First Look: NOVA #18

NOVA #18 (APR140636)

Written by GERRY DUGGAN

Art by DAVID BALDEON

Cover by PACO MEDINA

FOC – 05/26/14 On- Sale – 06/18/14

This June, Original Sin rocks the life of Sam Alexander as the young hero faces a mystery in NOVA #18 – from the fan-favorite creative team of Gerry Duggan and David Baldeon! The death of the Watcher has left a hole in young Nova’s life, but even as he grieves for the loss of his friend, there is hope for the future. Before his death, Uatu left Sam with hope that his long-lost Father, former Black Nova Jesse Alexander, is still alive. Only there is more to the story…and it lies in the secret history of the Black Novas. What was the purpose of this clandestine sect of the Nova Corps? The secrets they kept will propel Nova to the end of the cosmos in search of answers! Was Nova’s father a murderer? The secret history of the Black Novas begins to unravel this June in NOVA #18 – a tie-in to Original Sin!

I still find it unbelievable how people don't like Sam Alexander

arts really funky

@twix_right_side: I know right. I'm loving his series.

@twix_right_side: i think he cool

I can remember the threads being made a year or two ago about how he's gonna be a drug dealer and all of that,or how "HE'S NOT RICHARD RIDER! THIS IS OFFENSIVE"

I mean...seriously -__-

@twix_right_side: i think it's because of the ultimate spider-man show

That's understandable. I hate that show.

MAJOR PLOT TWIST

The killer is an eye itself... get it

Sam is quite likable.

I think it's that people miss Rider, so they take it out on Sam.

@twix_right_side: Same he is such a likeable character. I know people hate the Ultimate Spider-Man show but come on not even giving this series a chance is dumb. Plus it has half of the writering power house of Deadpool which is fantastic.

Reeeaally gotta catch up on this series.

I like Sam, and am really enjoying the series. I just miss Richard Rider. Sam doesn't have to go away (and I hope he doesn't), but Richard needs to come back...

I've been loving Nova since issue 1, Sam is great. His mix of being a bit gullible along with his need to prove himself as a hero makes for some great situations. The art is fantastic and the writing is up there with Deadpool and Thor quality wise.

This wins the award for most underrated book!

Looks interesting! I'll have to get into this book sometime. The art is a little funky looking though its funky looking in a good way.

@master_thief: *In M. Night Shyamlan's voice* What a twist!

Yep. It's pretty terrible. That said, people don't seem to take that show out on the other characters appearing on it.

True. White Tiger is pretty badass in Mighty Avengers,though.

Don't be so quick to judge us yet, but yes I recognize there are people (or fanboys for that matter) that mindlessly take it out on Sam but I think more of the issue at hand here was his origin. Cause out of nowhere Racoon and Gamora just suddenly make it like Sam is the "chosen one" and just putting his dad's Nova helmet on suddenly made him a Centurion even without the Xandarian worldmind who was last seen in the Cancerverse with Richard Rider in 2010's The Thanos Imperative #6.

Personally I was ok with how it ended but what bothered most of us cosmic space Marvel fans (I guess meaning diehard fans that read Abnett's run and Giffen's Annihilation) was how Thanos and Quill escaped the Cancerverse with no mention whatsoever on what happened to Nova-Prime and the Worldmind. It's puzzling as to where Sam gets his Nova powers without the Xandarian worldmind which we last knew was the only known source of the Nova Force, and without it there is supposed to be no Nova Force.

Consistency from that lore was what got many of us so unless an explanation about that is done it would be hard for many to just ride with this current Nova. Yes there will be a release of what happened to Nova-Prime this August but now we are all very worried that its in Bendis' hands and many of us aren't really sure if he will decently pull it off or butcher it completely.

I think that's fair. I am a new fan to Nova but I can appreciate how older fans of Rider can find themselves unable to attach themselves to Sam. Bendis does have a habit of mashing things together without spending time on making it cohesive and it does come off insulting to fans who have been loyal to the characters he's handling.

I am really looking forward to August, at least to get some closure or sense to what happened to Richard.

Also, interesting altar set up for previous Novas, Day of the Dead type thing.