THE MAN CALLED NOVA
I’d like to thank my brother Matt (also known as Mafus in certain circles…) for graciously offering to send me a scan of this NOVA piece I did for his birthday a couple of years back. I don’t know why I never scanned it in myself before sending it to him, but it’s probably because it went to the wire to get it finished along with my deadline commitments and I had to rush it out to him without getting the opportunity. I’ve always had a big soft spot in my heart for THE MAN CALLED NOVA. He was the SPIDER-MAN for a new generation when he debuted back in 1976, even down to his similarly alliterative civilian name, Richard Rider. But as much as I liked him, I don’t think I’ve EVER met another person who is as fanatical about the character as Matt. It was love at first sight with Matt– much in the way it must have been for all those fans back in 1963 when they got their first glimpse of that Friendly Neighborhood SPIDER-MAN as a kid. And Matt’s been rather obsessed ever since.
Unfortunately, NOVA hasn’t had nearly the success or respect that his older, webbed counterpart has. Marvel has made several attempts through the years to revive him after his first series was cancelled with issue 25 in 1979. He had a good run as part of the NEW WARRIORS book that was very popular for several years, as well as two quickly aborted attempts at new series in 1994 and 1999. But it just didn’t stick. I hava a personal dream that one day, Marvel would let das brudders Wieringo write and draw a new NOVA series for them, and that it would be successful and allow Matt to die a happy man (at a ripe old age, of course…).
It’s nice to dream.
Mike