Sub-Mariner: Revolution (TPB) – Review

By Matt Cherniss & Peter Johnson (writer) Phil Briones (art), Scott Hanna (inks), Paul Mounts (colors)

I’ll admit, I’ve never been a big Namor fan. I remember picking up the old series in the 1990s because of Jae Lee’s art, but I never actually read the books. As time wore on and Namor showed up in series I enjoy, I began to take a liking to his snide attitude. After the events of Civil War and Avengers Illuminati, I really began to take more interest in his character.

Sub-Mariner: Revolution collects the six issue mini-series that came out last year. Following on the heals of Civil War, the story begins with another terrorist attack on America. With SHIELD on high alert, it’s soon discovered that the attack was Atlantean in origin. All fingers immediately point to Namor and the sleeper cells in the U.S. (that he claimed were no longer in place). Well, apparently he lied. The cells are still in the U.S., but a rogue cell has slipped through the cracks and is the cause for this terrorist act. Namor, now under the gun, leaves Atlantis to find this rogue cell in hopes of preventing a full-scale war with the surface.

In many ways, this book is very average. There’s a bit of a mystery as to who’s pulling strings behind the scenes and as expected Namor has to go through many hoops and obstacles to get to the heart of the mystery. It gets a bit too formulaic at times, especially when it comes to the obligatory fight scenes. It’s also a bit jarring when high profile characters like Venom and Wolverine are thrown into the book in hopes of selling a few more copies.

There are redeeming qualities, however – most come with the last chapter. In a stunning turn of events Namor makes a decision that completely turns the story on its side. It’s so severe that the ramifications will be in place for some time to come. The last chapter also serves as an epilogue of sorts to Civil War. This alone makes it worth reading.

Phil Briones’ art is consistent throughout. It’s somewhat reminiscent of early 1990s art with too much cross hatching at times, but thankfully it doesn’t detract from the overall storytelling. The writing is also a mixed bag as well. Like I said, there’s parts where the dialog is awful and the plot is formulaic, then there’s times when the book is just awesome (particularly the final chapter). Luckily, the pros outweigh the cons.

Priced at $14.99, you’re actually saving money if you buy this trade rather than paying $2.99 for six issues. There’s no extras, but the upgraded paper stock is a welcome. Is it worth your time and money? I think so. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes