The Man Called Nova burst onto the comic racks in the late Bronze Age and was a breath of fresh air. Marv Wolfman had the notion of Nova rumbling around in his imagination since his boyhood but brought the idea to Marvel with fantastic effect. The character combines aspects of Spider-Man (angst-ridden teenager struggling to be a superhero) with aspects of Green Lantern (part of a space-spanning police force). I really loved the villains in Nova, they all had a nifty retro glow to them. The creators really worked overtime to make the villains distinctive and colorful. Diamondhead, Condor, Powerhouse, and the mastermind the Sphinx all tingle the memory.
Sal Buscema inherited the book from his brother's debut and "Our Pal" Sal was the perfect artist for the title, his style clear and light. Later when Carmine Infantino took over, I was less enthusiastic as his artwork at that time was exciting but felt muddled to me somehow.
Nova only lasted a couple of years, but the character like most all Marvel characters became a part of the broader universe and has been revived and revised more than a few times.
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I remember buying the first few issues, but later gave all but #1 (which I've still got) to a pal, I think. However, around 30 years back I tracked down numbers 2-12, so I've got the first dozen. Yeah, it was a nifty wee title.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun read, pure and simple. Marvel did a few of these during the Bronze Age.
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I enjoyed the Essential a few years back a lot more than I expected to.
ReplyDeleteI get that emotion. The character is pretty rich and the background even more.
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I really need to read some Nova. He's a hero, and a title, neglected by me in spite of my love of all things Bronze Age.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'm not much of an Infantino fan myself, so I'll be sure to start with some Buscema issues.