Marvel Now! Nova #1 & #2

This time I decided to do a double whammy and review the first two issues of the (relatively)  new Marvel Now! series... NOVA

I have never read a Nova comic before.  The only time I had ever had any dealings with this character was in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series,  a series I REALLY did not like at all so it was certainly not the best introduction to Nova that I could have had.  Still when I saw that a new Nova series would be part of the Marvel Now! line I decided it was about time I gave this series a go.

The comic starts...IN SPAAAACE!!!! where we see Jesse Alexander (the future father of the books soon to be introduced main hero) working as part of the Nova Corps alongside fellow members Titus and Mr Z'zz.  The have been sent on a rescue mission to save two very important (and well known characters) who are very quickly revealed to be none other then two of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the dangerous green beauty Gamora and the awesomely excellent Rocket Raccoon.

Soon the five are fighting their way to safety until Titus suddenly orders Jesse to return to earth.  It seems that he has broken one of the rules of the Nova Corps and has managed to get himself married.  Not only that but he has a kid on the way.  This means he now has something to live for and shouldn't really be risking his life so recklessly.   So, promising to send back help, Jesse leaves.

This is a great introduction to the Nova Corps as it really shows how badass they are even if it...

Turns out this was all a story Jesse was telling his son Sam Alexander.

Sam is pretty much a typical teenager, at least for comics.  He finds himself having to juggle with his school life where he is being bullied, much like Peter Parker was many many years before him, while also having to take care of his father who has an alcohol problem.  This usually means doing his fathers job for him, which is being the janitor of the school Sam goes to, while also hiding the fact that his dad his currently sleeping in a drunken stupor from his mother and young sister.

While all this is happening he has to listen to his father talk about the glory days of when he saved entire galaxies as part of the Nova Corps.  Of course Sam doesn't believe him and thinks that they are just the rantings of a drunk and even seems somewhat resentful of his father.


But this all changes one night when his father simply disappears.  Sam immediately thinks he has ran off to some bar somewhere to get drunk and resolves to find him.  But he is so angry that he doesn't look where he is going while on his skateboarding causing him to have a nasty fall.

Waking up in hospital he is told by his mother that his father still hasn't come home.  Even later that night he is visited by two of Jesse's old friends,  none other than Gamora and Rocket Raccoon who say that they have to talk about his dad.  

Thus ends issue one of Nova


So now...

 When we last left Sam Alexander he had just woke up in bed to see two of the characters from his dads stories are not only very much real...but they are standing over him and want to talk to him about his dad.  Of course this is a bit much for young Sam to handle and in the ensuing chaos he accidentally calls Rocket a talking Raccoon which quite upsets the ill tempered Guardian quite a bit, for hilarious consequences.

Racing out into the hall for help he immediately bumps into a nurse, but when they get back to Sam's room it is empty, prompting the nurse to suggest it was all a dream and Sam at first insisting it was real but then accepting the fact she is probably right.  However he is soon shocked to discover that a  helmet his father owned, apparently from when he worked as one of the Nova, has somehow ended up under his bed.  But he puts it down to simply a prank by own of the kids at his school.

 In an attempt to get rid of it, claiming that it is all a joke just like his father, Sam ends up activating the helmet which releases a column of light.  Curious as to what will happen Sam cautiously puts it on and is shocked to find himself covered in the armor of the Nova Corps.

This also triggers a very well written and heartfelt message left be Jesse for his son in which he admits that he should have been a better father and been there more for his family and that he really loved his son.  I thought this was a good little moment between father and son, even if one of them was just a recording, because it showed that even if Jesse had longed to return to the glory days of being an intergalactic hero, this being no doubt what drove him to drink, he still deeply loved his family and had realized that he had failed them as a father and a husband due to his living in the past instead of seeing what he had right in front of him.  It also gives Sam a brief glimpse at the man his father truly was and not the alcoholic washed-up janitor he knew.

He is then very shocked to discover that he just happens to be flying and hadn't noticed up to that point.

Hiding his new found powers from his mother Sam decides to take his new suit out for a test.  He quickly determines that it responds to his thoughts.  Pushing himself to go faster and faster he notes that his father had been right all along and that the suit made him like a "Human Rocket"

Unfortunately Sam isn't able to work out how to stop himself and he ends up flying off into space and landing on the moon, where he is met by none other than Uatu, The Watcher. His only response is to meekly say "help."

So what is next for Sam Alexander....?



The story in the first issue, as written by comic scribe Jeph Loeb, was pretty good if not a bit cliche and formulaic.  We have all read about the teenager who is bullied in high school only to suddenly find themselves with power and part of something greater.  I am of course talking about Spider-Man, which I have already mentioned earlier (and in some ways the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle over at DC).  But this isn't a bad thing in this case.  It does a good job of introducing us to Sam and getting to see the kind of kid he is.  He has a good heart but having to look after his drunken father is making him quite miserable.  He has had to grow up listening to his dad talk about how much of a hero he used to be, but the only dad he has ever known is the heavy drinking janitor and you can easily see why Sam has a hard time believing him.  At least until he gets a visit from two of the Guardians which leads him to discovering that the tales his father told him were not ficitonal at all.

The second issue had some decent character development when it comes to Jesse and Sam's relationship but not as much for the others as issue one did, but that was because it dealt more with Sam getting used to his new powers rather then introducing characters to the reader.  Sam learning how to use his new found abilities is very believable and again reminds me of the way Peter Parker or Jaime Reyes had to teach themselves to use theirs (tho Jaime did have some help from the Scarab that gave him his abilities).

In all Loeb's story was very well told and, whilst not very groundbreaking or original, nicely setup Sam's introduction to the Nova Corps.  After what I consider a poor run on Hulk (I just don't like the Red Hulk) I really think Loeb has hit his stride with Nova and is fast crafting a character that is fun and engaging to read.

Of course the story is helped beautifully by...

The amazing art of Ed McGuiness, with inking done ably by Dexter Vines and colors provided by Marte Gracia,  is honestly the kind of comic book art I really like.  It has crisp, clear lines and is bright, vibrant and colorful without being overly cartoony.  This means that the images really pop off the page, especially when we see Jesse as one of the Nova Corps and fighting villains in space alongside Titus, Mr Z'zz, Gamora and Rocket.  McGuiness is also a master when it comes to drawing faces, with each one being unique and full of expression.  Too often I have seen comics where characters all look the same and at best have two expressions (I am looking at you Rob Liefeld)

To sum this up

Nova #1: 

An excellent introduction to Sam Alexander and to the new Nova comic with a good story and excellent artwork.

4.5 Howling Wolves

Do Not Miss.

Nova #2:

While not as good as issue one when it comes to developing characters due to it being an even more simple tale of Sam trying to teach himself to use his new power it is still a good story and once again the art by McGuinnes, Vines and Gracia really shines through and brings the comic roaring to life

 4 Howling Wolves

Damn Good Read.

Thanos Rising #1 (of 5)

Now let me start off by saying I have never been a fan of Thanos.  No I didn't hate him, or find him boring or unlikable, I just found him okay.  He was a serviceable villain who did his job when the comic called for some big galactic enemy for some hero to fight against.  I know he has a lot of fans out there and, if any of you are reading this, I am really sorry I feel this way (actually I am not sorry as I don't see why I should be).  Still like I said I wasn't a "Fan" but that doesn't mean I didn't sorta like him.

Then this comic happened.

If the next four issues are even half as good as this then you Thanos fans can count me amongst your number because this comic ROCKS.  The story and art are simply sublime, both perfectly complementing each other in a way I haven't seen in a long time.  One issue in and I can already say that Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi can be classed as one of those rare perfect collaborative teams.

Now if you have looked at other reviews you will see that some of them have a problem with the way this comic presents our young "hero?",  that they made him a soft little geek, or, that it implies that he is not in charge of his future actions and is as much an innocent as the countless billions he will one day murder. Now both of these are valid points and I can see where they are coming from, but man don't let that distract you from reading this, because it is exactly those points that make this a 'must read'

Now I must warn you there will be some minor spoilers ahead, but I won't reveal anything big that happens, so if you haven't read it you can rest easy knowing I won't I have spoiled the major parts.

As I said earlier this comic shows Thanos in his youth, actually all the way back to his birth.  Well actually it starts with an adult Thanos walking through a ruined city on Titan to visit his mothers grave, something he does now and then to remind himself who he is and where he came from.  Already I get a sense that there is something deeper to Thanos then being a crazy powerful guy who is in love with death and the comic hasn't even really started.

Anyway his memories trigger a flashback and we see Thanos being born.  Now right away we get the feeling that something is not right, because instead of congratulating the parents that they have a new son one of the doctors says

"I'm I'm sorry A'Lars, but I'm afraid it's...it's going to live."

barely a minute old and the first thing someone says about the still innocent Thanos is that he is sorry that it is going to live.  Hell I doubt that doctor looked much better the moment he was born.

The drama is only further heightened when Thanos' mother asks to hold her son.  She takes one look into his baby black eyes and...immediately tries to knife him claiming that he is going to kill them all and he is a monster.  Amazing foreshadowing or extreme postnatal depression? you choose.  Either way she is declared insane and locked up.

We fast forward to a slightly older Thanos.  We see him just sitting outside while other kids are playing. What is our soon to be mass murdering genocidal madman doing with his spare time?  Why he is drawing, because he likes to draw sometimes.  Hell he is a damn good artist as well it seems.  Not just that, he is apparently also the smartest kid in the school, at least according to the other children and we later learn that he likes to grow flowers and that he wishes not to harm anyone or anything (he even vomits at the thought of dissecting a dead lizard), in short he is the polar opposite of what he becomes, which only makes his descent into evil all that more tragic.


I have heard (well read) people say that this is sort of like what Lucas did with Anakin in Star Wars and I agree.  The only difference is that after just a few pages Thanos Rising is already doing it FAR better.

But I digress.

Speaking of the other children.  Now usually you would think it would go like this.  A child who is different in some way to the other children is bullied mercilessly at school, he grows up all resentful and becomes a world destroying mad man.  Well yes he does grow up to be one of those but if you thought the first part...you are so wrong.

The children of Titan seem actually interested by Thanos and genuinely want to be his friend.  Now it may even seem that they are simply pretending and setting him up to be the fall guy in some terrible traumatic prank, but no they just want him to play with them.  Even the girls think he is interesting because he looks different. As they say

"This is Titan, Everyone is cute. Cute is boring."

So already this comic is different, it shows the outsider, the person who is different from the norm, being welcomed and accepted by the average instead of being shunned or ostracized, which is what usually happens in these kinds of stories.

Still there are hints of what he will become, the first major one being his mother during his birth.  But then there is also a strange girl who, at least to me, looks uncannily like his mother (just much younger) and who says that Thanos has some kind of destiny.  Now I doubt I am the only one who thinks that young girl is "Death" and that she chose her appearance for a reason.

Speaking of his mother.  As I said earlier she was incarcerated in a mental institute for trying to murder baby Thanos, but apparently nobody told Thanos this is why she is there because he actually visits her and is nice towards her. He tells her that he wishes to ask a young girl named Cythera out on a date and that he will present her with a new flower he created because  "girls enjoy flowers".

On a darker note he also reveals that he has been having constant dreams of himself as a newborn, that there is someone with a knife trying to kill him and then years later he has that same knife and...

It is like a child describing a nightmare to their parents, but considering this is Thanos and his mother actually did try to stab him as a baby, this makes it seem more ominous.

His mothers response is to say nothing, she just sits with her head turned away from her son and cries.



And this is where I must leave you because we are already fast approaching the territory that I said I would not delve into, the major plot element of this story that I do not wish to spoil. The first glimpse we see of the killer that lies within Thanos' innocent young heart.  But, what brings it out may make some of you think "I may have done the same" which just makes it even more heartbreaking and tragic.

As I said at the start of this review the art and the story compliment each other beautifully.  Even the dialog, which I would usually be the first person to say "nobody talks like that" is just perfect for this book.  Everyone has this upperclass, proper way of speaking.  There is no slang or abbreviations here, but then Titan is supposed to be an Utopia, a perfect society, so this way of speaking just fits spectacularly.

The art of Simone Bianchi is just hauntingly beautiful. There is something magical and otherworldly to the way he draws Titan and its inhabitants, but yet something familiar as well. It really draws you into this world and holds you until the story can sink its teeth into you. Then I can almost guarantee you will be hooked and in for the long haul (well short haul as this is only 5 issues long)

Now the colors. The colors as done by Simone Perruzi are again just perfect.  They really capture the innocence of Thanos' youth, especially when he is playing with the other kids.  And yet there is also something dark about them.  It is something I find hard to put into words and I don't just mean they get "dark" when the story demands it, no there is something about the colors that you can almost feel the darker undertones of the comic.  It is bright and yet hiding something very dark, which describes young Thanos so well.

To sum this up

Thanos Rising #1 is a supremely excellent comic and should be on EVERYONE'S must read list even if they are or are not a fan of the Mad Titan.  Now if you pick up each issue individually or would like to wait for the trade is entirely up to you, but this is something you have to read.

5 Howling Wolves

PERFECT SCORE