NOVA #5
Writers: Jeff Loveness & Ramon Perez
Penciller: Ramon Perez
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letterer: Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Rating: T
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 04/05/17
Plot: Picking up from the last issue, Sam Alexander finds his sister Kaelynn consumed by an alien monster. Earth’s senior Nova, Richard Rider, arrives to help but the only way to defeat the creature is for Rich to come clean about his return from the Cancerverse.
Story: Well, Rich’s secret is out. I’m glad this only took five issues for Sam to learn because most comics will reveal something surprising then take one or two years before moving forward with it. Also this helps the issue itself because it doesn’t stretch out Sam’s reaction at Richard for lying to him. Plus just because Rich’s secret is out does not mean this arc is over. The final scene of this issue sets up the next phase of the arc which will involve the Nova Worldmind. Furthermore, this should excite fans of Richard Rider’s previous Nova title because of the role Worldmind played since Richard was the last Nova Corps officer.
The dialogue in this issue is excellent. Since Sam and Richard are wearing their helmets for the majority of the issue, it’s hard to get a good look at their faces. Fortunately the reader can get a sense of their emotion with the character’s words. A perfect example is Richard expresses his guilt over the trouble his return to Earth cost him.
Art: This issue has fantastic color choices. The red/violet color scheme for the backgrounds and monsters are a great contrast to the Nova uniforms which are primarily black and yellow. This decision really helped Sam and Richard stand out and hold the reader’s focus. Also Ramon Perez’s designs for the Cancerverse monsters are phenomenal. The monsters’ design are a great combination of strange, terrifying, and something out of a Lovecraft novel. However, while the last page of the issue was awesome the lack of background detail left me a little confused. I wasn’t sure whether Richard went back into the Cancerverse itself or Worldmind, now infected by Rich’s time in the Cancerverse.
Verdict: Nova ended its first arc with a well-paced issue. While the last page is a little vague, it does set up the next adventure for Sam and Richard. If you enjoyed the previous Nova title featuring Richard Rider, then this is a title you should pick up.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars