9. Nova, Volume 5
Nova details the adventures of the teenage Sam Alexander, a disbeliever of his father's stories of a former life as an intergalactic cop, Sam is forced to reconsider his father's claims after an encounter with Rocket Racoon and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy. With his father AWOL and the two Guardians in need of a Nova, Sam takes up his father's mantle, soon discovering that he might be the only thing standing in the way of Earth and several intergalactic threats. Featuring a young idealistic teenager who is suddenly whisked from his quiet home life near the Arizona desert to a life among the stars, there are certainly a few Luke Skywalker parallels to be found in the cosmic adventures of Sam Alexander. Juggling superhero duties, homework and the awkwardness of puberty - along with the recently debuted All-New Marvel NOW! title, Ms Marvel - which stars Muslim-American super-heroine, Kamala Khan - Nova addresses the distinct lack of solo teenage superhero titles in the mainstream Marvel universe (which considering the majority of comic book readers are teenagers are probably the most relatable Marvel titles!). Marvel seem to be making up for this slight oversight however, as having forged a relationship with The Watcher (whose death will be the focal point of the annual summer crossover event) and having recently joining the ranks of 'The New Warriors', it looks like Sam Alexander is going to have more than his fair share of time in the limelight in the upcoming months.