The latest version of the human rocket enters his second event, but is it a good fit?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

INFINITY TIE-IN!

• The events of INFINITY have Sam Alexander in over his head, but he’s about to get back up from some Nice Entertaining Wallflowers Who–okay, this is exhausting. They’re a couple of dudes from the New Warriors.

• Will Nova help them put their team back together?

There’s a lot going on in the life of this burgeoning superhero and despite the arc that preceded it this teen titan may have to learn to run before he can walk.  The creative team wastes absolutely no time continuing their arc while implementing minor elements of the cosmic campaign that”s engulfing this shared universe.  The end result is an outstanding comic that acts as a tie-in but maintains its own soul.

Zeb Wells deserves a lot of credit for not only taking on Infinity but also maintaining the integrity of the franchise.  It would be easy to take Sam Alexander and his new allies into a larger battle with more recognizable characters but the author chooses to keep this intersection local.  And besides one minor bit of cringe worthy dialogue, the whole of the odyssey flows beautifully.  I was particularly impressed with how quickly the scribe built up the team dynamic and I for one can’t wait to see the New Warriors back in action.

The style of Paco Medina might on face value seem a bit at odds with the text on the page, as an otherwise out of this world adventure employs an artist that carries an innate sense of realism.  There are some odd moments due to that fact but for the most part the seasoned talent does so much good that these few instance are easily overlooked.  From the first page to the final panel he builds up a world that’s visually stimulating in all the right ways.

Nova #9 is an excellent entry that raises the stakes, enters an event and embraces the legacy behind this ongoing series.  Recommended.

4/5