As a story, this wasn’t bad.  Alan Davis drawing the X-Verse is always a treat and this is no exception.  Likewise Matt Fraction does a good job with characterization, especially with Namor being an imperious wreck (can’t ask for help, can’t stop what’s happening).  I do also really like his character boxes. “Pixie- a teleporting…pixie”; those are a great touch that he’s brought to his X-books.  However, I do have some complaints with this issue.

First, it felt very slight.  We get the intro, we see some stuff happen, there’s some dialogue, a 5-minute fight, and then we get the end.  I would much rather have had some more meat and substance to this than a reprint of Fraction’s first published Marvel work, especially at the $3.99 cover price. 

Second, this really should have been called “Namor: The List” as the X-Men are only involved to help him.  They are not a target in this initially; Norman is gunning for the Sub-Mariner in a personal way, despite the intro text saying he wants revenge on both him and Emma.  So, in that regard I think the story was a short-change.  However, if the ending means what I think it means and isn’t just a cutesy one-liner, this would be a big game-changer for the new X Island.

Finally, there is very little done with the origin of the monster of the piece, and considering what it is and the relationship it has with Namor, there could have been some real character development here.  Without spoiling, all I will say is that it’s a wasted opportunity, unfortunately.

This was the first “The List” book that I’ve read, and if this is indicative of the others, I would recommend getting this in a trade collection.  It’s not a bad story, but it’s a bad single issue.  Folded in with the others, though, it would make a decent chapter in a trade.