**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote #1: "You're not the hot-headed human rocket I fell for. And, in my timeline, I only fell for him yesterday, so this is extra weird for me." "I'm sure I can help you through the transition." "I'm sure you can get a room." -- Namorita, Nova, and Darkhawk, in banter that makes me all the sadder that I'm losing this title
Favorite Quote #2: "Rider! It's critical you pay attention at this time! I've got a sudden spike on the exotic energy source, I've restored contact with Darkhawk...and let's not forget I've got your long-lost girlfriend Namorita right here on the ship with me! Now is probably not a good time to be kissing self-confessed A.I.M. spy Eve Necker." -- Worldmind, with pretty sound advice, actually
Summary
Darkhawk and Nova have flown to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. after receiving an automated message saying that it was sealed until further notice. Nova speaks with Quasar, who explains P.E.G.A.S.U.S. quarantined itself after his return from the Fault to be sure he hadn't brought back anything from his scouting trip. He also reveals that he learned nothing new from said trip. Rich notes that the two of them share an emphatic bond as a result of his time as Quasar when Wendell was in his head...and informs "Quasar" that he received a message from "our" Quasar the previous night. Dark Quasar, realizing Nova has seen through his ruse, attacks Nova. Meanwhile, Darkhawk is in Sub-Vault #77 exploring a mysterious energy source that Worldmind detected; he discovers an enormous creature, who looks like the creature that comprises Dark Quasar's Universe, as seen in the "Realm of Kings" one-shot, sticking through a portal and a possessed Dr. Gruenwald, who orders the Guardsmen to kill him. In a flashback, Worldmind plays the distress call from our Quasar, who warns Rich that the demonic versions of Earth's superheroes are coming to take over our Universe. In the present, Nova uses Darkhawk's command-override code (from his days as P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' security chief) to shut down the Guardsmen and encases a possessed Dr. Necker in a grav bubble, taking her with him as he flees Dark Quasar. The grav bubble kills the creature Dark Quasar used to control Dr. Necker's mind, and she warns Nova that whoever sent Dark Quasar is something deep inside the Fault and coming to our Universe to take it from us. Worldmind directs Nova to Sub-Vault #77 to help Darkhawk; Eve tells Rich that Dark Quasar was using the Project's facilities to construct a detection instrument he called the "horrorscope." Upon arriving at the Sub-Vault, Dr. Gruenwald attacks, and Nova also puts him in a grav bubble to break Dark Quasar's control. Nova joins Darkhawk in battling the creature trying to enter via the horrorscope, but Dark Quasar appears and zaps him. He informs Nova that the horrorscope found what it was built to find and that Nova can either fight off the creature or stop Dark Quasar from returning to his world to inform the Many-Angled Ones of his discovery. Nova fights off the creature, instructs Eve to get Chris (who was so rocked by the Dark Quasar blast that he's reverted to Chris), and chases Dark Quasar.
The Review
As sad as I am to know that I just read the last issue of this series, I'm excited that it was a great issue. After my initial confusion over the fact that "Nova" #32-#35 had nothing to do with "Realm of Kings" (despite carrying its name on their covers), I was glad to see some of my questions following the "Realm of Kings" one-shot addressed in this issue. I thought DnA did a great job of ramping up the excitement for "The Thanos Imperative" event, once again using the palpable fear that "our" reality's superheroes feel in facing the other reality's "superheroes" to convey just how serious of a threat they are.
Final Thoughts: Rather than going through my usual review, I'm going to take this chance to reflect on how great this series has been. From its initial issues in the wake of "Annihilation" to great arcs like the Knowhere story, DnA have shown, to use a cliché that really fits here, Richard's growth from a boy to a man. Moreover, by having other characters note it (most recently, Namorita and Mr. Fantastic, but also, previously, Darkhawk and Iron Man), DnA have improved Nova's standing in the superhero community. He's not the hot-headed kid he was, trying to use his powers for no greater purpose than to get into the Avengers. I can't really think of any similar series that organically changed an established character so successfully and thoroughly as this one. (Dan Slott is currently trying to engineer something similar in "Amazing Spider-Man," but he hasn't totally gotten there yet.)
Moreover, DnA leave us wanting more. One of the best parts of "Nova" and the other cosmic series is that they've resurrected from obscuirty characters I loved in the '90s, like Darkhawk, Nova, and Quasar. I have ever issue of "Quasar," and I think it serves as a good foil for this series. I remember one of my frustrations with"Quasar's" ending is that it just ended. Sure, we got a wrap-up issue, where Quasar said his good-byes to everyone on Earth before heading into space, but it felt more or less forced. Plus, it was a seriously depressing ending: a defeated Wendell heads into space by himself to save his loved ones from getting hurt because of him, particularly given the sense of guilt he felt over leaving Kayla abandoned on the "New Universe" Earth. He essentially leaves Earth with no connection to anyone who appeared in the series' sixty-issue run.
This ending couldn't be more different. Over the course of this series, Rich has always flourished more -- personally and professionally, if you will -- in space than on Earth. Moreover, he's not in space alone; he's got a full (and awesome) cast of characters with him, from the Nova Corps group (Worldmind, Philo, and the probies) to allies like Darkhawk and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Moreover, as opposed to losing a girl at the end, like Quasar did, he gains one.
As such, I'm wondering if DnA knew that "Nova" was going to be canceled after this issue. The status of Darkhawk, particularly given the events of this issue, and Namorita are left in the air. We don't really get any clarity on where Darkhawk stands vis-a-vis the Fraternity of the Raptors or the Shi'Ar Imperium. In fact, I'm not entirely sure Chris is alive at the end. We also just got a sense of which Namorita were getting; she mentions "just" falling in love with Rich, so I'm guessing we're dealing with the version of her we saw in the early days of the "New Warriors." Unfortunately, I doubt we're going to get too much clarity on them in "The Thanos Imperative," since I'm assuming DnA have bigger fish to fry. Plus, as I've mentioned before, the Nova Corps group presents such great potential for stories that you got the sense that DnA had a lot more arcs planned. For example, they (somewhat shockingly) introduced Garthan Saal (Supernova) in issue #31, a character for whom I assume they had some serious plans. But, again, I doubt he's going to appear in the upcoming cross-over event, so why introduce him if they knew the series was going to end in five issues? So, although it's still a better ending than we got in "Quasar," one full of hope and possibility, I'm still disappointed that Marvel couldn't find a way to keep it going. I'm going to have to try to enjoy all my Nova time during "The Thanos Imperative."
In the end, though, I want to thank DnA for taking one of my favorite characters and making him awesome. The bottom line is that, if you didn't read this series when it was first published, like I didn't, it is seriously worth the investment, particularly if you're even remotely a fan of cosmic stories. DnA turned Rich Rider into one of Marvel's greatest heroes, and it is a fantastic journey to follow.
Showing posts with label Nova (2007). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nova (2007). Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Realm of Kings #1 and Nova #32-#35
*** (three of five stars)
Summary
Quasar volunteers to enter the Fault on behalf of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova Corps, and Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. to gather more information about the event. Upon arriving in the Fault, he finds himself corporal again in an alternate -- and devastated -- version of Manhattan. He is attacked by an enormous creature emitting gamma radiation (guess who it is?), only to be saved by a demonic version of the Avengers. They defeat the creature, who's revealed to be Bruce Banner (shocking, I know). Captain America then orders Iron Man to kill him, which Iron Man does by ripping out Banner's heart. Quasar is imprisoned, after the Scarlet Witch deduces he's not their Earth's Quasar, who was also dispatched into the Fault to gather information. Quasar learns that this Earth's heroes serve the Many-Angled Ones, a group of gods who imbued the heroes with power in return for their adoration. The gods want to expand into new Universes, and both sides realize that their Earths exist at opposite ends of the Fault. Quasar refuses to divulge information about how to get to his Earth, but the Scarlet Witch reveals that she can track his "quantum-phasic energy." After the other Avengers depart to plan their attack, Quasar speaks with the Scarlet Witch, who reveals that she fears the Many-Angled Ones and has been housing Vision within her. He decides to reveal himself and free Quasar because he cannot allow another Earth to suffer the same fate as his and fends off Ms. Marvel as Quasar escapes. Quasar rockets past Iron Man and Thor to the outskirts of this Universe, only to realize the entire Universe is a giant, twisted beast trying to metastasize in our reality. Meanwhile, the other reality's Quasar arrives at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.
In "Nova," Darkhawk and Nova survive the destruction of the Outworld Shard and awaken to find themselves seemingly in the Egypt of the 1920s and at the mercy of the Sphinx. Darkhawk tells Nova they should attack, but the Sphinx appears to ignore him, telling Nova he brought him "here" and asking if he's ready to play his part. Before Nova can get an answer from the Sphinx about playing his "part," the trio are attacked by a sandstorm full of djinn. During the battle, the Sphinx disappears, telling Nova he had expected more of him, and Nova destroys the djinn with the Nova Force. Darkhawk and Nova journey through the land, only to stumble across an archeological dig led by Reed Richards, who has apparently also been brought "here" but from several years earlier. Richards informs the pair that he's been investigating a "chronal accelerator" he found "here," designed to rewrite the time stream, and hypothesizes that the Sphinx is attempting to undo the damage to himself that he caused by constantly re-writing his own history. Darkhawk and Nova realize that the Fault also exists "here" and attempt to investigate it, with Darkhawk passing an invisible barrier that Nova can't. Nova awakens a little later in time to see the arrival of a much younger Black Bolt carrying a mummy. Darkhawk returns, showing the results of a scan he initiated of "here," revealing that it's not Egypt of the 1920s but a magical construct. The mummy is later revealed to be a younger -- and alive -- Namorita. A younger Sphinx then attacks the group and the group takes refuge in the pyramid (a.k.a. "chronal accelerator"). They're then zapped by some energy, and all of them -- save Darkhawk -- enter dream states where they see the world as they wish it were. Darkhawk wakes up the group and they realize they're on one of two floating Sphinx platforms engaged in battle with one another. They find an old Sphinx, who reveals he's fighting his younger self after his younger self refused to allow him to take advantage of the Fault and avoid the mistakes that left him in such a decrepit state. He tells the heroes he recruited them because they had defeated him in the past and he wants them to defeat his younger self. However, his younger self appears, announcing he refused the older Sphinx's offer so he could take advantage of the properties of the Fault and secure two Ka stones, becoming a God. He also brought with him his own set of champions, a group of villains who engage in person-to-person combat with the heroes. Basilisk kills Black Bolt, but Darkhawk, Mr. Fantastic, and Nova all defeat their counterparts. (Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Sphinx ignored Darkhawk because he hadn't expected him to be there; he had only summoned Nova, but Darkhawk had been caught in his spell because of their proximity.) The older Sphinx gains power from his champions' victories and takes control of Darkhawk, who disables the younger Sphinx and steals his Ka stone, giving it to the older Sphinx, who begins ascending to godhood. The heroes -- and the younger Sphinx's champions, who are confused about where they are -- attempt to combat him, but they soon begin to fall beneath his notice. The older Sphinx winds up eating the younger Sphinx (yup), which Richards announces is impossible. But, Nova notes all sorts of impossible events are happening, like the younger Black Bolt dying, since he's alive for the Kree/Shi'Ar War. Richards begins to scold Nova for telling him that, but then realizes that, if Richard remembers it, it didn't happen in the outside reality. They realize that the Sphinx was in the process of gathering his power to alter the outside reality so that it could house two Ka stones, but he had yet to reach that level of power. As such, Nova opens a stargate (based on Reed's back-of-the-envelope calculations) and sends the Sphinx into our reality, which can't accept him yet and destroys him. The pocket reality disintegrates and everyone returns to his or her respective realities...except Namorita, who Richard grabs before leaving and brings into our reality with him. Darkhawk warns him of the repercussions of his actions, but Nova tells him he doesn't care.
The Review
To start, I have no idea what the "Nova" issues have to do with "Realm of Kings." I'm assuming the whole "cancer Universe" story is addressed in one of the three "Realm of Kings" mini-series or in "Guardians of the Galaxy," because the "Nova" issues have absolutely nothing to do with anything we saw depicted in the "Realm of Kings" one-shot. I may take a look to see if Marvel has any of the mini-series or "Guardian of the Galaxy" issues on-line, because I thought the concept was interesting. In fact, I found myself a little disappointed the "Nova" issues, again, had nothing to do with anything we saw in the "Realm of Kings" one-shot.
That being said, I thought DnA used the Fault to full effect in the "Nova" issues. In fact, this arc seemed more like an epilogue to "War of Kings," and I feel like I would've been a happier camper if it had just been billed that way. I enjoyed most of this arc, even though it dealt with a time-travel story (something I generally hate). However, I did come close to giving this story a two because of the confusion related to some of the time-traveling aspects of the story, particularly the "resurrection" of Namorita. But, DnA still gave us a mighty enjoyable tale so I'm giving it a three.
The Good
1) [Sigh.] The Knowhere arc of "Nova" was one of my favorite arcs of all time. I can't believe that the Guardians of the Galaxy had their HQ there. [Sigh.] I cannot buy that entire series, I cannot buy that entire series...
2) Wow, "Realm of Kings" is a dark issue. It was actually nice to read a Quasar tale again, but, damn, I almost felt as suffocated as Wendell did here. DnA do a great job of just really delivering us a horrifying place, giving us every reason to believe that Wendell was willing to do whatever he needed to do to make sure that he protected our reality from this reality.
3) Despite my reservations about the time-travel aspect of the "Nova" story (see below), I loved the revelation in issue #33 that the Sphinx had brought Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Namorita, and Nova to the Fault because they had beaten him in the past and he needed them to beat his younger self. Even given my dislike of time-travel stories, I have to admit it's a great twist for the Sphinx to have to rely on his enemies to defeat his younger self because they (he and his younger self) are too evenly matched. It also made sense that he was doing it because the Fault had given him the opportunity to escape the doom he faced as a result of his years of manipulating his own person history. I also love that the Sphinx is so crazy that his younger self decides to screw his older self just for the possibility of possessing two Ka stones.
4) Along similar lines, the denouement in issue #35 was really well done. I actually followed everything DnA scripted. The Sphinx needed time to re-write reality in the outside Universe to accommodate two Ka stones and, by Nova forcing him into it before he was able to do so, he ceased to exist as a result of the "interdimensional equivalent of explosive decompression." It sounds complicated, but DnA really sell it.
5) I loved the person-on-person combat in issue #34. It reminded me of the great "Quest for the Shield" story from the old "Guardian of the Galaxy" series.
6) I liked how Rich's dream was basically to prevent everything bad that's happened in the Marvel Universe over the last five years or so: the Civil War, the Skrull Invasion, the Annihilation Wave, etc. It shows just how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, another reminder of how different of a character he is now under DnA than he was at the hands of other authors.
6) I liked how Rich's dream was basically to prevent everything bad that's happened in the Marvel Universe over the last five years or so: the Civil War, the Skrull Invasion, the Annihilation Wave, etc. It shows just how heavily his responsibilities weigh on him, another reminder of how different of a character he is now under DnA than he was at the hands of other authors.
The Meh
It took me a while to figure out the Darkhawk part of this story. The Sphinx says to Nova in issue #32 that the events on the Shard "were just a means to bring" Nova to the Sphinx. He didn't expect Darkhawk to be on it, which meant he wasn't "looking" for Darkhawk in his pocket reality (which is why he couldn't see him at first). But, Nova was only on the Outworld Shard because of Darkhawk. It seems weird that the Sphinx could know that Nova was there but not be aware that Darkhawk was as well.
The Bad
1) OK, as you know if you've ready this blog for a while, I generally hate time-travel stories. I find that they're often impossible to do well, no matter how talented the authors are or how much attention to detail they pay to the plot. Inevitably, you just wind up having some sort of overarching, "Wait, if it happened in the past, how did they not know the results in the present?" type of question.
DnA wind up not giving us a time-travel story exactly, but I still found it confusing following all the "Mr. Fantastic of 2005" or "Black Bolt of 2000" minutiae. For one thing, I at first thought that Rich was referring to some incident, possibly related to his captivity during "Secret Invasion," that made Black Bolt look different and older in 2010 than he did in the pocket reality; it wasn't until I got to the end of issue #35 that I realized it was just because the pocket reality's Black Bolt was from 2000.
But, DnA really go a step further into confusion when they raise the dreaded continuity question, since it's implied here that "Mr. Fantastic of 2005" just met Nova, because Rich had just started his superhero career around then. It raises all those questions inherent when you're dealing with a guy who's been in his early to mid-20s since 1976. I feel like trying to address this sort of issue is like trying to pull a loose thread from a sweater -- eventually it all unravels. As such, I think it's better when authors avoid this sort of trap. (See, for example, the current problem in the Bat-books, where we're supposed to believe that Bruce has trained four, if not five, Robins over only a five-year period.) Giving us various versions of current characters was bad enough. Doing it in a way that raises the 35-years-as-five-years issue just makes it all maddening and, ultimately, distracting.
DnA wind up not giving us a time-travel story exactly, but I still found it confusing following all the "Mr. Fantastic of 2005" or "Black Bolt of 2000" minutiae. For one thing, I at first thought that Rich was referring to some incident, possibly related to his captivity during "Secret Invasion," that made Black Bolt look different and older in 2010 than he did in the pocket reality; it wasn't until I got to the end of issue #35 that I realized it was just because the pocket reality's Black Bolt was from 2000.
But, DnA really go a step further into confusion when they raise the dreaded continuity question, since it's implied here that "Mr. Fantastic of 2005" just met Nova, because Rich had just started his superhero career around then. It raises all those questions inherent when you're dealing with a guy who's been in his early to mid-20s since 1976. I feel like trying to address this sort of issue is like trying to pull a loose thread from a sweater -- eventually it all unravels. As such, I think it's better when authors avoid this sort of trap. (See, for example, the current problem in the Bat-books, where we're supposed to believe that Bruce has trained four, if not five, Robins over only a five-year period.) Giving us various versions of current characters was bad enough. Doing it in a way that raises the 35-years-as-five-years issue just makes it all maddening and, ultimately, distracting.
2) To be honest, I'm not entirely sure who the creatures were that were constantly attacking the gang in issue #32. I assume they're the forces of the two different Sphinxes attacking one another, but I don't know if DnA really ever made that clear.
3) I'm SO over the Fraternity of Raptors. Talon is still alive? Really? DnA at least acknowledge here that Chris doesn't know the origin of the Fraternity, but, OMG, could at some point they actually tell us it? Given that Darkhawk doesn't have his own series and that Nova's series ends next issue, I'm guessing we still don't know.
4) Although I liked the denouement to the Sphinx dilemma -- pushing him into the real Unvierse before he had suitably altered it -- I'm less thrilled with Namorita being resurrected, because it seems to be inconsistent with what happened to the Sphinx. The Sphinx exploded because he didn't have time to re-write reality to accommodate for the changes that happened in his pocket reality, namely his possession of two Ka stones. So, wouldn't Namorita also have suffered "explosive decompression," because reality hadn't been re-written to accommodate her being alive? Richard says that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, so Namorita survived because she was with him. But, Richard wasn't Vegas; the pocket dimension was. To give DnA credit, Darkhawk does portend that this decision is going to bite Rich in the ass, but I have to wonder, just like with the Darkhawk conundrum, if DnA are going to be able to really address that story.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Nova #31: "Most Wanted"
*** (three of five stars)
Summary
Shortly after the events of "Secret Invasion," Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. threw a welcome barbecue for Nova Corps. (I know, right? How much would you want to be there?) At it, Darkhawk expressed his insecurity about always being second rate (something we saw him do previously in "Nova" #19) as opposed to Rich, who was a recognized hero. Rich assures him that he played a large part in beating back the Skrulls and reminds him that being a hero has crappy moments, warning him, "be careful what you wish for." In the present, Nova is pursuing Darkhawk, as a result of the "WANTED!" psychic message sent by Gladiator last issue, on the Outworld Shard, a planet that is "entering the terminal phase of its collapse into the Fault." Earlier, while the new Nova Corps recruits -- divided into Millennians and Corpsman, based on length of service -- start training under Philo, Rich insisted to Worldmind that Darkhawk wasn't a killer. In the present, Darkhwak and Rich talk, with Darkhawk insisting no one will believe him that he didn't kill Lilandra and Rich reminding him they're friends and he can trust him. At that moment, they're attacked by "a huge xeno-cellular bloom" that emerged from the Fault. Also, Worldmind realizes that a group of Kree archeologists that she previously thought evacuated the Outworld Shard didn't. (Space archeologists get themselves into a lot of trouble. If you don't believe me, see "Nova" #16.) Chris and Rich flee the bloom to save the archeologists, evacuating all but the lead scientist, who's in the catacombs of some temple-looking complex and touches a green gem that looks shockingly like Darkhawk's. Nova gets separated from Chris and searches for him, only to be attacked by "Darkhawk," who's mysteriously wearing a green gem, not his usual red one. When the red-wearing Darkhawk approaches a stunned Nova, Rich attacks him, screaming at him for shooting him. At that point, Chris reveals the truth about the Fraternity of Raptors, who really killed Lilandra. Before Nova can fully process the information, they're both attacked by the green-gemed Darkhawk, just as the Outworld Spark disintegrates.
The Review
OK, so, this story picks up the thread about the Fraternity of Raptors from "War of Kings." I don't have too much to say about the issue, because it only just introduces the issue with the Fraternity at the end of the book.
The Good
I thought the training session with Philo was great. This issue was everything I want this series to be, as a mentioned in my last review: Nova gets to go on solo adventures, while the trainee Corpsmen inject some fun and hijinx into issues and give the series the sense of being a team book without sacrificing the focus on Rich.
The Unknown
On some level, I feel like Darkhawk's fear that no one will believe him that he killed Lilandra is a little overblown. I mean, it wasn't long before a second Darkhawk was attacking him and Rich, so you figure that other people are also going to realize pretty soon that more than one Darkhawk exists. But, I'm not yet counting this part as a bad, because I think DnA are using it mostly as a device to show how isolated and scared Chris feels, particularly given the tone of the first few pages of the story. So, we'll see how it develops. At this point I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Nova #29-#30: Flashback!
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Worldmind, I need everything the Novapedia's got on Mindless Ones, stat." "Anything else? A back rub, maybe? Polish your helmet? Little freakin' busy here, Rider!" -- Nova and Worldmind, discussing priorities
Summary
Rich takes Fraktur, Irani, and Morrow with him to investigate the Nova Corps patrol cruiser that emerges from the Fault, which Worldmind reveals disappeared 35 years ago. A mysterious figure on the outside of the cruiser observes the Centurions arriving on the ship. He also realizes that Worldmind is pulling it toward Nu-Xandar via tractor beam and sends a nano-encoded attack program to distract her. Inside the cruiser, the Centurions go their own ways to investigate, and panic ensues when Worldmind goes off-line to fight the attack program. Robbie convinces the other Centurions on Nu-Xandar to stay put, while Rich encounters Zan Philo, a Nova Centurion who reveals he and the ship got lost as a result of a stargate accident. He informs Nova that he's been fighting crime as he's made his way through the Universe and asks if he could transfer the prisoner he's got on the ship to Nu-Xandar. The prisoner is the head of the "Black Hole Sons" gang, a group of "neutron slaves" who discovered that the neutron stars they were mining for rare minerals also produced a drug called "krush;" the slaves threw off their masters and became drug runners. At this point, the rest of the Centurions join the pair at the prisoner's cell, and Worldmind re-appears, informing Richard that Ego has taken advantage of her distraction to re-assert himself. She also engages in a scan of the ship to see who attacked her, revealing that Fraktur is actually the mysterious figure in disguise. The figure drops his disguise, revealing himself as Monark Starstalker, a bounty hunter. Philo and Starstalker argue over the prisoner, who they both claim they have rights to hold. However, just then, the boss' minions arrive to spring the boss, revealing themselves to be "Mindless Ones." Nova, the Centurions (now along with Fraktur, who Starstalker had rendered unconscious earlier to steal her identity), and Starstalker fend off the Mindless Ones while Worldmind and the other Centurions fight Ego. Nova continues to stress that the "neutron slaves" are actually Mindless Ones, informing Philo that they're not just "great big stupid indestructible rockheads," but supernatural "great big stupid indestructible rockheads," something the Nova Corps isn't exactly prepared to handle. During the fray, Fraktur and Morrow wind up taking out each other, something Philo criticizes them for doing later when they've escaped the Mindless Ones momentarily to catch their breath. Moreover, the power on the cruiser fades, allowing the boss to escape. On Nu-Xandar, Robbie and the Centurions transfer the prisoners (including Ravenous and Strontian) to an escape shuttle and use it to flee Ego for the cruiser. Rich knocks the boss outside the cruiser, and the Mindless Ones follow him. He asks Worldmind, now ensconced in the cruiser, to open a stargate, and sends them inside Ego, who has completely awoken and demands "retribution." The Mindless Ones wreck havoc inside Ego, and Philo opens up a bombardment on Ego, "encouraging" him to stargate to a different location. Starstalker, who learned, when he was wounded by the boss, that he's actually a nanotech construct, decides to stay in this Universe, since he's able to exhibit free will. Rich offers a job to Philo training the "probies," and Philo accepts. Suddenly, Kallark projects a psychic notice to the Centurions that the galaxy's most wanted fugivite -- Darkhawk -- is in their vicinity, demanding they apprehend and detain him.
The Review
These issues reminded me a lot of the "Knowhere" arc, which is one of the highest compliments I can pay an arc. In fact, the only bad thing about these issues was knowing that this title ends at issue #36. DnA introduce a whole bunch of new elements -- Zan Philo, the Resolute Duty, Monark Starstalker -- that totally set up an awesome new status quo for the title. Philo was exactly what Richard needed, a capable deputy who could take over training the new recruits so that they didn't have to come with him on every mission. As such, DnA could focus on giving Richard some solo adventures while at the same time maintaining the fun aspects of a team book. Moreover, the Resolute Duty seemed set to become the Corps' own Millenium Falcon, a decrepit ship with its own special personality. Finally, I liked the idea that Starstalker would unexpectedly show up every dozen or so issues to cause some trouble for Nova. With these new elements, DnA really set up the sort of galactic milieu that have produced the best stories in this title, such as the aforementioned "Knowhere" arc. Unfortunately, we've only got seven issues left of the title, and four of them are dedicated to "Realm of Kings." DnA have done an amazing job making the various event tie-in issues matter for this title, so I don't think the "Realm of Kings" issues will suck. But, it's the solo Nova stories that I've enjoyed the most, so I'm glad we at least got one more before "Realm of Kings" hijacks everything.
The Good
1) OMG, the banter between Nova and Worldmind is just excellent. I laughed out loud several times in issue #30, with Nova badgering her for help with a stargate and Worldmind reminding him that she was busy fending off an attack by Ego. I'm glad to see DnA really using the potential that having Worldmind take on Ko-Rel's personality promised.
2) Monark Starstalker is awesome. DnA have been evoking a "Star Wars" feel lately, and nothing like someone with a last name starting with "Star-" to make you feeling like you're reading a galactic epic. A little Internet research shows that they revived this character from a story written in the 1970s, which clearly one (if not both) of them loved. He's an awesome character, the exact type of snarky nemesis/ally combination that the series needed. Again, although I like what DnA have done with the various cross-over events, I feel like they really excel showing smaller moments with quirky characters, which is why the introduction of Starstalker was so great for me. I hope we see him again.
3) Did anyone else sing "Black Hole Sun" in their head for most of this issue, or am I really dating myself?
The Bad
The Mindless One angle was really weird. To be honest, I don't really see why DnA had to make the neutron slaves into Mindless Ones, since it wasn't like them being Mindless Ones had anything to do with the way the plot was resolved. It just kind of added a layer of confusion that I don't feel like we needed because, unless I missed something, we never get an answer on how the Mindless Ones became neutron slaves in the first place. It was sort of like the Fraternity of Raptors in "War of Kings," where it's a good idea, but it's a little bit too much of a good thing.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
War of Kings: Ascension #4, War of Kings #5 and #6, Nova #28, and War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1
War of Kings: Ascension #4: OK, DnA make a compelling case for why the Raptors "let" Vulcan confront Black Bolt, recognizing that Vulcan is too impetuous to control and that a broken Imperium will seek a strong hand to guide it, and the Fraternity can be that hand. I get that part. I don't get the part about the T-Bomb breaking dark matter and freeing more amulets, because DnA haven't really told us why the amulets are lost in dark matter in the first place. (Also, now that we're engaged in a full ret-con of Darkhawk's history, someone should tell us how his amulet found its way into a New York amusement park in the first place.) On the Chris front, DnA really deliver. I love all his new tricks! Invisibility, the carbon-fiber suit, the heavy-armor suit: the list goes on and on! DnA, as I had hoped, have Chris learn how to use his anger to channel his powers, and, hopefully, do for him what they did for Rich, removing the stumbling block (in Rich's case, his lack of seriousness) that kept him from being a true hero. I'll focus on wrapping up this series in "Final Thoughts" below, but, for the most part, DnA wrap up all the loose ends that need wrapping here. Chris ends this series with renewed purpose and greater confidence, just like Nova did at the end of "Annihilation." I'm hoping we see a lot more of him in the future, because, as I've said before, he's always been one of my favorite characters.
War of Kings #5: DnA bring the two sides of this war together here, setting up the conclusion to this story in a way that promises little good for either side. The trick up the Inhuman's sleeve is revealed to be a bomb, called the T-Bomb, that will, if I understand correctly, eliminate all genetic differences between species, ending not only the Kree-Shi'Ar War, but all wars. However, to accomplish this feat, Black Bolt must be in the T-Bomb at detonation, since it's powered by his voice. Throughout this series, DnA have set up the Inhumans for some serious comeuppance, and I'm guessing we're going to see that next issue. Vulcan is also due for a reality check, so I'm guessing that it's no coincidence that he and Black Bolt end this issue facing one another at last. Although this plot is interesting, DnA really shine when depicting the chaos on Chandilar in the wake of Lilandra's death. As Admiral Ka'Ardum predicted, in death, Lilandra has become a martyr for the forces opposing Vulcan, inspiring them to take on his regime, resulting in Chandilar erupting into a civil war. On the other side of that equation, as I mentioned in my last review, it also means that Vulcan is the only one who can unify the Empire. However, as Alex notes, he's a little busy being insane right now to do so. DnA also reach back here to "Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire" to tie up some loose ends. The Chancellor, who has for so long manipulated events behind the scenes as part of the "Secret Order," is killed by Gladiator for his role (however tenuous) in Lilandra's death. Moreover, Rachel finally gets revenge on the man who killed her family, a goal that has driven her throughout the X-Men's time in space, but realizes that it doesn't make the hurt over the loss of her family feel any less painful. This issue wasn't really all that enjoyable to read, but it was definitely exciting, with a certain energy propelling you through the chaos.
War of Kings #6: As expected, everyone gets their comeuppance in this issue. Black Bolt and Vulcan fight to the death, and their fight leaves the Shi'Ar totally ruined and the Inhumans emotionally crippled. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this conclusion. I mean, as Alex said a long time ago, I accept the fact that Vulcan (or, more specifically, the Vulcan as portrayed by DnA) had to die. He had gone too far down the "mad king" road to be able to be saved. Tactically, he ignored the advice of his generals and damned the Shi'Ar Imperium by spreading its military efforts and his own attention too thin. I'm not entirely sure I buy how it all gets resolved, though. On some level, it's a brilliant move, because it separates Black Bolt and Vulcan from the rest of the characters, giving us the "war of kings" that the series promised. But, the Inhuman's arrogance in creating the T-Bomb (and ability to do so on such short notice) still seems a little difficult to believe. They were able to put together the device fairly quickly, given that it had the potential to change the genetic structure of everyone in the entire Universe. It didn't feel totally deus ex machina-y, because DnA had hinted through the series that the Inhumans were planning something big. But, issues #5 and #6 represented a fairly abrupt change to the narrative, shifting the focus onto the T-Bomb and away from the more personal stories that so far had been driving the series. Again, it made sense -- Lilandra's death took the possibility of a quick end to the overall war off the table, forcing the Inhuman's decision to engage in a drastic move -- but it still felt a little emotionally shallow. The ending is more forced on the characters than a result of anything they've done. I mean, life is like that, so I can't fault DnA for imitating it. But, it doesn't provide for that emotionally satisfying of a conclusion. That said, I can't deny that the story was definitely epic, a logical conclusion to Vulcan's journey.
Nova #28: OK, first, I'm glad to see Robbie survived. I figured he would, because it wasn't like he exhibited hubris on the level of Black Bolt or Vulcan. But, all the same, I'm glad he's alive. DnA bring this story -- and, in fact, the various running sub-plots from the last few issues -- to a logical conclusion in this issue. Richard notes that he was right opposing the rapid expansion of the Corps, but that Worldmind was also right that the galaxy needed them. Taking the Centurions who performed the best -- including Robbie -- to form a team of trainee Corpsmen made sense. I was against Robbie keeping his powers when he first got them, mainly because it seemed to set up a never-ending series of "brother v. brother" storylines that wouldn't really match the tone of this series. But, I think DnA do a great job of showing how both boys have grown during this arc. Rich makes a compelling case for Robbie to say, and Robbie probably understands the responsibility that comes with being a member of the Corps better than he did when he thought being a superhero was all fun and games. I'm all in favor of Robbie being a member of the Corps if we get stories of the two of them working together rather than the ones we've gotten so far, of Robbie trying to outdo Rich. Changing subjects, I loved the resolution with Blastaar, particularly Rich reminding him that, the last time he faced down someone with the Cosmic Control Rod, he "tore him inside out." Good stuff. It was a reminder of the super-competent Rich we saw during "Annihilation." With so many loose ends resolved, DnA set up some great stories to come: Rich rebuilding the Corps, Rich and Robbie workings together, the Corps trying to keep peace as the galaxy recovers from the Kree/Shi'Ar War. It should be an exciting series of issues.
War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1: OK, this Fault issue is clearly going to get very interesting. I only have vague recollections of Magus from the various "Infinity" cross-over events from the '90s, but his appearance at the end of this issue certainly spells trouble for the Shi'Ar Imperium. (In fact, his appearance reminded me: where is Adam Warlock? I thought he would be a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy team, but we didn't see him anywhere in this event. Maybe he appeared in the tie-in issues in the Guardians' own series, which would make sense.) At any rate, the rest of this issue goes pretty much as expected. It was pretty clear Gladiator was going to wind up taking over the Imperium, though, to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on how it happened. Medusa was seemingly willing to keep control over the Imperium by appointing Crystal regent. By giving the scepter to Gladiator, Crystal essentially renounces Inhuman/Kree control over the Imperium. Did she have the power to do that? Medusa just seems to let her do that, which surprised me, given how passionately Medusa reacted to the Imperial Guard's attempt to resist Inhuman rule.
In the end, I realize that, when it comes to these galactic cross-over events, I basically just want to read "Annihilation" over and over again for the first time, because it was just so perfect. This event wasn't terrible by any stretch of imagination, but it lacked a certain je ne sais crois that "Annihilation" had. At the very least, I'm interested in where the various galactic Marvel titles go from here, because the new status quo is definitely different from the previous one.
War of Kings #5: DnA bring the two sides of this war together here, setting up the conclusion to this story in a way that promises little good for either side. The trick up the Inhuman's sleeve is revealed to be a bomb, called the T-Bomb, that will, if I understand correctly, eliminate all genetic differences between species, ending not only the Kree-Shi'Ar War, but all wars. However, to accomplish this feat, Black Bolt must be in the T-Bomb at detonation, since it's powered by his voice. Throughout this series, DnA have set up the Inhumans for some serious comeuppance, and I'm guessing we're going to see that next issue. Vulcan is also due for a reality check, so I'm guessing that it's no coincidence that he and Black Bolt end this issue facing one another at last. Although this plot is interesting, DnA really shine when depicting the chaos on Chandilar in the wake of Lilandra's death. As Admiral Ka'Ardum predicted, in death, Lilandra has become a martyr for the forces opposing Vulcan, inspiring them to take on his regime, resulting in Chandilar erupting into a civil war. On the other side of that equation, as I mentioned in my last review, it also means that Vulcan is the only one who can unify the Empire. However, as Alex notes, he's a little busy being insane right now to do so. DnA also reach back here to "Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire" to tie up some loose ends. The Chancellor, who has for so long manipulated events behind the scenes as part of the "Secret Order," is killed by Gladiator for his role (however tenuous) in Lilandra's death. Moreover, Rachel finally gets revenge on the man who killed her family, a goal that has driven her throughout the X-Men's time in space, but realizes that it doesn't make the hurt over the loss of her family feel any less painful. This issue wasn't really all that enjoyable to read, but it was definitely exciting, with a certain energy propelling you through the chaos.
War of Kings #6: As expected, everyone gets their comeuppance in this issue. Black Bolt and Vulcan fight to the death, and their fight leaves the Shi'Ar totally ruined and the Inhumans emotionally crippled. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this conclusion. I mean, as Alex said a long time ago, I accept the fact that Vulcan (or, more specifically, the Vulcan as portrayed by DnA) had to die. He had gone too far down the "mad king" road to be able to be saved. Tactically, he ignored the advice of his generals and damned the Shi'Ar Imperium by spreading its military efforts and his own attention too thin. I'm not entirely sure I buy how it all gets resolved, though. On some level, it's a brilliant move, because it separates Black Bolt and Vulcan from the rest of the characters, giving us the "war of kings" that the series promised. But, the Inhuman's arrogance in creating the T-Bomb (and ability to do so on such short notice) still seems a little difficult to believe. They were able to put together the device fairly quickly, given that it had the potential to change the genetic structure of everyone in the entire Universe. It didn't feel totally deus ex machina-y, because DnA had hinted through the series that the Inhumans were planning something big. But, issues #5 and #6 represented a fairly abrupt change to the narrative, shifting the focus onto the T-Bomb and away from the more personal stories that so far had been driving the series. Again, it made sense -- Lilandra's death took the possibility of a quick end to the overall war off the table, forcing the Inhuman's decision to engage in a drastic move -- but it still felt a little emotionally shallow. The ending is more forced on the characters than a result of anything they've done. I mean, life is like that, so I can't fault DnA for imitating it. But, it doesn't provide for that emotionally satisfying of a conclusion. That said, I can't deny that the story was definitely epic, a logical conclusion to Vulcan's journey.
Nova #28: OK, first, I'm glad to see Robbie survived. I figured he would, because it wasn't like he exhibited hubris on the level of Black Bolt or Vulcan. But, all the same, I'm glad he's alive. DnA bring this story -- and, in fact, the various running sub-plots from the last few issues -- to a logical conclusion in this issue. Richard notes that he was right opposing the rapid expansion of the Corps, but that Worldmind was also right that the galaxy needed them. Taking the Centurions who performed the best -- including Robbie -- to form a team of trainee Corpsmen made sense. I was against Robbie keeping his powers when he first got them, mainly because it seemed to set up a never-ending series of "brother v. brother" storylines that wouldn't really match the tone of this series. But, I think DnA do a great job of showing how both boys have grown during this arc. Rich makes a compelling case for Robbie to say, and Robbie probably understands the responsibility that comes with being a member of the Corps better than he did when he thought being a superhero was all fun and games. I'm all in favor of Robbie being a member of the Corps if we get stories of the two of them working together rather than the ones we've gotten so far, of Robbie trying to outdo Rich. Changing subjects, I loved the resolution with Blastaar, particularly Rich reminding him that, the last time he faced down someone with the Cosmic Control Rod, he "tore him inside out." Good stuff. It was a reminder of the super-competent Rich we saw during "Annihilation." With so many loose ends resolved, DnA set up some great stories to come: Rich rebuilding the Corps, Rich and Robbie workings together, the Corps trying to keep peace as the galaxy recovers from the Kree/Shi'Ar War. It should be an exciting series of issues.
War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1: OK, this Fault issue is clearly going to get very interesting. I only have vague recollections of Magus from the various "Infinity" cross-over events from the '90s, but his appearance at the end of this issue certainly spells trouble for the Shi'Ar Imperium. (In fact, his appearance reminded me: where is Adam Warlock? I thought he would be a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy team, but we didn't see him anywhere in this event. Maybe he appeared in the tie-in issues in the Guardians' own series, which would make sense.) At any rate, the rest of this issue goes pretty much as expected. It was pretty clear Gladiator was going to wind up taking over the Imperium, though, to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on how it happened. Medusa was seemingly willing to keep control over the Imperium by appointing Crystal regent. By giving the scepter to Gladiator, Crystal essentially renounces Inhuman/Kree control over the Imperium. Did she have the power to do that? Medusa just seems to let her do that, which surprised me, given how passionately Medusa reacted to the Imperial Guard's attempt to resist Inhuman rule.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this event for the first few issues. I liked the way that DnA were pulling in all sorts of sub-plots that had been brewing since "X-Men: Deadly Genesis." Unfortunately, though , at some point, I feel like they lost the plot a little.
First, even after reading "War of Kings: Ascension," I feel like the Fraternity of Raptors was a pretty superfluous addition to (and unnecessary distraction from) the event. In fact, the entire mini-series felt more like an awkward back-door pilot than a vital tie-in series. DnA didn't really sell the role the Raptors actually played in this series, where they more or less suddenly appeared half-way through the series and then disappeared. It's no small complaint, though, given that, when they do appear, they assassinate Lilandra, an incident on which the entire event turns. I feel like DnA probably could've had someone we already knew serve this role without adding in a galactic conspiracy to complicate matters. Maybe it was Marvel pushing for one more mini-series to sell? To be fair, I felt similarly about the "Secret Order" in "Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire," because Brubaker never really fully explained who they were or what they wanted. I guess it's the nature of these shadowy galactic conspiracies. But, we still don't know a lot about the Raptors, like why their amulets are lost in dark matter, if they have a grander purpose beyond just helping the Shi'Ar Imperium expand its power, or why they chose Blastaar to take over the Ceded Territories (and why taking over the Ceded Territories was so important). It's those remaining questions that make me wonder if, indeed, this mini-series was only really intended to be a launching point for a new "Darkhawk" series that never wound up materializing.
Moreover, I wasn't thrilled with Vulcan's characterization here. DnA discard some of the nuance Yost gave to the character and portray him as just completely insane. You begin to wonder why someone as savvy as Ka'Ardum would've thrown in his lot with Vulcan if he were truly this insane. I mean, Ka'Ardum originally chose Vulcan over Lilandra because he approved of Vulcan's expansionist approach. But, I feel like Ka'Ardum has been portrayed as a smart enough warrior to know that a truly insane despot would wind up over-committing his troops and bringing ruin to the Imperium. It's why Yost's Vulcan made Ka'Ardum's support a little more believable, because Vulcan wasn't insane 100 percent of the time.
First, even after reading "War of Kings: Ascension," I feel like the Fraternity of Raptors was a pretty superfluous addition to (and unnecessary distraction from) the event. In fact, the entire mini-series felt more like an awkward back-door pilot than a vital tie-in series. DnA didn't really sell the role the Raptors actually played in this series, where they more or less suddenly appeared half-way through the series and then disappeared. It's no small complaint, though, given that, when they do appear, they assassinate Lilandra, an incident on which the entire event turns. I feel like DnA probably could've had someone we already knew serve this role without adding in a galactic conspiracy to complicate matters. Maybe it was Marvel pushing for one more mini-series to sell? To be fair, I felt similarly about the "Secret Order" in "Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire," because Brubaker never really fully explained who they were or what they wanted. I guess it's the nature of these shadowy galactic conspiracies. But, we still don't know a lot about the Raptors, like why their amulets are lost in dark matter, if they have a grander purpose beyond just helping the Shi'Ar Imperium expand its power, or why they chose Blastaar to take over the Ceded Territories (and why taking over the Ceded Territories was so important). It's those remaining questions that make me wonder if, indeed, this mini-series was only really intended to be a launching point for a new "Darkhawk" series that never wound up materializing.
Moreover, I wasn't thrilled with Vulcan's characterization here. DnA discard some of the nuance Yost gave to the character and portray him as just completely insane. You begin to wonder why someone as savvy as Ka'Ardum would've thrown in his lot with Vulcan if he were truly this insane. I mean, Ka'Ardum originally chose Vulcan over Lilandra because he approved of Vulcan's expansionist approach. But, I feel like Ka'Ardum has been portrayed as a smart enough warrior to know that a truly insane despot would wind up over-committing his troops and bringing ruin to the Imperium. It's why Yost's Vulcan made Ka'Ardum's support a little more believable, because Vulcan wasn't insane 100 percent of the time.
In the end, I realize that, when it comes to these galactic cross-over events, I basically just want to read "Annihilation" over and over again for the first time, because it was just so perfect. This event wasn't terrible by any stretch of imagination, but it lacked a certain je ne sais crois that "Annihilation" had. At the very least, I'm interested in where the various galactic Marvel titles go from here, because the new status quo is definitely different from the previous one.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
War of Kings #3-#4, War of Kings: Ascension #3, and Nova #26-#27
War of Kings #3: Holy crap, this issue is awesome. First, I freaking love Rocket Raccoon. I haven't bought the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series mainly because, really, I've got a huge backlog of back issues I'm trying to read: "New Mutants," "Spider-Man 2099," a good three years or so of "Uncanny X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy," just to name a few. I just can't add another series to the list right now. But, Rocket Raccon telling Gladiator to feel how soft his fur is when Gladiator realizes he's holding a mop, not a "Xarthian quantum cannon," pretty much made this issue for me. But, the good news is that the rest of this issue is also great. The battle between the Guardians and Starjammers and the Imperial Guard is as epic as you'd expect it to be. DnA give everyone, not just Rocket Raccoon, witty moments, and Pelletier draws easily followed action-scenes. Kallark's conversion to Lilandra's side, though essentially foreshadowed in his commentary throughout the series, was still stunning. Pelletier does a great job of drawing the shock on the face of the Shi'Ar warriors and Lilandra herself. (Also, I didn't realize that Smasher was essentially the Ensign Jones of the Imperial Guard.) DnA also move along other plots here, showing that the Inhumans are definitely cooking up something, though it's still unclear what. This series just continues to be great. I honestly have no idea how it's all going to end.
War of Kings: Ascension #3: OK, first, the Raptors. DnA are just really killing me with this plot line. I'm still confused about their goal(s). I get that the Raptors want Blastaar to take back the Ceded Territories from Ravenous, but why? If it's to help Vulcan, why would it help Vulcan to have Blastaar in charge of a territory he didn't own in the first place? Is it because Blastaar, by nature of the wards on the Cosmic Control Rod, would be beholdent to the Raptors, making him more or less beholdent to Vulcan? (Also, I don't think we discover that the Raptors are in theory working for Vulcan until "War of Kings" #4, so, if you're reading this series in order, I'm imaging you'd be really confused.) On the Chris front, I'm think I get where DnA are going, and I like it. Talon wanted Chris to control his anger, because his anger was the thing that would let him exert control over his armor, not hinder him from controling it, as Talon told him. OK, I kind of get that. I also think DnA are saying that all the other Raptors are spirts imbuing the armor because a sacrifice inhabits the physical space in the Null Space, but Chris somehow managed to have his own body be his "sacrifice" and switch between the armor and his body at will. (I think that actually makes the most sense of any Darkhawk origin story I've read.)
War of Kings #4: This issue suffers from a problem common to the last few issues of almost every cross-over event I've ever read, where the story begins to sag under the weight of all the various sub-plots that the authors try to import from the tie-in issues. DnA grapple here with integrating the plot of "War of Kings: Ascension," trying to make the appearance of Talon and Razor appear seamless. We finally learn the goal of the Fraternity of the Raptors, promoting the Shi'Ar Empire. To this end, Talon throws his support behind Vulcan. Cool. I'm still not sure how Blastaar invading the Ceded Territories is going to help on this front, but, whatever, at least we now know, in theory, why DnA have introduced the Raptors to the mix. DnA really screw up the integration of "War of Kings: Ascension" with the assassination plot, though. I mean, when I first read this issue, I thought Darkhawk had assassinated Lilandra, which seemed totally bizarre to me. Now, I understand it was Razor, but I had to go back and read "War of Kings: Ascension" to learn that. I feel like DnA really owed it to the reader to explain this plot point, without forcing us to read an additional four-issue mini-series. In terms of the non-Raptor aspects of the story, DnA do a great job of detailing the chaos of Lilandra's return to Chandilar. As I mentioned in "Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire," Lilandra, to me, seems to be capable of making an unbelievable number of bad decisions. Here, she seems to make a serious miscalculation in deciding to rush into returning to claim her throne. You'd think she maybe could've spent a little more time rallying the troops on all those planets that we''ve heard are in revolt over excessive war taxes and demanding production deadlines. But, DnA really sell the results of that bad decision, namely the chaos the Starjammers encounter in escorting her on Chandilar. It was almost like watching one of those movies based on Secret Service agents trying to keep the President safe. YOu could feel the tension as they made their way through Chandilar and you could almost hear Alex thinking, "OMG, bad idea." Moreover, Lilandra's death definitely shakes up this entire event, given that we don't really have anyone to challenge Vulcan's rule at this point. His advisers feared she would die a martyr if Vulcan executed her, but it's probably unlikely that she would gather as much support given that she died trying to depose him. I guess we'll see. Meanwhile, Black Bolt is almost definitely working on some grand plan. This whole event doesn't seem like it's going to end well.
Nova #27: OK, first, I have to note pet peeve #2. Although the intro page tells us Robbie turned off his suit tracker, we actually don't hear about that until halfway through this issue. Tsk, tsk. Moving onto the issue itself, DnA really turn up the heat here. Rich arrives at Kree-Lar to find it ravaged by Blastaar and his troops (as we learned in "War of Kings" #4, when Talon informs Vulcan that he has reached an accord with Blastaar). Meanwhile, Robbie learns how hard being a superhero is as he struggles to contain Strontian, who's dying to kill him and Ravenous the minute his power falters. I'm really not sure where DnA are going (in a good way) with the story. The scenes of a devastated Kree-Lar (excellently rendered by DiVito) bring back memories of the Annihilation Wave. But, those memories aren't exactly bad, because they recall how Rich shined when he led the United Front against Annihilius. Rich has been off the game for a while, and I'm thinking his oncoming brawl with Strontian will be just the thing to remind him of who he is. I'm more worried about Robbie, who seems now to realize just how much more complicated superhero-ing is than he thought. I guess we'll see. We've got two more issues of "War of Kings," though, before we get the answer.
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed the first few issues of "War of Kings," but I'm starting to be confused about the story DnA are telling her. At first, we seemed to be telling a Vulcan story, but now we might be telling an Inhumans one, in addition to a Starjammers one. They're not mutually exclusive, obviously, but I feel like splitting the focus between the three groups has started to make the overall plot hard to follow. "Annihilation" moved around a lot, but I felt like it was somehow clearer where the plot was going than it is here. I mean, it's OK for us not to know how the book is going to end, becasue a good story should have some mystery. But, I'm not even sure what sub-plots we've got oustanding at this point. "Annihilation" had some pretty clear sub-plots, so you always knew what the status of all the characters were, whereas "War of Kings" just seems to have people fade into, and out of, view. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the "Nova" tie-in issues, despite the fact that they don't have a lot to do with the main title.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
War of Kings #1-#2, War of Kings: Ascension #1-#2, and Nova #24-#25
War of Kings #1: Holy crap, DnA really just hurl us into the story here. I loved Crystal's narration of the Starjammer hurling through the Shi'Ar's space barrier. It really sets the tone of the events that follow: Vulcan sends in the Imperial Guard to disrupt the wedding of Crystal and Ronan the Accuser, resulting in the kidnapping of Lilandra, the loss of Ch'od's hand, and the deaths of two members of the Imperial Guard, Nightside and Smasher (again). I mean, what more could you want from a first issue? So far, DnA take a somewhat different approach to Vulcan than Yost, falling down a little heavier on the "mad king" side than on the "tortured soul" side. (His decision to drop Nega-Bombs essentially willy-nilly was particularly chilling.) Yost generally made Vulcan a more nuanced character, certainly portraying him as insane but also never forgetting the tragedy that drove him there. But, it's early days, so we'll see how his character develops as the series progresses. DnA use the characterizations of other characters as foreshadowing here. Crystal's arrogance in her conversation with Polaris will clearly not go unrewarded, if you will, and Gladitor's constant reference to serving at the pleasure of the Emperor seems to be him clearly reminding himself of that fact as he struggles to implement Vulcan's orders. We'll see where DnA go with both those thoughts.
Nova #24: OK, this issue is everything I hoped it would be. I loved the use of Suki, a rookie Centurion, as our perspective on the battle at the Gulf of Sarenta. (I also love that the battle at the Gulf was mentioned in "War of Kings" #1, just move evidence of the attention DnA pay to continuity.) Using Suki -- and the fear she feels engaging in battle for the first time -- makes Robbie realize that his brother may have been right, that sending a bunch of inexperienced, untrained Centurions into battle might not have been the best idea. Unfortunately, Robbie also thinks that he still wants to be on the front lines, and not at the strategic command, though we'll see if that opinion changes as a result of Suki's death. By having Strontian kill the Centurion hostages, DnA remind us that Vulcan is playing for keeps. I'm intrigued to see where Rich's confrontation with Ego-Worldmind goes, because I'm really waiting for the "Worldmind Gone Mad" plot to end.
War of Kings: Ascension #1: OK, after finishing the "War of Kings" series, I decided to read "War of Kigns: Ascension," because I wound up being really confused about the whole Fraternity of Raports business. Unfortunately I'm not entirely sure if I'm any clearer on the concept, though. I spent most of this issue just wanting Chris to stop whining. Seriously. I did enjoy the moment where Chris, in his human form, talks about how much he just wanted to be like Rich, a honest-to-goodness hero, and realizes that it's easier said than done. DnA excell at those moments of characterization. But, the constant whining made it hard to sympathize with him, because he seemed to spend more time complaing about not being able to achieve his potential (and become said honest-to-goodness hero) than doing anything to try to realize it. I do like the idea that the anger-management issues he's always had were a result of his poor union with the Darkhawk suit, because it seems to set up a scenario whereby he'll get past those issues and they won't constantly be used as his Achilles' heel everytime a writer has written himself into a corner. At this stage, I'm not quite sure what to do with the reveal that the Fraternity of Raptors are some sort of cosmic bad buys. Also, I'm not sure how exactly Chris reached full compatability with the suit. He made it seem like Talon had taken control over his suit to activate his full armor mode (and make him kill their attackers), so it seems unlikely he had achieved full compatability if Talon had to do it for him. I'm also not clear on where they're going with this other personality, Razor, taking over Chris' suit. If I remember correctly, when Darkhawk first started, he switched places with his suit. I'm pretty sure DnA are using that approach, where only a wearer's consciousness is imbued in the suit. It leaves open the question, though: where is Chris now?
War of Kings #2: Well, the Empire strikes back. I was thinking when Havok is exhorting Ch'od and Korvus to get the Starjammer to go faster that he sounded like Han Solo, a sense proven even more apt when he pilots the Starjammer underneath the Shi'Ar warship to board it. The Inhumans definitely land some punches here, and it'll be interesting to see how Vulcan responds. The Inhumans seem to be planning more than just destroying the Shi'Ar's second battle group, though.
Nova #25: OK, I cannot possibly imagine a better issue. When this whole "Worldmind Gone Mad" ordeal started, I had no idea how DnA were going to resolve it in a way that didn't result in Worldmind being a compromised character. Here, they give us a brilliant answer. First, they detail how Worldmind didn't just go insane but that Ego took advantage of its insanity to take control of it. It makes so much sense, because it explains Worldmind's need to divest itself of Richard, since Ego probably realized that Richard was the one person who could get Worldmind to shake off Ego's control. Second, at first, I simply loved the fact that Worldmind used Ko-Rel and Rohmann Dey as its avatars. (Also, I need to say that I laughed out loud when I saw the He-Man figures in Rich's room. Well done, Kevin Sharpe. Well done.) I thought Ko-Rel was a great character when she was introduced in "Annihilation: Conquest," so I was glad to see her return, even if it wasn't exactly her. But, the fact that she took over the personality of Worldmind was unexpected and awesome. I'm sad that we won't have Worldmind and Nova's banter, but, if anyone could replace it, it would be Ko-Rel. I've mentioned before how I haven't been a huge fan of this "Worldmind Gone Mad" plot, but DnA bring it to a close in such a way that I find myself appreciating it, even if I still find it annoying. Looking at the rest of the issue, the one-liners in this issue are great: Nova telling Worldmind that it is "critical you pay attention at this time" and telling Ego that it's "time to start thinking about others," not to mention his banter with Ko-Rel ("Is there a vegetarian option?"), were all excellent moments. DnA brought back some of the fun that I've felt has been lacking since this whole "Worldmind Gone Mad" arc began. I'm excited to see where they go from here, particularly given the surprise arrival of Garthan Saal at the end!
War of Kings: Ascension #2: OK, so, DnA set up a pretty significant ret-conning of Darkhawk, claiming that the original story we "knew" was something Chris created to try to make sense of the information he was being fed by the Datasource. My guess is that, if I thought too hard about that or read previous issues of "Darkhawk," I'd wind up finding any number of inconsistencies with that story. (For example, I'm pretty sure people saw Darkhawk and Evilhawk together, so I'm not sure how Evilhawk was just an "evil" manifestation of Darkhawk that emerged whenever Chris lost control.) But, I'm actually willing to put my obsession with continuity aside, because, to be honest, Darkhawk could use a ret-con, particularly if he's going to be re-introduced as a major charcter. In terms of the Fraternity, I'm still not sure what its game is. I've read the series, so I know that their role is helping the Shi'Ar Imperium achieve its glory. But, why did they decide to use Blastaar? (I'll return to that thought in the review of "War of Kings" #3.) Why was it necessary to bribe him with the Cosmic Control Rod? Couldn't they have just used it?
Final Thoughts: OK, I'm intrigued. I'm enjoying the "Nova" issues more than the "War of Kings" issues at this time, but mostly because I feel like DnA are righting the ship, if you will, on that title, whereas they're still just building the story in "War of Kings." I'm still skeptical of "War of Kings: Ascension," but I concede that Darkhawk could use a shot to the arm, creativity-wise, so I'm willing to give DnA some space to work. But, so far, so good.
War of Kings: Ascension #1: OK, after finishing the "War of Kings" series, I decided to read "War of Kigns: Ascension," because I wound up being really confused about the whole Fraternity of Raports business. Unfortunately I'm not entirely sure if I'm any clearer on the concept, though. I spent most of this issue just wanting Chris to stop whining. Seriously. I did enjoy the moment where Chris, in his human form, talks about how much he just wanted to be like Rich, a honest-to-goodness hero, and realizes that it's easier said than done. DnA excell at those moments of characterization. But, the constant whining made it hard to sympathize with him, because he seemed to spend more time complaing about not being able to achieve his potential (and become said honest-to-goodness hero) than doing anything to try to realize it. I do like the idea that the anger-management issues he's always had were a result of his poor union with the Darkhawk suit, because it seems to set up a scenario whereby he'll get past those issues and they won't constantly be used as his Achilles' heel everytime a writer has written himself into a corner. At this stage, I'm not quite sure what to do with the reveal that the Fraternity of Raptors are some sort of cosmic bad buys. Also, I'm not sure how exactly Chris reached full compatability with the suit. He made it seem like Talon had taken control over his suit to activate his full armor mode (and make him kill their attackers), so it seems unlikely he had achieved full compatability if Talon had to do it for him. I'm also not clear on where they're going with this other personality, Razor, taking over Chris' suit. If I remember correctly, when Darkhawk first started, he switched places with his suit. I'm pretty sure DnA are using that approach, where only a wearer's consciousness is imbued in the suit. It leaves open the question, though: where is Chris now?
War of Kings #2: Well, the Empire strikes back. I was thinking when Havok is exhorting Ch'od and Korvus to get the Starjammer to go faster that he sounded like Han Solo, a sense proven even more apt when he pilots the Starjammer underneath the Shi'Ar warship to board it. The Inhumans definitely land some punches here, and it'll be interesting to see how Vulcan responds. The Inhumans seem to be planning more than just destroying the Shi'Ar's second battle group, though.
Nova #25: OK, I cannot possibly imagine a better issue. When this whole "Worldmind Gone Mad" ordeal started, I had no idea how DnA were going to resolve it in a way that didn't result in Worldmind being a compromised character. Here, they give us a brilliant answer. First, they detail how Worldmind didn't just go insane but that Ego took advantage of its insanity to take control of it. It makes so much sense, because it explains Worldmind's need to divest itself of Richard, since Ego probably realized that Richard was the one person who could get Worldmind to shake off Ego's control. Second, at first, I simply loved the fact that Worldmind used Ko-Rel and Rohmann Dey as its avatars. (Also, I need to say that I laughed out loud when I saw the He-Man figures in Rich's room. Well done, Kevin Sharpe. Well done.) I thought Ko-Rel was a great character when she was introduced in "Annihilation: Conquest," so I was glad to see her return, even if it wasn't exactly her. But, the fact that she took over the personality of Worldmind was unexpected and awesome. I'm sad that we won't have Worldmind and Nova's banter, but, if anyone could replace it, it would be Ko-Rel. I've mentioned before how I haven't been a huge fan of this "Worldmind Gone Mad" plot, but DnA bring it to a close in such a way that I find myself appreciating it, even if I still find it annoying. Looking at the rest of the issue, the one-liners in this issue are great: Nova telling Worldmind that it is "critical you pay attention at this time" and telling Ego that it's "time to start thinking about others," not to mention his banter with Ko-Rel ("Is there a vegetarian option?"), were all excellent moments. DnA brought back some of the fun that I've felt has been lacking since this whole "Worldmind Gone Mad" arc began. I'm excited to see where they go from here, particularly given the surprise arrival of Garthan Saal at the end!
War of Kings: Ascension #2: OK, so, DnA set up a pretty significant ret-conning of Darkhawk, claiming that the original story we "knew" was something Chris created to try to make sense of the information he was being fed by the Datasource. My guess is that, if I thought too hard about that or read previous issues of "Darkhawk," I'd wind up finding any number of inconsistencies with that story. (For example, I'm pretty sure people saw Darkhawk and Evilhawk together, so I'm not sure how Evilhawk was just an "evil" manifestation of Darkhawk that emerged whenever Chris lost control.) But, I'm actually willing to put my obsession with continuity aside, because, to be honest, Darkhawk could use a ret-con, particularly if he's going to be re-introduced as a major charcter. In terms of the Fraternity, I'm still not sure what its game is. I've read the series, so I know that their role is helping the Shi'Ar Imperium achieve its glory. But, why did they decide to use Blastaar? (I'll return to that thought in the review of "War of Kings" #3.) Why was it necessary to bribe him with the Cosmic Control Rod? Couldn't they have just used it?
Final Thoughts: OK, I'm intrigued. I'm enjoying the "Nova" issues more than the "War of Kings" issues at this time, but mostly because I feel like DnA are righting the ship, if you will, on that title, whereas they're still just building the story in "War of Kings." I'm still skeptical of "War of Kings: Ascension," but I concede that Darkhawk could use a shot to the arm, creativity-wise, so I'm willing to give DnA some space to work. But, so far, so good.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Nova #23: "End of Story"
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "'Course, this would be worth real money if it was the rare "ponytail" variant." -- Rich, contemplating his action figure
Summary
Rich is in Robbie's room at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., contemplating his brother's collection of Nova-related memorabilia and, possibly for the first time, realizing the extent to which his brother wanted to be him. Quasar appears and tries to get Rich to talk about the fact that he's dying, but disappears before they can finish the conversation. Meanwhile, on Nu-Xandar, Worldmind assigns the new Centurions to various tasks in their imminent involvement in the ongoing Kree/Shi'Ar War and opens a stargate to take the planet and the Corps to the front lines. Robbie complains to Worldmind that he was placed on strategy and not combat. At Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Rich is nearly arrested when H.A.M.M.E.R. takes over the facility. He's saved by Dr. Necker (who pretends he's her boyfriend), who promises to help Rich find a cure to his condition, despite losing access to the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' high-tech labs. To this end, she takes him to a secret installation run by, in her words, "the people I...sometimes work for." It turns out she has been a mole for A.I.M. at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and Rich refuses her help as a result. He leaves the installation, but Dr. Necker follows him, giving him Quasar's Quantum Flask, something she had planned on giving to A.I.M. He and Dr. Necker share a kiss (in the rain...) and then he hurls the flask from him, saying he fears A.I.M. would get its hands on it after he died. Unexpectedly, the flask explodes and Quasar emerges, declaring that he's recovered the Quantum Bands. He gives them to Nova, who becomes the new Quasar.
The Review
The title of this issue -- "End of Story" -- is no accident. DnA clear the decks here of several ongoing plots -- and kick a few up a notch while doing it -- in preparation for the "War of Kings" event. I haven't really been the biggest fan of the post-"Secret Invasion" Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. interlude and I'm glad to see it's over. But, DnA at least give it a good ending, using its closure by H.A.M.M.E.R. as a way to bring a surprising resolution to Rich's "relationship" with Dr. Necker and solve his whole "molecular-disintegration" problem. I'm still vaguely annoyed by the "Worldmind Gone Mad "sub-plot and I feel like DnA are dragging out the obvious threat to Robbie that Nova has been predicting since Robbie became a Centurion in issue #19. But, I feel like we're getting closer to addressing both issues now, so I'm excited to see where DnA take us.
The Good
1) I thought Rich's scene in Robbie's room was the best one in this issue. It shows Rich coming to grips with his brother's adulation (and jealousy) of him, something that he's clearly tried to avoid acknowledging for years.
2) As always, I enjoy the extent to which DnA incorporate other events in the Marvel Universe into "Nova." Here, we see the repercussions of the "Secret Invasion" arc, with Norman Osborn's H.A.M.M.E.R. displacing Tony Stark's SHIELD. It's a small moment, but DnA use it to resolve the annoying Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. arc, and I applaud them for it.
The Bad
1) As I mention above, I feel like DnA have been really heavy handed in setting up the obvious tragedy we're going to see involving the new Nova Centurions. I feel like the question is more when, not if, characters like Lindy and Tre die, let alone Robbie. At the very least, I'm just hoping we end War of Kings with Worldmind back in control of his faculties and Nova leading the restored Nova Corps. Fingers crossed.
2) The Quasar deus ex machina was a little much. Given that Rich was, in theory, dying, DnA had to do something to preserve him, obviously, but this way just felt like a cheap trick, something they usually go to great lengths to avoid. At any rate, it should be interesting to see how Nova...um...Quasar handles his new powers.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Nova #19-#22: Big Trouble in the Living Planet
** (two of five stars)
Summary
Nova and the new Centurions take down the Serpent Society, whose members have barricaded themselves inside a compound with hostages (including their own family members) in response to the Skrull Invasion. Back Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Robbie and Darkhawk watch the TV coverage of the battle and gripe about being overshadowed by Nova. Returning to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Nova confronts Worldmind about beginning to recreate the Corps without telling him. Worldmind argues that Richard's disobedience had consistently put Xandarian culture at risk, forcing it to start the process of rebuilding. Nova acknowledges that the Centurions Worldmind chose were good candidates and asks it to stop adding new ones until they can properly discuss it. Worldmind informs Nova that it will not be re-uploaded into his helmet. Nova and the Centurions are called to stop some creature attacking New York and, upon returning to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Nova learns that Worldmind has called up 50 or so more candidates, including Robbie. Rich meets Firestar and Justice for beer and pizza and talks about his concerns over Worldmind's actions, but also his fear that he disapproves because he's not a team player. (In a flashback, we see Nova and Robbie fight, with Nova expressing concern for Robbie's safety and Robbie accusing Nova of being jealous.) Firestar and Justice assure Nova that he was a team player, but also note that it would've been helpful to have a fully functioning Corps to fight off events like the Skrull Invasion and the Annihilation Wave. The trio end their reunion, just in time for Nova to discover Ego the Living Planet hovering in Earth's orbit. Worldmind reveals that it overwrote Ego's "high functions in order to assume dominance" and that it plans to use the planet as the New Xandar. Nova expresses his disgust over Worldmind's actions, though Robbie defends Worldmind. Nova leaves to get some air, but runs into the Fantastic Four. He explains the situation to the team, giving a pretty eloquent defense of his position Robbie arrives to make sure Nova was "OK" and Mr. Fantastic converses with Worldmind, which implies, with Robbie's help, that Richard has begun to go insane under the pressure of containing the Nova Force. Expressing concern for his sanity, Mr. Fantastic convinces Nova to surrender the excess powers to Worldmind. At the last minute, Nova balks, and Worldmind strips his powers from him. Shortly thereafter, Worldmind begins to select dozens of people from Earth to become Centurions. Richard consults with the staff at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., who support his feeling that Worldmind is doing something wrong. They agree to run a full batter of psychological and physical tests on him and help him with the next stage of his plan, luring his brother to the compound. Upon Robbie's arrival, Dr. Necker convinces him and another Centurion to enter an isolation chamber. Once there, Richard appears and reveals that he hasn't been driven insane, according to the tests. However, he states his opinion that Worldmind has. Robbie argues, but then Richard observes that Worldmind has been manipulating them. Robbie and the other Centurion realize he's correct: they can no longer hear Worldmind subconsciously reassuring them. Richard notes that it's also infusing them with endorphins to make them feel good about its control. At that moment, other Centurions arrive and Worldmind reestablishes his control over Robbie and the other Centurion. They depart to stop an impending war between the Shi'Ar Imperium and the Kree Empire. Later, Dr. Necker reveals that Nova only has 48 hours to live, given the physiological damage containing the Nova Force did to him.
The Review
OK, I spent most of this arc annoyed. In fact, I did something I rarely do and skimmed issues #21 and #22 for clues about where the plot was going before I finished issue #20. But, in so doing, I realized that I should have had more faith in DnA, because, after all, they wanted me to be annoyed. I was afraid they were undermining the progress Nova has made throughout this series, treating him once again like a insecure goofball. Instead, Nova confronts that same fear and realizes that he's not the problem. It's the best hero type of moment, where the hero faces his fears, overcomes them, and attempts to conquer the villain who's trying to use his fears against him. All that said, it's still a pretty frustrating arc, exactly for those reasons. Although I can acknowledge how well written it is, I can't say I particularly enjoyed reading it.
The Good
1) OK, I (heart) the Serpent Society. I vividly remember the Serpent Society arc in "Captain America" in the 1990s. Something about it was just...cool. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it always seemed to really bring it when it came to fighting superheroes. The individual members might not be that powerful on their own, but together, with so many of them, they even gave Cap a run for their money.
2) So, as the "Meh" and "Bad" sections detail here, I wasn't a fan of the idea that Worldmind went behind Richard's back to re-start the Nova Corps. I acknowledge that it feels like the sort of thing that Worldmind would do, even if it weren't insane, given that it's not a human being and it's playing a long game. However, it still felt like DnA were unnecessarily adding drama into the series or, at the very least, doing so too early. However, they manage to take a plot point I disliked and turned it into one I loved: namely, Nova's conversation with Firestar and Justice. I love that Nova seeks out the two of them to work through the situation. Most authors would've just had the main character narrate his conflicted feelings via thought bubbles. But, here, we get an entire issue of character development. As I mentioned above, a lot of the reasons why Nova feels annoyed are the reasons I was annoyed. I liked Nova having sole access to Worldmind. I was jealous that Rich wasn't special anymore if Robbie also had powers. Of course, DnA are setting up that crisis of confidence just to show us that Rich has his own special attributes that make him one of the best Centurions ever, as Worldmind itself noted. Despite everything that's happened, Nova still doesn't trust that, and so, on some level, he wanted to avoid competition. I realized reading this issue that I felt the same way on his behalf, that I didn't want him to be overshadowed by Robbie or anyone else. But, just like Nova, I had to learn to trust him. After all, Nova eventually realizes that he's not motivated entirely by this fear of competition and correctly deduces that something else is afoot. The fact that DnA took me through a journey of my own emotions about the situation and showed how they mirrored Rich's? I mean, what more can I say? Genius.
3) The best part about this arc is how subtly DnA build the reveal that Worldmind isn't exactly acting "normal." At first, it appears he's just using his long view of the Corps' challenges to go around Nova, who approaches the numerous challenges from the narrower perspective of a human being. As I've previously mentioned, Nova himself questions whether or not his response to Worldmind's action was just jealous and petty. But, the nagging suspicion that maybe Worldmind was being more than just "strategic," if you will, started when it took over Ego the Living Planet. I mean, you're definitely leaving "good-guy territory" when you're "sublimating" Ego's intelligence to take over the planet. The fact that Robbie so quickly defended Worldmind also added to the sense that maybe something else was happening. Then, we heard Nova's conversation with the Fantastic Four, where he makes a pretty good argument why recruiting a whole slew of untrained Centurions wasn't really that great of an idea. At that point, you wonder, if Rich is making such a good argument, why Worldmind isn't listening to it. Again, Robbie plays an important role in playing up these suspicions when he suddenly appears to "check" to make sure Rich is OK. Then, when Worldmind starts talking about how "unstable" Nova has become, everything went a little Hitchcock. It all goes pear shape in issue #22, when you've got one of the new Centurions asking why anyone would ever leave the Corps and Worldmind assuring the new recruits that they should "remain calm" for this "great day." The reveal -- that Worldmind went insane controlling the Nova Force -- was great. Again, it wasn't fun getting there, but I can't help but applaud the artistry of it.
4) Re-reading some of the issues in order to write the summary, I have to note how pitch-perfect DnA got Robbie. They manage to show his jumping to Worldmind's defense as coming both from a sense of awe and gratitude to Worldmind for giving him the powers he needs to compete with his brother as well as from the fact that Worldmind is probably manipulating him. It's really through Robbie that DnA manage to cast doubt on Nova's motivations. Without him, it probably would've become more apparent sooner that Worldmind wasn't acting terribly nobly.
The Meh
1) OK, so, for most of issue #19, I enjoyed the sibling rivarly/friend jealousy sub-plot. Darkhawk and Robbie had a funny conversation about being also-rans to Nova. It served the purpose of highlighting how different Nova is now, something I mentioned in the last arc; DnA are capitalizing on the character growth we've seen over the course of this series by having other characters in the Marvel Universe acknowledge it. Awesome. The more we see them do that, the less likely we're going to get a return to the loveable-loser stories of the '90s. But, I feel like they overplay their hand here. Giving Robbie Nova powers? Really? I mean, by the end of the series, you begin to realize that Worldmind clearly picked Robbie not just for his scientific knowledge but also his ability to exert influence over Rich. But, it still felt like the cheap shot it was.
The Bad
1) I don't like Nova and Worldmind fighting. Although it's hard to argue with Worldmind's position that Nova taking the risks he has over the course of this series put Worldmind -- and, thus, the Xandarian culture -- at risk, I still didn't enjoy seeing them having a major rupture. Part of the joy of this series has been the witty banter between Nova and Worldmind. Although, again, I appreciated how well written this arc was, it's still disappointing that it's going to be a while (if ever) before we get back said banter.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Nova #16-#18: "Secret Invasion"
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "So...? How's this play? Are you really Richie, or do I have to craddle your gunshot, Skrull-i-fied corpse in my arms and howl "NOOOOOO" at the ceiling?" -- Robbie Rider, making me hope we seem him more over the course of this series
Summary
Favorite Quote: "So...? How's this play? Are you really Richie, or do I have to craddle your gunshot, Skrull-i-fied corpse in my arms and howl "NOOOOOO" at the ceiling?" -- Robbie Rider, making me hope we seem him more over the course of this series
Summary
Nova, still Worldmind-less, arrives on Dendron to respond to a distress signal from a research team of botanists. There, he's the victim of a surprise attack by a group of Skrulls disguised as the botanists. Just as the Skrulls start to get the upper-hand, one of them reveals himself as the Super Skrull and helps Richard fight off his comrades. The two then flee from the pursuing Skrull warship until Nova decides to take the direct approach and destroy it. Kl'rt tells Nova that the events of the Annihilation Wave had changed him and he had begun to see the "vile, jihadist fervor afflicting the soul of [his] species." He then informs Richard that the Skrulls had intended to assassinate him to make sure he did not interfere in their plan to invade Earth. (He had joined the strike team to see who its target was, only discovering it was Richard when he arrived). Nova starts a hasty departure for Earth and Kl'rt requests to go with him, since his daughter is on Earth and he already lost his son to the Annihilation Wave. Nova agrees, and, upon exiting his stargate, they find themselves in the middle of the Skrull invasion fleet. Kl'rt pretends to kill Nova to distract the Skrulls, and Richard returns to Earth. He checks on his parents, who send him to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. to check on his brother, Robbie, who's working there as a technician. Upon arrival, Nova discovers the Skrulls have already attacked, and he's blindsided by Darkhawk (in a great splash page) who worries he's a Skrull. Robbie verifies Rich's identity and brings him to meet with Director Gruenwald (awesome). Nova learns that all the weapons that could fight the Skrulls are locked in the vault, which was super-locked (if you will) to keep the Skrulls from getting them. The one weapon available (that happened to be outside the vault for testing) requires a super-computer to process, but the Skrulls have infected P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' StarkTech. Nova and Darkhawk repel a Skrull attack and Nova requests to see the weapon in the test lab. Robbie and his boss explain that it's something called the "Quantum Flask," which they retrieved from the Negative Zone a few weeks earlier. Nova informs them about Worldmind being just the super-computer they need, but unfortunately being off-line, and Robbie's boss offers to try to re-boot it. They're successful in doing so, but the Skrulls attack in the middle of the process. Worldmind reboots, and, in so doing, opens the flask, revealing that its "contents" were Quasar, who's been brought back to life (or, at least, mostly to life, since he appears to be made entirely of energy now). Nova and Quasar arrive to provide support to Darkhawk and his men, beating back the Skrull advance. Worldmind links with Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.' computer and overrides Director Gruenwald's lock of the vault. He activates the Minion project, deploying a group of robotic defenders to help Nova and Darkhawk repel the attack. The Skrulls beat a strategic retreat, revealing their intent to destroy the base with one of their warships. Before Worldmind can route power through Nova, the ship is destroyed...by a group of Nova Centurions!
The Review
The Review
This arc was excellent. Seriously, seriously excellent. It's hard to put into words, but I felt like I had returned to the '90s, reading some of the best stories with some of my favorite characters. DnA give us all sorts of great moments here that show the emotional connections between these characters, like Nova telling Darkhawk how good it would've been to have had his support during the Annihilation Wave. It's why I'm so excited about them taking over "New Mutants," because I feel like they find ways to imbue emotions and history in all the interactions that Nova has with supporting characters. It's something few comic-book authors do well, and it's just such a joy to see them do it here, particularly when it comes to characters that I loved but Marvel put in dry-dock.
The Really Good
The Really Good
1) DnA really do a great job walking us through Kl'rt's soul searching. He talks about how the unity that all the various races of the United Front displayed during the war against the Annihilation Wave had taught him about priorities and he had begun to realize his race was locked on an "ignorant, religious crusade." As motivations to change long-held beliefs go, war and its aftermath are pretty good ones. I've been impressed by all the post-"Annihilation" stories because the authors have made the characters involved really struggle with the aftermath. "Annihilation" is going to be considered one of the best events of all time because, unlike every other event that promises to "shake the Marvel Universe," this one actually did. It actually had real impacts that weren't forgotten immediately in the first post-event arc. I'm so used to authors just changing the personalites of long-established characters because it suits their purposes for the time being. DnA do it the hard way here, building off years of various stories and works of other authors to bring Kl'rt to where he is when this issue starts. I give them a serious round of applause for that.
2) DARKHAWK, PEOPLE, DARKHAWK! Man, I LOVE that DnA brought back Darkhawk. He was one of my favorite characters in the '90s. His series unfortunately got kind of weak, if I remember correctly, at the end, but I remember being totally entranced by the first few issues. I was roughly the same age as he was, and I remember feeling more connected to him than almost any other character. I'm so stoked to see him here, with Nova, another character I loved in the '90s. I've got to find my flannel and listen to some Nirvana! The '90s live!
2) DARKHAWK, PEOPLE, DARKHAWK! Man, I LOVE that DnA brought back Darkhawk. He was one of my favorite characters in the '90s. His series unfortunately got kind of weak, if I remember correctly, at the end, but I remember being totally entranced by the first few issues. I was roughly the same age as he was, and I remember feeling more connected to him than almost any other character. I'm so stoked to see him here, with Nova, another character I loved in the '90s. I've got to find my flannel and listen to some Nirvana! The '90s live!
The Good
1) The cat-like alien in distress named "Botanist Maow?" Awesome. The Skrulls posing as kitty cats to lure Nova? Double awesome. I also love Richard's and Kl'rt's hilarious conversation about how despicable it was later.
2) Richard's conversations with Darkhawk and his brother when they're all first reunited were awesome. I loved Darkhawk telling us he's been attacked by Captain America, Thor, and Dick Cheney and constantly screaming "They all say that!" every time Rich tries to prove he's not a Skrull. I also loved the witty banter between Rich and his brother, the quote above being perhaps the best of a damn good bunch. Again, DnA with the great dialogue AND compelling plots!
3) I've talked a lot in these reviews of "Nova" about how happy I am to see Nova finally getting the chance to mature and for the other superheroes in the Marvel Universe to notice. To that end, I thought DnA did a great job showing that throughout this arc, with both Darkhawk and Quasar commenting on how capable he seems. You can see Chris idolizing him a bit here, inspired by his conversion to adult superhero (and maybe hoping he can pull of the same thing). Great stuff.
4) I'm glad we got some closure with Richard's parents. It was bugging me. Dude is busting his ass saving the Universe. He deserves to have his parents be proud.
The Bad
2) Richard's conversations with Darkhawk and his brother when they're all first reunited were awesome. I loved Darkhawk telling us he's been attacked by Captain America, Thor, and Dick Cheney and constantly screaming "They all say that!" every time Rich tries to prove he's not a Skrull. I also loved the witty banter between Rich and his brother, the quote above being perhaps the best of a damn good bunch. Again, DnA with the great dialogue AND compelling plots!
3) I've talked a lot in these reviews of "Nova" about how happy I am to see Nova finally getting the chance to mature and for the other superheroes in the Marvel Universe to notice. To that end, I thought DnA did a great job showing that throughout this arc, with both Darkhawk and Quasar commenting on how capable he seems. You can see Chris idolizing him a bit here, inspired by his conversion to adult superhero (and maybe hoping he can pull of the same thing). Great stuff.
4) I'm glad we got some closure with Richard's parents. It was bugging me. Dude is busting his ass saving the Universe. He deserves to have his parents be proud.
The Bad
1) The introduction page for issue #17 was bizarre. It was clearly meant to come first, because it talks about Kl'rt "betraying" Nova. But, it comes after we learn that Kl'rt didn't betray Nova, he only pretended to do so to save him. Weird.
2) I have to say, the only thing keeping me from giving this arc a five, which I had totally planned to do, was the anti-climatic ending. I feel like DnA threw us TOO much of a curveball having the Skrull threat -- the main plot of these three issues -- suddenly evaporate via the introduction of a new plot, the return of the Nova Centurions. I really liked the chaos of these three issues, with everyone haphazardly having to team together to fend off the Skrulls. As such, it felt a little like Nova, Darkhawk, and the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. team were denied a win when the problem is suddenly magically solved by the Nova Centurions, whoever they actually are.
2) I have to say, the only thing keeping me from giving this arc a five, which I had totally planned to do, was the anti-climatic ending. I feel like DnA threw us TOO much of a curveball having the Skrull threat -- the main plot of these three issues -- suddenly evaporate via the introduction of a new plot, the return of the Nova Centurions. I really liked the chaos of these three issues, with everyone haphazardly having to team together to fend off the Skrulls. As such, it felt a little like Nova, Darkhawk, and the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. team were denied a win when the problem is suddenly magically solved by the Nova Centurions, whoever they actually are.
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