What I really, really want to talk about is Fantagraphic’s latest edition of their Atlas Creator Collection. It is one of the most important archival projects happening in comics right now, even though many fans may not realize it. The line is designed to reintroduce the foundational creators of the 1940s–1950s Atlas era—
the company that eventually became Marvel—through creator‑focused, historically curated volumes.
Instead of reprinting books by character or genre, Fantagraphics is spotlighting the artists and writers themselves—the people who shaped the DNA of modern comics long before the Marvel Age. Each volume focuses on a single major Atlas creator: their style, evolution, and influence.
I am totally enjoying the latest release, The Atlas Creator Collection No. 3: Bill Everett Vol. 1: “One Head Too Many!” and Other Weird Horror Stories (And there’s a mouthful for you!). However, as much as I want to talk about the book (which I will later!), I’m not sure who I am blaming on Dr. Michael J. Vassallo’s Introduction!
Oh, don’t get me wrong! It’s a fantastic introduction! For newer fans, it lays out exactly why Everett is an important creator they should know more about. For Everett fans, not only the Introduction, but the whole collection is worth getting. As I said, it’s fantastic!
It was toward the end the introduction, and I quote, that got my attention: “In 1971, Everett defied the notion that “you can’t go home again,” and returned for the third time in his life to his seminal godchild Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. For one year, Everett produced a run of some of the most beautiful work of entire career, a run that ended only when his health took a final downturn.
And, it’s that run I want to talk about! Over time, certain creators have grown on, and one of them is Bill Everett. In recent years, I have kind of gone looking more at his work as a creator. It was only in the last few years that I finally read about Bronze Age Namor– who returned to a creator he had created over 30 years earlier.
Think about that! We all know creators who return to a character or series. Sometimes those returns are stellar —and, well, sometimes… not so stellar. And, have it be one of the highlights of their career, as in the case of Everett’s return to Namor.
His coming back to Sub‑Mariner in 1972 wasn’t just another creator returning to a book — it felt like a full‑circle moment more than three decades after he first unleashed Namor in 1939. For many fans, these issues read as if Everett were stepping back onto the stage for one last bow, bringing that unmistakable Golden Age grace with him. The lines are crisp, the mood is mythic, and there’s a quiet power in knowing this would be one of the final chapters in a career that helped build Marvel from the ground up.
Like anything, comic books, not even fans, are going to like the same things! Still, even fans who find the pacing old‑school tend to agree on one thing: this run matters. Everett’s return to Namor after thirty‑three years gives the character a sense of continuity almost no other Marvel hero has.
Everett’s return isn’t just a run — it’s a highlight reel moment in a long, influential career. And for readers who appreciate the history behind the characters they love, it still hits with real weight. His return to that 50th issue did pivot the character in a direction that seemed true of Namor, who, before Everett’s return, seemed a bit aimless and without direction.
While Everett stayed with the titles through issue 62, in some capacity, the last issue he wrote and drew was issue 57. Everett’s declining health ultimately forced him to step away from the book, bringing his return run to an early close. His last work on the comic was
issue 61 of the Sub-Mariner. He passed away during heart bypass surgery on February 27, 1973 — barely two weeks after issue #61 hit stands, closing the door on his return far sooner than anyone expected. Had his health been better, there’s no telling how long he would’ve stayed on the title.
Luckily, the whole series is on Marvel Unlimited, but you can also get the 2025 trade, Epic Collection: Namor, The Sub-Mariner #5. It pulls together one of the most interesting stretches of Namor’s Bronze Age run. It opens with Bill Everett’s big return in issue #50 — more than three decades after he first created the character — and you can feel that history in every panel. Everett’s comeback sits alongside the era’s major shifts: the debut of Namorita, a fiery clash with Sunfire, and the growing tension that pushes Atlantis and the surface world toward open war.
The collection also captures Namor at one of his most dramatic turning points, including the nerve‑gas incident that leaves him in a feral state and forces Reed Richards to design a new suit just to keep him alive. With Sub‑Mariner #50–72 and Marvel Spotlight #27 included, it is a fantastic look at not only Everett, Namor, but also how the Bronze Age was back then.
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