The universe has been destroyed and Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood are stuck in an interstice between realities.
The only way to get out? Create the whole damn universe anew, of course. Are they up to snuff? Can they make things like they were before? Will they want to? Silver Surfer #14: is it good?
Silver Surfer #14 (Marvel Comics)
Glorian, the Maker of Miracles (who Dawn peculiarly noted looked “just like [Surfer], only gold” last issue) has given our heroes the opportunity of a lifetime… well, a weird ass, inauspicious opportunity — let’s face it. Especially given Glorian’s “not shady at all” commentary on the matter:
That’s a very reassuring sinister smirk, guy.
From Hesiod’s Theogeny to the Hopi nation’s Four Creations to the Book of Genesis to Bender becoming a god in the “Godfellas” episode of Futurama — I’ve always dug creation myths, though. (Just read my “About the Author” bio for proof of that proclivity. As well as…other interests.) That’s why the premise of Silver Surfer #8’s “Hard Restart” had me stoked and kept me enthralled throughout.
Much of the allure from these stories comes from the methodology of the creators and writer Dan Slott steers us through Dawn and Surfer’s efforts with careful clout; he also keeps things from getting excessive or egregious, which would have been very easy to do given the circumstances. Dawn recreating her hometown, her immediate family, her demonstrably flawed memories of certain locales is contrasted with Surfer conjuring of entire worlds, cosmic entities and “the micro sun of the Brundlebus nebula.” Slott doesn’t hit us over the head with the fact that recreating the very fabric of existence isn’t easy and instead serves us gradual doses of inconsistency, self-serving and of course… moral quandaries.
Particularly enjoyable were Surfer’s first reaction to how the inhabitants of a newly recreated world reacted to his work and his recreation and subsequent annihilation of Galactus. The latter is beautifully illustrated and colored, and immediately strikes one as a flagrant mistake, especially since Surfer and Dawn are ultimately dealing with Glorian’s master: the Shaper of Worlds, an obvious antithesis to Galactus, the destructive, but ultimately necessary Devourer of Worlds, “balance of the universe” taken into consideration.
Speaking of beautiful illustrations, Allred’s art continues to be a perfect fit for this series, especially in a setting this trippy and imaginative. His depictions of sprawling space backdrops, Surfer’s Power Cosmic in action and Dawn’s myriad facial expressions are a treat; they evoke a classic Jack Kirby vibe, always present Surfer in a befitting “noble demigod” light and are only bolstered by wife Laura Allred’s vibrant colors. Simply put: fantastic looking book.
Is It Good?
Silver Surfer #14 is a fun, curiosity-inciting, charmingly illustrated comic that should do nothing short of satisfy. I eagerly await the next issue.
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