Nova: Resurrection

Nova (2016) #1-7

by Jeff Loveness (Writer), Ramón Pérez (Illustrator)

Richard Rider is back! And when he makes his roaring return to the Marvel Universe, it changes everything for Sam Alexander! How will the young Nova cope with his predecessor's unfathomable homecoming? Is Earth big enough for two Nova-helmet-wearing protectors? Strap in, True Believer, you've never seen a Nova book like this before! Action meets romance as Sam goes on a date with the new girl in school, while Rich reconnects with an old flame: the Guardian of the Galaxy called Gamora! But all the while, the truth of Rich's time in the Cancerverse is festering in the background — and it is dangerous! It's the comeback you've all been waiting for — but will it be a happy ending, or a terrifying new beginning?

Collecting: Nova 1-7

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Action, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The return of Richard Rider!

First, let me just say that I loved the Cancerverse storyline. That awesome, heartbreaking moment when Peter and Richard made the ultimate sacrifice to save our universe...
Gah! Gets me every time!



And ever since then, I've had a special place in my heart for Rider as Nova.
Now, that's not to say that I haven't really enjoyed Sam. He's just adorable, and (I think) a good blueprint for bringing in younger and more diverse heroes to the Marvel universe.



The bottom line was that I wanted Richard Rider back, but I didn't want anything to happen to Sam Alexander. And God bless their little hearts, this time around The Powers That Be didn't feel the need to kill off one superhero in order to bring in another!



But let's face it, this was also a pretty easy choice to make. I mean, the Novas are (or were) a corps, not unlike DC's Green Lanterns. So even though Nova is a superhero name, it's also a description of who they are in relation to the universe. Richard is a Nova and so is Sam.
And (as they find out in the story) they're a lot stronger together than they are individually.



This had just about everything that you could want in a Nova returns sort of story.
Rider has returned but he's not 100% sure how, and it seems like a dangerous piece of the Cancerverse might have come with him. <--so there's that
Plus, there's this whole cute parallel thing happening where Sam is trying to ask out a girl from his class that he likes, and Richard is maybe reconnecting with Gamora.
Those of you who are (like me) suckers for a little romance will enjoy seeing these two back together again.



Plus, there's a great Don't Give Up/Do The Right Thing moral of the story that I think younger readers and older readers alike with enjoy. I know I did.
I don't want to give any spoilers about the main plot, but I think most Nova fans will be satisfied with the outcome.



Anyway, good job, Marvel! Thanks for not fucking it up!
PS - Pleasepleaseplease make Cosmo a character in the movies!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legendary Nova Richard Rider returns to the Marvel Universe in Nova: Resurrection. But how did he escape the Cancerverse - and if he made it out, did anything else creep back with him…?

Nova: Resurrection reads kinda like Green Lantern: Rebirth in that the Novas Corps are like Marvel’s Green Lantern Corps and Rich Rider is Marvel’s Hal Jordan - the best known character who wore the mantle, died, and got brought back. Except Jeff Loveness and Ramon Perez are both better storytellers than Geoff Johns so Nova: Resurrection is a finer book than Green Lantern: Rebirth - though not by much.

For a seven-issue book, there ain’t a lot of story. Rich meets current Nova Sam Alexander, they fight a tentacle monster, Rich is reunited with Cosmo and Gamora, they fight some bounty hunters on Knowhere, fight another tentacle monster (the imagination!), and Rich’s escape from the Cancerverse is finally revealed. It’s fairly generic stuff for a superhero comic.

Maybe it’d all mean more if I gave a crap about Rich Rider but the character doesn’t mean a whole lot to me so nostalgia didn’t really factor into my reading experience. I’ve never found the Novas that interesting anyway. Once they put the helms on they seem fairly invincible, which is the case here, so any dramatic tension goes out the window once that happens.

The romance subplot unexpectedly got me and I liked the subtle silent pages where Sam and Lina start dating contrasted with Rich and Gamora reigniting their old relationship - it was sweet without being schmaltzy and added some humanity to the characters. Perez’s art is always a joy to see too though it would’ve been nice if he’d drawn all seven issues instead of five, if only for consistency, though Scott Hepburn’s art for the Cancerverse issues wasn’t bad either.

Nova: Resurrection isn’t the most gripping or memorable read but it’s well-written and drawn and I found it entertaining enough. Obviously though this one’s really for Rich Rider fans.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely flarkin' LOVED this book! It was funny, exciting, horrifying, touching, charming as heck, had great artwork (even the issue with a fill-in artist) and featured the return of one of my all-time favourite characters... It pretty much ticked all my boxes and I can't ask for much more than that!

You'll have to excuse me now as I have to cut eyeholes in a bucket and pretend to fly around the house with it on my head...

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a shame this series got canned because this is finally a really fucking great story with Sam!

So Rich is back. Oh, who's Rich? He was the Nova before Sam took over. He had died a few years back. So now that he's returned he's trying to find his place. He's so confused with all the other Marvel heroes being so young, and different, that he feels misplaced. However, when he starts getting into the groove of things everything is seeming to settle. OR IS IT!? Of course not. Bad shit has to happen. So Sam and Rich team up to become the last duo Novas of the universe!

Good: I LOVE the art in this. Just enough style, yet everything flows so smooth, and everyone looks great. I really love Jeff's writing here, so natural and easy, and Sam and Rich together will give you a few laughs. Then add in the fact the story is actually pretty touching (and a bit sad) but hopeful it hits all the right notes. The ending also leaves it open for some great stories.

Bad: It got canned and that pisses me off.

This is some of the most fun I've had all year reading comics. The pacing is wonderful, the fights are fun, but most of all the characters are truly kickass. I highly recommend this wonderful little series, for it feels complete, and well worth reading! The best Nova story I read so far! 4.5 out of 5.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

The original Nova from Earth, Rich Ryder, is back and teaming up with the new Nova, Sam Alexander. It's a shame they don't do much more than fight amorphous cancer monsters. There's not a whole lot of story here and it feels stretched out to fill the 7 issue run of the book. I hate Ramon Perez's art. He draws Sam to look like he's 8, not 15.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues]
It's been a long time coming, but after the final few issues of the previous Nova series, Richard Rider is back! But he's not well, and the Cancerverse isn't about to let him go that easily. Plus Sam Alexander isn't about to give up the mantle of Nova that easily - can the world handle two Novas?

I have to give Jeff Loveness and Ramon Perez a hell of a lot of credit for this story. In seven issues, he manages to reintroduce Rich Rider to the world, tell a cohesive story that explains how and why Rich was able to return, as well as tie in Sam and his own problems, plus the Guardians of the Galaxy and a dollop of Nova action along the way. I've been a fan of both Novas for a long time, and this story really does them both justice. Such a shame that it didn't last as long as it could have.

Co-writer Ramon Perez pencils most of this story, with some aid from Scott Hepburn in the final few issues. His loose pencils and Ian Herring's out of this world colour palette both ground the story in a very human setting and enhance the outer space/Cancerverse scenes beyond the usual.

I hope both Novas don't get benched for too long - I also wish they'd gotten a Generations one-shot, since they're built for a story like that, as this volume shows. Considering how much the world seemed to want Rich Rider back, this story really flew under the radar, and that's a damn shame.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Ryder is back, and trying to adjust to this new, modern time. But he has a dangerous secret, one that could put the whole world - heck, the whole universe in danger.

This was a fun story that combined the two era's of Nova (well, the most modern ones anyways) together to give us an interesting and lively story. So the reason why I like this volume so much is because it brings in the older Nova lore and weaves it into Sam's world. I like how Jeff Loveness uses Sam almost as a stand in for us for Richard to tell his story to, and remind the reader where he last was seen. Sam's youthful energy is also a great way to contrast Richard's (understandable) jadedness. I mean he spent years in the Cancerverse, so yeah, the dude is a bit down. And Loveness using Sam as a way to show Richard the path back towards a more normal life, was excellent.

I also very much enjoyed the art by Ramon Perez. I usually will pick up anything that he draws because its so damn good. And this one was did not disappoint. He has a style that is youthful and energetic, yet at the same time feels like old school, classic comics. Great art in this one.

I would say, if you are a fan of Nova, this one is a no brainer and also if you liked the Annihilation wave event, this one picks up the pieces of Richard Ryder.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Rider returns! But what is that "evil" behind his eyes, turning his skin gray and dark? And just how did he escape the Cancerverse anyway?
Throw in Sam dating someone new, Rich trying to reconnect and hook up with Gamora, and some of the answers to questions we've had since Annihilation, and you have an action packed Volume that puts Earth back under the protection of two Novas!
Recommend, for Nova fans. Are we seeing the beginning of the return of the Nova Corps?

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rep: Latino mc

[Bill Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Rider, the original Nova, comes back to Earth where he meets Sam Alexander, the new Nova. Rich has a quick fight and a bit of romance with Gamora before the details of his escape from the Cancerverse leak out. The two heroes return to set things right.

This graphic novel reintroduces the original Nova to the modern marvel universe and not much else.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn by this. I thought it was interesting, but I would have liked to see a lot of more R.R.'s personality come out. Sam had his issue with the new girl and his sister/family that really humanized him but I'm not sure the same was accomplished with Rich.

Also the Cancerverse/World stuff was a little sloppy, and confusing if you didn't know all of what was going on. I read the Guardians of the Galaxy relevant volume so I guess it shouldn't be confusing for me (spoiler - it still was).

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caveat: I'm new to Nova as a superhero. Or intergalactic protector. Or whatever he would go by. So, I was happily entranced with the first half of Nova: Resurrection, where the character(s) of Nova are introduced as full human beings with real lives and interests, not just some stock character that's been bouncing around the Marvelverse for years.

For a first time reader, this kind of thing is great! I knew Resurrection was kind of a standalone tale, but I was worried I'd be stepping into the deep end. Not so! There's even a touching issue that contrasts how a date goes between the young and old Nova. It's well-paced, deeply revealing, and contains very little intergalactic drama. I adored it.

And then the second half of Nova: Resurrection kicks in, where old Nova gets stuck in the (oh boy) Cancerverse because he apparently did something awful there in a different Nova series entirely. It was all going so well! I was in the shallow end, having a great time! Then I was thrust into the weird deep end of Nova lore and barely found myself able to tread water.

Ultimately, the Cancerverse thing is somewhat explained, but not satisfactorily, and the art goes from being beautiful and easy-to-follow to slapdash and gross. I mean, it is the Cancerverse, but the fight scenes for multiple issues consist of Nova blasting away at like, chunks of flesh. It's well-rendered, sure, but not cool. And as a first time reader, I kinda desire some coolness.

[Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m very happy to see Rich back (I mean, he saved the whole dang universe like three times basically all in his lonesome while Peter Quill was still feeling sorry for himself), but this was a weirdly disjointed story that was kind of all over the place. I can only assume it’s because the creative team were told Marvel was canceling the book while they were in the middle of doing the fourth or fifth issue. Still Sam and Rich together have this pretty neat siblings thing going on. But since there’s currently no Nova, I assume Sam’s dad will just stay lost for the foreseeable future (unless this gets picked up in Champions at some point) and Rich will just go back to limbo (which is still many orders of magnitude better than the Cancerverse).

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been the biggest fan of Sam Alexander as the new Nova, mainly because it's things like the Annihilation event that centered a lot around Richard Rider that brought me back into more active comic book reading in my adult life. This book gets them to work together and to give us more of an explanation of what the heck happened to Rider in the Cancerverse after the events of the Thanos Imperative.

It's an interesting exploration of a lot of parallels between the two characters, unraveling some of the mystery of Rider beating death, and even some War and Peace to act as a subtle thread for the message at the end of things.

It ends rather well and in a manner that is consistent for both Novas. I think this is the book that has helped me genuinely appreciate Sam as Nova.

[Scott Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a much better volume if I already knew anything about the younger Nova. But apparently, despite being issues 1-7 this pre-supposes a fairly substantial knowledge of the character. I thought given the cover that it would be at least in good portion about Rich Rider, and I suppose it is, since it's whole purpose seems to be set up the circumstances that would bring Rider back into the MU as a usable character. But 90% of the book is from Sam's perspective and it just assumes I know and care about the kid and his family and everything already...and I don't. It would obviously be a much different experience had I read the others...

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. The emotions are nicely played with Rider trying to find a place at home again and Sam trying to impress a girl. I'm a fan of the artist to from back when he was doing a really creative online comic called Kukuburi.
There were a couple odd notes like the fact that Sam and Rider don't seem to recognize each other even though Sam had previously had a little sit down chat with Worldmind/Rider in a pocket dimension, and the fact that the Alexander family is living in a two story house after moving to an apartment due to an eviction from their previous one story house.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dissapointed

This book struggles to find its tone and it's audience. The writer for Sam has flipped quite a few times and the characteristics of his family physically and emotionally are constantly shifting. It's a fun short read, however, it's disappointing because it doesn't live up to the work and writing gone into the previous nova Richard Rider. Great book for kids as is the entire Sam Alexander series.

[José · Rating 1 out of 5]

25/100.

No me gusta nada el arte de Ramón Pérez. La historia de Jeff Loveness y Ramón Pérez me resulta bastante incompleta. No es que esté mal, es que es demasiado genérica en cuanto a los villanos: seres amorfos del espacio. Para un ratito, pues está bien, pero a mí no me ha cautivado. También tiene cierto regustillo a Green Lantern, lo que hace que la aprecie aún menos.

La serie de Sam Alexander como Nova sí que me gustó mucho. Nova: Resurrection es una vuelta a los clichés.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's like this skips the entire Kid Nova run, which already included a new Richard Rider (right?) and starts right at the end of the Cancerverse.

It doesn't make sense.

I'm probably wrong, but I don't remember Sam Alexander being Hispanic. I guess all of the dialogue featuring his mother has been about how worried she is. Also, what happened to the friend/romantic interest in the first volume? Feels weird to just bring in a new one.

Anyway, not bad, but . . . .

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t tell if I’m hyped that Richard Rider is back, or wishing he stayed dead unless Abnett and Lanning somehow teamed up to write him again.

The design of his suit in this is crap, and I wouldn’t care so much if we didn’t also see him in the old one at a certain point in this book.

[Niliimoon (Nila) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nice story. It was kinda cute to see both of beloved nova togheter. I hope we will get more of these two in future comics.
The art style was really great and cute. I've enjoyed the graphic of it.

[Dominik N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo przyjemna historia powrotu Richarda Ridera. Nie jest to jakaś wybitny komiks, ale idealny na luźne przeczytanie. Interakcje między Novami wypadają bardzo zgrabnie, a ponowne spotkanie Ridera z Cosmo to cudo. Idealny średniak.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Ryder is back from the cancerverse but he's brought some of the cancerverse with him. Also, Sam asks out a girl.

Slow burn to an epic fight. The ending doesn't really make sense. The art is pretty good, but why are Sam and his friends, who are 15, drawn like 10-year-olds?

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay story...in the end it really does feel like rearranging the universe so they could bring back an older more known Nova.

I was shocked this was a short series that ended quickly.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun, great book!

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmmkay.

[Riah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solo story for Nova, one of the young superheroes in the Champions, who I didn't realize was Latino until I read this. This story was cute and cohesive and I'm glad I read it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as single issues

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing both Novas together is great.
A lot of story packed into this small collection.

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! I really need to get more of the Nova series.