Nova, Volume 3: Nova Corpse

Nova (2013) (Collected Editions)

by Gerry Duggan (Writer)

Saving the Galaxy & Doing His Homework!

Writer Gerry Duggan (Deadpool) launches an epic odyssey that will take our warp-speed wunderkind to the very ends of the Marvel Universe! The Nova Corps' deadly secrets stand revealed--and Sam Alexander is in way over his helmeted head. Hot on the trail of the missing Nova Corps, Nova saves the lives of some new friends in deep space. But as Sam hunts down clues to Corps' demise, he discovers a new threat of his own making! And when Thor's hammer-wielding buddy Beta Ray Bill arrives on earth demanding answers, Nova's days may be numbered! Can the galaxy's newest and least experienced hero prevail against overwhelming odds?

Collecting: Nova 11-16, and material from 10

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2014

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

As my dear, dear friend Sam mentioned in his review, this is basically teen Spider-Man in space. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
It's definitely not an edgy comic. More of a cute coming of age kind of story.
In Space.



I'm enjoying this title, even though there's a lot of cliché things that happen in it. Sam has to try to deal with family problems, girl problems, school problems, and (of course) superhero problems.
Life is a balancing act...
I like Sam. He's a good kid in an impossible situation, but he loves his family, and it shows.



The plot in this one is fairly simple.
Sam, via his helmet, is tracking down all of the dead Nova Corps members.
Where this is going to go in the future, I'm not sure, but so far it's interesting.



While doing that, he unknowingly screws up, and (thinking he's helping an innocent victim) enables a bad guy to escape.
Thus bringing down the wrath of Beta Ray Bill!
Will Bill realize that Sam made a rookie mistake in time to avoid a mash-up?!
Neigh! Come on...you know you laughed at that one!
*cue obligatory fight scene*



Don't worry. They kiss, make up, and ( as soon as Sam finds a replacement babysitter for his little sister) head out together into the stars to right the wrong!

This volume was fun, but not quite as much fun as the first two.
Still a good read, though!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't been too impressed with this series so far, but I enjoyed this one more than the rest, so I rated it higher. I think I gave the others 2 stars. Sam is kinda annoying. I know it's just his age. He figures out his helmet is sending receiving signals from all the Nova Helmets. He goes looking for one and find a body and some big trouble that sets the story in motion. Sam can blast through space quickly in that helmet of his. It's impressive.

Cosmo, the dog has an appearance in this story. I have also heard the youtube channels speak of Beta Ray Bill Thor. He played a major roll in this story. He is one strange and odd character, not that I didn't like him, but weird. He has Stormbringer with him. After a whole volume, they finally get the one helmet and things are sort of resolved. They also make an appearance in Knowhere and it looks very different than the movies.

If this keeps improving, then I will stick with the story. I was entertained by this. It's totally for middle grade and above.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Sam’s adventures as the new Nova continue. We have him dealing with trying to be Nova and still figure out normal life. Like not missing school, trying to find a babysitter for his sister while his mom works so he can get his super hero on. Out in the space ways, Sam gets tricked into helping someone up to no good. This brings Beta Ray Bill in leading to a team up to undo what he did. Loved the two teams f them together. Art is still solid and I’m still having fun with Sam out flying around the galaxy.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this just wasn't quite as good as the first two volumes. The home drama is getting a bit repetitive, and Sam is frustratingly slow to learn from his mistakes. On the plus side, there's an actual ongoing mission for Sam (to recover the helmets of the fallen Novas, and eventually find his father) and there seems to be new developments coming at home. And two of my favorite super minor Marvel characters show up: Beta Ray Bill and Cosmo! Just seeing these two in the same comic makes me ridiculously happy.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

The uneven adventures of Sam Alexander aka Nova continues in this third volume that also sees the title pass 100 issues (the character’s been around since the late ‘70s so that tells you something about his popularity!).

Sam’s saving the universe or something while looking for dead Nova comrades for some reason and accidentally helps out a slave trader/pirate - oops. I guess this kid’s still learning to be a superhero, right? Hoho…

Beta Ray Bill and Cosmo make cameos, bad jokes are made by Gerry Duggan, and through it all, Sam’s gotta juggle school, family responsibilities and the most obvious love interest he still won’t hit because this is basically a YA comic! This Nova is essentially early Spider-Man albeit in space.

It’s pretty clear who the funny one is in the partnership of Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn on their Deadpool series as Duggan fails to raise even a faint smile with his weak attempts at humour. All he’s got to offer are puns - Nova Corps = Corpse, geddit? And this doozy of a reply when he’s being taught to play chess in detention: “More like chess B-O-R-E-D”. HAHAHAHAHA. Expect that level of hilarity throughout.

And yet - it’s not terrible. It feels overlong and a bit scattered but Sam’s adventures do hold the attention as there’s plenty going on. Duggan places Nova more firmly in the Marvel Cosmic Universe by having all of his adventures in space and introducing him to the cosmic cast like Cosmo and Beta Ray Bill, and showing him the weird Guardians of the Galaxy hangout, Knowhere.

Besides the puns, Duggan’s writing is fine for the most part, though there was a totally bizarre school scene that made no sense. A science teacher is arguing with a student over the existence of extraterrestrials. This is a comic set in the Marvel Universe. This volume of Nova follows Infinity, where Thanos - an extraterrestrial - invaded Earth with his fleet of, yes, extraterrestrials. And what about the decades of similar invasions of Earth from Skrulls, Badoon, etc. etc. ?! There should be no question by anyone on Earth in the Marvel Unvierse over the existence of extraterrestrials - that scene was beyond stupid.

To be fair to Duggan though, Nova has had a revolving door of writers from Jeph Loeb on Vol 1, to Zeb Wells on Vol 2, so he does a decent job of keeping all of the plates spinning. It’s still not a must-read series, but if you enjoy all things cosmic in your Marvel and don’t mind the YA flavour of the comic, Nova’s worth a look.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!

I love this one as we see Sam's personal life and well the troubles he has with his mom and all and then his GF and all and then how he goes to space and helps people and then comes across a guy named Captain Skaarn only to find that he was a bad guy when BRB comes knocking and so we have an epic team up between these two and its so fun, them helping people and well battling the knights of Galador and then finally fighting Skaarn who now has some weapon of a herald of Galactus and its a quick fight but Sam's emotions come in which is such a fun facet to see.

Plus good heartfelt moments between Bill and Sam and we learn a few philosophical things and I love how after meeting Bill and a crazy cosmic adventure his mind sort of changes and we follow him on another great adventure and well that ending omg. Things will get interesting and I love how Duggan maintains the sci-fi adventure aspect but also the personal problems that make this volume so relatable but the best part is the art and I just love it so much! <3

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah man, not as good as volume 1 - 2.

So Nova meets up with Bill in this volume and some of their dialog is gold. I also love the dialog Nova says randomly. The way he just talks to himself, also very sarcastic, and annoyed so easily actually feels like a real teenager. I know I said this in past volumes, but I love how awesome Sam is in being a actual teenager and not a teenager written like an adult who acts like an adult.

The art is still solid as well.

However this volume didn't grab me. It's a fine, decent read, that could have been better if more happened. The ending was kind of boring and the story arcs feel a bit dragged out. Hoping to get more into human feel of Sam and his family so it doesn't lose that. On to volume 4!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume three of the new Nova series. I do like this fifteen-year-old superhero. Sam Alexander acts like such a fifteen-year-old. Once again, he jumps into a situation without knowing all the facts - in this case, picking sides in a space battle and assuming (wrongly) that he knows who the bad guys are.

So he gets duped into powering up the villain's spaceship (uh, the fact that he was using a dead Nova as the battery wasn't a big enough clue, kid?), which leads to Beta Ray Bill, the alien "Thor," tracking Sam down on Earth for the traditional first-meeting brawl before they work out their misunderstandings. And then Sam is off to another space adventure, this time involving a dead Celestial, a telepathic Russian dog, and yet another space hottie who kind of likes him and expresses it by decking him.

Nova is great fun. Frankly, the scenes on Earth I find rather tedious. If I were Sam, I would have a hard time keeping my mind on the need to stay in school and babysit my little sister when I'm literally flying to other galaxies to do battle with space pirates alongside an alien thunder god. At what point does a superhero say, "Hey, maybe I can go tear a chunk of rare elements out of an asteroid and put an end to all these financial problems"?

Somewhat weaker writing in this volume (bad puns, cliched girl problems, and seriously, does anyone on Marvel Earth - you know, the Earth that gets invaded every other week - still doubt the existence of space aliens?), making it more of a 3.5 star book, but I still like the series.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still an awesome series, but this installment lagged a teensy bit. It had the personality and heart that the last volume had, but at times, I found the story a bit clumsy. I also felt like Nova’s mom got sidelined into a weird, naggy mom role. She’s more interesting than that.

The art was bright and cosmic. There was a great character dynamic between Beta Ray and Nova. I’m also always ecstatic when Cosmo shows up.

All in all, I’m still very much invested in Sam Alexander, and I look forward to the next volume.

[Andrómeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

No entiendo por qué en cada volumen han cambiado de escritores... pero sigue siendo bueno.

When times are tough, there is always ample reason to celebrate your life. You have the ability to explore the wonders of our universe as few could never dream. Every day of life is a gift, and fate has given your existence something that no one else has.
Some day it will all end, and when you look back you mustn’t have any regrets. Our warrior’s lives cannot just be combat… There are more meaningful collisions to experience. Try to remember that you’re blessed in a way that even I am not. You have a family that loves you and… you have a home!

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the other 2 I’ve read from this series this is is my favorite so far. Sam is such a fun character and I’ve really enjoyed reading his journey in The Champions comics and his short time as an Avenger. Seeing his origin is really neat. This one sees him team up with one of my favorite cosmic characters Beta Ray Bill for a fun adventure to Knowhere that brings Cosmo in as well. I just bought the other three volumes so I’m excited to read Sam’s full solo journey soon.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I’ve been reading a lot more than I’ve been reviewing… so knee-jerk reaction time!*

Another solid read. I’m enjoying watching Sam mature into a hero, as he makes mistakes and then corrects them. Being a hero isn’t about being perfect: It’s about doing what is right, even if that means sometimes undoing a wrong of your own. Another added bonus—Beta Ray Bill! (Who I had never really read a lot before.)

[Aisling · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Character development aside, it's still a fairly problematic series.

I like the stuff at home and not so much when it's cosmic which is weird cause this is suppose to be a cosmic series. So, how did this arc do?

World: The art is good, I am still feeling that this trying to imitate McGuinness but this time around it's not quite there, I think it's mainly to do with the colors, the splash pages are nice and the cosmic stuff looks good, but the characters are not quite there for me. The world building here is still bits and pieces, bits and pieces of Earth, home, school, and space. It's a bit fragmented and we don't really get the full picture so while the world building is not bad, it needs to be focused, just like the story.

Story: Just like the last arc, there are some great parts and there are some not so much. I still like the home and school stuff the most as this is a young hero and seeing this side of Nova is very interesting to me, the cosmic stuff while a bit better this time around with Horse Thor is still not really that interesting. It's also paced fairly wonkily with action and logic behind these action scenes to be a bit iffy and too deus ex for my liking. I don't understand why Nova is left alone to his own device like that, it makes no sense in the MU, why would they just let him wander around, he's making splashes. Kamala get's visits from Avengers, Miles is visited by Cap and also Jessica so why is Nova left to his own devices, this makes no sense. A child with the Nova power and no one in the MU is keeping an eye on him and making sure he's doing the right thing? This is the series' biggest flaw and also leads to these pointless jaunts into space that lead nowhere. This series needs to focus on what it wants to be, a family drama about a young superhero learning the ropes (cause he certainly doesn't look like he needs help with his powers, when did he know how to do all those things...) or is this a cosmic adventure? The end does wrap up space in a manner of speaking and does have some good parts, plus the end with his home is, hopefully a more focused direction the series will go.

Characters: I like a lot that Sam is human and a kid and making mistakes without thinking. I like how he's proud and he's a bit full of himself and it's gonna blow up in his face, it makes it engaging and real. However, I am starting to see that the mother can't just say go do whatever you want and have barely any input on him, Sam really needs a mentor and a direction (this series does) and if the mother is not there to do it it has to be someone from the MU. He is just bumbling around, and when did he get so good with the Nova power it makes no logical sense, it's fun for a couple of issues but this is a year into his run there needs to be a point, when is he going to actively try and find his father? He's directionless and that's fine, then give him someone to push him. The rest of the cast are also problems as none of them matter and none of them have any weight to their characters. I had thought that we would spend time with Sam and Mom and we would hear her tell him what it was like waiting for his father, and teaching him about responsibility no only to his calling but his family, but her mother is an enabler and it's not helping the character develop or create good story. Argh, the characters needs work.

The series is directionless and I am hoping that they find it soon, it's more than a year in and it's still not sure what it wants to be. It's not bad, but it's just not good, it's okay.

Onward to the next book!

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give this 3.5

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about this series that is so appealing. Marvel has been continuously changing the writers but it still remains consistently good. I really like Sam as a character. He has one of the best hero in training stories I have ever followed since Miles Morales. I feel like books like this all speak with a clear voice of the teen today and yet remind adults about what it is like to be young and at times dumb. Sam makes mistakes but I am glad he not only never gives up but is always eager to seek positive mentors. Beta Ray Bill was great in this book. Gerry Duggan uses Bill to show Sam the positives of the trials of the hero. This book reminded me about why we need heroes and why Bill was certainly worthy to be Thor. Great series and I Marvel considers using the Sam Alexander version of Nova in their growing Cinematic Universe. After all he is the ultimate teen wish fulfillment. Who has never imagine what it would be like to be a superhero or heroine when they were young.

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually read this in the Marvel's mightiest heroes collection. I like Sam a lot, he has got that Peter Parker element but with the Sci-Fi cosmos stuff so, a bit of Luke Skywalker also.
This is Sam still trying to show responsibility at home to help his mum but the call of space is inside him now. Struggles are real, he wants to do best of both worlds but his young naivety is still learning especially after he makes a grave mistake helping vile enemies and getting on the wrong side of Beta-Ray Bill.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerry Duggan has really become one of my favorite comic writers for his ability to balance story with the haha, Matt.

But this fell a little short for me. It felt like a straight adventure story with no extra Duggan charm to it. For example, I thought Cosmo could have been a little punched up on the comedy end.

It's hard being a superhero...Teenager. It does feel like early Spider-Man with all the balance of school and heroing.

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this series. The concepts behind it; kid hero, searching out what happened to the rest of the corp, alien/hero interactions, real-world financial and teenage problem, all just work perfectly. What I think I enjoy most is that there is a heart and soul to Sam's voice that seems incredible genuine and terrific. You view everything he is viewing through the very authentic eyes of a boy at that age. Just a home-run all the way around.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun volume! It's really fun to see a teenage superhero ACT like a teenager, yet still be able to manage his powers enough to save the day. The team up with Beta Ray Bill was also very cool.
Usually I get annoyed with comics that seem to use the same gimmick (ie: fly off, fight bad guys, get back to school, repeat) but Sam's youthful exuberance is making this a very fun read.
Recommend.

[Alex Firer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duggan writes humans very well. Humans with flaws and fears united by one personality trait-- they all want to do better and overcome their difficult surroundings. His Deadpool wants to fix and build a family, his Hulk wants to overcome the science which drags him down and his Nova wants to help his family. It's nice. It's real escapism and it's lovely.

[Adam Spanos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Sam Alexander as the new nova but this story was boring bland and predictable. The only interesting and emotional(-ish) moments in it where mostly at times when Sam didn't even wear his helmet on. (Pretty lame for a nova comic, huh?!)

(In this story we also have the appearance of Beta Ray Bill, the alien version of Thor, who i find him absolutely terrible.)

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another new creative team, because nobody cares about this project. Nova quests into space to find some lost Nova Corps helmets and hangs out with Beta Ray Bill. Meanwhile the principal from Back to the Future wants to expel Sam from school. This volume is better than the previous ones but still only okay.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, straightforward teen superhero space opera with a few great plot twists, a genuine laugh out loud moment and a very poignant ending. It also had two of my favorite Marvel characters: Beta Ray Bill and Cosmo.

[Michael Barenbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely a breath of fresh air the new nova has been nothing short of zany old school fun yes it's not amazing but the new character Sam Alexander is so likable it really makes you care for him and each volume keeps getting better do your self a favor and read this

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny as always. These are such fun, quick reads.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun and appealing series!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individual issues on marvel unlimited

[Joey Heflich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still an enjoyable ride. Might have to check out Duggan's Deadpool after this.

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

May 2016

This one wasn't as good as the first two volumes but I still enjoyed it.