The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."
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 …
From the Publisher:
A National Book Award Longlist Title
The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."
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.
I watched the movie first with no foreknowledge of what the source material was, the universe, anything.
I found that I much preferred the book's handling of the core characters and events in the story.
It is a bit more dark than the movie, while also giving a better peek into how ridiculous some of the character's personalities and motivations really are, even in-universe.
I think the movie handled the chaotic aspect of Nimoa herself quite well visually.
Read on a whim before giving to my daughters... really sweet little story, definitely kept my interest throughout & tugged on the heart strings. Lovely art style too. I haven't read graphic novels for years and this was a great step to getting back into that space.
A spin on villains and heroes that is desperately needed.
4 stars
I absolutely ADORE this graphic novel, especially because it's a bit refreshing with regards to heroes and villains. I seriously adore how there's some discussion about how the 'heroes' aren't necessarily as heroic as we believe and that the 'villains' might actually, in some instances, be good people.
But I also quite like that it shows that these people can change; that there are 'good people' who are in situations where they are blinded by their own gain and positions or that they follow people they believe are 'good' without question. The background of "question your superiors" was quite nice.
The other bit that I like is that the 'villain' and the 'hero' were (are?) a couple, that they had a complex relationship between each other. The one bit that I wish had been done, which is something Noelle Stevenson also acknowledged, is making their relationship overt and giving it …
I absolutely ADORE this graphic novel, especially because it's a bit refreshing with regards to heroes and villains. I seriously adore how there's some discussion about how the 'heroes' aren't necessarily as heroic as we believe and that the 'villains' might actually, in some instances, be good people.
But I also quite like that it shows that these people can change; that there are 'good people' who are in situations where they are blinded by their own gain and positions or that they follow people they believe are 'good' without question. The background of "question your superiors" was quite nice.
The other bit that I like is that the 'villain' and the 'hero' were (are?) a couple, that they had a complex relationship between each other. The one bit that I wish had been done, which is something Noelle Stevenson also acknowledged, is making their relationship overt and giving it a name so that it couldn't be denied.
Nimona is so much fun but also pretty moving in places. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a supervillain and Nimona is a young sidekick looking for a position with a supervillain. Perfect! Except that Blackheart isn’t really looking for a sidekick, especially not a trigger-happy, shapeshifting teenager. Nimona wants chaos and destruction and the death of their enemies, but that isn’t really the done thing. Blackheart would rather not kill anyone, definitely not his nemesis Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, who was once his friend.
I do like stories told from the supposed villain’s point of view. Things aren’t usually so black and white and you soon start to see the side of the good isn’t necessarily all that good. It has a play around with some of the superhero tropes and fits in plenty of laughs as well as a more serious side, which I won’t spoil for you.
Nimona is not …
Nimona is so much fun but also pretty moving in places. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a supervillain and Nimona is a young sidekick looking for a position with a supervillain. Perfect! Except that Blackheart isn’t really looking for a sidekick, especially not a trigger-happy, shapeshifting teenager. Nimona wants chaos and destruction and the death of their enemies, but that isn’t really the done thing. Blackheart would rather not kill anyone, definitely not his nemesis Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, who was once his friend.
I do like stories told from the supposed villain’s point of view. Things aren’t usually so black and white and you soon start to see the side of the good isn’t necessarily all that good. It has a play around with some of the superhero tropes and fits in plenty of laughs as well as a more serious side, which I won’t spoil for you.
Nimona is not drawn with muscles, physics-defying boobs or anatomically improbable proportions, she’s pretty much an average human being, within the constraints of the style. It’s something that’s quite rare, even these days, so deserves a shout out. Although the other main characters do tends towards the tall and spindly.
I love the artwork most of all, but the story is very good. I might have given it 5 stars even without my 12 year old's reaction, which was pretty tremendous. Along with Lumberjanes, this is becoming the year of Noelle Stevenson in our house!
