Writer: Alan Brennet

Art: Jerry Ordway and Espen Grundetjern

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 11th, 2020

Submariner: Marvels Snapshots #1 is a book that I had been low key looking forward to reading. Characters and styling from the Golden Age in a book written for a contemporary audience while Alan Brennet manages it with such amazing skill. This is a fucking powerful book. It opens up with PTSD depictions, in 1946, and moves on from there with Namor and the Ray clan.

The writing draws the reader in and throttles them with issues that would be confronting in a modern setting, let alone the goddamned ’40s. It’s something that’s still relevant too. And the artwork by Jerry Ordway beautifully replicates the stylings of period greats like Bob Kane and Leo Nowak, which truly makes it a treat.

Plus, the colors are completely from that period palette too. They’re rich but look a little sepia-toned as if to emulate reading an aged page, which highlights the skill of Espen Grundetjern.

But holy fuck this book shook me. That post-war economic boom, the fragile psyche of the Ray boys, the threat and the fear of the unknown and smack in the middle of it is Namor. It is definitely the Golden Age comic that the world of the late ’40s was not ready for, which makes it all the more important.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. Golden age snapshots in a one-shot story format are something highly appealing. And to top it all off, a beautiful Alex Ross cover encapsulates a story that’s profound, moving and most of all bloody entertaining. I can’t wait to see what other snapshots we will be seeing in the future from Marvel.