Quick Hits: Nova #1 (Marvel)

Jeph Loeb is a treasure in comics, and I think most people know that, but I don't think that his work with Marvel has been particularly expressive of that.  Nova may be the book that changes that.  It may also be his best work ever.  It's very much the kind of work that can only be done after a cumulative effect, years of life and work converging, and anyway, you don't have to worry about that.  You don't even need to particularly care about the Nova concept, which I am more or less completely ignorant about.  This issue exquisitely details the relationship between a father and son, the father being a former member of the Nova Corps and the son being a kid who doesn't believe for a minute that his father is a former member of the Nova Corps.  The Nova Corps is basically the Marvel version of the Green Lantern Corps, by the way, only with an awesome helmet instead of an all-powerful ring.  This has my pick as first issue of the year, new series of the year, all of that.  It must be read.  It will be enjoyed.  And it's at the very least a career highlight for someone who has already made a career out of highlights.