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Nova #31

Reviewed by Brant W. Fowler

Written by: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by: Andrea Devito
Colors by: Bruno Hang
Letters by: VC's Cory Petit
Cover by: Brandon Peterson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Specs: 32 Pages, FC
Cover Price: $2.99

Publisher Blurb:

A REALM OF KINGS story! Torn between duty and friendship, the galaxy's #1 lawman hunts for the most wanted man in the universe: Darkhawk! Determined to bring an assassin to justice, Rich Rider will rocket into the universe's most dangerous new location: The Fault! Former friends collide in the latest chapter in the comic that Aint It Cool News calls "one of my favorite Marvel books...a hidden gem." Rated T

Reviewer's Comments:

I have been a Nova fan since the first issue of New Warriors. Yes, I realize he's been around a lot longer than that, but that was my introduction to him. I am also a huge Darkhawk fan. So anytime I see these two together it brings back that feeling I had reading those first New Warriors issues.

This is a Realm of Kings tie-in, and I must admit I'm a little behind on my reading of the whole War of Kings/Realm of Kings saga. But I get the gist of it, or at least enough of it to follow this particular story, which I was very impressed with.

Putting aside my obvious affinity for these two characters, the story is just very strong and brings back an element of the original Darkhawk series, the Raptors - evil versions of Darkhawk. The issue opens with a short flashback to a conversation between Darkhawk (Chris) and Nova (Rich) shortly after the end of Secret Invasion. Chris is going on about how he'll never be a bigshot hero like Nova. Then we jump to where last issue took off with Darkhawk being a wanted fugitive for killing Lilandra of the Shi'ar!

So, as you can imagine, Rich has to get to the bottom of this and find out why his good friend is wanted for murder, and this leads into the revelation of the Raptors, an impromptu rescue mission, and an ending that leaves the future uncertain for both these heroes.

Adding to this were the nice little interactions between the Nova Corps cadets in training and their new drill sergeant, Centurion Philo. The banter between Worldmind and Nova were also fun and less stiff as compared to other similar comparisons.

This issue nearly made my Hot Shot of the Week, and I still highly recommend it. Excellent scripted, beautifully illustrated, this issue is a testament to the fact that Cosmic Marvel is still going strong, and Nova is one of the strongest books out right now.

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Reviewer Bio

Brant W. Fowler / Writer, Letter, Creator, Reviewer, Columnist and Comic Related PR Coordinator
Brant W. Fowler has been a professional comic book letterer and logo designer for three years, and has been a freelance editor for the past five years. He has also worked with graphic design, writing and many other area of skills for several years honing his talents. You can learn all about what he's up to by visiting Gonzogoose Design. Brant is also a member of the core operations team at Comic Related.