SUPER NOVA WEEKEND: Pelletier talks "Nova"

Sat, February 2nd, 2008 at 12:00am PST

"Nova" #11 on sale March 12

If Richard Rider AKA Nova feels like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, it's because he does. But it's not just the fate of his own world that's in Nova's hands. Thanks the alien Phalanx's conquest of the Kree Empire (as depicted in the pages of "Annihilation: Conquest"), it's the fate of the entire galaxy. "Nova" #11 finds the human rocket blasting towards what he hopes is a way to end the Phalanx threat and also marks the debut of new penciller Paul Pelletier. CBR News spoke with Pelletier about his work on the book.

It was a call to editor Bill Rosemann, who Pelletier had worked with during his time at CrossGen Comics, which landed the artist the "Nova" assignment. "I wasn't too familiar with Nova, but I like the sci-fi adventure feel that this newest version of Nova has," Paul Pelletier told CBR News. "I had tons of fun penciling 'Negation' for CrossGen, so I figured this book could have some of that same flavor. I had heard great things about Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's writing on this book, which was a nice incentive for me to work on this title."

Fans of Pelletier's work know "Nova" isn't the first time the artist has depicted the adventures of an Earthman roaming the cosmos and dispensing justice. He's also known for his work on DC Comics' "Green Lantern" title. "The funny thing is that I'm not that huge fan of a lot of sci-fi movies, television or books! For some reason, I just seem to gravitate towards this kind of project (or maybe they gravitate to me!)," Pelletier said. "What I do enjoy about working on sci-fi comics is the chance to really push my imagination to its limits. I'm not restricted to the confines of ordinary reality. That kind of freedom is really exciting (and sometimes scary)!

"It always used to amaze me when I would see artists like Kirby and Byrne create new worlds and alien races out of nothing and make them incredibly unique, entertaining, and totally viable," Pelletier continued. "That's the kind of stuff I try to shoot for when working on this kind of book. Whether I'm successful or not, well, that's another question entirely!"


Exclusive: "Nova" #11 pages by Paul Pelletier and Rick Magyar

Pelletier's depictions of Nova's alien encounters and other adventures will have a more darker and atmospheric feel than his usual superhero work. "I've always considered myself to be a 'Superman' type of artist, so it would be nice to see if I can tap into a more 'Batman' kind of feel," Pelletier explained. "I also want to explore more of a sense of scale within this book, whether it is size or distance. It's a part of drawing comics that's always been a challenge for me. Giant robots and vast alien landscapes should be great practice!"

Pelletier will get plenty of chances to explore a sense of scale right off the bat, as his first issue of "Nova" finds the human rocket on Kvch, the homeworld of the Technarchy, an alien race capable of changing their size and shape. "New Mutants" fans may remember the most famous representative of the Technarchy, Warlock. "These characters are fun and tedious at the same time," Pelletier remarked. "The expressive nature of Warlock and his race is fun to explore, but all that and techno goop can be a pain to draw over and over again! I'm actually looking to Art Adams and how he handled Warlock for inspiration when drawing the Technarchy."

When it came to designing and bringing to life Kvch and newer aspects of Technarchy culture, Pelletier let his imagination run wild with the visual ques Abnett and Lanning left him in their "Nova" scripts. "I love that fact that they write visually," Pelletier stated. "They know that comics are a visual medium, and they take advantage of it. It's nice that they allow room for the art to breathe a little and tell the story instead of using dialog first and foremost to further the plot. I think that they are really skilled at achieving that balance that makes for an entertaining comic book experience."

"Besides the tight deadlines, everything about 'Nova' been great so far!" Pelletier stated. "I really enjoy working with Dan and Andy's plots, and reuniting with Bill Rosemann has been a blast. I also get to work with my friend (and excellent inker!) Rick Magyar once again. All is good!"