Nova #14 Review

NOVA #14
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Wellinton Alves

This has to be the best issue of the Nova series to date. Alves has managed to draw the absolute best rendition of Galactus that I have ever seen (I love the space / cosmos-like effects in the cracks in his armour and surrounding him. He looks like a cosmic entity and something that would be the death of your world instead of a giant man in a purple suit) and the battle with the Silver Surfer was as spectacular as you'd expect. On top of that, Abnett and Lanning manage to finish up the exodus of the planet and leave us with a jaw dropping conclusion that has me dying to be back here next month for the follow up.

Last month, we ended with Nova attempting to ask for a stay of execution, if only for a few hours, for the planet so they population could fix their ship engines and get the hell out of dodge. Galactus didn't even acknowledge Nova and we were left with an amazing shot of the Surfer dragging Nova off with his hand at his throat.

Picking up right where we left off, Nova is left scrambling trying to figure out what the hell is going on as he is up against, and seriously outclassed by, the Silver Surfer. The Surfer refuses to answer any of Nova's plees to stop and just opens up on Nova. Nova eventually makes his way to Galactus' location in hopes the Surfer will stop fighting if they are too close to his master and, unfortunately for Nova, it doesn't work as the Surfer just latches onto him and flies him down to the planet's surface.

Thankfully, the Surfer hasn't complete lost it and he actually brought him down to the planet to be out of earshot of Galactus. He gets right to business and asks Nova what he wants and, after listening to his plee, especially after hearing he doesn't want him to stop and only to give them a few hours to fix their ship engines, the Surfer blinks and, with the aid of the Power Cosmic, instantly fixes their ships and sternly tells Nova to leave now or face the consequences.

Nova and the World Mind have some great dialogue during this whole sequence of events and DnA have a great handle on their dynamic and, especially, on the Surfer's new role and personality as the herald of Galactus, unlike a certain Black Panther arm-locking Fantastic Four issue I won't mention.

With things relatively good to go, Nova goes to claim Harrow, the pyschic entity he captured last issue, from his holding cell and transport him away for trial. Unfortunately, Harrow escaped last issue and has slaughtered all the people looking after him while Nova was away. Nova, unwilling to let that monster go free and against the World Mind's urging to leave before the planet explodes and they are unable to escape, goes after the escaped creature and finds it slaughtering the last of the evacuees as they make their way to the final ship.

Nova attempts to capture Harrow in another gravity field, but it has learned to adjust to them and escapes with ease and continues its killings. Nova holds him while the last of the refugees escape and the ship takes off, but not before the ship's engines fry Harrow's current host, and most likely Harrow, itself, and knocks out Nova with the blast.

We end the issue with Nova awakening to World Mind's warnings as Galactus decends on the planet. Nova is informed they cannot leave or create any kind of gravimetric field with the electromagnetic interference and that they are trapped on the doomed world.

Verdict - Must Read. The Silver Surfer fight delivered and we got to see some heroic action from Nova as he helps the last of the refugees escape and "sacrifices" so they can escape as he holds Harrow back. The last two issues have been the best of the series, if you ask me, and Nova remains one of the best books, month in and month out. A must read for everyone.

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