ADVANCE REVIEW: Silver Surfer Rebirth #1

One of the Marvel characters that I’d followed consistently back in the 90’s is the Silver Surfer. I’d discovered Norrin Radd with the Lee/Moebius “Parable” story, then found him again with the Steve Englehart/Ron Lim run. Since then, I experienced the cosmic renaissance that came with Jim Starlin’s run on the Surfer, followed by the work of Ron Marz. Lim had consistently been involved with Norrin Radd for many of those years, and Marz wrote a sizable chunk of those stories, building off the work that Starlin began. The late 80’s to mid-90’s was a good time to be a fan of Marvel Cosmic, and especially a good time to be a fan of the Surfer.

Silver Surfer: Rebirth marks the reunion of Ron Marz and Ron Lim, in a story set during their time on the book. That’s honestly the best way for them to approach this mini-series, particularly given the involvement of Genis-Vell, a character that Marz created. I’ll admit that Genis is a large part of the reason for my own interest; I’ve always been a fan of the character, and the idea of a son who must struggle to uphold a legacy he feels unworthy of holding fascinates me. Genis remains to this day my favorite Marvel character to hold the title of Captain Marvel. However, even beyond the presence of Genis, Marz and Lim are a classic team, and it’s good to see them filling in stories that they never got to tell during their original run on the Silver Surfer title.

One thing I love about the cover is how much it strives to emulate the 90’s format. Not simply because of the Ron Lim art, which is striking and evokes the time period, though that helps significantly. Marvel made the wise decision to keep the classic trade dress on the book, including the classic corner box that was common during the Marz/Lim run on Silver Surfer. The intent is clearly to appeal to nostalgia, but that works for a mini-series like this. Ron Lim has always been one of my favorite Surfer artists, and he hasn’t lost his visual touch with the character that made his career. Lim’s Surfer maintains the character’s nobility, heroism, and unbridled power in the posing and presentation on the page. The shadow of Mar-Vell above Norrin is a nice visual touch, echoing the idea of the story while also giving a classic cosmic hero equal billing with the Surfer.

In terms of the writing, Ron Marz picks up quite nicely from where he left off on Silver Surfer. The timing of this story is left vague enough that it fits nicely after Genis’s introduction, and Marz’s stories were always good at keeping continuity self-contained. Although I don’t recall any early stories where the Silver Surfer ever met Captain Mar-Vell, it’s always possible that they met in an untold story while both were marooned on Earth, so that works for me. Regardless, it’s nice to see Marz return to his creation, and having Surfer as a positive influence on Genis in his early years is a nice idea. It makes sense that Norrin might have been a guide or even a brief mentor to Genis, leading him down the path to accepting his legacy later on as Captain Marvel. As a fan of Genis-Vell, I appreciate seeing his creator tackling the character again and deepening his relationship with the Surfer, even if he isn’t a crucial part of the main story. For me, Surfer’s interactions with Genis and Mar-Vell are the shining point of this issue and what makes Rebirth an enjoyable start. I also appreciate that this story finds a way to bring Marv back for a brief appearance without undermining Jim Starlin’s classic work on The Death of Captain Marvel.

In terms of the plot, the setup is a basic one so far, designed to set events into motion and provide hints at what will happen later in the series. In that respect, Rebirth works well, giving some exciting action set-pieces and raising questions that later issues will address. The nature of the storyline means that this mini can go for cosmic ramifications without permanently affecting Marvel continuity too much, striking the right balance between stakes and respect for what has gone before. I’m also looking forward to seeing the appearance of a classic cosmic villain in these pages; I’m usually wary of most writers outside of his creator handling this character, but Marz has shown in his earlier run that he respects his creator’s original vision. His brief appearance so far continues that trend, but we’ll see where this goes in future issues. All in all, this story has done enough to leave me intrigued about where this is going, and that’s what a first issue should be able to do.

Ron Lim is one of the definitive artists on the Silver Surfer, and one of the longest-serving artists to draw the character. One of the reasons for this is that Lim knows how to illustrate action on an epic scale, making the story look grander on the page. His Surfer exudes power and nobility, and when he flies, there’s a real sense of speed and motion in each frame. Lim’s idea of space is vast nothingness, contrasted by the high-octane cosmic action in the foreground. There’s a Kirby-esque sense of scale, but there’s impact in each cosmic event we see in these pages. Lim is also a strong storyteller, and he does well at set placement, body language, and making the cosmic events look massive and awe-inspiring. He still maintains the same energy he did on the original Silver Surfer book. Don Ho gives the ink work a different flavor than Joe Rubinstein did in the 90’s, but it complements Lim’s work quite well.

The most notable differences I can see in the art from the previous book are most likely due to the coloring of Israel Silva, who does a respectable job with this issue. The lighting in this issue is a little darker, with the Surfer gleaming a bit more dimly than the 90’s Surfer usually did. That’s not a bad thing, however, especially in the early scenes aboard the Kree starship. It also makes a bit more sense for the vacuum of space to appear darker, so it’s simply a different interpretation and a valid one. The characters are all colorful enough to maintain the 90’s flavor, especially Surfer and the Vells. Cosmic blasts have impact with the warmer tones in these frames, and Surfer’s Power Cosmic using cooler tones. The energy signatures define the characters, with red and yellow more associated with the more aggressive Marv and Genis, while Surfer’s Power Cosmic as a softer blue makes Norrin appear like a more serene and saintly figure. It’s a good use of color contrast to set the main characters apart.

VC’s Joe Sabino does some solid work on the lettering, giving it the flavor of a good 90’s style comic. The font style is consistent with the time period, maintaining the illusion of a comic that could have existed around that time. However, there are some nice modern effects that Sabino uses for subtle effect from time to time. Using font size to emphasize certain words in the dialogue is a good visual touch, for instance, making those bits seem louder or more forceful. The art gives Lim’s art room to shine, and the font choices for sound effects give the action scenes greater power and impact.

Silver Surfer: Rebirth thus far is off to a strong start, and you likely should enjoy it if you’re a fan of the 90’s Surfer comics. This is a book that offers cosmic action and spectacle in the classic style, featuring a return of old favorites in a new context. Even if you haven’t read those stories, this book is still accessible, and it does a good job of introducing these characters if you’re new to them. Marz and Lim are still a good, strong team on Marvel Cosmic titles, and the story feels in many ways as though they never left. I look forward to seeing what else this mini has to offer, and any other cosmic stories that this team has to offer in the future.

Score: 4.2/5

Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Ron Marz
Penciler: Ron Lim
Inker: Don Ho
Letterer: Joe Sabino

Author Profile

Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).