Srebrni letač: Crno

Silver Surfer: Black #1-5

by Donny Cates, Tradd Moore (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

Je li ovo kraj Norina Rada?

Čuvari galaksije, najveći branitelji univerzuma, obrušili su se u crnu rupu – a sa njima i Srebrni Letač! Priča se, međutim, tu ne završava… Kako bi se izborio sa zaboravom i izbegao da nestane u pomrčini, ovaj čuvar svemirskih staza mora da prizove svu unutrašnju svetlost ne bi li spasao svoju dušu. Ali šta ako Norinu Radu, dok mu kosmička moć gasne usred sve gušće tame, pomoć dođe sa sasvim neočekivane strane? Kada bude otkrio nešto dovoljno snažno da preokrene stvar u svoju korist, hoće li biti spreman da za to plati jezivu cenu? I kako je to Letačev usud povezan sa opakim svetom simbiota?

Srebrni Letač: Crno je neobična, epska i potresna priča o putovanju koje će zauvek promeniti njenog junaka, koji samo pokušava da se vrati kući i povrati ravnotežu, kako svoju, tako i ravnotežu celog univerzuma.

SILVER SURFER: BLACK #1–5.

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

112 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2019

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the Silver Surfer possibly faces his death at the hands of Knull, he recalls the first time he battled the dark god...

I'm not the world's biggest fan of the Silver Surfer, although I loved the Stan Lee-Moebius collaboration and also the Slott-Allred run, Doctor Who fanfic though it was at times. This has been on my radar since I first saw some art for it eons ago and I pre-ordered the treasury edition at my first opportunity.

The story is good, part Stan Lee, part Michael Moorcock. Hell, there are really only five characters to speak of. It's mostly an extended flashback to the beginning of time and the Surfer wrestling with an ethical dilemma in the present. But the art...

"Psychedelic pop art" was my first impression. Trad Moore's art is astounding, a blend of Moebius, Kirby, Ditko, and a hundred other influences. "Breathtaking" is another good way to describe it.

This is what I'm talking about:


Silver Surfer: Black is a visual masterpiece. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silver Surfer is transported back to the beginning of time where he meets a lot of cosmic beings including Galactus and a few I'll leave unnamed. Fans of Donny Cates who are reading his Venom and Thor should certainly read this.

Now to talk about the elephant in the room. Tradd Moore. I cannot stand the art. Moore has this fluid, psychedelic style that was an assault on my eyes. It's overly busy and messy with characters made of jelly who have no bones in their bodies. It's like a psychedelic rock poster come to life. I couldn't make out what was happening in half the book. Moore completely abandons any kind of panel structure in most of this. Sometimes I only had Donny Cates words on the page to go by what was happening along with some outstanding colors by Dave Stewart. The art turned a 5 star book into a 3 star book.

WTF is this?

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stellar art should have been enough to bring this to 5 stars, but for this adventure of a sentinel who surfs the spaceways, the story is relatively pedestrian.

Granted, there are more than a few great moment this story has, like the Surfer meeting the pre-Galactus Galan and receiving an unexpected gift of clarity from his once and future master. Or the encounter with Knull that may have changed the Surfer forever. This collection of moments is not coherent enough to be the graphic novel that the Silver Surfer deserves. It is still pretty good, though.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book... wow. This book is an absolute work of art. Tradd Moore’s artwork (enhanced by Dave Stewart’s stunning colours) is jaw-droppingly beautiful. And the story by Donny Cates... well, this is hands down the best thing I’ve read by him. It’s a heart-wrenching letter of love and sorrow to the late Stan Lee, whose favourite creation was the Surfer, and I’m sure... no, I’m absolutely certain he would have loved this. It’s poetry, really. It’s reduced me to gushing mush.

I know it’s only May, but this is a sure fire contender for my ‘if you only read one comicbook this year, make it this one’ award. (Note to creators: not an actual award.)

Donny, your letter to Stan at the end of issue one made me cry. You did good. He would be proud.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Silver Surfer story I've ever read.

Good story, even better art.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donny Cates is defitnely now my current favourite marvel writer.

I’m also glad they are utilising independent artists. This guy Tradd Moore did the art for Justin Jordan’s - Luther Strode.

I don’t see DC take risks like this as often as Marvel and so I see people online call this art “weird”. Weird?! - it’s jeffin great!

Silver surfer black is a Tribute to Stan lee from Cates and in its final chapter he delivers the final heart wrenching blow. Fantastic.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...

So if read Guardians issue 1 you'll know Silver Surfer got sucked into some black hole and never to be seen again. The end. However, we now have the answer to what happened.

This strange, weird, epic, and tragic tale of Silver surfer trying to find his way back home and bring balance is great. The main villain, who I won't spoil, chases Silver Surfer to the ends of the universe to exact revenge. We learn of the past of now only Surfer but also Galactus. On top of that the book wants to really focus on the story of balance and if killing, even a murderer, really does anything to bring balance.

The other part of this book you'll see get mentioned a lot is the art. That's because is out of this fucking world amazing. The colors just up the Inks, and this is one trippy but amazing looking book. From the dower sad moments to the epic amazing moments, the art catches it all. Truly amazing.

This is a fantastic book. If possible I recommend getting the Library edition. It's the one I got, and though expensive, looks extremely impressive with this art and storytelling. Wish read it earlier because it's a easy 5 out of 5 and one of the best 2019 books out.

[Corey Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... this is my first Silver Surfer comic. To be completely honest, I don't know much about this character, besides from the fact that he is silver, and he surfs. Cates does a good job of explaining the basics, but also getting to all of the great cosmic stuff that made readers fall in love with the character in the first place.

What's the story? Silver Surfer and the Guardians get sucked into a giant black hole and then the Surfer gets lost. He crash land on this random planet where he eventually meets Knull.

In order to find his way home, and try to defeat this villain, he must rely on a unlikely friend. He also draws upon more power which make his silver (skin?) black.

The main star here is the art by Tradd Morre. Even though it's a bit odd at times, it adds to all the cosmic stuff going on in the story. I mean, look the guy has a 20 pack.

Overall, it's a great story with even better art.
Highly Recommend!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really picked up this title from the snippets of the art within it, but the story was a very nice bonus.

To be honest, I only know just a little about the Silver Surfer mythos but the things I knew were really interesting. I mean, cosmic powers, the herald to Galacticus, the man from a dead universe with a truly enormous appetite.

This comic gives us a very nice backstory and does it in a very gorgeous way. A black hole, time travel, the god of all symbiotes, and even a young Ego are all featured here, but what I really liked (aside from the art, itself, which was all kinds of mind-blowing) was the redemption cycle. I love these men with dark pasts. :)

I'm very happy with this. 4.5

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoooooooooooaaaaaaaa.

Very cosmic stuff, and if the main adversary just seems like kind of a contrivance (and convenient way to tie the series to the writer's other work) I have to call attention to THE ART, BRO!!!


My man has, like, an 18-pack...

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of their cosmic miniseries, the two creators behind Silver Surfer: Black dedicates the book to Stan Lee, who may not have created the Silver Surfer – that credit goes to Jack Kirby during their Fantastic Four run – but he certainly took a shine towards the character as he wrote the Surfer’s solo title. Perhaps Lee’s great contribution towards the character was collaborating with the French comics artist Moebius in created the two-issue miniseries Parable. He may be this silver dude with the coolest model of transportation in comics, but a number of creators have applied psychological and political issues to the Surfer despite his cosmic presence.

Since his debut in the sixties, the Silver Surfer (aka Norrin Radd) has been associated as being a herald to the planet devourer, Galactus. Although he has separated from his former master, Radd is still feeling guilty as being an agent of death itself. Much of Silver Surfer: Black is about looking back at past sins, whilst wrestling an evil that is slowly consuming him. Following his participation in Cates’ Guardians of the Galaxy run, in which he got sucked into a black hole, this title continues his current situation, where he suddenly finds himself in the homeworld of the symbiotes, led by their heavy metal-looking king, Knull.

Tying with his other Marvel titles from Venom to Guardians, Cates treats this as a standalone piece as he and artist Tradd Moore conceived the story that provides a different perspective to the Marvel cosmos, both visually and thematically. Cates often tells his stories in a relentless manner and Black is essentially one extended chase sequence as the Surfer is being chased by Knull through space and finds some interesting encounters along the way, most notably Ego the Living Planet. In fact, there is such simplicity in the storytelling, it’s more of a case on how much depth you can put on every page, in terms of the Surfer’s inner monologue and visual wow-ness that the art team can muster.

As for the Surfer’s journey, it becomes an internal battle of good versus evil, as his violent introduction with Knull led to his body slowly being consumed by a black symbiote, whilst his time with Ego leads to a reunion with a foe he knows too well. Cates isn’t playing for laughs here as he leans into the darkness that our titular hero has been through and how he confronts those past sins in order to shape his future, of which the book ends on an ambiguous note on. Whoever tackles the Silver Surfer next has to the tough challenge of continuing where Cates and co. has left.

As much as Cates is telling us all we need to know the Surfer psychologically through the captions, Tradd Moore shows the physical torment of the Surfer as his body contorts, whilst trying to be fluid in his movement in order to gain some control. It is incredible seeing how Moore can draw many facial and body expressions for the eponymous hero. Along with colourist Dave Stewart, the art looks so psychedelic that you initially think that you might struggle with the illustrations and yet the panel layouts – as complex as they can be – gives clear direction about where the reader needs to look. With so much going on with imagery that is a real eye-opener, not least with the appearance of Ego, publishing the book in Marvel’s Treasury Edition is the correct choice.

Donny Cates may still be writing for Marvel, but he may have done his best work to date with the publisher as he and Tradd Moore tells a story that adds a visually distinct spin on the cosmos, as well as feeling intimate about the Silver Surfer's journey.

[L. McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not quite what I expected... but I did kinda like it.

What’s it about?
Umm... that might be a little hard to explain so I’m gonna skip.

Pros:
The story is interesting. Something I can tell you is that it surprisingly involves symbiote stuff which I knew Cates is pretty good at. This book is very unique from most Marvel stories too.
The characters are pretty interesting. I always found Silver Surfer to be an interesting character and I’m glad to have read a story I like about the character.
This book is pretty intense throughout. It’s not really constant action (though there are a few action scenes) but it keeps that tone and feeling of intensity present if you know what I mean.
This book uses it’s strange and unique tale to stay suspenseful, at least a bit more than most superhero comics. This is far from a basic “good guy and bad guy punch each other until good guy wins” comic.
The afterword/Stan Lee tribute is very well written and makes me like this book a bit more than I would have without it.

Cons:
The dialogue is pretty iffy. It’s like Cates was maybe trying a bit too hard to be poetic.
The storytelling... well, pretty much what I said about the dialogue. Instead of just letting the art tell us the story, Cates felt the need to add a lot of flowery text that to me felt less like something I was super engaged and impressed by but more like Cates trying to fill a page count.
The ending was... I dunno what it was but I felt like it was a somewhat weak conclusion to a mini.

Mixed thoughts:
The artwork. I know it’s an art style that some love and some hate. I personally see both the problem some folks have with it and the reason it appeals to others. To me it can pop out and look cool but also look kinda confusing and ugly at the same time.


Overall:
Cates wrote a pretty cool Silver Surfer comic. While I may not have thought it’s a masterpiece and do believe it is for a somewhat specific audience I enjoyed it. It’s a very weird sci-fi tale that uses the characters to do something slightly dark yet lively at the same time. While a few elements of the writing weren’t for me and the art is something my brain has conflicting thoughts regarding, the story is cool, unique, intense and suspenseful so overall I liked this one.

4/5

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story great art!

[Kadi P]

(Recommended by Corey)

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

انتظار نداشتم اینقدر خوب باشه، یکی از بهترین طراحی‌هایی که از مارول دیدم رو داشت. حتی با اون "سفر قهرمان" متفاوت رفتار کرده بودن. خوندن فانی بود و ازش راضیم.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cosmic psychedelic love letter to the Silver Surfer, finally someone does the character justice, Donny Cates and Tradd Moore was such a perfect combo, this one is a must-read to all fans of psychedelia.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful comic. The story is short but inspiring. The Silver Surfer rediscovers his raison d’être.
But the real draw is the artwork – the swirling colours, the lighting up of the black void.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was pretty fantastic. And while I haven't been a big Tradd Moore fan up to now, his style is very suited to this kind of book. It's visually bonkers at times in the best possible sense. Part of me wishes this was an ongoing though I expect we'll see more Silver Surfer from these creators soon.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I expected but it was cool, telling the tale of Silver Surfer when he is lost in a black hole and somehow in the past he faces Knull and his horde and battles with them only to lose and when he becomes a void knight, his rescue by Ego and then the problem that ails him, Galactus, watcher and the ultimate battle with knull, seeding life and so much more and emerging as the silver surfer black! It was a cool story and explores the trauma surfer had to go through and is a deep read and could be depressing but by the end you will smile and see the surfer for what he is, a hope across this void universe! Its a tale dedicated to Stan and yes the art is questionable, but most people seem to like it and is different. Some panels were unclear and the fighting scenes were bad but regardless great story, and sets up the God of light very well!

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Silver Surfer story with fun, trippy art. This was even great despite it being another title where Marvel shoves cheap Thanos knockoff and 90s Image comics character look alike Knull down our throats once again.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

El guión de este tebeo a ratos es una simple excusa para darle carta blanca a Tradd Moore para ilustrar una historia cósmica. Y digo a ratos porque en la habitual llorera de Estela Plateada por sus pecados, al final le permite redimirse de una forma hasta bonita. Pero esto queda en un segundo plano por lo que se disfruta en el primero: un dibujo como no se ha visto en un cómic de superhéroes en mucho tiempo, que bebe del arte pop y psicodélico (Heinz Edelmann), pero también de monstruos de la BD como Druillet, sin abandonar la narrativa de los superhéroes Quizás los nombres de Ditko o, más adecuado, Steranko, le pueden quedar un poco grandes a Moore por el momento, pero el viaje lisérgico al que te abre Silver Surfer: Black es un espectáculo de primera magnitud. Además plagado de homenajes a la historia del personaje (Kirby, Buscema, Moebius). Pagaría por ver un remake del Warlock de Starlin dibujado por este hombre.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silver Surfer: Black oozes prestige with its extra-large format and striking cover. Glance at any page and you'll be assaulted by Tradd Moore's psychedelic artwork. Attempt to read the story and...who knows.

Maybe you'll be touched by Donny Cates' universe-altering take on good vs. evil / dark vs. light. Maybe you'll appreciate the Surfer's many sacrifices as he saves the universe at the dawn of time. Maybe you'll recall Dan Slott's iteration of Silver Surfer who basically did the same thing - just as incoherently too. (See: Silver Surfer, Vol. 3: Last Days)

I enjoyed the ride, but anytime I get these cosmic Marvel books where the heroes and villains can basically remake time and space, my eyes glaze over a bit. The stakes are somewhat removed, y'know? And I couldn't help thinking Tradd Moore's liquid metal artwork would have looked better on a Jefferson Airplane concert poster.

[Matt Quann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact that this is Donny Cates, who I've really appreciated in the past, the main draw here is Tradd Moore's incomparable art style packaged in a "Marvel treasury edition." Really, it's just an oversized, well-bound paperback that allows Moore's trippy, cartoony artwork to be enjoyed as is was intended.

The story is an okay journey of self-discovery that ties into the Knull stuff that shows up in his Venom run. Personally, I think Knull kind of looks like an ex-member of Gwar and he hasn't totally won me over. Nonetheless, it makes for some visually spectacular scenes when the tendril-ridden God of Symbiotes clashes with the bright and glowing surfer. Surfer's story of redemption really merits a 3-3.5 star rating, but Moore's art really elevates this to a more recommendable read.

Again, this is all about the art though, so don't expect a groundbreaking story.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words. Donny Cates and Tradd Moore have not only elevated the superhero team-up to LITERAL ART but also they've created a Marvel book that made me freakin' cry. I love comics so much y'all.

[Alex Sarll]

Tradd Moore and Dave Stewart have created something beautiful here - a kinetic, psychedelic odyssey into cosmic strangeness, the sort of thing Kirby might have wrought if his blockiness ever softened into fluidity. The story? Well, that ties too closely to the mythic bits of Cates' passable Venom, and worse, to his misfire Guardians run, and hinges on dilemmas with inevitable answers and other false jeopardies. Ultimately, it resolves in a circle-of-life bit which could easily have felt like a cop-out into vague platitudes had it not looked quite so fabulously trippy. But for creating any armature, however iffy, on which those amazing visuals can grow, I suppose we must thank the writer too.

[A Fan of Comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is out of this world!

The Silver Surfer unleashes something sinister into the universe. With very little options, he is traveling all of time and space to make things right again. A little bit of a history lesson on the surfer, but didn't take a huge leap forward. With that said, I would treat it as more of a one and done. THE ART WAS BY FAR THE BEST PART. The way everything is rounded, it almost seems to move on the page. The colors are also super awesome and vibrant. It really makes the "cosmic" scene work.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silver Surfer: Black wants to be deep, and it succeeds to some extent. With that said, it sometimes feels like style over substance. Moore’s art is great, surreal, and unlike anything else, but it sometimes overshadows the story instead of supporting it. A decent read, overall, but I'm not as impressed as many readers clearly are.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donny ví.
A nakreslené je to brutálne super!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silver Surfer: Black is a complete mind-fuck of a book. The visuals and the storytelling are both entirely zany, but they somehow manage to make it work.

Donny Cates continues to thread his little plotlines throughout the Marvel Universe - Silver Surfer: Black looks like it's about one thing, but then it becomes something else entirely as it goes along, a time-stretching epic that feeds directly into other parts of Cates' tapestry while still managing to remain a Silver Surfer book at heart - big on the sweeping cosmic vistas and melodramatic internal dialogues.

And of course, Tradd Moore's artwork is just phenomenal. It's like looking at a Moebius Strip of comics, everything bends in and around and about itself and yet it's still easy to follow. The only complain I have is that his Silver Surfer feels a little too muscular at times, but otherwise, just sheer insane perfection.

If you're looking for your Silver Surfer fix after Dan Slott's critically acclaimed run, this book probably isn't going to scratch that itch - it's an entirely different type of cosmic odyssey, but I can guarantee that you won't be able to tear your eyes away from it.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series can be at times beautiful and at other times totally disjointed. Some panels had me agog at the art, while others had me confused as to what I was even looking at. The fluidity of the stylistic choices can sometimes be distracting.

Story-wise, I mostly liked what I read. The "circular nature of existence" trope is a bit overused in my opinion, but it's not overly cheesy here. I adore the Surfer, and his gentle yet confident understanding of his own power is a big part of what has always made him fascinating to me.

Overall, a recommend from me. I'm glad I experienced it.