Nova

• Title: Nova #17
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Gerry Duggan
• Artist: Paco Medina

Seeing how next month the comic will start tying into Marvel’s new summer event Original Sin, a crossover I have no interest in or plans on reading, this will probably be my last Nova comic for a few months. Although there’s not big super-threat, there’s quite a bit going on here as Nova struggles with his family’s financial troubles, still learning to use his super-powers to save those around him, and deal with his kid sister who puts on the Nova helmet for the first time (with disastrous results).

Continuing the comic’s common theme of a young hero still finding his footing, Nova #17 features more mixed success for Sam Alexander as neither his attempt to save his home with a giant radioactive chunk of gold nor preventing an oil tanker’s explosion have exactly the desired outcomes.

The comic ends on an ominous note teasing the death of The Watcher and Origin Sin which Nova will be playing a big role in. Burnt out on crossover events, I plan on checking back with same once the dust settles. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Nova #16
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Gerry Duggan
• Artist: David Baldeon

Wrapping up Sam‘s adventure in space and his team-up with Beta Ray Bill, Nova #16 pits the young hero against Skaarn who is now in control of a former Herald’s weapon imbued with the Power Cosmic.

I was actually surprised to see David Baldeon credited as the issue’s only artist as I thought stylistically the final chapter of the arc’s look varied quite a bit. Not that the art is bad, but on a first read through I would have guessed more than one artist was responsible. The final battle may have been a little anti-climactic given last issue’s push to super-size the threat of the villain who took advantage of Sam several issues ago, but Sam proves up to the challenge and earns the respect of both Bill and Cosmo (who I hope we haven’t seen the last of).

Emotionally the comic makes a big shift its final pages as Sam’s victory is space means nothing to the troubles awaiting him at home and a new problems for the young hero and his family to deal with beginning next month. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Nova #15
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Gerry Duggan
• Artist: Paco Medina

After getting Cosmo the medical care he needs, Nova turns his attention to taking out Skaarn’s soldiers now that their leader has used Knowhere‘s transporters to plan a heist of a super-powered weapon from the armored vaults of The Keep. Of course it takes the young hero a few tries before finding a way to neutralize the threat.

The use of the teleporter also allows Sam to return to Earth to check in at school, sleep through most of his classes, and even cause a bit of unintended mischief before returning to Knowhere. Despite Sam being separated from Beta Ray Bill in the last issue, Nova #15 returns the space-horse who eventually makes his way back to Knowehere (after defeating the soldiers Nova keeps teleporting his way).

Ending on a cliffhanger, the comic brings the two heroes back together to stop Skaarn who, despite lacking his henchmen, has managed to steal a weapon embued with the Power Cosmic which sets up next month’s big throwdown. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Nova #14
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Gerry Duggan
• Artist: Paco Medina

The Nova and Beta Ray Bill team-up continues as the pair save a spaceship while making their way to Knowhere where the slavers Bill has been hunting, and Nova was tricked into helping, are holed-up. Forced to separate (and bring the team-up to a premature end), Nova discovers a new ally in the former head of security of Knowhere and forgotten Guardian of the Galaxy – Cosmo!

I’m glad to see someone remember Cosmo actually exists (unlike the telepathic canine’s former partners), but I’m a little confused as to when the Guardians of the Galaxy’s secret base inside the head of a Celestial became Mos Eisley? Also, despite his unimpressive visage, Cosmo is actually not the easiest foe to defeat so I’m hoping next issue explains how he lost control of the secret station to a group that had to trick a Nova into fixing their ship’s engine.

Despite these issues, Nova #14 is a lot of fun and I’ll take any excuse to get Cosmo back into comics (even if I’d rather be seeing him in Guardians of the Galaxy). Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

• Title: Nova #13.NOW
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Gerry Duggan
• Artist: Paco Medina

Sam Alexander vs. the Space Horse! For a title which screams about its newness (given the lame .NOW tag) Nova #13.NOW is actually a throwback issue to a longtime staple of comics history. Two heroes meet under some form of misunderstanding leading to the pair to duke it out for a few panels before discovering their error and agreeing to team-up to take on the real threat.

Following on the events of last issue and Nova accidentally helping the wrong side in a conflict, Beta Ray Bill comes to Earth for answers. As a longtime fan of Bill I’m happy to see him, and the fight between Nova and and Walt Simonson‘s creation of a Space Horse dressed up as Thor with his own Asgardian hammer is fun to read (especially playing on the idea of Bill using his Hammer to hold Nova in place).

By the end of the issue the heroes are finally on the same page and next month we’ll see they can provide as much fun working together as fighting as the pair head off into space to find the ship of slave traders who tricked the young Nova into helping them. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]