Reading through Nova: Centurion #3, I wasn’t expecting certain things to happen. Nova trading heroic moments for mercenary solutions is one of those things, as is a big twist that happens toward the end of the book. Yet it showcases just how much Richard Rider has changed in the wake of Imperial, both in his powers and his mindset. It also makes Nova: Centurion #3 an entertaining read, if I’m being honest.
Rider’s change of mind comes when he’s fighting Ravenous, the Negative Zone escapee who drains energy. This isn’t a great matchup due to the fact that Rider’s powers are energy-based, and the Nova Worldmind now has to rely on extraordinary amounts of money to run (which proves that capitalism is a force not even the most advanced races in the galaxy can overcome.) Things also turn personal, as Ravenous is the being who slaughtered the entire Nova Corps.
This means that Rider has to wrestle with his duties as the last remaining member of the Corps, and his own personal desire for vengeance. MacKay captures this struggle in a quiet moment when Richard retreats to the Worldmind (once again depicted as a graveyard, as in Imperial War: Nova Centurion) and finally begins to form a plan. This leads to a moment where he confesses that he doesn’t know if he can take Ravenous without the Nova Force, and the Worldmind reminds him that his tenacity is just as much a superpower.
Other character moments are sprinkled throughout MacKay’s script, including Rider’s old friend Cammi using her thieving skills to help turn the tide, and Aalbort, the combat accountant, expressing concern over his actions. The dynamic between this trio leads to some funny dialogue as well; when Cammi says she’s staying to help them, Richard agonizes over the decision while Aalbort points out he doesn’t really have a choice. It’s only topped by a zinger about how getting Flerkens out of trees isn’t a real job, which is a deep cut cosmic Marvel fans can enjoy.
Marvel
Artists Alvaro Lopez and Matteo Della Fonte are finally locked in sync, to the point where I can’t tell one artist’s style from another. Far from being a bug, it’s a feature as it makes everything look more uniform. Lopez and Della Fonte even get to draw some big moments, opening the issue with Nova howling in pain as Ravenous draws in his Nova Force, and a splash page where Nova makes a grand proclamation. This is a precursor to a surprisingly brutal scene where Richard Rider takes off his Nova helmet, picks up a universal weapon, and literally beats the energy out of Ravenous, with Joe Caramaga filling each panel with a massive golden “Kludd” sound.
If that bout of violence isn’t enough proof that Richard Rider has changed his approach to protecting the galaxy, the ending will definitely cement it as it shows Nova’s no longer the squeaky clean space enforcer fans know and love. Nova: Centurion #3 thrives on the unexpected moments, and fully cements this as a Nova book unlike any that’s come before.
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