Nova #14 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (Writers), Wellington Alves (Penciler), Scott Hanna (Inker), Guru eFX (Colors)

This is part two of the current Galactus/Silver Surfer arc. Nova has been trying to help evacuate the planet Orbucen. This planet is next in the serving line for Galactus at the cosmic smörgåsbord. Nova attempts to plead for a little extra time from the big fella but is intercepted by the Silver Surfer and, well, the rumble is on! It’s a whale of a good fight and clocking in at almost half the issue, it’s one of the longest battles I’ve encountered in any recent Marvel books I’ve read. Generally speaking, I feel that long fights in comics are good things! So huzzah!

When the battle concludes and a compromise reached, the rest of the issue focuses on Nova on the surface of the planet. We get a real cliffhanger of an ending with our hero stuck in quite a tight spot which almost seems impossible to get out of. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ll be tuning in again in thirty days for the answer.

As I’ve gotten back into Marvel Comics over the past year I’ve found that while I may not always like what they do with the old standbys (Spidey, FF, Thor and others), I do very much like what they’ve been doing with their “B list” characters. Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Nova are among my favorite Marvel reads at the moment and this particular issue may well be my favorite of this run.

A big reason for my enjoyment is the art of Wellington Alves. Not only is the Surfer versus Nova fight nice and long but it is extremely well done. His figural work is first rate, dynamic, and fluid. They move and twist in space in believable ways. Alves also mixes up long shots and closeups creating a good action flow that moves nicely from one panel to the next. He employs a variety of angular panels reminiscent of Gene Colan on Dr. Strange, while treating us to two impressive splash pages (not including the opening splash). Alves is a new artist for me and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Another feature of this series I really enjoy is the banter between Nova and the Worldmind. The Worldmind is dry and matter of fact in his statements leaving Richard Ryder to interpret the zingers tossed his way. This interplay is somewhat muted here as the tone of the book is rather serious – after all a world is dying, but it can be delightful and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it.

All told, a very enjoyable issue and I look forward to the conclusion of this arc. (Grade B+)

– Arthur Cooke