Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Rating: 10/10
Originally posted on Roberta’s Literary Ramblings.
Overall Impression: One of the best graphic novels I’ve read in a while. Love it!
Recommend to: Anyone who wants to read a graphic novel with an awesome female lead that will make you laugh and cry.
I can’t believe that I have never run into Noelle Stevenson’s work before! I saw this book on the shelves at Powell’s and knew that I needed to read it. Nimona is an awesome character that is very easy to like. She’s fun, exciting, hilarious, and has awesome shapeshifter powers.
The bond that Nimona forms with the villain, Lord Blackheart, is one that actually warms the heart. While at first annoyed by her excitable personality, Lord Blackheart eventually begins to become a sort of father figure for Nimona which helps them both to grow into the people they are by the end. While Lord Blackheart works to reign in Nimona’s tendency to cause mayhem and destruction, Nimona gives Blackheart the courage to take bigger risks and really fight for what you know to be true. Watching their relationship grow is one of the best parts of this book and I absolutely loved watching it unfold.
The art is great! I love the illustrating and found myself admiring certain panels. Stevenson is an incredibly talented illustrator and does a great job of portraying emotions and actions through the art. I’ve read some works where the artist had to relying too much on the words to show a character’s emotional state since the faces and postures of their characters remained rather static. This is definitely not the case with Nimona. Stevenson is able to have whole panels with no words and you can see exactly what the characters are feeling and thinking. This makes certain scenes impactful in a way that words wouldn’t be able to depict nearly as well.
I absolutely loved this graphic novel and I really want to see more from Noelle Stevenson. In fact, here is her website so that you can become a fan as well! I highly recommend Nimona to basically everyone. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Noelle and now consider myself a fan.
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