Herald of Galactus... action hero?
Before I got brought on as a staff writer for ComicVine, I reviewed Silver Surfer #1. I liked it a lot because of a previous loyalty to Pak; however, this issue shifts my stance a little bit.
The Good
Norrin's exploration of humanity is a great story, and this definitely follows up on the seeds Pak planted in issue #1. Having him question whether the creation of a jungle in the middle of the desert is a bad thing, then having him flash back to a gorgeous Kirby-esque sequence wwas a stroke of genius. That sequence, especially the whole "felt fear, pain and love for the first time" thing, was powerful.
The Bad
This issue features two pencillers, and the shift is incredibly noticable. I'm not really a fan of Harvey Tolibao's art at all; Norrin's face looks extremely weird at times, and it's extremely over-detailed, especially when the art is placed beside Iban Coello's. This isn't a shot against Tolibao: it's just a poor choice of artist pairing.
Also, throwing in a romance (which even the characters note is a bit inappropriate) just feels a bit forced: I know Norrin's getting used to being flesh and blood again, but I'd prefer he didn't just go after the first piece of ass he can see.
There's also something I just can't put my finger on: Norrin just seems extremely out of character. Riding an jet engine like a horse? Grabbing Cybermancer by the waist and jumping off a cliff? Since when is the Silver Surfer an action hero?
The Verdict
I'm really disappointed by this issue; Pak seems to have a lot on his plate lately, and sadly one of my favourite characters seems to be a victim of that. I have faith in him to turn it around in another two issues, but for a series that started off with a lot of promise, this issue made me cringe more than once.
