Nova #18 Review

Should you pick this up? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

EVERYBODY HAS ONE…

I have to be honest since the Watcher fell and even before he was murdered I’ve been eagerly anticipating this outing. The very set-up for Original Sin was with a #0 starring our current Human Rocket. It was a moving literary journey that shed light on not only the protagonist for this franchise but the history of a character that’s largely been shrouded in mystery. Needless to say the end result was striking and it left me anticipating our young hero’s reaction. And as this creative team dives into this youth and his relationship with the Man on the Moon, I’m left with admiration.

It’d be easy to follow a stereotypical path but Gerry Duggan understands that this is not your typical crime-fighter. Here’s this kid who spent his younger years believing his father to be a galactic hero only to grow up and lose that childhood wonderment that we all at one point share. He saw his dad as flawed until he disappeared. From that point on he’s been thrust into a world where he’s constantly trying to grasp onto something and one of his allies is now dead. And that’s the point, as this author writes Sam Alexander and his reaction in a way that shows why this is one of the best comics at your local shop.

The illustrations by David Baldeon are what they need to be as the text on the page flows with an array of panels that ultimately compliment the literary word. I honestly have only a few minor complaints as certain scenes felt a tad bit rushed ultimately leaving me slightly underwhelmed by their final implementation. But when the colors done by David Curiel get added to the mix the entire package leaves me with just enough positive thoughts to praise the whole visual component.

Nova #18 has heart as our hurting hero tries his best to muster some kind of gumption to face the demons knocking at his door. It earns a recommendation from me.