Review: Nova Vol. 2- Rookie Season

Quick Summary

Pros: The main cast is great and Sam Alexander is a very compelling character. The action is well-written and exciting. The artwork looks good and complements the story’s tone.

Cons: The dialogue occasionally feels unnatural.

Overall: This new series continues to impress, as the second volume is just as good as the first. It proves that Sam Alexander is a fun character and a worthwhile addition to the Marvel Universe. Plus, the narrative’s combination of humorous interactions and thrilling action make for a positive reading experience. Fans of the previous volume should definitely give this volume a try.

Story

Nova Vol. 2: Rookie Season, by Zeb Wells, takes the successes of its predecessor and builds upon them. Though Sam Alexander showed some potential in the previous volume, his actions here confirm that this potential will not go to waste. Sam is a more interesting character than ever before, as his journey of self-discovery ends up being very compelling. In addition, well-written moments of action and suspense keep things interesting and ensure that Sam’s time as a hero will be filled with excitement. Overall, readers who enjoyed the first volume are likely to enjoy this one as well.

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The absolute best aspect of Rookie Season, and the feature that presents the most promise going forward, is Sam Alexander himself. Sam is a great character whose realistic blend of successes and failures makes him very relatable. He doesn’t always succeed but he always puts effort and goodwill behind his actions. By the end of the volume, most readers are sure to have connected with him in some way and will have plenty of reason to cheer him on.

In addition to being relatable, Sam is also dynamic. The character growth he experiences in this single volume is significant and great to see. Watching him discover his place as a hero while also growing as a person proves to be very compelling. It made me want to read more about him and see how he will evolve as future storylines play out.

The book’s other positives come into play in the volume’s second half, when the storytelling amps up on excitement and action. In this portion, a threat from Thanos is introduced, Sam’s family is nearly killed, and Sam has to fight an enemy while nearly defenseless. Each of these elements would generate a modicum of excitement on their own but, together, they make this book a real thrill ride. I found myself on the edge of my seat in quite a few places and, by the storyline’s end, was excited to experience more.

The only major negatives, throughout Rookie Season, come from some awkward dialogue. Though Nova’s interactions with others are often humorous and lighthearted, they occasionally feel inorganic and unnatural. This is especially noticeable during his conversation with Spider-Man. However, this problem is mostly confined to the volume’s first half, giving hope that the rest of the series will be even better.

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Art

The artwork in Rookie Season is consistently good throughout the book. The combination of Paco Medina’s pencils and Juan Vlasco’s inks has a solid level of detail and is structured well. In addition, the artwork here does a great job in making the book feel lighthearted but never too silly. This allows the characters to tell jokes in some moments and face down death in other moments, without either feeling out of place. All of this complements the tone found in the volume’s narrative, making the entire work feel more consistent.

Continuity

Nova Vol. 2: Rookie Season continues the story started in Nova Vol. 1: Origin (Review). In addition, the events of Avengers vs. X-Men take place between these volumes.

The story here continues in Nova Vol. 3: Nova Corpse.

• Thor’s comment to Sam takes place at the very end of Avengers vs. X-Men.
• Spider-Man’s unusual personality seen here is explained by events at the beginning of the Superior Spider-Man series, collected in Superior Spider-Man: The Complete Collection Vol. 1.
• Justice and Speedball mention their time with the New Warriors. They left that team when it disbanded back in Secret Invasion: New Warriors.
• Thanos’s presence in this volume is a tie-in to the Infinity event.
• Thanos’s time in the Cancerverse and his struggle again Richard Rider are explained in the Thanos Imperative.