Nova #13 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Wellinton Alves (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks) and Guru eFX (colors)

I won’t lie, this was my first issue of Nova, and I’ve never Annihilation or Annihilation Conquest. I only picked this up because the Silver Surfer is supposed to play a big role in this arc. That said, I was quite impressed. The premise of the story is that Nova has to help evacuate the planet Orbucen which has been marked by Galactus for consumption. While on his quest, he runs into trouble in the form of a parasitic entity called Harrow, that possesses and controls the bodies of its hosts. While he is able to capture it, he runs into other problems which eventually bring him face to face with Galactus. I won’t spoil the ending, but it does indeed look as though the Silver Surfer will play a big part before this tale is over (though not the one you think!)

The story maintains its strength throughout and felt like a cross between an episode of Star Trek (I could swear there’s been a character like Harrow somewhere in Star Trek) and a summer disaster movie. As for Harrow’s character, I suspect that his presence on this world is more than mere coincidence. My theories: Either he is a dark secret of the aristocratic government, or he is somehow attached to Galactus so that he can feed upon hosts that are upon to be consumed. Whatever his story, I’m sure that he will escape and cause trouble at the most inopportune moment.

The art in this issue is spectacular, and helps to convey the epic scope of the story. I especially enjoyed the double splash page of Galactus. Wellington Alves also does a wonderful job of giving “human” facial expressions to non-human characters. Overall, an entertaining read. I’ll definitely be back next month to see where this goes. I recommend this to anyone interested in the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe, especially if they’re Silver Surfer fans. (Grade B+)

-M. Staples