interview by the YMB Staff

Annihilation's success seemed to surprise many, being set completely away from Earth and the recent Civil War event. Why bring Nova back to Earth in the very first issue?

DnA: Rich is an Earthman, and his career in the New Warriors links him inextricably to the tragedy that kicked off Civil War, so it would be remiss, we felt, not to deal with those issues at the start of the new series. Bringing him back to Earth also grounds Nova in reality, despite his cosmic hero status, and it also gives us the opportunity to show how much he has matured and changed. He's not the second rate kid hero from the teen team any more. He's one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. Rich may be shocked by the way Earth has changed since he last visited, but Earth (and its heroes) is going to be just as shocked by the changes in Nova.

That said, the first issue is very much cosmic based.

Returning to Earth, one might think Richard Rider's going to be in a position similar to many returning veterans of foreign wars, where the people he's returning to really don't and can't understand what he's seen and been through. How will Rider cope with the events of Annihilation when he's back on Earth?

DnA: That's exactly what we're shooting for. Rich finds he doesn't fit any more. No one really understands - or is that interested - in a cosmic war far, far away. They've had Civil War to contend with. Rich doesn't really recognise or like the new world he finds himself in.

We see from the solicits that Nova's going to be going at it with the pro-registration side of the Civil War within the first couple issues of the new series. Having not been involved in the Civil War conflict and just returning to its aftermath, how does he perceive what happened to Earth's heroes and the New Warriors specifically?

DnA: He's shocked, and unhappy. He also sees himself as a cosmic peace keeping agent, a sanctioned officer, rather than a "costumed superhero", so he finds it quite an imposition to be dragged into the registration debate. He doesn't need to sign a piece of paper to prove he's trained, responsible and accountable. That all came with the job when he joined the Nova Corps.

We've also seen in the solicits that Nova will be going toe-to-toe with his former teammate Robbie Baldwin, now known as Penance. Will Nova's past as a New Warrior play heavily into his new adventures on Earth?

DnA: Like we said, we couldn't not go there. A couple of the NW members will show up in issues two and three, Penance (Speedball) being the most dramatic.

Will future Nova adventures take place in outer space, tying in with the new Annihilation series, or will he be staying on Earth for the foreseeable future? Now that there seems to be a resurgence of interest in Marvel's cosmic side, any chance of Nova crossing over into the Shi'ar Empire? We're wondering how the new and improved Nova might match up against the Imperial Guard, Vulcan, the Starjammers, etc.

DnA: We don't want to give too much away. A key theme in the opening arc is whether Nova wants to stay on Earth or return to the stars. It's a tough choice. Where is he needed the most? Where do his allegiances lie? You'll have to read the book to find out what he decides.

However, it's no secret that issues 4 through 7 of Nova tie in with the Annihilation: Conquest event, so whether he chooses Earth or the stars as his long term focus, we'll be seeing some high speed, heavy duty cosmic action for the next story arc at least, as Nova gets called up for another tour of duty.

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