Namor #2-3Issue(s): Namor #2, Namor #3 Review/plot: Griffin's attack gives Caleb Alexander a heart attack, and he kidnaps Carrie. Namorita is apparently a part of Oracle now, too... ...and she alerts Namor. Namor and Namorita split up to find the Griffin, but from a news report Namor already knows where the Griffin is, and he sends Namorita in the wrong direction. "She is no child -- not even by Atlantean standards - but neither is she a warrior!". Actually, she is a New Warrior, but that's not mentioned here. Namor figures that his "speed and the proliferation of flying figures in New York" will prevent anyone from recognizing him as he flies over the city, but when he catches up with Griffin at the Statue of Liberty, the Marrs siblings recognize him. Another person, a woman later identified as Headhunter, also takes notice of the fight. At the Statue, Namor battles the Griffin... ...but fails to make headway against it until he takes the fight underwater. The relationship between the Marrs twins starts to get a little suggestive... ...and that's not even counting whatever is going on with Desmond's lips in that one panel. Namor uses his access to the Avengers' computer files to get info on the Griffin (it's said he still has the access codes despite his "removal from active service"; are we starting to think that these issues were plotted and even scripted prior to Byrne's Avengers run, which placed every Avenger on a rotational status? He's talking like he hasn't been an Avenger in a long time.), and traces him back to Roxxon. Namor has a kind of Spock-like reaction to Caleb Alexander's situation. Namor has been keeping Griffin in a warehouse owned by the company he bought. He goes there now and "tames" the beast. Poor Griffin. That was a man once. Namor takes Griffin to a Roxxon board meeting, interrupting their Monty Python routine. Of course, it was the Marrs twins, not Roxxon, that sent Griffin. So these guys know nothing. The good news (for me, anyway) is that this blows the secret of Namor's death out of the water. In the end, Caleb is said to be ok, but Carrie says that she doesn't want to stay near Namor because of stuff like this. The Marrs twins apparently have access to the hospital room security cameras, and plan their next attack based on Namor's "fondness for the ladies". Some subplot set-up: This is all refreshingly straightforward, but well executed. And i do like the idea of Griffin as a mount for Namor, even if i feel sorry for the poor guy. Quality Rating: B+ Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A References:
Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (1): showCharacters Appearing: Caleb Alexander, Carrie Alexander, Desmond Marrs, Griffin, Headhunter, Namorita, Phoebe Marrs, Sub-Mariner CommentsWhy does the reporter think seeing a 'naked man fighting some kind of flying lion' weird. This is New York, right? Super-Heroes and Villains are everywhere! Posted by: JSfan | May 19, 2015 5:46 PM fnord, the scan is missing below the following text: Of course, it was the Marrs twins, not Roxxon, that sent Griffin. 'So these guys know nothing.' Posted by: JSfan | May 19, 2015 5:53 PM Thanks, JSfan. Posted by: fnord12 | May 19, 2015 6:25 PM We're still in build up mode, so not much going on even with the Marrs intrigues. I really like Byrne's portrayal of Namor. He gets the character right - he is not your typical superhero. He's a noble character, but not constrained by the law or morality of surface dwellers. I did like Byrne's Namorita though. Much more likable than her presentation in New Warriors. Posted by: Chris | May 19, 2015 10:02 PM The file on the Griffin seems to be incorrect, or at least incomplete- the Griffin was transformed by the Secret Empire (although they did have an agent working at Brand, so it's possible that he was transformed there). If Namor heard the real story, you'd think he'd assume the Secret Empire was behind Griffin. Of course, it's necessary for Namor to attack Roxxon in order for the fact that he's alive to be revealed to the world. Posted by: Michael | May 19, 2015 10:19 PM I did not realize it at the time, but Namor seems to be a bit sedated in these issues, showing little emotional reaction to either Griffin or Caleb's plight. Maybe Byrne intended him to be still negotiating the oxygen levels effect on his emotions. After years of conflicting drives Namor is probably very cautious when expressing his feelings. Posted by: Luis Dantas | May 19, 2015 10:19 PM What was up with Byrne and female executives wearing black suits and ties? The woman from Roxxon looks identical to the way women from That Which Endures' institution looked like... Also, Byrne is really showcasing bad late 80s fashion both on Phoebe Marrs and Headhunter :) Posted by: Piotr W | May 20, 2015 6:30 PM Is Headhunter sitting next to the first laptop ever shown in a comic book? Think about how many people had actually seen a laptop before when this came out. Posted by: JP | May 21, 2015 10:02 AM I had wondered about the laptop too! I guess it wouldn't be that unusual of a thing for someone in the Marvel Universe to have, given all the advanced (even alien) technology that's always lying around. Posted by: Bill | May 21, 2015 11:05 AM As much as I loved Byrne on FF and Avengers, I just couldn't get into this book and ended up dropping it after a handful of issues. I wanted to like it it, but it was just boring. The Marrs twins were just sleazy and annoying and not the least bit compelling as adversaries. The corporate raider angle was dull and a book set in Atlantis would have been far more interesting. Posted by: Bob | June 8, 2015 6:02 AM and Byrne's art just looked rushed and a bit grotesque here, compared to how gorgeous it was on AWC only a few month earlier. Posted by: bob | June 8, 2015 6:03 AM Is there some rule that any set of twins featured in the Marvel Universe MUST have a pseudo-incestuous relationship? Geez! Posted by: Jon Dubya | July 30, 2015 5:18 PM Interesting that at the time that Byrne and Claremont weren't getting along that Byrne would create the Marrs siblings who seem so similar to Fenris. Posted by: Erik Beck | October 22, 2015 8:54 AM So, Namor basically tames Griffin here, right? Doesn't he eventually take him to the savage land and set him free there? What issue is the last of what we see of Griffin? Posted by: Kirk G | November 15, 2017 5:57 PM You may click on his entry in the "Characters Appearing" field to find out, Kirk. But yes, far as we know Namor left him roaming free in the Savage Land (IIRC). Posted by: Luis Dantas | November 15, 2017 7:38 PM Namor 15-20 has the details on that. Posted by: clyde | November 15, 2017 7:56 PM Comments are now closed. |
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