#gerry duggan

comicstallion:

FromX-Men Vol. 6 #010, “Sisterhood of the Metal Bones”

Art by Javier Pina and Marte Gracia

Written by Gerry Duggan

One day your planet exists, the next day , it’s busted out.

The goalie is the most important player on the team!

You are my disappointment made flesh.

Nova #24:Gerry Duggan, David Baldeon, Terry Pallot, David Curiel, Albert Deschesne, Zachary Montoya, Idette Winecoor, Devin Lewis, Nick Lowe

Okay, so I thought the last issue - while, yes, it was a “fight” issue - was a little shallow. I didn’t think there was a whole lot of depth to the characters, to the dialogue, to the action. It was just two forces trying to beat each other up. This issue was much more rounded, and it was a big improvement. Again, I think the dialogue is a bit clunky and forced, lending more to the thought that this title is intended for younger readers.

I think the best part of this issue was that we saw how the head injury is affecting Sam. There’s dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, blacking out, and memory issues. It’s all close to realism, which is nice to see some part of this Axis series actually showing some consequences.

My least favorite part of the issue, which is a problem that persisted from last ish, is how unconcerned Sam’s mom is. There are moments when she’s worried, sure. But…c'mon, her son could be dead and all she is is worried? Good god, she should be HYSTERICAL, going crazy! Sure, she could be keeping it together for the sake of her young daughter, but her son is a superhero who’s risking his life against a giant monster. Especially since her husband put her through the same thing before.

There’s almost no point for her to be in the comic. It’s like the writer feels obligated to include her every few pages to remind us that she’s there. 

So it’s nice to see a bit more in this issue, but I think that this could get better still. Though I’m not sure how there’ll be a Nova title without Nova. There’s a chance here for Duggan to dig deep into Sam’s character and develop relationships, hell he could even make things so much worse for Sam and his family if he wanted to.

Some great art in this issue - again, a lot of huge splash pages and oversized panels to make up for the lack of story and development. But, still, some great art. I’m digging it, for what it is.

Nova #24, the verdict: While it had more of what I was missing from last ish, it’s still not to caliber that I remember from when I first started reading the series. I’m going to chaulk it up to the fact that these last two issues have been big “fight” issues, and I’m hoping it’ll improve with the next issues. Especially since it doesn’t look like Nova’ll be doing much fighting anytime soon.

(Photo Source: ComicVine)

Nova #23:Gerry Duggan, David Baldeon, Terry Pallot, David Curiel, Albert Deschesne, Zachary Montoya, Jessica Pizarro, Devin Lewis, Nick Lowe

So it’s been a while since I’ve read this title. I really liked how it started, and then I remember the artist changing, or the writer changing, or both…and it was not as fun anymore. Maybe I’ll go back and catch up on the issues I missed.

Funny enough, jumping in here, I don’t feel like I’ve missed a whole much. The only thing is it looks like Sam’s mom is now aware and okay with Sam being Nova. That’s good, though. I don’t know if I like it when a superhero story tries to keep “the secret” from their friends and family and stuff. I think it’s mainly because the duality of the hero and alter ego is usually written so poorly.

I decided to get back into Nova because after seeing him jet off after Kluh in Axis, I had to see how the fight turned out.

So apparently Sam does his normal headstrong stupidity and rushes off to fight Kluh without any kind of backup or preparation. He saves a couple people, sure, but his fight with Kluh is completely one-sided and over very quickly. It’s kind of a brutal battle, actually, and I thought it was going to turn out much worse than it did.

Sam is lucky, let’s say.

At the same time, it’s kind of like one of those, “really? He survived all that?” moments. But, the case can be made that the helmet and the Nova power saved him, physically, but good lord. It’s a miracle that the boy isn’t a creamy smear of goo on the road.

The art is a form of exaggeration, which works for the energy and exuberance that Sam displays. Interestingly, the art gets more, shall we say, “badass” and on-point when Sam goes ultra super-hero mode. The splash pages are a real treat to see. The coloring is really bright and it jumps off the page very well.

Nova #23, the verdict: It felt a little short, really. I think that’s because a lot of the panels were huge, and there were a few splash pages - which, let me be clear, I’m not complaining. It’s still good art. I just feel like the story suffered a little bit. But, then again, what more do you expect out of a “fight” issue? I can’t judge this title just by this one issue. I do enjoy the character, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the outcome of this fight with Kluh affects Sam’s life in the issues to come. That being said, the art style, the coloring, and the “depth” of this issue (lack of dialogue and dialogue style) really gave off a strong vibe that this title is for young readers. A bit of a turn-off, to be honest.

(Photo Source: Marvel.com)