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Nova (2013) (Collected Editions)
Nova, Volume 4: Original Sin
Original Sin tie-in!
The Watcher's eye presents a pair of mysteries: was Nova's father a murderer? And what is the secret origin of the Black Novas? Sam Alexander grieves for the Watcher and turns to a friend for help - everyone's favorite Guardian of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon! As the secrets of the Black Novas and Sam's dad are revealed, Sam's world is torn apart...but can he come out of this stronger? And when Sam discovers new information about his dad's whereabouts, he must find his former-Nova father halfway across the universe...and either give him salvation or justice! Plus: When the Alexander home is threatened, there may not be anything that Nova can do to help out.
Collecting: Nova 17-22
The Watcher's eye presents a pair of mysteries: was Nova's father a murderer? And what is the secret origin of the Black Novas? Sam Alexander grieves for the Watcher and turns to a friend for help - everyone's favorite Guardian of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon! As the secrets of the Black Novas and Sam's dad are revealed, Sam's world is torn apart...but can he come out of this stronger? And when Sam discovers new information about his dad's whereabouts, he must find his former-Nova father halfway across the universe...and either give him salvation or justice! Plus: When the Alexander home is threatened, there may not be anything that Nova can do to help out.
Collecting: Nova 17-22
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2015
6 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 10, 2015
There's a lot of stuff crammed into this one.
I'm not sure if that's such a good thing, but it's still not the worst comic title I've read. It's passable, but I'm starting to lose interest.
Sam is still dealing with problems at school, and he's on the verge of getting expelled for all of his absences. To top it off, their money problems are getting worse, and he's found an eviction notice that his mother hid from him.
Then there's the crossover with Original Sin. Which actually makes sense, because Sam has a special relationship with this Watcher, and has been going to him rather frequently to 'talk' about his problems. So it made sense for Sam to be involved in this event. The part where he found his body was pretty well done.
Next up is a whole thing about his missing father. It appears that his dad wasn't quite the hero Sam thought he was, and may have been involved in murdering members of the Nova Corps.
Or maybe not.
Sam & Rocket get a tip on where Nova's father may be imprisoned, and set out to bring him home.
Oh, and I almost forgot. There's a group of conspiracy theorists, who are starting to hang out in Sam's home town. They're hoping to catch a glimpse of the 'lights' that seem to have a curfew.
Because... ANCIENT ALIENS!
I'm not sure if that's such a good thing, but it's still not the worst comic title I've read. It's passable, but I'm starting to lose interest.
Sam is still dealing with problems at school, and he's on the verge of getting expelled for all of his absences. To top it off, their money problems are getting worse, and he's found an eviction notice that his mother hid from him.
Then there's the crossover with Original Sin. Which actually makes sense, because Sam has a special relationship with this Watcher, and has been going to him rather frequently to 'talk' about his problems. So it made sense for Sam to be involved in this event. The part where he found his body was pretty well done.
Next up is a whole thing about his missing father. It appears that his dad wasn't quite the hero Sam thought he was, and may have been involved in murdering members of the Nova Corps.
Or maybe not.
Sam & Rocket get a tip on where Nova's father may be imprisoned, and set out to bring him home.
Oh, and I almost forgot. There's a group of conspiracy theorists, who are starting to hang out in Sam's home town. They're hoping to catch a glimpse of the 'lights' that seem to have a curfew.
Because... ANCIENT ALIENS!
February 5, 2020
The last issue in this volume is sort of a stand alone and I love it. It makes the entire book for me. Sam is going trick-or-treating. He is dressed as Nova wearing a sheet as a ghost. He connects with the X-men kids and they all go out together. I like the girl, Wild Girl I think it is, with the antlers. While they are all out trick-or-treating, they find some kids who are stealing little kids candy and they hunt him down. Silly, but pure fun and who hasn't wanted to right that wrong.
Maybe some spoilers ahead. Be aware.
The rest of the volume was ok. The watcher is killed, which I didn't like that. I love the watcher character. We finally see Sam's dad, but he still has a long way to get h ome. Sam and rocket team up. I think they were a fun team. They are doing their best to make Sam like Spider-man juggling school and Nova, but it feels done before.
It's a good middle grade comic. It's light-hearted and intersting.
Maybe some spoilers ahead. Be aware.
The rest of the volume was ok. The watcher is killed, which I didn't like that. I love the watcher character. We finally see Sam's dad, but he still has a long way to get h ome. Sam and rocket team up. I think they were a fun team. They are doing their best to make Sam like Spider-man juggling school and Nova, but it feels done before.
It's a good middle grade comic. It's light-hearted and intersting.
April 25, 2025
3.5 stars. Sam and his family have been evicted from their house and are now in an apartment. With the friendship Sam felt he had with The Watcher, he is now saddened due to the events of Original Sin. Plus Sam learned of a potential dirty deed that his dad might have done. Is it true? On top of all of that, Sam learns his dad could still be alive!! Let the hunt continue!! The adventures are still fun with some cool team ups with the likes of Rocket and Cosmo. Art continues to be solid also. One nitpick or two is that Sam’s mom nor himself seem to be too concerned with him missing school, at least this volume. And Sam is always removing his helmet and powering down at the most inopportune moments leaving himself open for attack. 🤦🏾♂️
June 9, 2016
I haven't read all of the Original Sin tie ins, but this is one of the more logical ones. Sam had a fairly close relationship with the Watcher, so he'd have a special interest in his murder. And his perspective, of being totally helpless on the sidelines as heroes at least as powerful and with a lot more experience actually do the work of avenging the Watcher, that's actually some pretty good stuff. It's something we don't usually get to see in those giant, all heroes on deck fights. And it does lead to Sam finally getting some answers about his father. No, it doesn't change the status quo, for reasons that basically make sense in context, but at least it's something. Because four volumes in, we really needed to get some traction on that subplot. All that said, the dialog is pretty uninspired, and Sam's bumbling can be more annoying than endearing. It isn't great, but it is good.
October 29, 2016
So the series remains fun and exciting yet not as well told as the previous volumes. The Original Sin tie in was weak at best. It had a good idea, The Watcher dying was sad and sudden. Sam's reaction was golden. I also love the twist and making Sam question everything. However, by the end it felt all to much stuffed into a simple told story.
I hope more for the last few volumes. Just streamline story mixing space adventure with real teenage issues. That's where nova does best. When it tries to be one or the other too much it fails to be either all that well.
On to Volume 5!
I hope more for the last few volumes. Just streamline story mixing space adventure with real teenage issues. That's where nova does best. When it tries to be one or the other too much it fails to be either all that well.
On to Volume 5!
June 20, 2023
I am continuing to enjoy this series. A team-up with Rocket Raccoon, plus Nova learning more about his dad, plus him continuing to grow into what it means to be a hero (including some severe growing pains as well as real moments of triumph and overcoming).... All of that together makes for a really solid coming-of-age read that also has lots of space adventure action.
January 9, 2020
Charming but childish and overly simple. A bizarre contrast to the actual Original Sin story.
April 27, 2016
Wow this is so sloppy and so half measured.
I like this character, there are a lot of good things going for this book and there is so much potential. But man, the writing here just keeps letting this character down.
World: The art is okay, it's nothing really special, it's pretty but it does not really stand out to any art from middle quality Marvel. The world building here is just like the writing, it's spotty and fairly fragmented and lazy. It's there, there are pieces that are good and it keep trying to build the world and painting a picture of Sam's father and where he is, but it's sloppy. It's in pieces and just when you think that we will dive deeper into the world, nope, we skip it and just do a surface pass to it. That's the statement of this series, surface level.
Story: There are still little bits and pieces of good in here and I keep hoping that they will dive deeper into it and make this story deeper than it truly is. I wanted more Sam hunting for his father and we do get this, but like everything else it's so surface and superficial. The home stuff which should have been drama story gold, the stuff at school also, his friends also, but we don't get anything deeper than basic story usage for these pieces to act as half assed surface issues. The Original Sin storyline is also a let down, the potential for seeing a different side of Sam's father ends up being a throwaway. One issue it's an issues, the start of the next we find out that it's been resolved between issues, poor writing. That's the issue, I can't stand it anymore and I think that this series needs a new writer and a new direction.
Characters: Again, the foundation for a potentially great character is there in Sam. His struggles as a young hero should have been story gold but it's never dealt with other than surface level storytelling that's tossed aside rather easily. It's been 22 issues and I don't think it will change with 10 issues left. Mom is also a throwaway, what mother acts like that and is so understanding?! It makes no sense. His nonchalance with his identity, and the left unanswered issue with Cassie is annoying. What about the UFO hunters. Then there is the cosmic characters, also throwaways. I don't even want to talk about it anymore.
This series needs a new writer and a focus, this is simply a mediocre series and a disservice to this wonderfully potentially complex and interesting character.
Onward to the next book!
I like this character, there are a lot of good things going for this book and there is so much potential. But man, the writing here just keeps letting this character down.
World: The art is okay, it's nothing really special, it's pretty but it does not really stand out to any art from middle quality Marvel. The world building here is just like the writing, it's spotty and fairly fragmented and lazy. It's there, there are pieces that are good and it keep trying to build the world and painting a picture of Sam's father and where he is, but it's sloppy. It's in pieces and just when you think that we will dive deeper into the world, nope, we skip it and just do a surface pass to it. That's the statement of this series, surface level.
Story: There are still little bits and pieces of good in here and I keep hoping that they will dive deeper into it and make this story deeper than it truly is. I wanted more Sam hunting for his father and we do get this, but like everything else it's so surface and superficial. The home stuff which should have been drama story gold, the stuff at school also, his friends also, but we don't get anything deeper than basic story usage for these pieces to act as half assed surface issues. The Original Sin storyline is also a let down, the potential for seeing a different side of Sam's father ends up being a throwaway. One issue it's an issues, the start of the next we find out that it's been resolved between issues, poor writing. That's the issue, I can't stand it anymore and I think that this series needs a new writer and a new direction.
Characters: Again, the foundation for a potentially great character is there in Sam. His struggles as a young hero should have been story gold but it's never dealt with other than surface level storytelling that's tossed aside rather easily. It's been 22 issues and I don't think it will change with 10 issues left. Mom is also a throwaway, what mother acts like that and is so understanding?! It makes no sense. His nonchalance with his identity, and the left unanswered issue with Cassie is annoying. What about the UFO hunters. Then there is the cosmic characters, also throwaways. I don't even want to talk about it anymore.
This series needs a new writer and a focus, this is simply a mediocre series and a disservice to this wonderfully potentially complex and interesting character.
Onward to the next book!
May 18, 2019
Here's an idea: Let's introduce major plot elements and then not deal with them and go do something else instead! So, over in Original Sin, Nova hung out with the Watcher, who told him his Dad was still alive. (It would have been good to collect that issue here.) And then the Watcher's eye explodes and Sam gets a vision of his Dad being a not-so-good Nova after all. So he flies off to visit Rocket Raccon, who joins him on an adventure to find an alien who was kicked out of the Nova core, and who, in turn, manipulates them into retrieving a weapon for him. While they're doing all this, Sam sees on TV that his Dad is alive in a gladiatoral arena. So he flies off to that planet, manages to find one building on an entire planet without asking directions, but it turns out his father has staged a rebellion if the gladiators and has taken off in a ship. So Sam goes home in time for Halloween and goes trick-or-treating with the kids from the Jean Grey School.
So, to recap, the important revelation that Sam's father is still alive happens in a different series, and nothing important happens here.
So, to recap, the important revelation that Sam's father is still alive happens in a different series, and nothing important happens here.
October 20, 2015
Sadly, after reading a second volume of this new Nova I'm still not a fan. It just doesn't seem to have a strong sense of itself. It's a generic kid hero, with a generic (surprisingly supportive) family. I liked this better when it was called Blue Beetle; this new Nova just doesn't have much heart to its character or much focus.
Worse, this particular volume seems to actively sabotage its plots. First, we get the Watcher killed who's supposed to be a friend of Sam's ... and then Sam barely touches upon the fact for five issues! Then there's a big Original Sin plot where Sam finds out awful things about his father ... and he resolves the issues off-panel and then describes to us what happened. The plotting on these issues is so bad that I literally feel like I was missing issues.
Worse, this particular volume seems to actively sabotage its plots. First, we get the Watcher killed who's supposed to be a friend of Sam's ... and then Sam barely touches upon the fact for five issues! Then there's a big Original Sin plot where Sam finds out awful things about his father ... and he resolves the issues off-panel and then describes to us what happened. The plotting on these issues is so bad that I literally feel like I was missing issues.
November 16, 2015
Sam is ever closer to the truth about his dad's past while still managing to deal with his home and school life. This volume is a bit disjointed as it tries to fit into the Original Sin summer crossover series. Even though it was slight and rsther short lived, the Nova parts of the crossover felt more weighted and true to the character than any of the other stories that came out in that event. The death of the Watcher has a big impact on Sam's new life and the revelations about his dad have much farther reaching consequences. This volume goes from Original Sin to chasing down Sam's father's past to a great single issue hanging out with X-Men on Halloween. It isn't as cohesive as the previous collections but all the stories add to the building of this young character. Making him into the hero he needs to be. Still lots of super cosmic powered fun.
February 27, 2015
A fine story.
For an Original Sin tie-in it did dispense with the secret pretty quickly, though at least that secret had ramifications.
Really the tie-in with this volume is tied to the relationship between Sam and the Watcher, which would have really been fun to see play out some more in future issues. Really Sam being new is really the hero that can look at the Watcher in a new light and start a true friendship. The youngest and the oldest could have been the next Odd Couple.
For an Original Sin tie-in it did dispense with the secret pretty quickly, though at least that secret had ramifications.
Really the tie-in with this volume is tied to the relationship between Sam and the Watcher, which would have really been fun to see play out some more in future issues. Really Sam being new is really the hero that can look at the Watcher in a new light and start a true friendship. The youngest and the oldest could have been the next Odd Couple.
March 30, 2015
Just under 4 Stars...
Sam's adventures expand out to include both his view during Original Sin and his father comes into play. Perhaps the last Nova isn't the last afterall! The art and the story are good on this title and I really like Nova's playful exuberance.
...and that end.... joining the Avengers? Maybe?
This title is getting better as it goes along.
Recommend.
Sam's adventures expand out to include both his view during Original Sin and his father comes into play. Perhaps the last Nova isn't the last afterall! The art and the story are good on this title and I really like Nova's playful exuberance.
...and that end.... joining the Avengers? Maybe?
This title is getting better as it goes along.
Recommend.
October 25, 2015
Lame. And boring. Don't like the main character as a person or a hero. Don't find the story of his home life interesting. And don't appreciate him in space, with or without Rocket. The bit with of trick-or-treating with the Jean Grey School was pretty good though. Good enough art and writing otherwise.
April 6, 2015
I like Marvel comics. I'm a sad idiot who likes Marvel comics so I read 22 issues of Nova in one day and when I look back I will see a dusty Moby Dick and with my final words whisper the oath of the knock off Green Lanterns of the Marvel Universe.
Anyway I liked this. I like seeing scummy people and I like seeing people deal with the smaller aspects of humanity that Duggan is so good at.
Anyway I liked this. I like seeing scummy people and I like seeing people deal with the smaller aspects of humanity that Duggan is so good at.
January 13, 2016
Los hechos de Original Sin afectaron a muchas series de Marvel, pero Nova es un caso especial. Tal vez sea por la "Amistad" que Sam Alexander tenía con El Watcher o por la verdad que la muerte de éste reveló.
Ahora Nova tiene que hacer todo lo posible por encontrar a aquel que desaparecio algunos años atras!
Puntaje: 4,5
Ahora Nova tiene que hacer todo lo posible por encontrar a aquel que desaparecio algunos años atras!
Puntaje: 4,5
July 3, 2015
Another set of fun, light sci-fi action stories. The Original Sin stories had some nice parallel storytelling, the Rocket Raccoon cameo was good and the final issue (a Halloween story with the X-Men) had two genuine lols.
March 9, 2016
Another fun installation in the series. The changing art takes a little getting used to, but the story is still solid fun. I'm glad Sam interacted with the Avengers again, and I'm glad we got to know more about the Novas and Sam's dad. Curious to see where it goes from here.
January 13, 2017
More crazy sci-fi fun. Plus secrets are revealed and more answers are raised. An novas Life gets even more crazy and not to mention the fun of reading him try to juggle his life as a superhero with his every day living it's another fun read of a great new character.
November 8, 2018
A boy struggles with school / friendship whilst wrestling his superhero powers.
I thought the bits dealing with the boy’s home life were good / amusing, but all the superhero stuff was a bit much for me. The graphics were good.
I thought the bits dealing with the boy’s home life were good / amusing, but all the superhero stuff was a bit much for me. The graphics were good.
January 20, 2015
The title continues to please.
July 5, 2015
I enjoyed it less than the previous volumes but it's not bad at all. I'm curious for how this will continue in the next issues.
December 14, 2015
Really fun and funny!
December 31, 2015
Nova is pure fun. This is a perfect series to get your younger kids (especially boys) into comics. Who wouldn't want to be a kid superhero?
May 30, 2016
May 2016
I loved this volume, wayyy funnier than volume 3. This comic series is basically Spidey in space and I love it.
I loved this volume, wayyy funnier than volume 3. This comic series is basically Spidey in space and I love it.
Read
August 26, 2016This was one filled with humor, and a general newfound flare for Sam, in my opinion
January 27, 2019
It's been a while since I read the first few collections in this series, but it was fun to pick it up again. It's interesting to see young Sam Alexander's take on the Original Sin storyline. The fact that it was personal because of his friendship with Uatu nicely handled, especially the emotional punch when he didn't get the satisfaction he was looking for in the fight with Exterminatrix because he was just a kid in a superhero fight. The arc about questioning his dad felt rushed though.
April 10, 2020
After the last volume if this series was probably its best we follow up with what I hope is the worst, nothing really happens and some characters guest star but don’t have much personality. Sam still has problems at school which would be fine if it felt like it was going to lead to any real consequences, they act like it will for about 3 pages maybe here! Hope the story gets moving in the next volume but it is another tie in to an event so hopes are low.
July 9, 2022
I probably should have brushed up on the Original Sin crossover before reading this but it was a great read. He had 3 Original Sin stories in here but only one of them directly tied in. The other two were just fall out stories basically. But he did team up with some cool heroes and it was nice to see how much Sam really cared about The Watcher. It was nice to finally get some answers about his Dad and I hope to see the payoff of that soon.
September 17, 2023
Duggan's second volume of Nova is fun but a but cliched. Sam deal's with Uatu's murder and its impactful to see how the young hero deals with loss. Original Sin ties into Sam's dad and the result was too cliched to be believed. I did enjoy Sam's team-up with Rocket though. It was fun. The art was super solid. Overall, an entertaining read that was too simple at times but still portrays an actual teen which is refreshing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews