Customer Reviews

Nova, Vol. 1: Annihilation - Conquest

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before Annihilation, i always saw Nova as a Marvel B-character who was good for a goonie guest appearance in other comics from time to time. Then came Annihilus and his "annihilation wave". We saw Nova inherit the total power of the Nova Corp. (after the home planet was obliterated) Then after being trained and mentored by the new look Drax the Destroyer, he was a key part of the resistance and eventual downfall of annihilus. Taking place directly after Annihilation Nova returns to earth for some R&R and comes face to face with none other than Tony Stark who has a proposition you can probably believe. With appearances by Gamora, Pennance, and the Phalanx this first arc of Nova shapes up to be really enthralling. This is by far the most underrated Marvel title to date. The art is spectacular, and the writing top notch, i wish i could give this six stars.

He's been a New Warrior, badly utilized, and rarely realized to his full potential; but since Marvel's surprisingly great Annihilation saga, Nova has been given a new lease on life. Annihilation: Conquest, the first collected volume in Marvel's new ongoing Nova series, finds Richard Ryder, AKA Nova, taking a much needed break after the cataclysmic events of Annihilation. Stronger, more focused, and more powerful than ever before, Nova sets forth on a new found destiny as the most powerful cosmic hero other than the Silver Surfer. Of course, as he returns to a post-Civil War Earth, Tony "Iron Man" Stark has an intriguing offer, and seeds are planted for future events of destruction. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have crafted the best take on Nova, well, who knows, maybe ever. I never remember the character being at all this interesting or enjoyable, and combined with the excellent artwork of Sean Chen, Annihilation: Conquest is just short of spectacular. All in all, if you're a Nova fan, old New Warriors reader, or thoroughly enjoyed Annihilation; Nova is more than worth your time.

I never really cared much for Nova when he first came out. After a couple short lived series he gained some popularity when he became part of The New Warriors. But in 2006 he was featured prominently in "Annihilation", Marvels epic space opera event series. Here is where Nova finally became interesting and a major player in the marvel universe. After Annihilation came "Annihilation Conquest" and Nova once again got his own series.

Nova Volume 1: Annihilation Conquest is one of the best stories from Marvel that I've read in a long time. It compiles Nova issues 1 thru 7. The story takes place in the aftermath of "Annihilation" in which the Fantastic Fours old enemy Annihilus ventures out of the negative zone to take over the galaxy. His first salvo is the destruction of the Nova Corps. Richard Rider survives the attack and is the last remaining Nova Centurion. In the aftermath of Annihilation, the universe has been ravaged. Galaxies are in ruin and Richard Rider is trying desperately to help repair the damage and help as many planets as he can. But in the wake of the devastation comes another threat; the techno organic race known as The Phalanx. The Phalanx are trying to take over the universe with a virus that can take over all machine and organic based life.

Nova must also deal with his some time lover Gamora, the self proclaimed "Deadliest Woman in The Universe". Gamora has been infected with the Phalanx virus and is desperate to have Nova "join" her. Nova must also contend with Drax The Destroyer.

The series is really a lot of fun and reminds me of the heyday of Marvels "Space Opera" stories like the Kree/Skrull War, The Avengers battles with Thanos and some of the best Jim Starlin Bronze Age stories. The writing by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning is witty, fast paced and exciting. The art by Sean Chen and Scott Hanna is vibrant, colorful and very attractive. I highly recommend Nova.

First off, If you haven't read Annihilation I recommend you start there. However, this book continues what has been a great reboot for the cosmic marvel universe.
To me this arc offers up something lacking in most of the superhero titles out there today. We feel an emotional bond with Richard. He is genuinly a noble and likeable character who is just an average guy thrust into a position of great responsibility. The civil war shows just how petty the marvel universe has become and Richard has little respect for Tony Stark (Ironman) and the fighting that took place on earth.
Richard kinda resents the heroes of earth for not lending a hand in the fight against Annihilius. He lost all his friends in Nova corps to the annihilation wave and comes home to find out the New Warriors (his old buddies) are all dead.
Powerful writing here. Probably the best arc I've ever read in a comic book, because you feel so sad for this guy. This is what a real hero does. He puts his boots on and keeps up the good fight despite the loss, the pain and the fatigue. Richard Rider is the last completely noble character in the marvel universe.

Nova, The Human Rocket (aka Richard Rider) starred in a sometimes charming but mostly mediocre twenty-five issue mid-1970s Marvel series. High schooler Rider randomly inherited his cosmic Nova superpowers from a space beam fired Earthward by a dying alien. He was reintroduced as a member of the New Warriors before leaving earth to serve in the NovaCorps of Xandar in the Marvel Cosmic Universe. Nova was the only Nova Corps member to survive the destruction of Xandar and was thus the receptacle of the nearly omniscient NovaCorps Worldmind. After the success of the "Annihilation" crossover Marvel gave Nova another solo series. This TPB collects the first seven issues.
Nova exhausts himself while shouldering the NovaCorps' entire load and decides to visit his home planet. Issue 3 is my favorite of the series: Nova observes the aftermath of the Civil War and considers Tony Stark's offer to join The Initiative. Later, Nova returns to space and runs afoul of Gamora and the Phalanx technovirus.

The only reason I haven't given this a 5 is because 5 to me is near perfection. This is very close but not quite.

I have never read a Nova and only read one story from Marvel's cosmic offerings. So this took me completely by surprise and really did amaze me.

The art is mostly pretty awesome. At times its a little too cartoony but mostly its pretty good.

After the destruction of the Nova Corps (galactic protectors) home world only one member is left. Alone he is left with assuming all the power of the Nova homeworld intelligence. Its provides a great back drop for the high stakes plot that unfolds.

The story is superb. The writing is good, the hero feels unique and the action and characters are well paced and delivered. I'm no good at writing reviews so just go out and buy this. You'll see.


I don't know why Marvel isn't pushing this more. Its a great book.

Nova: Annihilation Conquest collects issues #1-7 of Nova, originally published in 2007. Continuity-wise, this volume takes place immediately after the events of Annihilation Book 1 (Bk. 1), Annihilation Book 2 (Bk. 2), and Annihilation Book 3 (Bk. 3) and leads directly into Annihilation: Conquest Book 1 (Bk. 1). Production quality is good with medium-gloss paper and a flexible spine. Extras include character sketches by Sean Chen and rough cover layouts by Adi Granov.

Story-wise, this volume features two different multi-part stories. The first sees Nova trying to come to grips with his place in the cosmos after the Annihilation War. The second sees him attacked by the Phalanx and temporarily decommissioned while a temporarily deputized female Nova attempts to save him. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's writing is excellent here; both stories feature strong, believable characters, compelling conflicts, and battle scenes more carefully scripted than many of those found in Marvel's better-selling superhero books. Indeed, though it suffered a small readership, Nova was--at least in this reviewer's opinion--one of the best series published by Marvel in the late 2000s.

If you're a fan of Marvel's cosmic books, you'll probably want to pick this up, but be aware--the entire second half of the book is also collected in Annihilation: Conquest, Book 2 (Bk. 2). Fans of the New Warriors and Civil War will enjoy this graphic novel for its thoughtful first story. Casual readers are also encouraged to give this book a try--little background information is required to read it.

I am a life-long DC fan who rarely sees what others see in Marvel Comics. I thoroughly enjoyed Infinite Crisis and scoffed at the idea behind Civil War. Somehow, I totally missed Annihilation. A few years later, based upon the suggestions of some of my friend son the internet, I bought this trade to try it and see what the fuss was about.

I was blown away. While I was familiar with the work of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, this book made me realize what an awesome creative pair they are. As a character, Richard Rider is compelling and the interplay between him and the Worldmind computer, the last repository of the Xanadarian culture, is phenomenal.

As a DC fan, I can't help but make the connection to Green Lantern, especially Kyle Raynor, who like Richard Rider, continued the tradition of a former corps of heroes on their shoulders. Abnett and Lanning do a good job of not turning Richard into a clone of Kyle and though I was tempted to compare the two concepts, they did a great job of convincing me that they were really apples and oranges.

Though I'm far from a Marvel Zombie now, as long as Abnett and Lanning are writing it, I'll proudly say, "Make Mine Marvel" when it comes to their cosmic titles.

Reading comics over the last two decades I would have bet money that I would never buy let alone enjoy a Nova book. That just goes to show what great things Abnett, Lanning, & Chen have done here. Richard Rider comes off as heroic, interesting, funny, and cool. The plot, part of a bigger crossover, is well put together. The script is tight and Sean Chen's artwork is terrific as usual. I really enjoyed this a look forward to the next trade!

I was blown away by how good this title is. For months and months I had heard it was a good read and I finally broke down and checked it out. Boy am I glad! This is pure sci-fi fun! I never got into the marvel "cosmos" titles that didn't take place on Earth, but this has totally changed my thinking. I plan on checking out the Annihilation series that spawned this title too. Seriously, just check it out.