Nimona

Recommended:
For a great example of how much story and building can be included in a graphic novel, for a story that grows in scope imperssively, for unexpectedly deep bonds and betrayals

Thoughts:
I found this as part of a reading challenge to read a book someone else rated five stars. And you know what? I wholeheartedly agree with that person. A surprise at it developed, I did NOT anticipate what this story would grow into. Laughter? Justice? Vengeance? Tears? It's brilliant y'all.

I was a little iffy on the art style when I started it, but it did end up growing on me. Around halfway through I started appreciating the little details and style tics, plus one particularly impressive character that actually gave me goosebumps when revealed. show more (You'll know who.)

The story itself was much more dynamic than I thought I'd get! I figured it would be a pretty simple job of good v. evil with some quirky characters, but no! Nimona has some issues which is maybe not a surprise given her aggressive joy in death and mayhem. But still... you can't help but love her and Blackheart. My poor little heart by the end... a tear may have rolled down my cheek. :(

I totally get why this was someone else's 5-star read. Now I can be that person for you, too. If it sounds like it might be your kind of thing, give it a shot!!  show less

Cute, subversive, and clever
9:00 am 2 November 2016
Nimona - Noelle Stevenson
This is adorable, and I love both Nimona and Ballister Blackheart. I'm only saddened that this is over: I would read the further adventures of either one of these characters, or even better, both together. Or prequels. Anything with them, to be honest. But this, like vision, is a complete story: It had a clear beginning, middle, and end, and it went no further than the ending. How many times have I wished for something to continue only to regret getting more? Sometimes a story has a perfect ending and it shouldn't go further, no matter how much I want it to.

This is one of those stories, and while I yearn for more, it ended right where it should:. At that show more bittersweet, perfect ending.

And this has more than a villain with a sidekick. It's politicized in how it questions what the authority of the Institute can get away with and what it's morally - and legally - right for it to do. Given the current election and polarized times we're living in, well, this was a perfect read. It subverts who's good and evil and it does so in way that forces people who are more middle ground to look at and question what they've done and who they've been. It does it all with a wink and a line or a panel that makes you go 'awww!' The worst moments get their gravitas, true, but there's an overall optimism and adorableness that underlies all the seriousness. It's, in the end, an odd mix of morality, subversiveness, cuteness, and the tragedies of life that ultimately work because each one is balances. If the morality doesn't work in a particular sequence that calls for cute, Stevenson drops that element, and visa versa. She balances, and while she has enough elements in this - and quite frankly a low page count, and even word count to work with here - she does so with what seems to be an expertise of a much mature author. (This may be her first book, although she might have written one or two before this. Still, I would expect this of a more seasoned author but not necessarily from someone starting off in her career. Which is to say: she does far more brilliantly with all this than I'd expected, even after reading Lumberjanes.)

It's also incredibly quick to read. There are a couple reasons for this: the art is fairly simple, but always gorgeous and expressive. While I lingered on some pages, some I found I could take in more easily and even with lingering, it didn't feel like it took as long as the more complicated illustration styles. And just so we're clear: I like complicated, I like simple, it all depends on what the story calls for. The art in this matches the story perfectly. As mention in a parenthetical comment, there's a fairly low page count and word count. Many comics that tackle half these issues can do so in far more pages and still not quite nail it like this story does. Add to that the fact that some pages are background sounds but no dialogue. Then the dialogue itself is fairly straightforward: it's not something I had to ponder over. And again, I like both styles, depending on what the story calls for. This worked along with the art. Something mysterious would have been too much. Instead, Stevenson balances all these elements as well: for something so packed, she cleaned up a lot - the simplistic art style, the straightforward dialogue - instead of overwhelming us. The content was critical and it brimmed with content; she held back elsewhere to give that content the spotlight it deserved.

Lovely! And it fits my teen sidekick slot on my general comics card.
Graphic Novel favorite character read in 2016 show less

i fucking love nate stevenson's work, so it was nice to see where it all started. considering both his own gender journey and his later work, i think it was pretty instructive that his first major work was about a gay male couple and an absolute disaster goblin of questionable gender. just saying.

also in keeping with his later work, the character writing in this was just absolutely ON POINT. like, dr. blitzmeyer was barely in this but she nevertheless COMPLETELY stole the show in her brief appearances.

tl;dr nimona is funny, tragic, epic, gay, and just all-around great. i'm glad i finally got around to reading it!

This graphic novel starts out deceptively simple and before you know it, you're neck deep in political intrigue, complex character development, conspiracies, and a giant mystery surrounding the title character.

I started reading this in one night, expecting only to read a little bit and then go to sleep. Oh, poor sweet naive me. I sped through this because I needed to know what happened next. I fell in love hard with the characters. And the ending damn near broke my heart before it gave me hope again.

Nimona is a very cute YA graphic novel that exists somewhere between the boundaries between science fiction and fantasy.

From the blurb: “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 show more than he is willing to admit.”

I really loved the art and design work. The point with artwork for comics isn’t to be hyper realistic but to use a style that complements the story. It’s bright and colorful and full of character!

The world contained all the tropes of fantasy – lords and ladies, knights and swords, kings, tournaments, dragons… but also TV news, refrigerators, and futuristic science fiction devices. It was wonderful.

The characters are also very enjoyable. Ballister Blackheart was a hero forced into the role of a villain, Nimona a chaotic and fierce girl, and Ambrosius Goldenloin surprisingly more than a dimwitted “golden boy” hero. It’s a story that questions who’s the villain and who’s the hero, full of complex and complicated people. The relationship between Blackheart and Nimona was at the center of the story and had a father daughter feel that reminded me of Despicable Me. It was all very cute.

I’d highly recommend Nimona for anyone looking for a funny and well written graphic novel.

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page. show less

A charming story about a misunderstood super villain and his impetuous new sidekick. Nimona is a shapeshifter and an ambition apprentice villain. She's got all sorts of wild plans to help Sir Blackheart overthrow the government and get insanely rich. Meanwhile, Blackheart has his hands full trying to get Nimona to adhere to his complicated moral code. The government's sanctioned hero - Goldenloin - is an old flame of Blackheart's. Goldenloin has been ordered to capture Blackheart and kill Nimona outright, but he's beginning to wonder if he's really on the side of good.

A complex tale about good and evil and what really makes a monster.

A delightful story in any form, this full cast production does suffer from a lack of images. However, show more the voice acting and a touch of gentle narration makes it work. show less

A charming story about a misunderstood super villain and his impetuous new sidekick. Nimona is a shapeshifter and an ambition apprentice villain. She's got all sorts of wild plans to help Sir Blackheart overthrow the government and get insanely rich. Meanwhile, Blackheart has his hands full trying to get Nimona to adhere to his complicated moral code. The government's sanctioned hero - Goldenloin - is an old flame of Blackheart's. Goldenloin has been ordered to capture Blackheart and kill Nimona outright, but he's beginning to wonder if he's really on the side of good.

A complex tale about good and evil and what really makes a monster.