"Secrets of the Deep"

Namor is part of the Cabal. The august body includes such heavies as Doctor Doom, the White Queen, Loki and some nonentity with a hoodie. This Legion of Badness colludes with Norman Osborn, the artist formerly known as the original dead Green Goblin. Our heroes the Agents of Atlas want to deep-six Osborn. So, they go unda da' sea to seek an audience with Namor and sway him to the side of reason.

I find current Marvel continuity quite shallow. It's bad enough that the Powers that Be at Marvel aped soap operas by having Norman Osborn resurface from Davy Jones' locker. Osborn in addition somehow leeched his way into power and became Marvel's Big Bad. Wasn't he just a nutty pharmacist? Namor's on the side of devils again, which isn't exactly new, but I feel this switch requires some rationale given his near unblemished forty odd years of heroism. I also cannot see him tolerating a jackass like the Hood for very long. I can easily see him drowning the Mary Sue though.

In this week's Agents of Atlas, Jeff Parker at the very least explains why Namor sits on the Cabal's board of trustees. We think of Namor as a champion who has fought the Nazis or an anti-hero who has menaced the Fantastic Four. Parker delves deeper into the Imperious Rex's characterization and history. Namor is an immortal, and for him, serving on the Cabal for an eye-blink is a necessary strategy that protects his kingdom. He's just waiting for everybody else to wither and die.

Parker for an encore teases out another interesting fishbit. Namor and Namora are not cousins by blood. If you examine the text of Namora's first appearance, reprinted in the highly recommended Agents of Atlas hardback, you will see that Parker isn't simply adjusting the facts to serve his story, as so many hacks do. Instead, he uses the facts to make his story stronger.

Namor and Namora not being cousins allows Parker to find a pearl to polish. The consequences affect alliances, the plot and the characterization. If the Powers at Marvel cared about the characters, the aftermath of this issue would influence how the whole Dark Reign business plays out. I imagine they will simply ignore what makes sense and follow their master plan.

If you're like me, Agents of Atlas is already on your pull list. If I had never read this book before, I probably would not have bought this particular issue. That's because it sports one of the most butt-ugly covers I have ever seen.

The leisure suit of a cover depicts a gaggle of people snarling at each other with open mouths. Namora appears to be armless and must defend herself using her massive conch shells. You would think that an immortal wouldn't need silicone injections. I am confident that toddlers with Crayons stuck between their toes can produce something more appealing. Fortunately, the art inside the book is about twenty thousand leagues better.

Gabriel Hardman and Jana Schirmer imbue Agents of Atlas with a sense of scope when depicting the many wonders beneath the ocean depths. Submerged volcanoes glow orange hot and stretch majestically as magma slowly rolls down summits. Namor's city Oceanus adheres to the sea bottom like a coral reef and glitters as if it were nacre reflecting the rainbow.

On the cover, Namor brings to mind a seal afflicted with rabies. His entrance inside the book is another matter. Namor stands powerfully and nobly as the Sub-Mariner, complete with the black suit he used to wear when he could no longer breathe underwater. He practically emits history.

Namora, on the cover, looks artificial, as if she was a primitive animatronics figure from a seedy science fiction film. In the background, Venus appears to be a generic femme fatale. Hardly, the legendary Goddess of Love. Regardless of species, all the characters on the cover sport a ghastly blue sheen.

Inside the book, the women look sensual. Namora and Venus are not shy about their cleavage, but Hardman shapes them proportionately. Their uniforms are modest and practical. Their expressions are subtle. Schirmer gives Namora and Venus natural fleshtones. These factors eddy together to construct unique visual personalities and an appealing aesthetic.

Ignore the meager cover. Buy Agents of Atlas, and enjoy. Parker conceives a witty story that bears historical significance. Hardman and Schirmer make each panel a gorgeous feast for the eyes.

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