A lot more background as the threat emerges.
Creative Staff:
Story: John Jennings
Art: Valentine De Landro
Colors: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
What They Say:
A GHOST FROM THE PAST RETURNS! The Silver Surfer thought he buried his friend Al Harper years ago – but he thought wrong! Can the Surfer save Al from succumbing to his newfound cosmic abilities? And who or what transformed Al into the otherworldly Ghost Light?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Silver Surfer has long been a character that I enjoyed during my early days reading Marvel in the 80s and we had some great books and stories going into the 90s. It’s been forever since I last read anything so this whole experience is pretty new, yet amusingly classic at the same time. The book comes from John Jennings who has an impressive literary career behind him. What we get with the series is definitely more in line with that than comics in general and it works incredibly well to establish so much so clearly and cleanly. Valentine De Landro is on the art duties and it’s my first time seeing their artwork and it’s strong here in the setting, the locations, the character interactions, and the teases of what we get with the fantastic. Matt Milla definitely works the color design well here so that it all comes to life and feels well-realized throughout in both the mundane and the bigger moments.
So much was set up with the kids and family the last time around, and discovering the lab, that Norrin himself didn’t get a lot of time. But his arrival at the end here has him trying to talk down Al, who is extremely confused about what’s going on because, as we learn, he was amid a revolt on Labworld in trying to escape from The Stranger who has captured a lot of beings to work for him. The kids basically caused the device to bring him back and we learn that he was guided by the bit of eternal flame that Norrin had left there upon what he believed was Al’s death a decade ago. The back and forth between the two as they try to understand what’s going on, while not really knowing what the kids did, is interesting and I like that the kids don’t force their way into most of the conversation.
That’s left more to the kids’ parents when they show up and freak out about Norrin being there – with his dorky speech stylings – and Glenda in particular can’t believe this is really Al. Al’s mother also shows up as well, and that helps to explain some of the tech that Al utilizes which helps her but also helps to sort of rebuild his costume later on because the reality is that The Stranger is going to come calling because of his view of both Earth and that Al is part of his collection. That brings us some action that Jennings works well by involving a nearby kids’ summer camp that adds a lot more tension to events. The action definitely has a darker tone to how it unfolds, especially with the time of day, but seeing Al stand alongside Norrin, especially after fleshing out more of what happened in the past, gives it the oomph it needs.
In Summary:
Silver Surfer: Ghost Light covers a lot of ground here and has a density to it that a lot of books these days typically do not. But it never feels overstuffed or crowded in a way that makes it feel like a slog. You want to know the next bit, to see the dialogue shape things in how characters react, and to watch as the artwork builds the tension or expands upon the revelations. I’m excited to see what comes of this and what Al’s path is, as well as the kids, because you can see the potential for something from so far back in Marvel’s history to be a key part of what’s new and interesting.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Marvel Comics
Release Date: March 8th, 2023
MSRP: $4.99
