Its a new era for Namor and Atlantis. After 86 years Namor is no longer a Royal because he has officially dissolved the Atlantean monarchy. In it's place a democratic system has been established governed by a group of seven elected leaders representing the seven seas. Atlantis itself is not in a permanent place but is now a mobile city that is constantly moving throughout the seven seas. They've also officially joined the U.N. and have a great relationship with the surface with Stingray working as liason.
Namor has once again exiled himself and is currently traveling the Secret Seas, a region that was always neglected by the Atlantean monarchy due to their unwillinglyness to fall in line with unfair laws from King Thakkor. He's the first and last king to visit the Secret Seas and is actively working to improve the environment and safety here in an attempt to atone for the past neglect.
My overall thoughts: I enjoyed this issue and the series overall. I like that Namor has broken the cycle of Atlantean monarchy neglect and abuse. He has finally realized that a lot of Atlantis' issues were his fault and is actively trying to repair the damage his family has caused for centuries.This seems like a new era for the character and I'm excited to see what's next.
Gripes: I have only one gripe with this issue and that's the confrontation with Neptune. I kind of wanted more, felt kind of rushed. It fell into the same trap a lot of modern Namor runs did and that's a time restraint. Namor runs typically run 8 to 12 issues sometimes plot threads are rushed to fit in the series. I felt the Neptune stuff could've used two more issues to flesh it out. It wasn't bad but i felt it could've been more.
My hopes for the future is them fleshing out the world under the waves. The Secret Seas is vast and has a lot of great opportunities for stories. I think this is the perfect way to reintroduce Tamara Rahn. Only time will tell but the future of Namor and Atlantis look bright. Hopefully Marvel doesn't drop the ball on this.