Thursday, April 12, 2007

Nova Day

Today, I am reliably informed by both the Diamond Previews catalogue and my esteemed editor at Marvel, Bill Rosemann, is Nova day.
The first issue of Nova hit the stands in the US this morning. Written by myself and my long time partner in crime Andy Lanning (collectively DnA), it’s drawn by Sean Chen, and is an ongoing series arising from the success of the Nova mini series Andy and I wrote last year as part of Marvel’s Annihilation event.
Nova the character has been around since the early seventies. A teenager from Long Island who becomes a member of an alien-sponsored galactic ‘police force’ (the Nova Corps) and gets amazing powers as a result, Nova was always a little bit... naff.
I’m not dissing the poor guy, it’s just that, compared to Cap or Iron Man or Spider-Man, he was always a bit second rate and try-hard, a third division player, an ‘if wet’ hero. As in “featuring The Mighty Thor! (if wet, Nova)”.
But, he was a cosmic hero with cosmic powers (he’s a human rocket, don’cha know?), and Andy and I lurve cosmic heroes. Warlock! Captain Marvel! The Silver Surfer! The Legion of Superheroes! (if wet, Nova). When we wrote the Nova mini, we made that ‘if wet’-ness part of the riff. Nova was painfully aware that he WASN’T Cap or Shellhead or Spidey. He had become a second stringer because that’s how he saw himself.
It seemed to work. Nova ended up saving the galaxy and becoming one of the most potent characters in the Marvel Universe. He’s first rank now, premiere division. “Featuring Nova! (if wet, the Fantastic Four)”.
Okay, not quite, but you get my drift.
The new series kicks off by taking Nova back home, so that the rest of the Marvel Universe can collectively gasp, then propels him into this year’s cosmic event, Annihilation: Conquest!, which Andy and I have also been left in charge of.
It’s the most fun Andy and I have had without laughing for ages. I say without laughing, that’s a lie. When we get together for plot-bashing sessions, Andy and I regularly end up in a fit of giggles. This is most often due to the fact that a) we tend to act out, in improvised format, various parts of the story, and b) during said actings out, unlikely casting choices seem to influence the lead roles (Ray Winston IS Galactus! Dick Emery IS The Silver Surfer! Goldmember from the Austin Powers movie IS Drax the Destroyer! Professor Stephen Hawkings IS the artist formally known as Prince!).
We might have gone off on a bit of a tangent that day, admittedly. Although, you try reciting the lyrics of U Got The Look in a voicebox monotone and see if you don’t crack up.
I’ve lost the point, if I ever had one. Oh yeah, Nova day! Huzzah! Get thee hence (he says, using his best Stan Lee cover blurb voice) and purchase Nova #1. If only to read it aloud in the most inappropriate celebrity voices.
I’m off to Paris this weekend, to attend the French Games Day, so if you’re in the vicinity of the Stade De France on Sunday, drop in and say hello. The part of Harlon Nayl will be played by Hulk Hogan (if wet, Bob Hoskins).

“Oi, Ravenor! There’s bin an eruption!” Like that, you see, but in French.

43 comments:

Soapy said...

Yay go Nova! WooHoo, you da man!







Never heard of him, I'm a DC man myself. Hope the book does well and you get plenty of work.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.

Anonymous said...

"I’m off to Paris this weekend, to attend the French Games Day, so if you’re in the vicinity of the Stade De France on Sunday, drop in and say hello.The part of Harlon Nayl will be played by Hulk Hogan (if wet, Bob Hoskins).

“Oi, Ravenor! There’s bin an eruption!” Like that, you see, but in French.



I'm sorry? I'm not quite sure I understand... Ô.o

Anonymous said...

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Very cool, Bob Hoskins as Nayl, who says you need mind expanding drugs to really explore the human psyche. He may have to bulk up a bit for the role, but hey, you could go along the lines of 'I'll bite your knees off you bastard!' etc etc, cue much 40K/Monty Python crossover hilarity.

Now theres a thought...

Unknown said...

Ross: I think time and space shifted as the possibilites of that crossover became apparent. You are a genius.

I've never been a superhero comic man myself, but will Nova be out in the UK? I may give it a look if I see it around..

And have fun in Paris! I've never been to a Games Day myself.. :-(

Boom said...

That's AWESOME! I loved Annihilation and to find out that you will be in charge of Conquest is great. I always argue with my buddies because they tend to scoff at the cosmic heros of Marvel.

Toymachine said...

Way-Hey! Go marvel related happenings! On a simalar topic, did captain America die? I hust saw the scandal, but it never resolved itself in the papers.

Wow. For no reason, i just thought of Baffels. Its been too long since ive read any books involving him. How did he die again? Don't have the book handy... Methinks it was heroic, or I wouldnt remember he died.

Anonymous said...

He tried to take down a Baneblade with a missile launcher.

Needless to say, his effort was short and full of pain.
This is the first time i've commented, just wanted to say i love Dan, and have read pretty much every BL book hes written.

And i'm sitting outside his window right now.

Anonymous said...

... and here we have our first confessed known stalker. ;)

Toymachine said...

HeHe... I like this guy already. Yeah, Thanks I just remembered. I liked Honour guard because of the amount of tanks, and their captains humour etc. A nice side to the 40k universe unseen behind the wall of traitors, dark gods, spasming aliens, deathless interlopers, foul greenskins etc.

Anonymous said...

Dead on exhaust fumes, the warhammer way :D

No, Honour Guard is my favourite, right after Necropolis. The tank actions are different, and nice too.

Toymachine said...

Guns of Tanith was my favourite, and Honour guard takes a respectable second place.

Those I cannot crush with words i will crush with the tanks of the Imperial guard!!

Anonymous said...

a human rocket, you say? sounds like my grandmother. there's a school of thought that holds her bowels largely responsible for modern global warming.

Jesse said...

I could have gone happily to my grave, never having known that.

Expect my therapy bill in the mail.

Bodjo said...

The tank guys in Honour Guard (Paurdans?) are one of the few worthwhile allies that the Ghosts get, along with the Vitrians and probably some others that my head-ached brain can't remember right now.

I particularly liked the guy who dies laughing as he's incinerated, because he knows his pal is going to finish the Baneblade thanks to the damage he inflicted.

Anonymous said...

The tank actions in HG were amazing. I picked it up by chance, just in Chapters when I was looking for a book to read on a vacation and I saw they had some 40k books- HG was the only GG there, and I said why not.

So glad I did. Honour Guard remains my favourite.

I went into chapters the other day to see if they had AoC- no such luck. So I picked up Ravenor instead...I hope I didn't have to read Eisenhorn first. Or did I? (Dammit!)

Will Wright said...

Is the Ravenor/Eisenhorn arc complete or may we see them once again?I finished Rouge in a night,fantastic stuff.

Anonymous said...

@ John: would be better to know Eisenhorn. Better take the Omnibus. And there are some short stories also quite interesting and important. "Playing Tatience" in "Let the Galaxy Burn", and of course "Thorn wishes Talon" in "What Price Victory".

You should read the "Eisenhorn Trilogy" first, then "Ravenor". Than "Playing Patience", than "Ravenor Returned". Followed by "Thorn wishes Talon". Last "Ravenor Rogue". That's not the chronologically right order, but it's the best to understand the interactions and backgrounds of similar characters.

Bodjo said...

For the record, I read the first two Ravenor books without having read Eisenhorn (one more day!), and I still enjoyed them a lot.

=========SPOILER: Guns of Tanith===

In regard to Baffels, he at least got an exciting death. Kind of like Fols, who goes down in Necropolis fighting the gatehouse. Or Blane, whose platoon holds off a thousand Jantine Patricians to give Gaunt a chance to win the main battle.

Rilke, on the other hand, who is supposed to be a great sniper, falls out of a burning airship in the Guns of Tanith. Hardly fitting. And then there's Haller, who isn't actuall dead but I keep thinking he is. Poor guy.

Unknown said...

You could happily read Ravenor without having read Eisenhorn, but I'd recommend going for the Omnibus first at any rate. It's a fantastic read and you meet some Ravenor characters there first.

On a slightly related note, where could I get my hands on the short stories.. i.e. Playing Patience, Thorn Wishes Talon, Let The Galaxy Burn and What Price Victory? I'd really love to read them.

Anonymous said...

"Playing Patience" is a short story, included in the anthology "Let the Galaxy Burn".


"Thorn Wishes Talon" on the other hand's only in "What Price Victory", and that's out of print... :(

Bodjo said...

Let The Galaxy Burn and What Price Victory are collections of short stories, though I'm not sure where you'd find the two short stories mentioned...

Will Wright said...

Esienhorn is what got me interested in WH40k again in like 15 yrs.
I wish we see more from him.

Will Wright said...

Congrats on the Marvel gig.It is good you're doing a character that is not really well known in the Marvel Universe.It gives you a clean slate so to speak without having to tie up other writers loose ends.I can't wait to see it.

Anonymous said...

At present, I'm not sure I should speak to you or not Mr. Abnett.

Just finished Ravenor Rogue and I agree with Ravenor's sentiments at the very end (as in his last sentence).

Now.....well, *shrugs*
I find myself at somewhat of a loss. And I always had the slight vain of hope that 'HE' might be saved.

It's so not fair!
*goes off in a huff*

lordy said...

@Xhalax

I agree - I thought he was pretty cool as well. At least he did play an important role at the end.

I thought M was pretty damned cool too.

Lordy.

Boom said...

Oh damn. Now I have to go out and get the Ravenor books...

Jesse said...

SPOILERS HO!

I have given up on trying to save the bad guys. 'Closure' may not be everything it's cracked up to be, but it sure cuts back on repeat offenders.

If 'closure' isn't an option, control is the next best thing. 'M' perhaps need not have ended up as he did, there is never a shortage of need for servitors or arco-flagellants, maybe even a nice, comfy penitent-engine.

Dan, before I forget! I re-read Double Eagle this past weekend. I forgot what a kick-ass book that is.

N., after many hours of brain-storming (or at least a light brain-drizzle) with my wife, 'Hearts and Minds' has a finalized character list, a rough timeframe and a narrowing list of pivotal chapter events (down to under thirty from upward of sixty). Wish me luck!

Anonymous said...

Jesse - LUCK!

lordy said...

I finally managed to get my hands on the second issue of Damnation Crusade, despite it coming out two months ago.

Tankred is still amusing.

Anonymous said...

Yes boom...you should. Coz despite how much I really didn't like Ravenor and hated Patience...I really enjoyed the books (minus one or two THINGS).

But always I return to WHY?!?!?!?!

Yeah, I know it had to happen in order to progress the storyline and such (like a certain other person who's name I shall not mention)....but still. WHY!?!?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I really liked Patience. She's a nice and funny character.

Anonymous said...

I really dislike her. To the point where there's nothing really likable about her.

Coz I can't see it. She's just not a very nice person in any sense of the word.

And she's not a bad guy so you can't really love to hate her either.

lordy said...

Hmm. I did like Patience - I always thought she was cool. Did you ever manage to read the short story with her in? It's set before she met Ravenor, and how she lived then.

Anonymous said...

@ xhalax: well, methinks there's a difference betweent boys'n girls about liekable characters ;)

I like her because she ain't a really good person. I have something about the good guys not being the nice ones ^^

Anonymous said...

Thats the thing with the Inquisition (and indeed the Imperium as a whole), they really aren't the good guys, they are dedicated to ensuring the safety of mankind WHATEVER the cost. If that cost is human life, then so be it.
You can't afford to be nice in the 41st millenium.

The only 'good guys' in the 40K universe are the Tau, and lets not go down that road...

Anonymous said...

Tau and good guys? In which sweet dream you're living? They're some of the worst guys ever. Offensive Manipulation by the etherals, supression, "Join and be our slaves with no rights whatsever and be our gunfodder, or be killed"...

Somehow even the Imperium is a more friendly system.

Anonymous said...

No Lordy I didn't. Nor am I going to either coz, despite everything that she's gone through....I still really don't like her.

Slaps all around for Patience Kys.

Whereas Kara is all kinda of shades of classy.
Like Kara.

Toymachine said...

Tau are good guys from there perspective. But then again... inst everyone? Chaos worshipers belevie themselves righteous despite being unrighteous and so fourth. Ill shut up now.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see Tau in some books.

Everyone always fights Chaos or Eldar/Dark Eldar.

lordy said...

Read Gav Thorpe's Last Chancer's books then Anon. In the second one, the kill team is situated on a Tau world.

I reckon the only real 'good guys' are the Eldar. The Imperium is obviously a corrupt, oppressive dictatorship, while the Tau follows a more Communist style. Both races have the 'agree with me, or fight me' approach though.

Eldar are the only race who actually seems to try and help the 'lesser' races, though their help is normally spurned. Even so, they don't really care about races other than their own, as is only natural.

Lordy

Anonymous said...

Ah! Kill Team and the Kroot BBQ

Will Wright said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Will Wright said...

Dan I need the straight scoop,how many men were in a company for the Sons of Horus?