By Robin Jones
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Mike Allred
Hit that jangly guitar, wax that board, grab some surf and jump into the biggest of Kahunah’s as this time around we check out Dan Slott and Mike Allred’s all new Silver Surfer #1!
It’s finally arrived, Slott’s eagerly awaited step away from Spider-Man duties. With Silver Surfer, we are introduced to a surfer full of regret for his past indiscretions. Once the herald of Galactus, eater of worlds, now a free being, using his cosmic powers for the betterment of life throughout the known universe, Norrin Rad has much to atone for, but when he is unwittingly made the champion of an impossible city to help them battle the Queen of the never, things take a turn for the strange. As a means of motivating their new champion, the guardians of the city take the Surfer’s most precious person…a woman he has never seen before…
The writing bears much of Slott’s trademark wit and snappiness. It’s a far out there read that’s for certain, with Slott steering the Surfer away from his introspective past, where the loneliness of space and the sheer expansive, emptiness of the cosmos reflected in his road for redemption, and taking us on a massive, colourful, almost ‘Whovian’ jaunt through space. There’s exotic locations, huge city planets, exotic aliens, and that ever present ‘story of redemption’ coupled together with a more wide eyed, childish nature. This is the David Tennant of comic books, a story which shouts “Allonsy” then dives into the depths of the ‘verse. It’s a fun read, and those are hard to find nowadays!
Mike Allred’s art is a sumptuous, visual feast, becoming a living, breathing, existential cosmic deity of its own right. The panels leap at you from off of the paper, forcing you to marvel in all their glory. This is a 70’s cosmic sci-fi comic and it wants you to know as such! The Impossible city of the Imperiton double page spread is worthy of any panel of the year votes. The vibrant colouring from Allred’s other half is in its own right, another living, breathing entity. The Allred double barrel is a treat for your eyes, embrace it! I know a few weeks ago I bemoaned the cartoonish style of She-Hulk, but I felt it didn’t work for the subject matter; this on the other hand works perfectly hand in hand with Slott’s writing!
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a breezey effort, not bogged down by continuity and figuring out where it fits into Marvel’s NOW juggernaut. It sits as a stand alone story, which no doubt, will become wilder, wackier and much, much more COSMIC!
And as for the Surfer’s companion, Dawn, well there’s every chance she’s just a cosmic girl…
I give this 9 out of 10!
Grab a board, and jump on the Silver Surfer wave by ordering the series right HERE….duuuuuuude!
For more comic views and reviews follow Robin on Twitter at @Hulksmash1985
Posted on April 10th, 2014
Category: PULP FRICTION, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, dan slott, marvel comics, Marvel Now!, Mike Allred, Norrin Rad, Robin Jones, Silver Surfer #1 Review