“Side-By-Side With The Sub-Mariner!”
Civil War! A large army has just struck the underwater city nation of Atlantis. Its leader, the notorious Lemurian warlord Attuma, is more than a match for Prince Namor and his complacent subjects. As the host legion drives forward from the murky depths, their technology is in a league unknown to the Atlantian military.
In an attempt to save her true love from a complete rout, Lady Dorma makes a back alley pact with Lemurian General. The Noblewoman would grant Attuma access to Atlantis by an unguarded section of the city defense. Her only stipulation was her true love would be unharmed. Silly women and their flights of fancy! As the Lemurians begin to enter the gates of the submerged metropolis, Attuma’s men launch several high-explosive torpedoes at the Sub-mariner. In a flash of implosions Namor is no more!
Will Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four agree to help Atlantis stave off the Lemurian invasion? Can Lady Dorma guide the heroes’ submersible to the very center of the conflict? What can it take for Benjamin Grimm and Johnny Storm to end their quips long enough to stop Attuma? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
I have nothing but high praises for this issue, as it was produced by the legendary team of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chic Stone, and Artie Simek. If you are looking for a classic example of comic books done the “Marvel Way”, this is it. Stan Lee coined the term for a method of producing which in my opinion is sorely missed today.
All the classic Stan’isms are here. The crazy made-up scientific terms, the wild banter between characters, the overuse of exclamation points, they are all present in this early edition of the Fantastic Four series.
Let’s not forget the genius of Jack Kirby. His unique blocky art style inspired thousands of future artists, and drove the industry way into the early 1990s. His version of the Fantastic Four characters are still my favorite out of all the iterations. Jack’s art is one of a kind.
I give this issue four out of five stars as it truly represents the core of the team and their values.
Tag(s)
[atlantean imperial palace], [atlanteans], [bait], [battering ram], [beauty pageant], [borough – manhattan], [cannon – energy cannon], [catapult], [city – athens], [city – lemuria], [city – new york city], [coastguard], [coastline], [continent – atlantis], [continent – north america], [country – united states of america], [crown], [crown of atlantis], [currents], [D.D.T.], [deep divide], [despot], [disintegrator ray], [duel], [equipment – fantastic four uniforms], [equipment – lady dorma’s helmet], [explo-grenade], [firearm – energy pistol], [firearm – energy rifle], [fish], [fish tank], [flares], [food – cod liver oil], [food – fish sticks], [force], [game – follow the leader], [gizmo – oxo-spray canister], [globules of darkness], [grenade], [hand weapon – attuma’s trident], [hand weapon – crossbow], [hand weapon – long sword], [hand weapon – mace], [hand weapon – priest staff], [hand weapon – spear], [hand weapon – trident], [hand weapon – war axe], [headquarters – baxter building], [hybrid – atlantean-lemurian hybrids], [hybrid – biracial hybrids], [hydro-powered battering ram], [insult – fishsticks], [insult – sea vermin], [ionic ray], [king], [lab equipment], [laboratory], [lemurian], [love], [magic], [monsters], [murky depths], [noblewoman], [noose], [noose of unbreakable titanium wire], [ocean], [ocean – atlantic ocean], [outpost], [oxo-spray], [oxygen], [planet – earth], [priest], [prison], [prison – sea cage prison], [reinforcements], [science], [scorn], [sealife], [serum], [state – delaware], [state – new york], [stingray], [street – yancy street], [subionic analysis structure-scope], [submarine], [submarine – fantastic four’s bathysphere], [subsonic sound waves], [tank – attuma’s deep-sea tank], [thaumaturgy], [the unknown], [torpedoes], [toy – erector set], [toy – tinkertoy], [trap], [u.s. navy], [underwater], [universal translator], [vehicle – sub-mariner’s aquatic chariot], [war – athens war], [war – civil war]
Character(s)
[atlantian army], [atlantian high priest], [attuma], [aunt petunia grimm], [fantastic four], [human torch – johnathan “johnny” storm], [invisible woman – susan “sue” storm-richards], [lady dorma], [miss yancy street], [mister fantastic – reed richards], [neptune – roman god of the sea], [sub-mariner – namor mckenzie], [the thing – benjamin jacob grimm], [uncle sam]
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