It's been years since the Silver Surfer was a draw to readers. He caught my attention when Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers launched his last ongoing series back in the late 1980s, and Jim Starlin and ROn Lim managed to turn some heads about three years after that. Here, some new creators tackle the one-time Herald of Galactus, but though he's the title character, he's not the central figure in the story... at least, not so far.
All over the world, people suffer. One of those people is Denise Waters. She has a beautiful, gifted young daughter whom she loves with all her heart. Unfortunately, Ellie, her daughter, has never been able to return that love. She's autistic, lost in her own mind. She draws hauntingly beautiful and advanced pictures of a face in the stars, an alien of shimmering silver. Denise struggles through her life, caring for Ellie, all the while, praying for a miracle that will bring Ellie back into the waking world.
Milx's artwork is rich and textured, reinforcing the realism of the script. It boasts a painted look at times, and reminds me of Michael (Sandman) Zulli's style. The vibrant colors he brings to the book -- especially in Ellie's drawings -- are stunning. The most impressive visual is how he merges the Surfer's gleaming look with the iconic alien design that we've seen in film and in real-world accounts of alien encounters and abductions. It's a natural interpretation of the title character.
The script really brings Denise Waters to life. Her love for her daughter, her vain hope for an end to her illness and her frustration with the world around her all ring incredibly true. The writers don't deify this working mother, though. One can even sense the frustration she feels toward Ellie. This is a woman doing the best she can, nothing more, nothing less. The writers capture Ellie's autism quite well too.
Chariton and Weiss don't explore Norrin Radd as a super-hero or as a lonely nomad in space. Instead, he is something completely alien that's come to Earth. He is an unknown quantity. The writers craft a tale that's in keeping with alien-encounter stories, like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Signs. It brings a grounded tone to the world of the Silver Surfer and a sense of mystery, elements that really haven't been explored as such. In the past, the emphasis has always been on the Surfer's tragic past, his grace and his nobility of spirit. Here, he's strange and alien, even something to be feared.
