Silver Surfer #9 Review

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Michael Allred

Slott and Allred play with the character like he hasn’t been utilized before. The conception of the Silver Surfer since his solo series was all about his isolation due to his horrific past of deciding which planet to destroy next. Now we get to see the man behind the metal skin through his interaction with his new companion.

Silver Surfer #9 gives us an emotionally wounded Surfer as his companion, Dawn Greenwood, is understandably upset about his former life. The real problem occurs when his old master Galactus returns. How does a man stop the unstoppable by himself?

Dan Slott is a rather conventional writer in the sense that he doesn’t provide all that much creativity. He’s  generally not bad, just rather simplistic. This is an example of one of his weaker scripts. The title character isn’t well developed, we get much more from Dawn. She’s relatable and charming, in her cutesy dialogue but stern position on morality. The Silver Surfer is just dry and emotionless, even though it seems Slott tries to give him more depth. The continuous plot of planet hopping gives us more time to understand characters that we only see for a blink of an eye. He only gives us time to settle and understand Dawn. It seems as though Slott is afraid that the material won’t be interesting if we get to know the main character.

Michael Allred’s art is so impressive, it almost completely eclipses Slott’s script. His pop art style is reminiscent of the comics of old, and breathes life into the cosmic realm. Every creature and element of the background is so unique. There’s nothing singularly that pops out, but rather an eye-catching blend of a piece for each panel. He gives the character’s more expression and depth than the script allows for. Allred’s style lends itself well for Slott’s lighthearted script, and adds an extra layer of cuteness to it.

The comic relies too heavily on Allred’s art. Without it, the reader would be stuck with a complete lack of depth. Silver Surfer would be absolutely phenomenal with a writer who was a little stronger. Michael Allred’s talent saves this from being a rough read, and ends up making it a visual masterpiece.