Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1991-03-01 00:05:10 |
| Previous: Punisher #46 | Up: Main | Next: She-Hulk #26 |
Namor #13
Issue(s): Namor #13
Cover Date: Apr 91
Title: "Reap the whirl wind"
Credits:
John Byrne - Writer
John Byrne - Penciler
John Byrne - Inker
Terry Kavanagh - Editor
Review/plot:
There's no title page in this issue, so the title is taken from the cover, and it could have just as easily been called "The Trial of the Sub-Mariner!". This trial is a long time coming, going back to Roger Stern's Avengers run. But it's worth remembering that at that time it was a civil suit brought by property owners trying to get compensation for all the destruction Namor has caused over the years. At this point it's a criminal suit. As with most court scenes in comic books, it's best not to get your hopes up too much for Law & Order style drama and excitement. The trial consists mainly of flashbacks to points in Namor's history...
...plus some star character witnesses...
...and culminates with a "but he's feeling much better now" argument from Dr. Caleb Alexander (which Reed Richards says is valid).
Based on that, Namor is placed on probation for 100 years, with Captain America as his probation officer ("for at least some of that time").
Some other developments: Phoebe Marrs shows up at the trial to try to apologize to Namor, but he's not interested in hearing it. The truck transporting the Griffin gets into an accident.
Some Atlanteans discover what appears to be Lady Dorma.
And Rafael Scarfe has Danny Rand's grave exhumed, and finds... wet leaves?!
A solid "bridge" issue that sets up future plots while settling the trial issue, using the opportunity to draw some nice flashbacks and provide some fun character moments.
Quality Rating: B
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Thor has no beard and Ben Grimm has no rocks. At least "six days" pass during the trial.
References:
- The Human Torch woke up the Sub-Mariner in Fantastic Four #4.
- He teamed-up with Dr. Doom to fight the Fantastic Four again in Fantastic Four #6, but also turned on Doom and saved the FF in that story.
- Namor fought the Avengers in Avengers #3 and Avengers #4.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
Inbound References (2): showCharacters Appearing: Caleb Alexander, Captain America, Carrie Alexander, Colleen Wing, Griffin, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Misty Knight, Mr. Fantastic, Namorita, Phoebe Marrs, Rafael Scarfe, Spitfire, Sub-Mariner, Thing, Thor Previous:
Punisher #46Up:
MainNext:
She-Hulk #26
Comments
I really liked these issues of Namor while Byrne was on them. Entertaining reads and I, for one, liked the duoshade art, especially in the underwater scenes.
The courtroom scene was the focus of a "The Law Is A Ass" column in the Comics Buyer's Guide because Byrne seemed to be unaware that swearing on a Bible isn't required of everyone; people can always Affirm to tell the truth without involving the Bible.
I was glad that Byrne resolved the legal issues left dangle no when Stern was fired from Avengers, but I was not entirely satisfied with how he handled the execution of it, as details in the trial (the civil vs. criminal issues, the Bible swearing, establishing expertise in testimonies) seemed biased towards the resolution Byrne wanted, rather than organic, based on the ethical and legal issues at hand. I suspect Stern might have reached a very different outcome that would have helped develop Namor's sense of responsibility towards others, which would have been necessary for him to remain as a member of the Avengers.
