Honestly, I don't read many graphic novels or comic books, so I'm probably not the best reviewer for this book. However, since Nimona exceeded my expectations, I decided to share my thoughts on this surprisingly funny and charming story. In my opinion, the actual story line was original and the characters were well developed for a graphic novel.
Nimona is a shapeshifting supervillain who imposes her services on Lord Ballister Blackheart in the first pages of the book. Although Blackheart is hesitant at first, they slowly built a strong working relationship. Despite his name, Blackheart isn't all that evil and the bad reputation he has, only comes from the fact that his nemesis is the hero of the city, Sir Goldenloin. The rivalry is old, dating back to when they were both training together to become knights. Every villain needs a good back story, and while Blackheart's is typical, it does explain why he does the things he does. But it doesn't really explain his fascination with science... (On a side note, my favorite quote from the book is "Halt, you villains! Unhand that science!")
Nimona is obviously the star of the book, despite being the sidekick. I love this quirky girl who has a hard time following the rules, and while her ability to shapeshift into any animal, human or beast she wants is exceptional, we don't realize how special she is until the very end of the story. I'm not quite sure why she's absolutely set on being a sidekick while she could wreck havoc very well all on her own, but I think it's because she craves companionship, even if the only villain available is grumpy Blackheart.
Knights, lasers, dragons, science, magic! Oh my! So many awesome things. The author definitely has an overactive imagination to come up with something so epic and humorous. Her unique drawing style is fun and I love the subtle changes in color palettes throughout the novel. I also appreciate how Nimona's human form changes ever so slightly as the story progresses. One thing I dislike is the font. The size varies from chapter to chapter and sometimes the letters are so small that it's really hard to read certain words.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in graphic novels or epic adventures. This isn't your typical comic, and while it might be intended for a younger audience, adults can most certainly enjoy it too.
I loved Nimona, it's really cute... and then surprisingly sad.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed it. Doesn't sound like what I normally read either. :)
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