crimson Swim. The Secret Seas. The War Reef and the Elder Whales. And the true story of the great cataclysm that first sunk Atlantis.


Behold the secrets of Atlantis in NAMOR #1, on sale July 17!

[Reviresco]

"No more Aaron"

Pretty much this.

[Reviresco]

I know, right?! Varnae is mondo-creepy to the MAX!!
Always thought he/it/whatever had so much potential, if only certain creatives could just take some notice...

Of course, Varnae is from pre-cataclysm Atlantis. But he was creepy, cause IIRC, he was created in the era of black and white Marvel horror. He fits in with their horror era, not this superhero with fangs era we have now.

[Doombot]

Jason Aaron interview about the book. It appears we are going to get the Busiek / Jonas Scharf / Benjamin Dewey method, with one artist handling the present day and another handling the flashbacks. Also Prepare For the Retcons!!!


I'm so mad. Because this sounds alot like what we've wanted ... but done by Aaron. sigh.

This is me reading and looking at all of this

[Reviresco]

This is me reading and looking at all of this

LOL! Wut? You aren't eager for Redneck Atlanteans? Namor in OZ? The secret true history of Atlantis? Visceral exploration of Namor's dark violent past???


I'm sorry. But if you are asked about the quintessential aspect of Namor, and you don't even mention him being an alienated outsider, torn between two worlds, and bi-racial ... you've missed the essence of the character. But of course, if you claim Namor praying to stay in prison and NEVER be in the ocean again, you are starting out completely wrong.

I'm curious to see who he thinks are old familiar faces. Is Attuma also going to revert and be one of the 'kings' vying for the throne? I'm sure he'll use the Defenders of the Deep. There should also be someone from Lemuria, but who knows who rules that now?

[berserkerclaw]

I am nit lookinh forward to this at all.

[Thirteen]

Alexander Lozano concept/inks/final arts for Namor (2024) #1 cover art

Art looks AMAZING. Far better than most of the other launches I've seen recently. The interior tease confirms the sophistication suggested by the cover image.

[Reviresco]

I am nit lookinh forward to this at all.

Yep. Living in fear.

Art looks AMAZING. Far better than most of the other launches I've seen recently. The interior tease confirms the sophistication suggested by the cover image.

TBH ... I had basically given up on comics for over a year, so I've no idea what other launches look like. But Namor's last book got a big name, Pasqual Ferry, so I can't complain there. But, like I said, Alex Lozano is a good artist. I just hope he gets some good concepts for upcoming covers.

[ImperiusWrecked]

I do think Alexander is a Namor fan and will give us better covers, if they don't saddle him with crappy concepts. Here's some earlier pics he did for fun.

He mentions that he wanted a different direction for this cover because he didn't want to do yet another Throne art. I think it's interesting, I do love the art but again I've never had an issue with art, its always the writing.

i am glad you like it - i know it isn't a crowd pleaser but i hate boring repetitions of Namor sitting in a Throne - better artists than me have explored those kind of layouts already.

[ImperiusWrecked]

The Interview at Marvel.com

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...aron-interview




This summer, the secrets of Atlantis will be laid bare.

In NAMOR, a new eight-issue series from writer Jason Aaron and artists Paul Davidson and Alex Lins, the ancient underwater kingdom has found itself without its king and protector. In that vacuum, several would-be kings vie for the throne, while the mighty Namor languishes in a prison cell on the surface with no intention of returning to the sea ever again. Discover the events that shaped this antihero and how they chart the future of his kingdom with "The Last King of Atlantis" this July!

Speaking to Marvel.com, Aaron revealed the scope of NAMOR, which spans the "intimate portrayal" of Sub-Mariner's past to the great cataclysm that sunk Atlantis. He promised to explore the "various exotic cultures" of Atlantis and compared this story to his previous work on PUNISHER: KING OF KILLERS and THOR: GOD OF THUNDER. He also teased some familiar faces, new friends and foes, and so much more.

MARVEL.COM: Namor is a lot of things: king, mutant, Atlantean, hero, villain—the list goes on. What, in your opinion, is the quintessential element that every Namor story needs in order to be authentic to the character?

JASON AARON: I think a good Namor story needs a little bit of most all that, because he's walked a lot of different paths over the course of his long, violent life. He's always been a guy who has wavered back and forth between outright hero and outright villain, while spending a lot of time floating around somewhere in the middle. And all of that has left him in a very dark place, locked in a surface world prison, praying he never has to set foot in the seas again. That's where our story begins.

MARVEL.COM: "Last King of Atlantis" finds Namor as a literal fish out of water. How does this set the stage for what's to come in NAMOR?

JASON AARON: With no king to rule Atlantis, the realms of the deep have fallen into chaos and tribal warfare. Seven would-be kings are now vying for the throne, some of them characters we know, some of them all-new and hailing from corners of the undersea world as yet unexplored.

MARVEL.COM: What interested you the most about exploring the politics of Namor's (former) underwater kingdom?

JASON AARON: For a long time now, I've wanted to do a Namor story like this, something that's very much a dark exploration of one of truest antiheroes, while also serving as a roadmap and a redefinition of the entire undersea world. In the same way I used THE WAR OF THE REALMS to explore the various lands and denizens of Thor's particular corner of the Marvel landscape, this book is meant to guide us through the various exotic cultures and wondrous locales of the deep sea kingdoms in a way we've never seen before.

MARVEL.COM: Aside from Namor, what other familiar faces might we encounter in this series?

JASON AARON: You can expect some faces from Namor's past, plus a bunch of new friends and foes.

MARVEL.COM: In a universe that spans cataclysms at the furthest reaches of the galaxy to the most personal battles on the streets of New York, where does "Last King of Atlantis" stand?

JASON AARON: This is the most epic war story in the history of Atlantis, but also a very visceral and intimate portrayal of the darkest events that have shaped Namor over the course of his long, troubled life.

MARVEL.COM: What do Paul Davidson and Alex Lins bring to the series? Tell me a little about working with them.

JASON AARON: Both are stellar artists handling different aspects of the story. Paul is drawing the present day scenes, while Alex tackles flashbacks to various periods from throughout Namor's life. It's the same sort of breakdown we had on my most recent PUNISHER series, which I think worked to great effect.

I feel like this NAMOR series captures some of the same tone and feel I was going for there. In some ways, I would call NAMOR a combination of both PUNISHER: KING OF KILLERS and my work on THOR: GOD OF THUNDER. I even broke out my old Thor notebook, which I haven't used since I finished KING THOR, to use for notes and ideas for this new NAMOR project.

MARVEL.COM: What are you most excited for readers to see?

JASON AARON: Namor's prison life. The Crimson Swim. The Secret Seas. The War Reef and the Elder Whales. And the true story of the great cataclysm that first sunk Atlantis.


Behold the secrets of Atlantis in NAMOR #1, on sale July 17!

I feel so sick. I've been saying for YEARS dark epic undersea court plots! I've been dying for a solid backstory for Atlantis. And I'm getting literally every thing I want but its in the hands of a writer who views Namor as this violent, hyper masculine, hyper aggressive, sexist, moron, who has no compassion or soul or layers. He's taken "undersea brawler without brains and loves to shout IMPERIUS REX" as his view on Namor for years. I don't believe he can do any kind of complexity like other writers can, and this is everything everyone thinks Fanon!Namor is, and it's going to solidify the undeserved hate Namor constantly gets from fans. Getting the exact plot/story that I believed would help improve and expand his world and character. It's literally a monkey's paw. If this had been any other writer I would be weeping tears of joy. Instead I'm just...