Nova v3: Nova Corpse TPB

Much to my surprise, I’m still enjoying the most recent take on Nova. Gerry Duggan isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but through a clever use of guest stars, decent villains, and snappy dialogue, the current Nova series is moving along nicely.

This trade focuses on Sam Alexander’s first extended space-mission as he travels the galaxy searching for other Novas. The problem is every one he finds is dead. Duggan has a nice, if obvious twist near the start of the arc, but it is a good way to bring in guest star Beta Ray Bill. Bill isn’t exactly an A-level star these days, but his presence still lends a sense of legitimacy to Sam in the suit.

The two of them are hunting down a cosmic slaver/weapons thief, so naturally the chase leads the two protagonists to Knowhere. I was pleased to see one of my favorite DnA-era Guardians show up. This character’s acceptance of Sam again adds legitimacy and permanence to Sam’s role as Nova. I won’t lie, I’m still desperate for Richard Rider to come back, but Sam is at the least tolerable.

One of the high points of the series is Duggan’s take on Sam’s youthful voice. Sam is irreverent, frequently overwhelmed, and wholly likable. This comic is one of my daughters’ favorites; I’ve said in the past how they call Sam “their Nova.” Well filling his word bubbles with amusing and self-depreciating comments only adds to their affection.

My favorite villains of the storyline are the dark space knights. Under the pencils of Paco Medina and David Baldeon, they truly look like evil ROMs. I’m not the biggest fan of Medina’s pencils, but he does put a great sense of energy in every page. I’ve always enjoyed Baldeon’s work, especially on teenaged characters. His Sam looks good, of course; I’m more impressed at how powerful and cool Beta Ray Bill looks.

This isn’t my favorite comic, but it is GOOD for what it is; a new-reader accessible character enjoying all-ages adventures in the cosmic Marvel U. (Now just bring back Richard Rider!)

New Warriors (2014) #1 & 2

This is a book where I really needed two issues to see where Chris Yost was going. After all, any book that features cow-person Bova (the adopted parent of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch) getting blasted and possibly killed, that’s a pretty shocking book. Two issues in, and it sure looks like Yost has killed off the Knights of Wundagore, although maybe they are just lying around knocked out in pools of their own blood. There is also a scene where a horde of Lemurian bodies wash up on the beach, so this is a book with a lot of casual death and destruction amongst the non-human races of the Marvel U.

The team takes its time getting together, with the focus spreading to the dispersed line up as they encounter the (SPOILER) High Evolutionary’s underlings.

Justice and Speedball are hanging around with the Salem Seven; it’s amusing seeing them interact with these evil-seeming characters, but in a new series that already introduces new characters, that seems like an awful lot of faces to try to keep straight. I know I already forgot everyone on that team. The two original Warriors are here for old timers like me who miss the earlier incarnations of the team. It doesn’t hurt that Speedball is back to goofing off and acting like the character I loved back in the ‘90s. It’s odd; in the early days, I loved the super-serious Justice. Now I find him a bit of a wet blanket.

Scarlet Spider and Hummingbird are Yost’s characters from his last title, so he seems very familiar with both. I read this comic with my daughters, and they really like Scarlet Spider’s bad attitude (but willingness to do the right thing). These anti-hero types keep coming up because they work so well, we all want the tough guy hero who seems like he’s too cool to help, but does it anyway. I’m less familiar with Hummingbird; she’s got a good look but I’m a little fuzzy on her exact power set. It is nice having Scarlet Spider’s external conscience actually be likable.

Then there are a few new characters, to fill out different groups in the Marvel U. The new Nova hasn’t done much besides get some villain monologues from the Evolutionary. The Inhuman Haechi and the Lemurian Water Snake have barely had any panel time, so I’ve got no opinion on them. I do like the cheerful Sun Girl. She’s got a classic name, a great retro-style costume complete with ridiculous jet pack. I appreciate the diversity of these new characters too. My daughters are already big fans of Sun Girl.

Yost’s villain henchmen are the weird cavemen purifiers from the X-Men series a few years ago. I read and enjoyed that story, but I can’t remember too much about them. They seem pretty powerful for sub-baddies, though. And I must confess I hope that the Evolutionary returns to his “neutral” alignment soon; I don’t’ like him as a straight up bad guy.

Marcus To’s art is bright, clear, and cartoony. The characters all skew young, but for this title, that is absolutely fine. His action is clear and exciting, and when an artist can get a cow-woman’s face to induce pity in the reader, you know the acting on the page is well done too. I can’t help but imagine what To could do with Richard Rider’s Nova costume though… or Namorita. I do love my classic New Warriors.

This is a GOOD comic. While it is a tad violent for my 6 and 9 year old daughters, with a few “they’re just sleeping” comments, it is a fun read for them too. 

Nova v1: Origin HC

Wow. Was I wrong about this comic!

I’m a huge Richard Rider fan, so this book was not going to be my speed, no matter what. Heck, I love Ed McGuinness’ artwork, but I knew that this wasn’t going to be a comic I could get behind, because I want more from Rich, not some new kid Sam Alexander.

Then I heard from some guys at my comic store that this was a pretty kid-friendly comic, so I decided to read it with my almost 9-year-old and my 6 six-year old daughters. Oh my lord, did they love it. They even requested to read new issues of Nova over new issues of Adventure Time, so you know they loved it.

The art is fantastic, as you’d expect. This thing looks like a cartoon come to life. And it functions as a great intro to cosmic Marvel, with Gamorra and Rocket Raccoon both showing up multiple times. I also like the way Jeph Loeb uses the Watcher. That guy is totally interfering now, he barely even hides it!

The villains are the Chitauri, the alien race from the Avengers film. McGuinness does a nice job keeping both the aliens and their “whale ships” looking on-model. That was another plus for my daughters; they felt they knew the villains already.

Loeb does a masterful job mixing in “normal” kid problems like school, parents, and siblings. Sam is a really well fleshed out character. Both of my girls are extremely taken with him. And that hopeful close to the book? Perfect. That’s what comics should be delivering.

And now my daughters are calling Sam “their Nova” and Rich is now “Dad’s Nova.” Oh my goodness, when did I get on the wrong side of history. (And Loeb, not even a shout out to old Richard Rider? C’mon now!)

This Nova for the next generation is GOOD!

Marvel Now Point One

This book is chock-full of intros, and it is actually a pretty solid value. If you want a chance to preview a lot of the 2nd-tier Marvel NOW books, you can’t do better than seeing the creative teams try to sell you on the ideas and concepts with a few pages.

Nick Fury and SHIELD: I’m intrigued by Nick Spencer and Luke Ross’ take. Ross has always been a solid artist, but this work is really impressive. It almost has a European flair to it; maybe it’s the inking, but with this creative team and the solid roster I’ve heard about, I may actually sample this book! Spencer hasn’t impressed me so far, but I think this preview has convinced me to try Secret Avengers #1.

Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy by Bendis and Steve McNiven has a long way to go. I LOVED DnA’s take on the Guardians, so I don’t see how I’m going to get over my annoyance at the restart to the series without them. I admit, this book is pretty, and putting Iron Man on the team is interesting. But I’m just not sure I can shell out $3.99 for a book that will make me wonder “what if my fave writers were still doing this?” every month. This is probably a library read for me.

Nova by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness has a similar issue. Again, I adored DnA’s take, and Richard Rider has been a favorite of mine for years. So I’m pretty certain I’m not the target audience for this book. Putting in Diamondhead as a nod to Rider’s past is a good move, but this Sam Alexander kid is just so young. This is the kind of book that makes me think “wow, I’ve been reading comics too long and I need to leave this for my kids!” And maybe that’s the trick. If this is $2.99 and my daughters want to see more of this kid, I may buy it for them.

Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie have a new take on the YA where they are 18. That still makes me feel old, but man, this art can make me forget a lot of things. I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up this series or not, but wow, the book is going to be gorgeous. And using Miss America Chavez is brilliant too. She’s got a great look and belongs in the spotlight like this.

Ant-Man and the FF by Matt Fraction and Mike Allred is an easy sale. Allred’s art would make me pick this up alone, and with the line-up Fraction has put together, I was never going to pass this up. She-Hulk, Medusa, and Scott Lang? Done. Let’s just hope this is sane Fraction. He can go off the rails sometimes!

Forge and Uncanny X-Force by Dennis Hopeless and Gabriel Hernandez Walta is a near miss for me. I like Forge, I like Cable, and I’m intrigued by the high concept. But I’m not a big fan of Walta’s art. The tech looks good, but the characters do not look on-model enough for me. I would never in a million years have guessed that was Forge without the dialogue. With Salvador LaRocca on art, I think I’ll give issue 1 a chance.

Grade: Varied from Good to Average

Marvel Point One

Whew, it's a good thing the page count is so high for this thing. $5.99 is ridiculously expensive for one comic. Fortunately, there is a lot of content here, and the idea of a sampler of Marvels' upcoming big stories is a nice idea. I don't think it is always leading me to pick things up though.

The lead story is pretty interesting, with two folks in space-suits sneaking into the Watcher's lair and rifling through his most recent events. The Watcher's ability to see alternate reality and times makes this review a bit confusing, but it holds together nicely as a framing sequence for a preview book.

That's not Richard Rider Nova in the opening story, right? It seems like a preview for Jeph Loeb's upcoming Cable vs. the Avengers series. I sure hope isn't for a Nova book, because if that is Rider, he seems a lot younger and less competent than he was when we last saw him. (And no way is Terrax going to stay dead.)

Scarlet Spider looks like it could be interesting, but I'm totally puzzled why Marvel would set up Kaine as the new Scarlet rather than the far more popular (and less scarred) Ben Reilly. The book looks like it has potential, but I probably won't be picking it up right off the bat.

Coldmoon and Dragonfire (dang, another lost name I can't use in my writing!) have potential, but those costumes aren't going to do it for me. There is always room for another evil corporation in the Marvel U.

I'm intrigued by a group of humans fighting off the mutants that hate and fear them, which seems to be the concept that we'll see in the upcoming Age of Apocalypse series. I think Donald Pierce as an even remotely good guy is ridiculous, but it sure seems like they are supposed to be the protagonists. Weird, but could be fun.

Matt Fraction is going to write one hell of a Dr. Strange in the new Defenders book. This oughtta be good.

I have a bit of a hard time figuring out exactly what's going on in those Ultron vs. the world pages from Bryan Hitch. Ultron's already won? Most of the heroes are dead? I guess that story is some sort of future deal? Isn't it a bit early to go back to an alternate future well after Avengers 1-6?

In summary, this is a decent glimpse at the Marvel U with solid art and a story that won't win any awards, but is a decent promo. I'm a bit surprised that not even one of the stories grabbed me enough that I MUST get out there and purchase the series being promoted.

I guess I need to wait for the preview book featuring Daredevil, Black Panther, Secret Avengers, Villains for Hire, and Avengers Academy.

Average

Secret Avengers: Mission to Mars TPB

Explain to me why the "covert" team of Avengers is going on the most classic-style adventure of any of the Avengers titles? Using the classic Marvel serpent crown? It's a secret team yet it stars a bulkier Iron Man, Lady Thor, and a blue furry cat-man. Am I the crazy one here?

Don't get me wrong, these aren't complaints. I'm thrilled that Ed Brubaker put together this well-rounded team of heroes and set them off after the storied serpent crown. I would have loved for Nova to have a bigger role on the team; as it is, he botches one mission then jets back off for the Thanos Imperative. It's too bad, Richard Ryder would be a good fit on the Avengers, I just think Brubaker probably didn't need all that firepower. Brubaker has his big guns covered with Valkyrie (Mike Deodato likes her big guns too. War Machine brings a lot of muscle too, although I'm not a huge fan of "angry" War Machine, even though that's how Jim Rhodes was portrayed in his most recent series.

The more espionage-y members fill out the roster nicely. Ant-Man is the new Hawkeye, trying to prove his worth while still retaining his silliness. Black Widow is Steve Rogers' right-hand gal in the field, while Sharon Carter fills that role at home. Moon Knight is crazy, but there isn't really time for his madness to manifest in these pages, he does a good job of staying on task and doing his job. I loved how Mike Deodato took Moonie's cowl off on the space-suit version of the costume.

Deodato's art is always dynamic and fun, the guy draws great explosions. He also gets to draw some titanic chests on Valkyrie, Sharon Carter, and Black Widow. Seriously, I think Val might be able to open doors from a few feet away. At least all three get to kick a lot of butt, so they aren't just pin-ups in the book. I also loved Deodato's space-costumes for the team. Steve Rogers, Moon Knight, and Black Widow were especially cool.

This feels more like "classic" Avengers than most anything published recently. A good trade for those who miss the madness of 1980's Marvel.

Good

The Thanos Imperative HC

Wow, DnA know how to rock the world of Marvel cosmic. This epic is the swan song for the cancelled Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova. I love that DnA end the series pretty dramatically for the stars of those two books. I don't believe the permanence of their status for a moment, but it's a great idea to take these guys off the table for a bit. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

With such a huge cast, and with Thanos justifiably taking up so many panels, a lot of the cosmic cast gets relegated to the background. Poor Jack Flagg and the Inhumans barely appear. Major Victory is a walking plot dump. But Rocket Raccoon, Drax, and Mantis all make out pretty nicely, even with fierce competition for page.

I never would have guessed that my childhood fave Quasar would be so important or powerful, but I'm not complaining. That big-budget, slo-mo shot where the Annihilators form up? Simply awesome. I love seeing Quaze and Ronan the Accuser in such fine company.

The story is truly epic, and I think it works best when the stakes are highest. The enormous battle at the Fault rift is well done, with Galactus and other cosmic entities trying to hold back the seeping life of the overgrown universe. I love the sequences back in the other universe too, with Star-Lord and Thanos teaming up with the robotic resistance there. I'm not sure the Revengers totally work as bad guys, I never bought into them as being too scary. While I love the idea of that character leading the forces of life, he isn't disfigured or frightening enough considering he's supposed to be tied to Lovecraftian elder gods.

The art in the prologue is the strongest. Brad Walker owns the Guardians, and his work is stellar. Miguel Sepulveda does a decent job with the rest of the material, but Walker is a hard act to follow.

Good

Marvel Super-Heroes #4

So I'm trying to find comics appropriate for my eight-year old nephews, but at the same time, I need the comics to be good enough to get them hooked on comics. I remember reading Uncanny X-Men and Marvel Age at eight, that hooked me for life. So what comics are out there now to do the same for my nephews?

My first try is Marve Super-Heroes #4. And actually, it is a really good choice. It's got recognizable characters in Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and even Black Widow. There are those mysterious new folks (to a first time reader) like Nova and Vision. There is a great guest-star in Kraven the Hunter, who is funny, unique, and most importantly, feels established. And best of all, Deadpool. Deadpool goes unnamed through the whole issue, although I'm not sure why. They call him Wade Wilson and other stuff, but maybe you can't say "Dead" in an all-ages book?

There is the start of a sub-plot with Namor, the Blonde Phantom, and Invisible Woman. All good for creating that "look how big and expansive comics are" feeling. There are plenty of strings here for my nephews to start tugging on as they explore comics.

Paul Tobin has this book set up nicely. It's got a Marvel feel and yet kids can still enjoy it.

Ronan Cliquet's pencils are sharp, the colors are bright, and the characters look on-model. This is about as good as I can hope for in hooking my nephews.

Good

Secret Avengers #1

Wow, this really was a fantastic blend of Ed Brubaker's signature gritty action and the Avengers. I never thought the mix would work out this well, but I loved this comic.

The book opens with Valkrie and Black Widow undercover, acquiring an artifact from a Roxxon executive (bonus for even using Roxxon, one of the best evil corporations out there!) They nab the object, with Steve Rogers' help, and it turns out to be a variant of the Serpent Crown. So in the opening few pages we've got undercover work, punching, and the return of an old Avengers plot-device. Fantastic! The story goes on to show that Roxxon had been digging on Mars and that's probably where they discovered the crown. After losing contact with team-member Nova, Cap rallies the troops and they head off to recover the Human Rocket.

I loved the character interaction in this title. Black Widow and Valkrie are both tough gals, but in totally different ways. Rhodey/War Machine feels like a techie, a hero, and a pilot all at the same time. I love the idea of Moon Knight trying the Avengers thing again, hoping it can help him clean up his act. And pairing him with Ant-Man is genius. Ant-Man also needs redemption, and we've seen how Ant-Man tends to latch onto authority type mentors when he gets to the big dance (he was constantly puppy-dogging Paladin in Thunderbolts). Nova makes sense for this mission on Mars, and I do hope that he gets to stick around. From Rogers' dialogue, it seems the roster may be shifting around a bit.

I will say there are a LOT of time jumps in this book. I kept it straight, but I sure wouldn't mind a bit more linear of a story next time. I also have no idea what is up with Fury in that suit. Is that something from Secret Warriors?

Mike Deodato's art is fantastic. The backgrounds are a bit iffy, but I love the designs for Cap, Beast, and especially Ant-Man. The cover for next issue promises some great space-suit designs coming up too. This is a hell of a comic.

Excellent

Nova #36

Damn, I'm going to miss this title. Clearly the book is being cancelled because we get the fake optimistic "Never the end!" closing (but no next issue box). I wonder if Marvel cosmic is being reduced to a series of mini-series? I can handle that as long as they are constant. I'm just surprised the cosmic corner would get reduced from two ongoings and three mini's into just one mini. Maybe sales were worse than I thought...

But DnA are taking us out in style. The book combines a ton of the best elements they've established for Nova. We see the new Worldmind, the updated Nova Corps, Project Pegasus, Namorita, Darkhawk, and Quasar. Seriously, the legacy these guys have create for Marvel is downright inspiring (at least to a nerd like me). Nova is back in town to help deal with the Fault, the rift in space time that is spilling over into the Marvel U. I don't want to spoil the great set up, but the eventual combat of Nova and Darkhawk taking on a horrific Lovecraftian monster is just awesome. I do wonder if there will be repercussions to Darkhawk's injury though, you don't face down a Lovecraftian Old One and walk away unaffected. Hell, any comic that has a monster crawling through a "Horrorscope" from another dimension? That's my kind of comic!

Andrea DiVito's art is great, and I'm going to miss his take on the Nova centurion armor. He draws a cool, clean-cut Quasar too. For such a clean style he really does a good job with the creepy crawlies too. Evil Quasar's face horns are gross, the creature in the portal is scary, and the little mind-controlling creatures are quite creepy.

Excellent

Nova #35

DnA can't resist bringing back old faves. This was an entertaining little arc, and to be honest, we really needed to see souped-up Nova face down the Sphinx. But c'mon, don't you think a big part of this was to bring back a certain love interest for the human rocket?

One of my favorite parts about this issue was how quickly the "evil" team just joined up with Nova and the "good" team to battle the mega-powered Sphinx. I love 70's bad Basilisk, so seeing him (even briefly) was awesome. I mean, the guy's real name is Basil Elks. What else was he gonna do? Moonstone and Bloodstone got to stick around a bit longer, and I really liked how realistic Bloodstone was about his chances to impact the battle with his "modified shotgun shells." Heh. Nova got a nice moment to shine too, not only did he stand up to a god, but he took the Sphinx down hard, too. He's got to be pretty pleased with himself at this point. Plus, he rescued one of his best pals too. Is it too much to hope for that Nova and this lady will meet up with the Agents of Atlas soon?

Mahmud Asrar's art is just plain fun. Moonstone and Namorita looked cute and heroic, Man-Wolf looked awesome (but how can he not?) and of course, Nova now looks like a prototype hero. I really dug the perspective shots when tiny Nova was taking on gigantic Sphinx. I'm partial to giant-fights, so this was kind of a shoe-in for me.

Good

Nova #34

This is still the least-interesting of the Realm of Kings tie-ins, but it is still fun. I'm a sucker for the whole team of champions face-off one by one thing, so I naturally dug this issue. The matchups are interesting too, with Nova vs. Moonstone being a closer match than I figured. Mr. Fantastic should have mopped the floor with Bloodstone, but I actually think Man-Wolf should have held up better against Namorita. The battle of the Darkhawks was fun, and I do like how Chris Powell still sounds so whiny even though he's gotten so powerful. Basilisk was really powerful back in those old Marvel Team-Ups, so I can see him beating Black Bolt, just not that easily. There is going to be some sort of payoff to BB seeing his own grave, I'm sure of it.

I suppose it is too much to hope for that DnA keep Namorita around after this story. Her place in the Marvel U has been usurped pretty handily by Namora, and at this point I'm not sure Namorita is really necessary. I'm still bummed though. She's fun and she interacts well with her old teammates in this short appearance.

Mahmud Asrar has a clean style that works well for this title. His art looks very close to Andrea DeVito's so there is no drastic change in storytelling, and his art is so bright that all these 70's characters looks awesome.

Good

Best of the 2000's #7: Annihilation/Guardians of the Galaxy/Nova by DnA and various

#7: Annihilation/Guardians of the Galaxy/Nova by DNA & various

Most of the series I'm talking about here have ended, but we're lucky that some of the best series of the 2000's are still going. DnA are still knocking it out of the park every month in Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, and Realm of Kings. Really, I've enjoyed all of the core Annihilation series, with some of the spin-offs holding up quite well. Star-Lord in particular was a fun ride from start to finish.

What is so wonderful about the modern era of Marvel cosmic is how well connected everything is. DnA can juggle the titles in such a way that the connections only matter if you are reading every book. Each title stands on its own as well. Every little bit of plot has a payoff. Every guest-star has a tie to something important. DnA love their history, and great, lost characters are dusted off and put back in play all the time. Project Pegasus, Quasar, Death's Head, Dr. Necker, Maelstrom, Darkhawk, the list goes on and on. The way DnA have turned Nova into such a main-eventer has been wonderful too, the guy was an Earthling scrub for so long, it wasn't easy to turn him into the universe's equivalent of Superman. These are the best comics you're not reading.

The art has been almost all great, and regular artists Andrea DeVito and Brad Walker have a wonderful blend of modern grit and classic brightness that make this feel jus right. These are your favorite heroes from your youth set into difficult modern circumstances.

Excellent

Nova #38

This is only tangentially a Realm of Kings tie-in, since Darkhawk and Nova were blasted out of the Rift last issue. It seems they were rescued by old Nova villain the Sphinx, who is assembling and eclectic crew on an odd-shaped planet. He's out to do something; I'm just unclear on what. I liked Reed Richards and Nova discussing Sphinx with names like Kang and Immortus, it certainly makes the Sphinx seem like a more intimidating baddie. There's not a lot of violence this issue, the combat is mainly Darkhawk and Nova vs. some fairly generic sand beings. After the high-octane horror of some of the other Realm books, this one seems positively subdued.

DnA have pulled characters from different points in history, so we get a younger Reed Richards, a still-living Black Bolt, and at the end, the cliffhanger!!! I'd love to see this gal brought back in a permanent way, and I think there might be a chance here. DnA seem to respect secondary characters, so I'd say at least she's got a chance.

Andrea DeVito's pencils look great, as usual, but the colors are so bright they seem a bit out of place in a gritty space book. Maybe I'm just not used to seeing Nova operating in daylight, but the colors were really popping off the page.

Good

Realm of Kings #1

DnA can do no wrong with me. Their little corner of the Marvel U has become my favorite thing in comics, and it is not hard to see why. There is an initial meeting of the main movers involving Quasar, Nova, the Guardians, and Project Pegasus. These are the coolest parts of the Marvel U and they're all involved in the same story! The entire group is concerned with the Fault, the rip in space/time created during the War of Kings.

Quasar is confident that his energy form should keep him safe, so he volunteers to do a deep dive into the Fault and see what is on the other side. His energy form lasts for just a few seconds, as he pops out the other side of the Fault on a horrific alternate Earth. This world is populated by an evil version of the Avengers that seem to be powered and possessed by demonic entities. To be specific, the whole universe that spawned that alternate Earth is a mass of evil, shapeless beings. Lovecraftian horror at its finest (I think the Avengers even mention Ftagh, which is a Lovecraft quote, I believe). I honestly had no inkling that DnA would use this Fault story to introduce the outer beings that would fit in nicely in a Hellboy comic. So the best cosmic books around are about to get an injection of non-Euclidian horror. Awesome. There are a ton of neat bits thrown in about possessed heroes, scientific beings resisting the supernatural, and the reduced cast of the Guardians. There is so much going on, this really is an important launch point for a whole section of Marvel's cosmology.

Mahmud Asrar handles the Marvel U portions of the issue, while Leonardo Manco draws the horrific alternate universe. The thematic shift in pencils works perfectly. Manco's pencils in particular sell the horror wonderfully. His take on a universe filled with a gigantic, shapeless, and malevolent being is horrific.

Good

Nova #29

DnA are still populating Marvel space with a ton of new characters along with re-imagined cast-offs, making for a fascinating read. This issue has Nova and a team of his Nova Corps trainees heading out to a derelict Nova Corps spacecraft. The ship drifted in from the Rift, the tear in space time created at the end of War of Kings. After setting the scene nicely with some good space horror elements, DnA turn things around by having a good guy jump Nova. The original centurion posted on the ship is still up and running and bringing down bad guys. After being banished to another universe 35 years ago, he's just been doing his job ever since. I had figured the guy would be a villain in Nova-gear, but it seems that the other guest-star, Monark Starstalker, actually knows this centurion to be a stick in the mud policeman. I love the idea that Richard Ryder is no longer the senior centurion in the corps. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this new character's arrival will affect the delicate relationships within the reforming Nova Corps.

And of course the big last page reveal of the Black Hole Suns just made me smile. You have to be a big nerd to get the reference, but having a group of "ultra-tough space miners turned villains" end up being Mindless Ones? That's just the joy of comics in action. Once again, highly recommended.

Kevin Sharpe is turning out to be a great fill-in artist for this book. I love Andrea De Vito's pencils on a normal basis, but Sharpe keeps things looking so consistent I'm fine with him too. This is a top-tier comic.

Good

War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1

Gladiator is a pimp. His mourning costume (all black) makes him look bad-ass, I'm so pleased he's getting such a big role in cosmic Marvel. There is little plot movement here, but there are some nice character scenes as the Inhumans arrive on the Shi'ar throneworld and eventually decide to place Gladiator in charge of the Empire. I loved the idea that the Imperial Guard wouldn't honor the Shi'ar surrender until Gladiator accepted the mantle of leadership. They know the toughest guy around. DnA plant some seeds for the upcoming Realm of Kings storyline. The neatest bits show that Gladiator's main advisor is in fact a disguised Talon, who will be working against the altruistic nature of the new Shi'ar praetor. Magus and the rift in space time will be a central location for both the Kree and Inhumans moving forward. It seems Crystal and Ronan the Accuser's relationship could continue to develop too, based on how Crystal reacts to Polaris' teasing.

I can't recommend cosmic Marvel highly enough. DnA's cohesive vision have made this entire branch of the Marvel U an integrated, intriguing place where anything can happen, yet the stories still retain a "classic" feel. These guys love classic characters and it shows in their handling of even side-characters like Maximus the Mad. (He's convinced he should be placed in charge of the Shi'ar. When the royal family is attacked, he comments "this never would have happened under my rule.")

Heck, the Imperial Guard and Gladiator are an "homage" to the Legion of Super-Heroes and Superboy, yet I'm digging the Marvel version more than DC these days.

Paul Pelletier's work is always so fun. Gladiator's black costume is strikingly cool. The Imperial Guard members look right, some dark, some shiny, he even gets their different textures right. I liked the mourning costumes for the Inhumans too, with Medusa's hanging facemask and Crystal's domino mask.

Good

War of Kings: Ascension #1-4

So this was basically an oddly-titled Darkhawk limited series. As a fan of the early 90s series, I really enjoyed it. Chris Powell and his armored alter-ego got a significant power up from DnA in this, and I'm excited to see where the character goes. I believe Darkhawk is slated to become a supporting character in Nova. That's a great spot for the hero going forward.

The basic plot is that a fraternity of plotters and assassins called the Raptors is returning after centuries of exile to shape and guide the Shi'ar Empire. The first Raptor to return, Talon, seeks out his malfunctioning companion Razor. It seems that Razor's host has taken over the armored body they share. Razor, of course, is Darkhawk. After tricking Chris Powell into letting Razor take over, Powell uses his human-powered anger to retake control of his powered form. The middle chapters deal heavily with the metaphysical, other-dimensional stuff of Powell seizing his identity back. The most interesting parts hit in the closing chapter when Powell has to flee Gladiator and the Starjammers. While Razor was in control, he did a bad thing. He killed Empress Lilandra of the Shi'ar. So there are some powerful people mad at ol' Darkhawk these days. Darkhawk does get to take out the manipulative Talon, but the story ends with Darkhawk kind of on the run, the most wanted man in Marvel space. Powell swears to hunt down the other Raptor gems and destroy them, setting up a pretty strong ongoing story that could send Darkhawk all over the Marvel U. DnA's effort to turn Darkhawk into a lead character worked for me.

Wellinton Alves does a decent job on pencils. The Starjammers have such odd costumes; I'd love to see him draw the more classic takes on the characters. The central Raptor characters all look cool and unique, a difficult feat with such similar armors.

Good

Nova #28

I'm pleased that DnA took the path they did in the newest issue of Nova. Last issue, the book ended with the cliffhanger that Strontian, Gladiator's cousin, had killed Nova's brother. It turns out that the younger Ryder actually survived his battle. It's odd, I'm glad DnA took that option, but at the same time, it definitely took a little of the drama out of the conflict. It is also nice to see the new status quo with the Nova Corps reforming. Having a regular group for Nova to bounce off of is essential, and casting him as the teaching veteran is a fun concept.

I'm kind of amused at how much I like Nova as a character. He's getting more and more confident, and using his head to solve more problems. He defuses a confrontation with "King" Blastaar this issue in a pretty neat way. I've realized that Nova is essentially a modern version of Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern in the late 90s. No wonder I like him so much.

Andrea DeVito is as consistent and entertaining as always. I really like how he's drawing the powers of the Nova centurions differently depending on their specialties.

Good

Nova #27

Things aren't looking good for Robbie Ryder. I'm really hoping that Rich can get to his brother before he dies, since that would really darken the feel of the Nova comic. I've said before that one of my favorite things about this comic is how "normal" Rich is when he's on Earth. I can't think of any other hero who called his Dad to get a ride to a secret base when he lost his powers. Setting the sibling rivalry between Rich and Robbie in the Nova Corps during the War of Kings has led to some neat development for Robbie, but I do think he bit off more than he could chew in taking on Strontian. Strontian is Gladiator's cousin and she's got all the immense power he does. If she did succeed in killing the junior Ryder, then I think Nova will be unloading some serious hurt on her next issue.

I also enjoyed the little confrontation Nova had with Blastaar. These two are former allies against the Phalanx and I believe the Annihilation Wave, but Blastaar is still a villain. Nova should know better than to trust any of these scumbags, but I suppose it made sense seeing how Blastaar reacted to Nova's surprise appearance. Seeing this aspect of the War of Kings is fun, I am still very curious to see how the Nova Corps survives the conflict.

Andrea De Vito is a great fit for the book. He's got the clean storytelling abilities I love and he draws great heroes and space-girls. Good stuff.

Good