347. Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner (80s) #4 ... Marvel ...

Once more, look at that cover! Imagine from a time when comics artists have to meet deadlines and there are no fancy computer colouring and yet that piece of work is just superb! About the only thing I would suggest to improve is to make the background ... a bit more dark ... more shadowy so that the foreground with the characters would "pop" a bit more ... but that's just tiny bit of suggestion!

So, how will our tale of Namor end? Surprisingly, very well. Nothing feels rushed and everything is closed beautifully. Starting with Namor's usual denial when the truth about his latest crush, Jacq came to the fore ... to the man he had thought to oppose him in bringing Atlantis to the UN ...

No spoilers here as the cover would have told you everything ... apparently Jacq is hellbent upon a mission of revenge since she was a girl as her father was one of those innocent bystanders caught in the middle of a battle with Namor years and years ago and she grew up hating him preparing herself for this mission ...

And to aid her, as she studied the ocean depths and their mythologies, she managed to cover the real trident of Neptune. This is the very instrument that allowed her transformation into that blue Mermaid that gave her the power to transform others into the various creatures that have been giving Namor a hard time over the past few issues. So naturally when he finally found them, ain't no way he was going to defeat them as each of them, singly had already beaten him!

This is one Marvel story that stayed through to its hero's limitations. Namor, for once, when realizing he was hopelessly outclassed (the seas have cast him out) uses his brains and decides on a gamble ... for he is a product of land and sea but not everyone is. So SPOILER ALERT he put the new Jacq to the test ... and she in turn was found wanting

And the last few pages ... both heart breaking and touching and hopeful ... as he found that upon this disaster from the surface ... to return to Atlantis only to be notified that he has been voted unfit to rule!

Ratings: 8/10