Comic Info
Comic Name: Nova (Volume 4)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning
Artist: Wellington Alves/Paul Pelletier
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2008
Reprints Nova (4) #8-12 and Annual #1 (January 2008-June 2008). Nova travels to the edge of the universe and discovers a place called Knowhere. Nova battles to free Knowhere and finds himself on a trip to the Phalanx home planet of Kvch in the hopes of finding a cure to the Techno-Virus that is killing him.
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Nova Volume 2: Knowhere is a space fantasy from Marvel Comics. Following Nova Volume 1: Annihilation—Conquest, the collection features art by Wellington Alves and Paul Pelletier. The issues were also collected as part of Annihilation: Conquest Omnibus.
Nova is one of Marvel’s better titles. The character and art are both interesting enough to feel different than other Marvel comics but still familiar enough to feel like a Spider-Man title.
This collection has ties to Annihilation: Conquest (which was also written by Abnett and Lanning) and finally clears up the who Techno-Virus problem which was beginning to bog down the series. The first part of the story also provides a set-up for Abentt and Lanning’s Guardians of the Galaxy series which uses Knowhere as its base of operations (and utilizes Cosmo, the Luminals, Gamora, and Drax).
The whole Nova Annual/alternate reality issue is a bit of a drag. It basically is a long “What If” issue and that isn’t really fun…plus it is a bit lazy. It drags in a rather interesting story and could have been much more utilized for another “real” adventure…since it was obvious that it wasn’t really happening.
It was nice to see Warlock back in action. He had always been one of my favorites from the New Mutants and this was the closest to the original Warlock he had been in a long time. The Phalanx are always tricky to write and they are so powerful and dangerous that they don’t really make good villains. Warlock was utilized well and the storyline was a good throwback to his origins.
Nova is a great series, but like all great series, there are some weak issues. This collection is no different. The difference is that the average Nova issues are still better than a lot of the other comics out of there. Don’t be afraid that Nova is one of this cosmic books. Richard Rider’s personality does a nice job deriding the cosmic feel. Nova 2: Knowhere is followed by Nova 3: Secret Invasion.
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