Nova #1
Marvel Comics
Written by: Jeff Loveness and Roman Perez
Art by: Ramon Perez
This is something I’ve wanted since I first really got into comics. My first year of reading I didn’t know where to start and found myself overwhelmed with heroes/options. One day I stumbled onto the 2007 series of Nova through a Comixology sale, instantly I was hooked. I bought all six volumes and everything I could find tying into them until I hit the Thanos Imperative or as I always saw it the end of Richard Rider. I tore through it all as fast as I could quickly becoming attached to the character or at the very least that version. During Original Sin Bendis did an arc that showed how the hero died and how Drax/Peter Quill escaped the Cancerverse. I was so excited to get a look at his end from a writer that at the time I loved. Unfortunately the story for me was a complete let down I won’t say anything else about it for fear of sounding like a dick. Anyways to make this long intro short I missed this character that pulled me into the world of comics, and it’s great to see him again. Alright. It’s been a while so let’s get into this.
Summary time I’ll be honest this issue follows a trend that I’ve seen a lot in comics lately. They’re well drawn, the dialogue is strong as ever, the characters feel real, but nothing really happens. In this issue Sam helps Ego the living planet, and embarrasses himself in front of the new girl. Richard talks with his mom, is sad, flies again, and SPOILER falls from the sky with a scary smoke trail behind him. Not much really happened which is kind of a bummer considering it’s $4 BUT the art, and interactions between characters are worth the price.
The creative team of Jeff Loveness (writing) and Ramón Pérez (writing/art) did a really solid job. With everything else I’ve said so far let that be clear I’m into this. They’re doing great and it’s only issue one. Pérez has these incredible visuals going throughout, with vibrant colors and details that I’m only seeing on my second go through. His facial expressions in this issue are wonderful but the best is his page of villains competing for the new girls affection. If that doesn’t make you smile I don’t know whats wrong with you. Loveness is someone who I’m completely unfamiliar with going in but I will say that he wrote the hell out this dialogue. It’s natural and flows smoothly throughout with is something a lot of writers can struggle with.
Overall this was worth reading and a fun beginning to a fresh start of Nova. I’m curious to find out what’s going on with Richard and I want to know if Sam will ever have luck with girls. To go back to what I was saying about nothing really happening. It’s a trend I’m seeing a lot of especially coming from Marvel and it’s not just with their twice a month books. Books come out after a month nothing happens it feels like the book drags a bit and worst of all what we do get has been done countless times. In Nova #1 not a ton happens but it was still fun, Sam panicking about girls alone made the issue worth it. I hope going forward though that the series picks up some speed and I have a feeling that it will.