Marvel Is Reinventing Namor, from Acclaimed Thor Writer Jason Aaron

Writer Jason Aaron’s latest collaboration is another reinvention, this time for Namor the Sub-Mariner. Namor is a character who has existed in the confines of Marvel Comics dating back to 1939. Over the course of 85 years, Namor’s complicated presence has seen him depicted as an antagonist, protagonist, hero, villain, and everything in between. Even in his latest MCU debut, he’s dabbled in anti-hero territory.

Now, Jason Aaron is tasked with reinventing Namor in a whole new way, starting with a new series working alongside artists Paul Davidson and Alex Lins. Alexander Lozano’s cover art for Namor #1 can be viewed below. The first of an eight-part limited series is scheduled to debut on shelves starting July 17.

Marvel’s solicitation for the new limited series promises that it will “forever reshape the sears and bare the dark history of Atlantis.” Jason Aaron is no stranger to recontextualizing classic characters for the modern era, and readers can expect he’ll change the Sub-Mariner forever.

Jason Aaron Is the Perfect Choice To Reinvent Namor

He’s Done it Before With Several Heroes

Before diving into Namor’s waters, Jason Aaron’s name has been immortalized in the history books for some of the most prolific, captivating character reinventions of the last decade. He’s currently in the midst of bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to their original, gritty roots. Meanwhile, the work that he contributed to Punisher MAX and Thor was instrumental in not only defining how both characters and their lore have been portrayed over the last decade in the comics, but were major sources of inspiration for their MCU portrayals.

The impact of Jason Aaron’s pen has completely changed a plethora of characters forever, so the prospect of him doing the same for Namor is promising. Again, this is a complex character who has existed for more than eight decades. One would assume that the character has peaked from a storytelling perspective by now, but if anyone can offer something new to the Namor character, then it would have to be Jason Aaron. The cover art for the first issue alone already hints at a Namor readers aren’t used to seeing.

Jason Aaron Will Break Namor Down to Build Him Back Up

To Reinvent Namor, The Sub-Mariner Must First Be Destroyed

The cover reveals a battered and bruised Namor, which is already a departure from the normally über-cool character whom readers are accustomed to seeing. Whether he’s protecting Atlantis like a hero or scheming with villainous intent, Namor rarely breaks a sweat. He seldom bats an eyelash or allows anyone to see him in a vulnerable position, as if he always has a plan. In a hospital bed, he looks like a physically and mentally broken shell of his former self, but if Jason Aaron is going to truly reinvent Namor the Sub-Mariner, maybe the plan is to build him back from defeat.