NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER EPIC COLLECTION DESTINY OR DEATH TP

Sub-Mariner gets his own title in the heyday of the Marvel Age! It's undersea action at its finest as a roster of legendary creators guides the Sub-Mariner to glory! First, Stan Lee and Gene Colan continue their triumphant TALES TO ASTONISH run as Namor is driven to madness - first by the Puppet Master, then by political intrigue with Warlord Krang. Next, Namor becomes the prime target of the shadowy Secret Empire in an astonishing crossover with the Incredible Hulk. Another clash with Iron Man further elevates these iconic tales, featuring art by Jack "King" Kirby himself! Sub-Mariner creator Bill Everett makes a celebrated return to illustrate an epic war against Attuma. And finally, Roy Thomas and "Big" John Buscema launch Namor into his solo series with a historic team-up alongside the Inhumans' Triton! COLLECTING TALES TO ASTONISH #77-101, TALES OF SUSPENSE #79-80, IRON MAN AND SUB-MARINER #1, SUB-MARINER #1-3 AND MATERIAL FROM NOT BRAND ECHH #1, #4, #9 & #11. Writer/editor Stan Lee (1922-2018) made comic-book history together with Jack Kirby in 1961 with Fantastic Four #1. The monumental popularity of its new style inspired Lee to develop similarly themed characters - including the Hulk and X-Men with Kirby, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Steve Ditko, and Daredevil with Bill Everett. After shepherding his creations through dozens of issues - in some cases a hundred or more - Lee allowed other writers to take over, but he maintained steady editorial control. Eventually, he helped expand Marvel into a multimedia empire. In recent years, his frequent cameo appearances in Marvel's films established Lee as one of the world's most famous faces.Roy Thomas joined the Marvel Bullpen as a writer and editor under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every title of the time: Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Thor, X-Men and more. He wrote the first 10 years of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan; and launched such series as Defenders, Iron Fist, Invaders and Warlock. At DC, he developed All-Star Squadron, Infinity Inc. and related titles, proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America. Thomas later became editor of Alter Ego, a magazine devoted to comic-book history, and co-scripted the sword-and-sorcery films Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer.As both writer and artist, Archie Goodwin (d. 1998) got his start in comic strips and cartoons before moving to Warren Publishing's Vampirella - and from there to Marvel, where he eventually succeeded Gerry Conway as editor in chief. He has been credited with saving Marvel from financial ruin, with Roy Thomas, by securing adaptation rights to the legendary Star Wars franchise, perceiving its potential long before later merchandisers. He also wrote comic-book adaptations of Alien, Blade Runner and other hit films. He created both Marvel's Graphic Novel line and its Epic Comics imprint - where, as editor, he occasionally appeared in caricature as alien, elf or other. He also edited early English translations of the Akira series and the works of Moebius. At DC Comics, he guided the destinies of Batman and Starman; one of his most memorable bodies of work was his collaboration with Walter Simonson on the "Manhunter" backup feature in Detective Comics, which won five Shazam Awards.Guaranteed immortality for introducing Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider, Gary Friedrich also played a pivotal role in Marvel's 1970s Western and war comics, penning memorable tales of Sgt. Fury and launching the Marine series Captain Savage. In addition, Friedrich wrote issues of Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, X-Men and more. With Steve Ditko, he co-created Charlton's Blue Beetle, now a DC character. With Len Brown, he has written a series of books on popular music.Arnold Drake (1924-2007) helped shape the Silver Age both at Marvel with Captain Marvel and X-Men; and at DC with Batman, Doom Patrol and "Stanley and His Monster." His media tie-in work ranged from Star Trek to Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis. He wrote, produced and directed the 1964 horror film The Flesh Eaters, and wrote lyrics for several musicals. He won 1967 Alley Awards for Best Full-Length Story and Best New Strip (both for Deadman in Strange Adventures), as well as the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comics Writing.The unique, shadowy style of Gene Colan (1926-2011) most memorably appeared in long stints on Captain America and Daredevil, and all 70 issues of Tomb of Dracula - among the dozens of other Marvel titles he has drawn. His DC work on Detective Comics and Night Force is equally well remembered. During the Golden Age, he drew multiple war stories for Marvel and DC alike. Colan has earned several Eagle Awards and had professional art showings in New York City. His work on Ed Brubaker's Captain America at the age of 82 drew well-deserved raves.An unparalleled talent, Bill Everett created Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, comics' original anti-hero, whose ongoing adventures set the bar for sophisticated comic-book serials. Equally as skilled at illustrating horror and war comics, Everett continued as one of Timely's top artists until 1957. Once the Marvel Age kicked off, Stan Lee brought Everett back into the fold to co-create Daredevil and return once more to his signature creation, the Sub-Mariner.John Buscema (1927-2002) literally wrote the book on being a Marvel artist - namely, How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way - and few were better qualified. His career dated back to the Timely/Atlas era of the late '40s and early '50s. Soon after beginning the Marvel Age of Comics, Stan Lee recruited Buscema from the advertising field to the Marvel Bullpen. Buscema followed a long run on Avengers with the long-anticipated first Silver Surfer series. He subsequently succeeded Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four, Thor and other titles. By the time of his retirement in 1996, Buscema had penciled nearly every Marvel title - including his personal favorite, Conan the Barbarian.During the 1960s, when males dominated the industry, Marie Severin earned the respect of her peers with her seemingly limitless talents in every facet of comic-book production - from penciling to inking to lettering to coloring. Her earliest recorded work was for EC Comics in 1949, and she went on to contribute coloring across the famous publisher's line before moving to Marvel's predecessor Atlas Comics. In the Silver Age of comics, Severin made her mark in the Bullpen, drawing the adventures of Doctor Strange and becoming the company's head colorist before going on to concentrate on penciling. Her extensive contribution to Marvel across a wide array of titles includes providing the original design for Spider-Woman. Severin was inducted into the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame in 2001.Dan Adkins (1937-2013) worked on comic books and science-fiction magazines from an early age; as the Silver Age of comics dawned, he joined the Wally Wood Studio as Wood's assistant, their collaborations including stories in such titles as Creepy and Eerie. Adkins arrived at Marvel in 1967 and worked primarily as an inker on an array of titles, including an extensive run on Conan the Barbarian. He also penciled the adventures of Doctor Strange, Ka-Zar and others. Also famed for his cover paintings, Adkins was inducted into the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame in the Inkwell Awards of 2019.Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York's Lower East Side, Jack Kirby came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Beginning his career during the rising tide of Nazism, Kirby and fellow artist Joe Simon created the patriotic hero Captain America. Cap's exploits on the comic book page entertained millions of American readers at home and inspired U.S. troops fighting the enemy abroad. When World War II ended, the public's interest in super heroes waned; Kirby turned his artistic talents during the 1950s to other genres, such as monsters, Westerns and crime - as well as the first-of-its-kind Young Romance Comics. In 1961, Kirby returned to super heroes to illustrate what would become the defining issue in Marvel Comics history: Fantastic Four #1. Written by Stan Lee, the team's debut revolutionized the industry overnight. In contrast to the staid artwork of his predecessors, Kirby's illustrations seemed to leap off the page with eye-popping action and drama. For the next decade, Kirby and Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters - including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer and the X-Men. Taken together, Kirby's groundbreaking work with Lee formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe. In the early 1970s, Kirby moved to DC Comics, where his boundless creativity continued. He returned to Marvel in 1975, writing and illustrating Captain America and introducing his final major concept, the Eternals. With the explosion of TV animation during the 1980s, Kirby's talents turned to the small screen. Comic fans quickly recognized his work on such series as Thundarr the Barbarian and Turbo Teen. Kirby died in 1994, but his influence on the comic book industry is as strong as ever. His work has inspired a generation of professional artists and modern writers who continue to explore his vast universe of concepts and characters.The industry lost an icon with the passing of Tom Sutton (1937-2002), best remembered as the original artist of the cult-classic icon Vampirella. Having begun his career with the comic strip Johnny Craig and contributions to underground comics, Sutton worked in multiple genres at Marvel - including Western (Kid Colt Outlaw, Rawhide Kid), humor (Arrgh, Crazy, Not Brand Ecch), super heroes (Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider), and the licensed Planet of the Apes titles. During a run on Amazing Adventures, he and writer Steve Englehart revamped the X-Men's Beast into his better-known furry form. Moving to DC Comics, he penciled nearly every issue of the 1984-1988 series Star Trek and, with J.M. DeMatteis, co-created "I, Vampire" for House of Mystery before returning to Marvel to pencil a Man-Thing serial in Marvel Comics Presents. Sutton's additional body of work includes art for Charlton Comics, Eros Comics, First Comics and Skywald Publications.In 1976, Ross Andru (1927-1993) made comic-book history by penciling the first large-scale intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, having spent years illustrating both characters in various titles. He also made Marvel history in Marvel Feature, drawing the Defenders' first appearance. At DC, he spent nine years collaborating with Bob Kanigher on Wonder Woman. With Marv Wolfman and Mike Esposito, he co-created Vigilante (Adrian Chase).