Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
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Nova #15
Issue(s): Nova #15
Cover Date: Nov 77
Title: "Death is-- the Yellow Claw"
Credits:
Marv Wolfman - Writer
Carmine Infantino - Penciler
Tom Palmer - Inker
Review/plot:
Nova is hanging out with the sanctimonious Crimebuster.
Afterwards, Mike Burley is robbing a lab, and gets caught and de-masked by Nova, who lets him go (or maybe, less generously, fails to capture him).
Then Nova gets attacked by a bunch of super-hero robots...
...that turn out to be LMDs sent by Nick Fury to test him.
SHIELD is going after the Yellow Claw, and since Nova already had an encounter with the Claw, they'd like him to help.
Meanwhile, Rich's father gets more deeply involved with the "Inner Circle" that has given him a loan.
Carmine Infantino takes over for Sal Buscema and i think the comic loses a lot of its appeal. As a retro-ish comic, the clean lines of Our Pal Sal worked pretty well. Infantino's looser (messier, imo) style doesn't fit the theme as well.
This issue was a terrible ploy to put a bunch of popular characters on the cover. I guess maybe it helped a little, since Nova will last another 10 issues.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Next issue starts with Rich Rider in school, so some time passes after SHIELD recruits Nova and before they actually need to call him in.
References:
- Nova can't understand why Spider-Man, who he befriended in Nova #12, would be attacking him.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
Inbound References (2): showCharacters Appearing: Charles Rider, Crimebuster, Mike Burley, Nick Fury, Nova (Rich Rider), Robbie Rider Previous:
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Tomb of Dracula #61
Comments
I think I fell for that ploy. (Of course, I bought it from a bargain bin instead of new on the rack.)
This story arc demonstrated why the original Nova series ended soon after. The story was choppy with characters popping up out of nowhere and pacing of the story lurching along.
With all the resources and friends Nick Fury has at his disposal it certainly does not make sense for him to recruit Nova here.
I did enjoy the thought bubble where Nova is wondering if being attacked by other heroes is some sort of initiation. Certainly a play on the standard "misunderstanding fight".
