Silver Surfer #12
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciller: Michael Allred
Colorist: Laura Allred
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Rating: T+
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 06/21/17
Plot: After the death of her father (Reg Greenwood), Dawn asks Silver Surfer to return to Euphoria, home of the Galactus survivors. While there the planet Euphoria’s consciousness takes Reg’s form (at the Surfer’s request) to help Dawn process her grief.
Story: One positive aspect of this issue is Dan Slott’s dialogue. Slott fills his characters’ words with emotions that allow the reader to emphasize with them. One great scene that proves this is when Dawn and the Silver Surfer leave earth. Dawn makes a comment that she wishes she could “silver up” just like the Surfer. Anyone who’s ever felt emotionally vulnerable can understand why Dawn would want such a desire.
Another scene that showed off Slott’s dialogue was Dawn’s conversation with Mama Hub, one of Euphoria’s inhabitants. There’s a brilliant comparison Mama Hub makes about a parent’s love to the infinite and expanding nature of space. When Dawn compares it to her love for her dad, Mama Hub corrects her and says that type of love is the nature of time. Basically explaining that while Dawn’s father is no longer with her, her love for her father will always be there. Once the conversation ends, Dawn finally gets the strength to leave Euphoria.
Another great aspect about this issue is how it shows another milestone for Dawn and Surfer’s relationship. For most of this series, we see how the Surfer relies on Dawn but now the role is reversed. Surfer is willing to do whatever it takes to get Dawn through her grief, even if it means staying on Euphoria for an extended period of time. The Surfer is one of the most nomadic characters in the Marvel Universe. Staying in one place just for Dawn is a big deal, and Dawn understands this and positively reciprocates his actions.
At the end of the issue, Dawn and Surfer leave the planet. As they’re leaving Dawn asks if Surfer could “silver down” just this once to which the Surfer agrees. This was a brilliant closing scene because it goes back to Dawn’s earlier desire about silvering up like the Surfer. Now that Dawn’s processed her grief, this scene shows that she’s ready to take on anything with the Surfer no matter where they go.
Art: Michael Allred did an amazing job with the facial expressions in this issue. Each expression matched the respective character’s emotions. There is an excellent tradition from Euphoria to Dawn’s initial reaction to her father’s death on Earth where Dawn’s expression is exactly the same on each opening panel.
Also I enjoyed the layout of the pages when the Surfer had to fight Euphoria’s consciousness while Mama Hub talks with Dawn. In order to get Dawn off her reliance of Euphoria acting like her father, Surfer uses his powers to bind it to one spot and silence their fight. What follows is an entertaining sequence where we see an epic showdown between Euphoria and the Surfer that looks awesome but the reader has no idea what they’re saying. This is an interesting parallel to the dialogue focused scene with Dawn and Mama Hub.
Plus I noticed that the pages taking place on Euphoria use a white boarder but the flashback scenes on Earth use a black boarder. This is a great way to show how the scenes reflect Dawn’s mood. While on Earth Dawn is still grieving for her father but on Euphoria she’s processing it and feeling better.
Verdict: This issue proves why Silver Surfer is one of the best Marvel titles. Dan Slott’s story shows a strong relationship between a girl from Earth and a former herald of Galactus. Slott’s dialogue allows the reader to emphasize with the characters’ emotions. Also Michael Allred’s artwork is stellar for his use of showing the characters’ emotions through their faces and within the page layouts. While this issue is not the best place for new readers, longtime readers will enjoy this issue very much.
Rating: 5 out of 5