Friday, May 26, 2023

RIME OF THE ANCIENT SUB-MARINER: FANTASTIC FOUR - TO FREE ATLANTIS (1995)

SAILING WITH SUBBY

MARVEL LIFE AQUATIC


The depths of the Marvel Universe and their stories reach far deeper than merely the movies, extending further than the cartoons, and stretching to even greater lengths than comic books! I'm talking full length feature novels! 

I've known about Marvel's novels since the 1990s when they made a big push and launched a brand new line of novels, making their strongest effort yet to extend into the world of prose. The first book to come to my attention was THE INCREDIBLE HULK: WHAT SAVAGE BEAST by the great Peter David, the actual Incredible Hulk writer from the time and my favorite Incredible Hulk writer of all time. A friend of mine was reading it at the time it came out and kept telling me I needed to read it. However, like an adolescent fool, I dismissed the novel back then.

Recently I finally read What Savage Beast and thought it was amazing! What's more, I knew exactly where in the continuity the novel took place. This wonderful story, taking place in continuity, was like discovering a hidden gem, the great missing Hulk story I never knew existed. 

The textless cover artwork by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt 

I've recently been deep dive reading every Sub-Mariner story I can get my hands on and searching for more. After reading What Savage Beast I saw an advertisement in the back of the book for FANTASTIC FOUR: TO FREE ATLANTIS. The subtitle "To Free Atlantis" instantly caught my eye. Hoping for another hidden gem discovery, I tracked down a copy of the novel.

Published in December, 1995; Written by Nancy Collins, a horror writer that I need to read more of, I was very happy to find this book is more a Sub-Mariner novel guest-starring the Fantastic Four as opposed to a dedicated FF story featuring Namor. If you're a FF fan, the Thing - Ben Grimm really stands out in this novel and the FF altogether are treated well and feel very true to their characters. But the focus of this novel and the lion's share of story is about Namor and Atlantis, which is exactly what I was searching for, exactly what I wanted.

The great artist Paul Ryan contributed a few pieces of interior artwork for this book 

THE SYNOPSIS

Atlantis, under Namor's rule, has prospered and flourished. Having matured and grown as a ruler far from the days of his brash youth, Namor's reign has reached new heights of prosperity. Bloodthirsty warlords and corrupt aristocrats scheme to take the throne. Namor's jealous cousin, Byrrah, sets in motion a coup d'etat. With the help of a shadowy benefactor, Byrrah and the evil Warlord Kreeg dispose Namor with a lethal poison. Before falling to the poison, Namor manages to escape, seeking help from the one surface dweller he trusts more than any other: Sue Storm - The Invisible Woman. Can the Fantastic Four cure the poison and save Namor? If so, will Namor be strong enough to retake the throne? And who is mastermind behind this evil plot?

WHAT I LIKED

 As I said earlier, this book is a great showcase for Namor and Marvel's world of Atlantis, and that was exactly what I was hoping for. The Fantastic Four themselves are more guest-stars in this book, the Thing being the only one of the four that really takes center-stage at times. Even so, you get a really good sense of who each member of the Fantastic Four is and why they're great characters. But the real star of this book is my boy, Subby!

Nancy Collins, whether it was her or a great and knowledgeable editor, really nail who these characters are from the comics, especially Namor. There are so many misconceptions about Namor among readers (especially people who've only read Sub-Mariner stories post 2000s), and this book really cuts to the heart of who he really is and why he's a HERO, not a villain. There's a really great section from page 116 through 119 told from Sue Richards' perspective that perfectly describes who Namor really is.

The first sixty pages are completely about Namor and the world-building of Atlantis, adequately titled: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE SUB-MARINER. There's Atlantean political intrigue with Namor's cousin Byrrah, Warlord Kreeg, and Tydeus, the Viscount of Charybdis. Vashti, the chief court chamberlain and royal court advisor has some quality character work too. And even Warlord Seth plays a small part in the story. New characters Tethys and Hiordis are great additions to the Sub-Mariner's supporting cast too.



The complicated relationship between Namor and the Fantastic Four, as well as his people is explored to perfection. This book really digs into Namor's place in the Marvel universe, the whys and motivations behind him, his powerful conviction (commonly misinterpreted as arrogance), and what makes him a hero. It really demonstrates his evolution as a character and how far he's come in his character arc. For anyone wanting to get to the heart of the Sub-Mariner and really understand his character, this book is a essential reading.

As far as the Fantastic Four goes, the Thing is really spotlighted the most among them, doing his usual brooding over being stuck as a pile of orange rocks. Struggling with his monstrous appearance and how people sometimes only see the monster rather than the man and hero inside. This internal struggle of Ben Grimm's becomes a connection point between Namor and the Thing, as Namor too is viewed as a half-breed freak by many Atlanteans and humans alike. This commonality forms an understanding and mutual respect for the two of them. Reed, Sue, and Johnny aren't explored in the same depth as Namor or the Thing, but each is accurately depicted and treated with respect.

If there are any weaknesses in this book it little nitpicks, nothing major. The one thing I can point out is where the final showdown takes place: THE VALLEY OF THE DROWNED GODS. The nitpick is that the book indicates that Namor and no one else has been there since they were children. A major Namor story occurs in this place (Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner #1 through #4 from 1984 by J.M. DeMatteis and Bob Budiansky), and in continuity, this story should take place after that story. Or it's possible that this story takes prior to the events of Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #1 thru #4..., but that wouldn't make sense either given Namor's character growth. 

Whatever, it's a nitpick, nothing serious. All in all this book was really well done.

 THE VERDICT

The novel: Fantastic Four: To Free Atlantis by Nancy Collins is a wonderful read and essential reading to understand who the character of Namor is. This book is the perfect representation of Namor, the Sub-Mariner and a great resource to learn about Marvel's version of Atlantis. The Thing is the one member of the Fantastic Four that stands out in the novel and given the most to do, but the other three are wonderfully portrayed as well. If you want to know who these characters are and what makes them great, this novel shows you. 

The Sub-Mariner is an often misunderstood and misrepresented character in comics (especially nowadays with current writers, and writers like Jonathan Hickman). I highly recommend this book as an accurate and true representation of his character and why he's one of Marvel's more complex and greatest characters of all time.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Hmm... I wonder who the mastermind behind Namor's assassination is?


The Sub-Mariner has been one of my favorite literary characters of all-time and still is among my top four favorite super heroes. He's Marvel's first super hero (some say anti-hero) and without him, the Human Torch, and Captain America there wouldn't be a Marvel Universe today.

For more posts about the true prince of the blood, check out these posts below!

NAMOR VOLUME 2 #1-12 RETROSPECTIVE

TOP TEN SUB-MARINER LEVIATHANS

TOP TEN NAMOR, THE SUB-MARINER VILLAINS

And for more comic book posts and top ten lists, check out these others below!

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