Nova Centurion #1 – Nova Prime Is Now For Hire!

Nova Centurion #1

Writer – Jed MacKay

Artist – Alvaro Lopez

Colorist – Mattia Iacono

Letterer – Cory Petit

Cover Artists – Alessandro Cappuccio & Rachelle Rosenberg

The Story:

Richard Rider is the last member of the Nova Corps and the current Nova Prime. During the Imperial War, Richard took in the Xandarian Worldmind, the repository of the entirety of Xandarian history and culture. However, all of that power comes with a price. If the Worldmind’s power levels reach zero, it is erased from existence. Now, to keep the Worldmind alive, Nova must become a hero for hire… whether he likes it or not.

The Writing:

Jed MacKay has rocketed Nova back into the spotlight with a fantastic first issue! Diving into Richard’s deep distaste for his new reality and really letting the story rest on his emotional state is brilliant. By centering this story around a hero who has been through so much already, so many wars and battles fought throughout the cosmos, it gives this issue a weight that cannot be achieved by simple sci-fi space action. MacKay has shown time and time again that he really understands that the most important element of a comic book story is just that, the story. The character work is flawless, with an excellent speech letting the readers and the people in the book know the caliber of hero that they are dealing with. I am so excited to see where MacKay takes this series!

The Art:

The art in this issue is beautiful, full stop. The colors are vibrant and pop off the page, the emotions that can be read on the characters’ faces, and the design of the sci-fi elements all meld together to form a wonderful example of the power of great art. There are too many moments to count that make this a win for the art team, but if I have to pick a favorite moment, it would be the brilliant overlay of the Worldmind’s face on the star of the Nova helmet. That is a wonderful way to show the reader who the voice in Richard’s head is in a quick and concise way. Of course, this review would not be complete without mentioning the epic main cover. It perfectly captures the weight that Nova has on his shoulders, and it is truly glorious.

Overall Grade: 10/10

This is an easy 10/10, as a long-time Nova fan, this scratches every itch that I’ve had while waiting on a new series for the Human Rocket. Great action, a respect for the character’s history, and a story that puts Nova in a very uncomfortable position that he’s never been in before? This series just shot to the top of my pull list with the very first issue!

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Have you read this issue? What did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!