Nova: Centurion (2025) #4 Review – Marvel Comics

by

Writer: MacKay

Artist: Fonte

Colorist: Iacono

Cover Artist: Cappucio & Rosenberg

Please note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and don’t represent the official stance of CosmicBookNews. The author, Timelord, previously provided direct feedback on the “Nova” (2007) and “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2008) comic series to the editors and creators, and his reviews were even used in promotional material by Marvel.

Warning: Contains some spoilers.

Issue #4 of Nova Centurion starts a new storyline for Rider and his team. While it focuses more on building the characters than delivering action, which some fans might miss, the action sequences that are present are well done, and the character work is strong.

I appreciate that the author, MacKay, avoided the common mistake of revisiting Rich’s early days as a reckless teenager. So many previous writers have shown him as an impulsive youth who just rushed into fights. Now, Rich is beyond that; he’s a mature and experienced military leader, even if he still has a bit of a temper. I especially enjoyed seeing him use strategy to overcome the challenges Eden Rixlo presented, cleverly turning those obstacles to his advantage, which impressed even the Worldmind.

I still think the recurring problem of Rider needing money for the Nova Force is a weak plot point, though the scene where he recharged the Worldmind’s energy was enjoyable. This money issue feels like it will quickly become tiresome and needs a resolution. The predictable appearance of a key character at the end of the chase with Rixlo suggests a possible solution. It doesn’t make sense that the Worldmind, powered by the Nova Force itself and distributed to Nova Corps members, would need extra energy. It seems logical that the powerful galactic civilizations would want to protect the Worldmind – it could be dangerous in the wrong hands – and rebuild the Nova Corps with Rider in charge. They should be willing to fund the Worldmind and the Corps, as they’ve always understood it’s in their best interest. If Rider doesn’t propose this kind of deal, he’s not fulfilling his responsibilities.

The dynamic between Rider, Aalbort, and Cammi is really hitting its stride, making this one of the best team-based cosmic comic books since the classic Guardians of the Galaxy run by Don Heck and Bill Mantlo. It feels a lot like the great relationship between Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek series, and honestly, it’s hard to beat that kind of chemistry.

The artwork in this issue is a significant improvement over the previous one. While I’d like to see some changes to Rich’s character design – making him more muscular like Captain America, bringing back his beard, and adjusting his armor to resemble a Roman gladiator – the art was generally very impressive. Thankfully, the out-of-place bomber jacket is gone. Iacono’s colors are bright and eye-catching, and both the main cover and most of the variant covers are well-designed and attractive.

Overall, Nova Centurion #4 is a great addition to the Nova story and definitely worth reading. I’m hoping the writer has something special planned for Nova’s 50th anniversary this summer. It would be a missed opportunity for Marvel to let the milestone pass without acknowledging it, so Marvel editors, please don’t let Nova fans down! Let’s get some exciting news and announcements about plans to celebrate 50 years of Nova!

Here’s to 50 years of Rich Rider Nova! Long live Rich Rider Nova!

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2026-02-10 06:31