The first issue of Nova: Centurion was a well-crafted story that established Richard Rider’s new status quo as part superhero, part mercenary; considering the events of Imperial, it’s impressive that it managed to stand on its own despite this. Nova: Centurion #2 continues in those footsteps, as it introduces a collection of characters, both old and new, into Rider’s life. Chief among them is his old ally Camille Benally, whom the malevolent Ravenous double-crossed.
Rider has a less-than-pleasant history with Ravenous, considering he’s the man who killed off the entire Nova Corps during Annihilation. This causes him to go in guns blazing once he tracks Ravenous to another planet. Unbeknownst to him, Ravenous has undergone cybernetic enhancements to absorb energy – and given that Rich now has to rely on money to recharge the Worldmind, this is the worst outcome he could have hoped for. Writer Jed MacKay has a gift for using deep cuts in Marvel history to shape his stories, as anyone who’s read his previous work can attest; that helps make the chemistry between Nova and Ravenous feel real.
MacKay also brings a new pair of characters into the fray. First is Aalabort, the “combat manager” assigned to watch over Nova and Camille by the Kree-Skrull War. Aalabort is a fairly blunt character, approaching the situation from a logical perspective and making curt remarks about his companions’ mental state. It’s only topped by the appearance of Yr-Krett the Sentencer, who looks and talks like a miniaturized version of Ronan the Accuser. I hope we see more of her, as her scenes were unintentionally hilarious yet also offer insight into how the Kree-Skrull War works as a governing power.
Marvel
Nova: Centurion #2 also sees a slight shift in artists, as Matteo Della Fonte joins Alvaro Lopez for the opening pages of this issue. Said pages detail how Camille got into her current predicament, and are paced with the energy and cadence of a heist film, which is appropriate considering she was actually pulling off a heist. I do wish that Della Fonte got to draw more of the issue, as his work has a sleek, rather appealing sheen that’s really brought out by Mattia Iacono’s colors.
Lopez is no slouch, though, especially when it comes to the long-awaited throwdown between Nova and Ravenous. Every time Nova uses his energy blasts or pummels Ravenous with super strength, you can feel the anger bubbling under the surface. This is deeply personal for Nova, and the best comics usually feature a personal conflict. But that also means Nova is more prone to making mistakes, and he makes a big one which leads to a grim cliffhanger. He’ll probably survive – after all, this comic is named after him – but it’s more proof that he can’t approach these conflicts the way he used to.
Nova: Centurion #2 continues to flesh out Richard Rider’s new status quo, introducing new allies and resurrecting an old enemy. It’s also starting to remind me why Nova is one of my favorite cosmic Marvel characters; whether he’s a universal defender or budding mercenary, he’ll keep fighting no matter what.
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