Silver Surfer is back for a third crack at an ongoing series.  The indicia says it's volume four, but as near as I can make out, that's because they're counting a one-shot from 1982.  Mind you, as second-division Marvel characters go, the Surfer has proved more resilient than most at sustaining a series.  The last effort began in 1987 and made it comfortably past issue #100.

He's a character I've always had trouble with, though.  There's a certain category of Jack Kirby ideas which I've always found silly instead of charming.  The Surfer is definitely verging on the category - I mean, he flies around outer space on a surfboard, for heaven's sake.  It's not quite as ridiculous as Death On Skis, since at least you can plausibly read the surfboard as a coincidence of form, but if you take it literally... well, it's a bit dumb, isn't it?  I know a lot of people love the character, but I've always found him a bit corny.

Writers Dan Chariton and Stacy Weiss evidently don't agree with me, because they're trying to push the Surfer as intimidating and otherworldly.  And in fairness, they don't do a bad job of selling that idea here.  It helps that the Surfer only turns up towards the end, and doesn't actually have to say anything.  Plus, artist Milx does a great job of placing the character believably into an otherwise naturalistic environment.

Regular Marvel readers will note that this is yet another debut issue in which the lead character doesn't turn up until the last moment.  Venom embraced the technique with particular enthusiasm and didn't have its lead character turn up until the end of issue #2.  Various comments by creators about Marvel's editorial feedback make it perfectly clear that this is the result of editorial policy.  It's a policy I'm not desperately fond of; call me old-fashioned, but I think it's a better idea to have a first issue where something actually happens.  It is rather pointless to discuss something as if it were a creative choice when the weight of evidence suggests that it is the result of an internal memo headed "Subject: How To Write Stories What Are Proper Good And Arty."  Writing by formula is like painting by numbers.

That said, this is a series where the stated approach of the creators - writing from the perspective of normal people rather than the Surfer - does lend itself to this approach anyway.  The first issue is largely concerned with setting up the characters of Denise Waters, a non-believing palmist, and her autistic daughter Ellie.  If you're looking for a first issue about the Surfer, you'll be disappointed; if you're prepared to take it for what it is, which is a character study of a disillusioned woman making a living on the basis of a religion she doesn't like or believe in, and frustrated by her non-relationship with her daughter, then there's plenty to enjoy.  Chariton and Weiss write a believable, multifaceted character, and the art is beautiful.

Of course, it's only the barest beginnings of an actual story, which is the problem with this approach.  But as a character piece and set-up, it does work; in the absence of much of a plot, the creators use the space to really flesh out the central character.  If I wasn't getting so cynical about formula writing - and can you blame me? - I'd be being a lot more positive about this.  It's really quite good; of course, only time will tell whether the creators have a story to go with it.

Rating: B+

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