I remember this as being the first solo Namor story I ever read, in the 1979 reprint “Tales to Astonish” volume 2, #s 2 and 3. I remember being really impressed by the art and for some reason really loving Triton and Plant-Man.
I was nine years old.
Let’s face it, Triton can’t possibly be anyone’s favorite Inhuman. Yet he was my third-favorite* for years based solely on this story, where he and Namor are literally handcuffed to each other and in which he proves himself to be totally useless.
And Sub Mariner beats up a cactus.
After that he beats up a giant seaweed monster. And best of all, this story has almost nothing to do with Atlantean politics, which I personally find pretty tiresome.
Graded B+. It’s really probably a B-, but I have strong sentimentality here. Still, it’s overall a really solid solo Subby story—and those are few and far between.
*Fine print: Yes, I said Triton was my third-favorite Inhuman. My second favorite was, of course, Lockjaw. And my first? Karnak. Who never got his due until the 2010s in a way-too-short series by Warren Ellis.
This is one of the top 10 John Buscema comics of all time.