Nova #12 15/01/2014 Pick of the Week

Nova #12

Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Paco Medina
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: Albert Deschesne
Publisher: Marvel Comics

My Thoughts;

After taking the reins on Nova from #100 Gerry Duggan is weaving together an intricate storyline for Nova, Sam Alexander, hunting down the helmets of the recently deceased Nova corps. Duggan is doing a great job of portraying a young super hero, who although being involved in several cosmic threats, Phoenix Force, invited to the Avengers by Thor and taking on the threat of Thanos, he is still naïve when it comes to being a super hero.

In this issue Nova stumbles across a derelict Nova Corps ship where he happens upon a "Pirate" who has come into trouble as the dead Nova who was powering his commandeered ship is no longer doing so and requests the help of Sam to power up his ship again. Being to trusting Sam obliges to do this and, showing off somewhat, he re-powers the ship and heads back home. Would you see the likes of Captain America be so trusting of a Pirate who has somehow come across a Nova Corps ship, I don't think so.

It will come as no surprise to you that this spacefaring Pirate wasn't the innocent galactic bystander he made himself out to be and was in fact a slaver on his way to make profit from aliens recently kidnapped from various planets. The big twist in this issue is whose attention this receives, none other than the cosmic interpretation of Thor, Beta Ray Bill who is now on the tail of our inexperienced Nova to work out just why he helped out this evil doer.

It is apparent in this issue that Sam is maturing as a Super Hero and has much better control of his powers taking down the fleet attacking the commandeered Nova Corps ship. Although in his haste to help what he thought to be a fellow Nova he didn't hesitate to assess the situation. Ignorant to the real reason this ship was under attack he mistakenly helped the wrong side.

It is this maturing of the Super Hero that makes Nova one of my favourite monthly books to read. The events of the Nova book up to now have been a great showing of how Sam stumbled upon his fathers Legacy into becoming the new Black Nova and how becoming a super hero doesn't happen in a day. I continue to enjoy reading Sam's adventures and misadventures as Nova and look forward to seeing how Beta Ray Bill helps Nova in taking that next step in his heroing career.