Silver Surfer Black #3 // Review
Lost in time and damaged following his encounter with Knull, God of the Symbiotes, Norrin Radd is plagued by the sins of his past as he recovers in the realm of Ego, The Living Planet, in Silver Surfer Black #3 by Donny Cates, Tradd Moore, and Colorist Dave Stewart.
Nightmares of his genocidal past plague The Surfer, as he heals in the friendly embrace of a young Ego's gravitational field. Upon awakening, the two bond over the looming threat of Knull, and form an accord. Included in the agreement is The Surfer's intervention when a foreign object is discovered to be disrupting Ego's planetary core.
With Silver Surfer Black, the creative team of Cates and Moore has successfully taken a character that often suffers from the Superman syndrome of being OP, and properly depowered him in a compelling way, without resorting to having to nerf the character. While this has been evident throughout the mini-series, it is best accented this issue, as The Surfer navigates Ego's perilous innards; hampered in his abilities, but undaunted. In addition, the duo's continued use of purple prose provides the space opera an enjoyable flourish of romanticism.
Given the unenviable task of illustrating the comic book equivalent of Fantastic Voyage on a cosmic level, Tradd Moore exceeds exceptionally, providing a kaleidoscope of joyful madness. Displaying a spectrum of otherworldly material, Moore is somehow able to evoke a sense of unknown horror and wonder on simultaneously micro and macro levels.
Marking the meridian of the mini-series, Silver Surfer Black #3 successfully marries Norrin Radd's fabled past with his current predicament, in a powerful, poetic issue. The psychedelic feel of the series, seemingly intensified by Ego's presence, demonstrates Moore's increasingly abstract creativity; however, the progression of the narrative keeps the reader tightly engaged with the action, ensuring a mind-blowing, yet surprisingly smooth trip.
