Nova, Vol. 6: Realm of Kings

Nova (2007)

by Dan Abnett (Writer), Andy Lanning, Andrea Di Vito (Illustrator)

How has the aftermath of the War of Kings affected the newly reborn and viciously battered Nova Corps? When the universe is changed, who is left to protect and serve the innocents? Out of the devastation - and from Marvel's cosmic past - strides a mysterious new threat...and an unexpected ally Then, torn between duty and friendship, the galaxy's #1 lawman hunts for the most wanted man in the universe: Darkhawk. Determined to bring an assassin to justice, Rich Rider will rocket into the universe's most dangerous new location: The Fault.

Collecting: Nova 29-36

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2010

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Guardians of the Galaxy before it, here comes the end of Abnett & Lanning's great run on Nova. Unlike Star-Lord's crew, though, Nova didn't have an insanely popular movie in his near future to resurrect his book; in fact Rich Rider ended up getting replaced by a whole new Nova; so this is Rich's last solo book to date. -sad face-

He does at least get to go out swinging, facing threats from the enormous rip in spacetime known as the Fault. This makes for an action-packed volume with some unexpected guest stars. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The final conflict around the Fault and the Cancerverse is still to come in The Thanos Imperative (yes, bloody Thanos again!) and Nova has a huge role to play in that little throw down, so we haven't quite seen the last of Rich Rider yet...

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid entry into this series. It's nice to read a Nova volume that isn't roped into a crossover event. (Although the cover says Realm of Kings, this seemed self-contained to me.) After fighting a space wizard and some Mindless Ones, Nova meets an old centurion who had become trapped in another dimension. Due to the fault portal thing, he was able to come back, and agrees to train the new Nova corps recruits. Next, Richard goes after Darkhawk, who is suspected of killing Lilandra, the Shi'ar Majestrix. They brawl, but then get pulled into a battleword-type dimension ruled by competing Sphinxes. The assembled gang manages to beat Sphinx and Namorita comes back to life.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nova leaps into the Realm Of Kings and deals with The Fault, his new Corps, and fallout from the War Of Kings. The book introduces a couple of new characters that add to the small cast. Even thought Nova has always been part of something larger, I've liked stories where he is alone with only Worldmind to help him. DnA do a really great job with the cosmic elements of the Marvel Universe and it continues here. The script is very good. The artwork by a few different artists is spectacular. Overall, a treat to read!

[Judith Groen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable, yet somewhat confusing read. I had no idea who the characters were the Sphinx summoned, and I didnt even know the Sphinx himself. So I think that kind of demped my liking of the story. It's sad that the Nova run has come to an end. I loved this run to pieces. The writer did an amazing job with the entire cosmic run so far. It are the best reads I've had in comics so far.

[Roberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um volume que infelizmente tem uma barriga de cerca de 4 revistas focadas na esfinge, apenas para trazer um personagem de volta a vida que não terá muita importância, por ser o fim da run.

[Emilie]

Things are once again fairly grim, though there are moments of humor.

The previous volume collected the story of the results to the Nova Corps from Worldmind's insanity and another intergalactic war. As a result of that war, there's been a rip torn in space, called the Fault.

This is the arc that introduces the grizzled old warrior Philo. He'd gotten lost through a star-gate and ended up far away. He (and other creatures around his ship) come back to galaxies that are known to him through the Fault. Rich admits to Philo that the other characters with Nova powers are all extremely new to having those powers. Richard himself had had a bit more than five years of experience in the Nova Corps just before the start of the Annihilation wars. Philo not only has several times more experience than Richard Rider does, but he's been in the Nova Corps for longer than Rich has been alive. They quickly start working together well, though, which was nice to see.

Though this is the end of the Nova run of comics for that decade, it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. I suppose the story continues in other comics.

Added: The cliffhanger of where Nova has gotten to is more or less resolved in The Thanos Imperative. (Noting this to myself as much as anyone else.)

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting wrap-up for a solid run. Nova deals with some weirdness coming out of the "Fault" that was created at the end of War of Kings; this prompts a mini New Warriors reunion as well as some weird cosmic stuff. Fans who followed the Warriors in their 90s incarnation will have fun with recognition here, although I was sorry the story moved away from what seemed the more interesting line of reforming the Nova corps.

It returns to that concept a bit at the end, along with a return to Earth, but the last few issues seem to be wrapping up the run. I wish Abnett and Lanning would have had more space to explore the cosmos they were sketching out, but as is, this is still pretty satisfying for fans of the characters.

Read in digital versions.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good wrap up to the Nova series and the Realm of Kings storyline (though I still don't know quite what happened to the Fault... maybe in the next series). It related to some other parts of the event, but again explained by Nova wasn't so much a part of it by showing the other things he had going on. I was not a New Warrior reader, so I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff, but this does explain some of the weird things I have seen in other books and leads up to another event that I will probably end up reading one day.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

War of Kings had established an interesting status quo for the cosmic-based line of Marvel's books, but this does away with that and uses the reality-tearing 'Fault' to tell a fairly dull time travel meets New Warriors reunion story.

[logankstewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This finishes the 36 issue series without much conclusion. Like atypical Marvel, this series leads right into a following saga, which I'll definitely dive into, if only to learn of Richard Rider's fate.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this was a pretty solid adventure within the mixed bag that is the Realm of Kings. Nova's arc is pretty solid and how he has to deal with his internal (to the Corps) complications while the universe goes to a dark place totally works.

Plus this is the Nova we deserve, folks.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable if somewhat rushed end to the Nova series. The return of Sphinx is nice continuity and that arc ends with one of the best moments in the series.

[violetDelights · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★★☆☆
too bad this was the end of this run. Pretty entertaining but anti-climactic as an ending, it seems clearly meant to be part of a longer running story that has been cut short.

[Sisyphus · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPHINXteresting. There were some really cheesy lines here.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as single issues