A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Title: What If? (1977-1984) #21 (What If? (Publication Order) #21)
Author: Bill Mantlo, Gene Colan (Illustrator), I. Watanabe (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.9/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: June 13, 2020
Book Summary: Susan Storm, Queen of Atlantis? Long has Namor made his affections for the Invisible Girl known, much to the dismay of Reed Richards. But what if Namor and Sue’s tense flirtation became a marriage for the ages? As co-rulers of Atlantis, the power couple proves a force to be reckoned with!
Book Review: I have always loved the What If? storylines. They always seem to take a storyline and give it an alternate ending. Most of these alternatives have come from major Marvel storylines like the Dark Phoenix saga. This one is no different. In this issue, we find that Sue Storm has become the Queen of Atlantis through her marriage to Namor. She is about to give birth to their first child and she asks Namor to make peace with Reed and Johnny. Unfortunately, both men are still incredibly sore at the loss of Sue. Instead of embracing the invitation to visit the Atlantian realm, they choose to try to cause a war. Things escalate down to Atlantis where Reed learns that Sue has gone into labor.

I must admit this issue made me a fan of the pairing and I do have some other issues of the Fantastic Four where there teases of something between the two of them. In this issue, we find that Sue Storm feels compassion for Namor especially after Namor has been tricked. So, she decides to give him a chance and go with him to the underwater world of Atlantis. Myself, Namor and Sue Storm have chemistry together and it shows in the pages.

Unfortunately, these stories are meant to be mere glimpses into a world and really nothing more. They are reminders that storylines can go in any sort of direction depending upon the writers.

If you are a fan of the Fantastic Four, you should definitely look for this one to add to your collection.