Silver Surfer #1
Written by Greg Pak
Art by Stephen Segovia
Spinning out of the end of Chaos War, comes Silver Surfer. Written by the mastermind of Planet Hulk, The Incredible Hercules, and Chaos war, this is the first issue in a five issue mini series from Marvel Comics.
We start the issue with the aftermath of Chaos War. Galactus is weak, and needs to feed. His herald, knowing that the life force of a planet will be insufficient to satiate his master, instead leads Galactus to a star to feed. Leaving his master to consume what he needs, the Silver Surfer returns to earth as he is wont to do. We get a little summary of the Surfer’s history, summarizing from his first appearance to his current status quo. Observing his once adopted home, he comes across a couple pursued by men in powered suits. The Surfer defends the couple, healing one, but unfortunately her lover dies. Norrin is confronted by Suzi Endo, late of Pak’s run on War Machine. They have a small confrontation, and during it the Surfer is blindsided by the High Evolutionary.
Writer Greg Pak is really firing on all cylinders here. This one issue has the best characterization of Norrin Radd since J. Michael Straczynski’s seminal Silver Surfer: Requiem. Pak’s observance of past plot points with the High Evolutionary is a nice nod to what has come before, and explains some of his behavior in previous appearances. Whereas the Surfer is usually a character that uses monologues to the readers in order to move plot along, and make the writer’s points, Pak uses internal dialog for the same effect. While maybe a small observance, it really makes for a faster paced book, and allows more of the jaw dropping art of artist Stephen Segovia to be shown.
Speaking of the art, this book is gorgeous. Segovia’s art is an amazing thing to behold. It conveys an energy sometimes lacking in depictions of Marvel’s cosmic characters. I especially like the fact that the artist draws the Silver Surfer, and not just a man clad in chrome on a surfboard. Segovia masters what few others have in one issue. His characters seem to leap off the page into your eyes in a way that is both pleasing and startling.
Whether you are new to the character, or an old fan like myself, this book is a great read. It’s accessible to new readers, without being heavy handed with the character’s long and illustrious history. You won’t have to read anything else before this book to enjoy it’s charms.
I give Silver Surfer 5 Naked dudes in Space out of 5.
I’m a longtime Silver Surfer fan, but I’ve never been too keen on stories that feature him on Earth. The end of this first issue, however, has me hooked, and the High Evolutionary is one of my favorite underutilized villains in the Marvel U. I know it’s probably a longshot to wish for a Silver Surfer ongoing, but I’m glad to see he’s still getting some love from Marvel.