Namor Has Finally Become the Leader the Oceans Deserve (Review)

Namor has been a rather intense ride over its eight issue run. Writer Jason Aaron is no stranger to the character, having spent part of his Avengers run with a villainous Namor, but it’s hard to say that most people enjoyed Aaron’s time with the Sub-Mariner. However, Namor has found a way to take the King of Atlantis and use him in new, and sometimes grandiose, ways. The final issue sees Namor at a turning point, having bested the lords of the Seven Seas with the help of Neptune, gaining the Trident of Neptune, and learning that Neptune himself sunk Atlantis, and what he decides over the course of the issue will change the undersea realms forever.

The issue begins with a flashback to when Namor was younger and leading armies against the surface. He paints it as a righteous battle against the surface world, his serried ranks marching out of the sea to do battle with the ones who befoul the oceans, but the bodies on the shore show him the truth about war — that it’s reality is ugly and the ending is always the same. The story shifts back to the present day, when Namor informs the people of the oceans, with the help of Neptune’s magic, that World War Sea is over and that he is the victor and that there will be a new order. This leads to the peoples of the Seven Seas gathering in the ruins of Atlantis to hear is proclamation.

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It’s this structure, a look to the past before shifting to the present, that is the perfect way to head into this issue and conclusion of the series. Namor is usually about the power and glory, his hyperbolic manner informing every decision he makes. However, starting the book with Namor talking about the follies of his past, how his endless wars of rage against the surface did nothing but kill his people, is a clever way of foreshadowing his decision later in the book. The knowledge he gained throughout his quest — that the Atlanteans weren’t a special people, merely those chosen by Neptune as his cat’s paws — informs his decision as well. Atlantis isn’t special; it’s one of many kingdoms, and Namor has realized that the realms of the deep need unity more than an iron will driving them forward.

Aaron does a tremendous job with Namor, which is why this issue works so well. Namor is many things as a monarch, but first and foremost, he loves his people. This understanding of the character, especially demonstrated with this issue’s structure, makes this issue’s major developments work that much better. This is a Namor who has learned a lesson about the realities of being a ruler, and that it is better for the people to be ruled by those who understand them rather than one far away. The art here also supports the story very well. Paul Davidson and Alex Lins also definitely understood their assignment. The art in this issue is brilliant, from the opening flashback to the scenes of Namor taking down the surface fleets with magic and science to the reveal of the new Atlantis. Aaron set up the pins and they knocked them down, giving readers a great ending to one of Marvel’s better series.

Namor #8 is a book that excites me as a Namor fan. Namor can get trapped into a cycle of snarky heroism, betrayal of his surface comrades, war, and repeat. Seeing him actually grow beyond that cycle, realizing that he’s kind of always known and kept it from himself, is a great little bit of character development that Namor has needed for a long time. This issue has a lot of great moments in it, and it caps off a series that could have went in the same direction every Namor does, but instead veered into a new direction. It’ll be interesting to see whether Marvel keeps this new status quo, because it could lead us to the most interesting Namor stories ever.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by Marvel Comics

On March 12, 2025

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Paul Davidson and Alex Lins

Colors by Neeraj Menon

Letters by Joe Caramagna