Title: Nimona.
Writer(s): Noelle Stevenson.
Illustrator(s): Noelle Stevenson.
Colourist(s): Noelle Stevenson.
Letterer(s): Noelle Stevenson.
Publisher: HarperTeen.
Format: Hardcover.
Release Date: May 12th, 2015.
Pages: 266.
Genre(s): Comics, Fantasy, Young-Adult.
ISBN13: 9780062278234.
My Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆.
Can you identify a turning point in your life that changed you in a significant way?Different in so many ways from one individual to another, these moments define us in more ways than we could imagine. They deviate us onto a path that sometimes seem irredeemable and forges us into a person that we would never have thought to ever become in the first place. But what if we weren’t bound by these paths we set foot on?Following up on the critically acclaimed web comic developed by Noelle Stevenson, she debuts her comic book career with one of the most beloved stand-alone graphic novel that puts a spin of our definition of evil.
What is Nimona about? In a world where Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin is the hero of people and an enforcer of justice for the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics, there is one villain driven by vengeance who goes by the name of Lord Ballister Blackheart. It is on one of surrepticious day that Nimona, a young and impulsive shapeshifter visits supervillain Lord Blackheart in hopes to be accepted as a merciless sidekick and begins a journey to prove the kingdom that the real villains of this world is none other than their golden-armoured hero and his corrupted institution.
Knowing that it all began as a web comic, there is not much surprise to see that comedy is at the heart of this adventure although it does explore other interesting themes that allow the story to develop in a direction towards redemption and forgiveness. To keep the suspense high till the end, Nimona’s past also serves as an excellent bait to keep you hooked as her shady past lures you into a dark world that will ultimately be at the center of all the chaos that is bound to occur in this story. While it is somewhat fascinating to see how Noelle Stevenson explores the morals of her characters and the ideas of good and evil, they remain predictable and far from being fresh and neverbeforeseen.
The unpolished artwork miraculously works in its favour and helps to convey its humour through absurd drawings and unexpected surprises. The colour tone keeps the overall tone lively and exciting but doesn’t do much more in terms of impact on story-telling. Nevertheless, it remains intriguing to see how Noelle Stevenson creates this fantasy world while hinting at some modern technology and modern settings, sort of like awkwardly funny anachronisms.
Nimona is a humourously delightful if not a bit ordinary tale of redemption and belonging.
Lord Goldenloin, Ballister…. I am giggling so hard Lashaan
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Naughty, naughty, woman! 😛
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Yes yes my mind is in the gutter today LOL
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I believe you have a talent for such things, Sophie! 😛
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That looks delightful! I think I’ve seen it as webcomic… thanks for the review, I’m definitely adding it to my list now 🙂
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No problem. I do hope you have a good time with it when you get the chance to try it out, Piotrek. 😀
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While some webcomics seem to have the oomph and staying power to become books, I’m usually not a fan of that happening. The reviews I’ve seen about this series doesn’t lead me to believe I’ll ever try to read it….
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I wouldn’t recommend it to you either. The author teases a LGBT relationship without confirming it in this story… She admits regretting not having made it more obvious afterwards…
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Great review! I read Nimona this week and really enjoyed it.
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Thank you! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoyed it! 😀 Have you tried Lumberjanes? I think you’d like it if you loved Nimona! 😀
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I think I’ve only read the first volume, maybe a couple. I do like them. 🙂 I should probably see how many there are.
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This is another one you’ve introduced me to. I’m sure I’ve seen the cover before, but none of the rest seemed familiar. Though I’ll probably pass on this one, it does sound interesting and hopefully will entertain the right reader.
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I can’t fully vouch for this one but I can see the appeal for it, especially for a target audience that isn’t too into comics in general. It’s easy to read, plenty of fun and intrigue to keep you hooked to the end.
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All I can say is: “Goldenloin?”
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What can I say… It makes people laugh… 😛
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Huh, jaded much, Lashaan? 😂 I’m afraid my take on it would be similar, though – I leafed through this comic in the library and decided not to pick it up in the end…
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I definitely didn’t feel like this was meant for us, to be honest. But I can see why there’s a large fanbase for it, especially for people who don’t keep comics in abundance! 😂
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Yeah, I know what you mean – and yet you wrote about it in such a nice way again 😀
TBH, though, it’s not bad, just very derivative and a bit of sophomore in its definition of fun – so maybe once people get hooked up on this, they will be more eager to reach for other comics 😉
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I actually loved this one and consider it a favorite. I thought it was very entertaining and I like her play on our expectations of heroes and villains. I wasn’t crazy about the art but I think it matched the story.
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I’m glad to hear how much it worked out for you! I feel like giving Lumberjanes a shot just to see if I’d dig that one a bit more now haha
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Lol well, I read Lumberjanes around the same time I read this but didn’t like it at all. I thought it was too silly but that’s probably because I didn’t expect it to be that silly. It’s middle grade but for some reason I thought it would be older YA.
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Aww, I love Nimona. Great and very fair review. 🙂 Now I want to re-read this one, which is great because I’ve actually been in a reading slump the last couple weeks, so thank you! 😀
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Thanks for reading! 😀 I hope you enjoy your reread when you get the chance! You could also check out Lumberjanes if you need something in the same vein. 😀
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Thanks! 🙂 I actually have volume 1 of Lumberjanes but have yet to read it for some reason so that’s good to know! ^_^
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It sounds like a very light thing to read! Despite the flaws you’ve mentioned, it sounds fun! 😄 Great review! 😘
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It’s indeed fun to read but I can’t say that I was overly amazed by what I got in the end. 😛 Thanks for reading, Caroline! ❤
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I loved this book! In fact, I am reading it in July with the teens at my library in our graphic novel book club.
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That’s fantastic! I’ve been curious to test Lumberjanes too but I’m scared it might not be exactly something I’d enjoy. I’ll maybe try one volume of it someday.
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Lumberjanes was cute. I read V1 and enjoyed it but haven’t read further into the series.
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