Featuring: Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
Release: July 1, 1965
Cover: October 1965
12 cents
Written in majesty by: Stan Lee
Drawn in grandeur by: Adam Austin
Inked in splendor by: Vince Colletta
Lettered in the suburbs by: S. Rosen
12 pages
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|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #71, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #72, Story B |
| Tales to Astonish #71, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #72, Story B |
A Prince of the Blood must be true to his duty… though the sorrow in his breast be more than he can endure!
Once again, Namor gets to dominate the cover. Only the slightest mention that this is also Hulk’s comic.
To be completely honest, stories with a repetitive format get a bit dull to discuss. I can only make fun of how identical the plots are in so many different ways. Last issue, Namor defeated the creature guarding a clue on his quest, found the clue, went to the next spot, found a creature guarding the next clue. To be continued. Guess the plot of this issue?
Meanwhile, the Krang/Dorma drama continues. We get a new development there as he banishes her to the realm of the Faceless Ones for rejecting him.
This leads to the one interesting moment, where Namor must decide whether to continue his quest or save his cousin/lover. He chooses to abandon Dorma and continue the quest.
But before finding the next clue, he must deal with the life-sapping Diamonds of Doom. Namor seems surprised to learn the Diamonds of Doom are potentially dangerous.
It’s July, 1965. Let’s take our traditional walk around the Newsstand courtesy of Mike’s Amazing World and the Grand Comics Database!
The biggest thing on the newstand is the magazine comic Blazing Combat #1 from Warren Publishing. Over the course of 4 issues, the great Archie Goodwin edits and provides the scripts for an anthology of stories about war throughout history, illustrated by some of the best artists in the history of the medium.
The first is a story about the Vietnam War from artist Joe Orlando, a familiar name from this blog for his short stint on Daredevil before falling out with Stan Lee.
What else do we see on the Newsstand.
- Justice League of America #38, DC
- Our Army at War #158, DC
- Tomahawk #100, DC
- Career Girl Romances #30, Charlton
- Archie #157, Archie
- Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig #1, Gold Key
- Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle #1, Gold Key
- Wendy, the Good Little Witch #32, Harvey
Rating: ★★½, 49/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner
- Seaweed Man
- Lady Dorma
- Krang
- Zantor
- Faceless Ones (if they appear)
Story notes:
- Momentarily defeating the Seaweed Man, Namor finds an iron door with the mark of Neptune. Inside is a fish with a diamond in its mouth, and the voice of Neptune. Namor realizes this is pointing him to the Diamonds of Doom, at the farthest corner of his realm.
- Krang imprisons Dorma in a plasti-cage for her rejection.
- Dorma banished publicly to the subterranean world of the Faceless Ones.
- They are called Atlantans?
- Evil Zantor serves the Faceless Ones.
- Fish mentally tell Namor of Dorma’s plight.
- Radiance of Diamonds of Doom saps lifeforce from a living being.
| Previous | #383 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #71, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #72, Story B |
| Tales to Astonish #71, Story B | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #72, Story B |
Yeah, I love both Stan and Colan individually but, man, this run of stories just did not hit for me. Everett Sub-Mariner only true Sub-Mariner!
Lady Dorma still won’t be wife to Krang despite all the questions he asked, but Namor, who’s taking the Lady Dorma for granted, finally Realize that he loves her, even to give up on the quest.