Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Series: N/A
Published by Harper Collins on May 12, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Pages: 265 : Hardcover edition
Source: Checked out from my local library
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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 first heard about Nimona as it was making its way around my Tumblr feed for awhile when it first came out (because, duh, I follow a lot of other kick ass female/feminist bloggers who were just raving about this book). I had put it on the back burner for awhile and I’m so disappointed in myself for doing so!

Nimona had a lot of different things that I look for when it comes to a graphic novel. Really rad female protagonist who can hold her own? Check. Fantasy? Check. Awesome art work? Check. Awesome writing/dialogue? Check! Nimona was so much more than I thought it would be.

While I think it’s intended for a younger audience than myself, I still breezed through this in an hour or so total because it was just so much fun to read! I wanted to know what was going to happen next and what was going to be around the corner (or on the next page).

I just wish there could have been more! The ending didn’t really do it for me. There was all this build up for kind of…meh. Don’t get me wrong it was still good, I just wish there had been that one more chapter where everything worked out the way I saw it in my head (though I guess if I wanted stuff like that to happen I’d become an author myself *laughs into the distance*).

Seriously, a great graphic novel though! I liked this MUCH better than Lumberjanes which is also by Noelle Stevenson and a few other people, though her distinctive writing/artistic style shine through in both works and separates both graphic novels away from the grittier, more well known, crowds. I can’t wait to see what she’ll put out next!

Also, I’m definitely Blackheart x Goldenloin trash.

8 Replies to “Nimona by Noelle Stevenson”

  1. I love Nimona! Great review! And I definitely agree w/ you about the ending. I needed more :'( Overall it was still amazing!!

    1. Ah thanks! I immediately checked Goodreads to see if there was a sequel, and I left the site disappointed.

  2. YAAAS to new OTP/ me being trash!! I absolutely LOVE Noelle Stevenson’s drawings. Her style is both girly but rugged and her use of color is superb.

  3. Dreamingintherain says: Reply

    I’m so glad you liked this! I agree about the ending too. When I first read it, it was still online as a web comic, and Noelle had told everyone that only the print version would have a full ending. I had been looking forward to seeing where everyone ended up, but there really wasn’t much of a difference, just the few pages after the hospital =/ Though if you go on her tumblr under the Nimona tag there’s some really great fanart, art from Noelle herself, and some more Blackheart x Goldenloin (not to mention she has stuff for them in her stores =D)

  4. Dreamingintherain says: Reply

    Oh, the “gay dads au” tag on her blog is awesome too, even though it’s tiny.

    1. This is something I must check out IMMEDIATELY. Thanks for leading me in the right direction (once again)!

  5. I really enjoyed Nimona. Like, really, really enjoyed this graphic novel. But…the end did sort of fall apart for me. I just don’t think it was as strong as the rest of the story. Plus, I’m still really confused about what or who Nimona really is. Still, it made me a fan of Stevenson, so I plan on checking out Lumberjanes this year 😀

    1. Same! I just wanted to know more I think. I liked her Lumberjanes graphic novel, but not as much as Nimona. I’m still going to pick up the sequel though since I’m a shameless Stevenson fan now. Have you seen her Tumblr? It’s full of awesome content!

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