Nimona

I am a fan of the artist and the webcomic. So when this set of comics came to print, I instantly bought it to read to my daughter. The print version (the book) is very hard to read. Many of the comic panels have been shrunk down considerably and both myself, and my daughter have a very difficult time reading the words. The pictures are also graphically shrunk down and shoved into the pages.

One of my favorite comics of all time, but the hardcopy is in a distractingly small format. Not only is the dialogue often difficult to read (think 8-point font), but the nuances and side jokes of the background art are almost impossible to see even when one is looking for them. I truly hope a reprint is issued at twice the size.

Stevenson’s Nimona, a National Book Award Finalist, mixes fantasy and sci-fi, with fairy tale/medieval elements of knights and monsters, witches and goblins, superheroes and villains in a world of television, science, and technology. Enter Nimona, a shapeshifting teen with a penchant for fighting and killer sense of humor. Nimona is the sidekick, her boss, Lord Ballister Blackheart, is the archvillain with a moral sense of right and wrong. Nimona urges us to question authority, to trust ourselves and those that we love and to remember that often we can create our own families, and to question what makes a hero, what defines a villain. Stevenson’s art is crisp, simple, with bold colors and thick lines and the text in each frame is minimal so much of the meaning in the story comes from these images.

Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona debuted as a webcomic before being reworked into a graphic novel. I find that it reads better — or maybe I’m better able to keep up with it — as a collection. Pages have been revised and a new epilogue added for this edition.

Although it’s set among knights and battles, it’s a very modern-feeling story, because Nimona is a very young and current character. She’s a shape-changing teenager with all the attitude and lack of respect for authority that goes along with that. Stevenson’s art does a terrific job of capturing those feelings visually, without needing to spell out for us everyone’s motivations textually.

We meet her as she meets one-armed supervillain Lord Ballister Blackheart. She’s a fangirl, and in spite of her abilities, Blackheart is a bit suspicious of her youth, enthusiasm, and drive. He’s also got a grudge against Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin. The two were young heroes together before their battle led to his loss of limb.

Nimona’s fascinating because Stevenson doesn’t make her stereotypically feminine. She doesn’t feel the need to prominently signify “this is a girl”, which is a refreshing take on these kinds of comic projects. In fact, the first thing we see Nimona turn into is not a cat or something fluffy or cute, but a shark. She’s also fond of being a dragon. (When she does turn into a cat, it’s to jump on someone’s head.)

There’s plenty of adventure and action here, portrayed in a way you’ve likely never seen before. Stevenson also humanizes the traditional bad guy type by giving him significant motivation and personal ethics, while Nimona doesn’t seem to take much of anything seriously. I figured her sympathies are as changeable as her physical state; plus, as we learn more about her background, she’s got good reason to ignore her past.

As the story continues, some items appear that will be familiar to readers, from documents revealing a secret conspiracy by a reputable source of authority to distrust of financial institutions. There’s a pending epidemic and discussions of how to reconcile science and magic. What appeals to me most, though, is the little family Nimona and Blackheart make and the fatherly way he treats her, particularly on board game night. (The publisher provided a review copy. Review originally posted at ComicsWorthReading.com.)

‘Nimona’ is the debut graphic novel, written and illustrated by Noelle Stevenson … it was actually a free online web comic that Stevenson started in 2012, and doubled as her senior thesis at the Maryland Institute College of Art. But Stevenson has risen to fame in the comic-book world, for illustrating the insanely popular (and fantastic) series ‘Lumberjanes’, and her affiliation with Rainbow Rowell’s ‘Fangirl’ cover-art and subsequent fan-art.

I came to my Noelle Stevenson appreciation very late in the game, as I had to eagerly await the much buzzed-about Volume 1 of ‘Lumberjanes’ earlier this year. But as soon as I knew I had to make my way to ‘Lumberjanes’, I started following Stevenson on Twitter and was instantly in love with her sense of humour and subversive, feminist commentary – particularly in relation to the wonderful world of comics.

So when it was announced that a web comic which helped garner Noelle Stevenson her now considerable fan-base was going to be published as a graphic novel, you better believe I jumped for joy! And it’s not hard to see how ‘Nimona’ helped launch Stevenson’s career – as a funny “deadpan epic” that feels a little bit like ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ with more heart, symbolism and gadgetry.

The book opens with “villain” Lord Ballister Blackheart meeting his new self-imposed sidekick, a young shapeshifter girl named Nimona. In the beginning the comic has a lot of fun with turning old tropes on their head – wherein the “villain” has ethics, the female sidekick is more blood-thirsty and conniving than her mastermind boss and though it’s set in a medieval-looking era, there’s a great blend of science and technology alongside jousting bouts and knights in shining armour.

But then Stevenson starts to really expand the world-building, and challenge readers with her subversive storytelling. We learn that Lord Ballister Blackheart has a more complicated back-story with shades of grey, while the local hero – Ambrosius Goldenloin (best name, ever!) – has more darkness to him that first meets the eye and a far more complex and tender relationship to Ballister.

Nimona, meanwhile, is more than the tough, smart-aleck sidekick … she leaves breadcrumbs to her true story, and it’s far more heartbreaking than anyone – especially Ballister – ever presumes.

‘Nimona’ is brilliant and unique – there’s really nothing else quite like it, and now that I’ve had the pleasure of reading it I can see what a gift Noelle Stevenson is to the wonderful world of comics … particularly for this female-friendly, smart graphic novel that has a lot of appeal for younger audiences.

The universe of ‘Nimona’ is particularly clever, as a contemporary-medieval setting where fantasy and science-fiction sit side-by-side and can each be seen as magical in certain circumstances. This medieval mash-up also means that Stevenson explores political tyranny playing out on the serfdom populace, which opens the story up for a lot of big concept ideas – particularly in the battle of good and evil.

You need only be following Stevenson for a few days on Twitter to know that she’s big on feminism, equality and diversity – and all three are in abundance in this book. In particular, Ballister and Goldenloin have hints of a romantic back-story, which is teased out beautifully (these two have so many fans – check out Tumblr to get an idea of how beloved they are!). Ballister and Goldenloin also feel like a nod to realised slash-fiction … like Stevenson took two story archetypes (the villain and the hero) and actually gave them the complicated attraction that fans often clamour for and explore in fanfiction (hello, Draco & Harry!).

‘Nimona’ is such a treat, and I encourage anyone who was once like me – totally in the dark about Stevenson’s sheer awesomeness – to make this book a ‘must-buy’! It’s funny, smart, subversive and challenges just about every adventure trope you can think of – a truly great book for monster girls and boys alike.

Stories centered on villains seem to be in vogue right now -- "Wicked," "Maleficent," "Hannibal," "Breaking Bad," and countless others. People seem to want to see a classic story retold from the antagonist's point of view, or just see a main character who isn't a hero and is a flawed and even "evil" character themselves... or if not evil, at least more gray than black or white. Perhaps this says something about our society today, but I have to admit that I enjoy the occasional villain-centered book or movie, especially when the story presents its characters as realistic, flawed characters instead of black-and-white heroes and villains. That's one of the main reasons I picked up "Nimona," despite not having read the webcomic and only having heard of Noelle Stevenson in passing.

I'm glad I gave it a shot. "Nimona" is a complex and epic story, balancing magic and science, humor and drama, and light and dark in a deft manner. And it has a unique art style that improves greatly over the course of the graphic novel.

The titular Nimona is a girl with shapeshifting abilities, who latches onto the kingdom's resident supervillain, one Ballister Blackheart, as his sidekick. At first put off by the girl's overeager tendencies and willingness to spread mayhem, Blackheart finds himself warming up to his new charge, and recruits her for his ongoing quest -- to unmask the kingdom's hero, Sir Ambrosia Goldenloin, and the Institute of Law Enforcement and Heroics he works for, and expose them as the scumbags he knows them to be. But the Institute isn't going down without a fight, and both Ballister and Nimona's pasts will come back to haunt them -- Ballister and Ambrosia have shared history together, and Nimona is hiding dark secrets that could result in the destruction of everything both Ballister and Ambrosia have worked so hard to achieve...

I have to admit that, at first, the art style of this book turned me off. Everything had a sketchy, little-kid-drawing feel to it, not quite fitting a fantasy comic in my mind. But as I read further the style grew on me, and I enjoyed the artist's attention to detail and quirky character designs. It helped that as the comic progressed I could see the art style gradually improve going from sketchy to slick and professional. Humans remain very stylized, with tiny hands and angular faces (with a few exceptions), but backgrounds, props, and especially animals become more realistic. It's very satisfying to see an artist improve their game as they go, instead of stagnating.

The characters are probably this comic's strongest feature, however, and it was a joy to get to know them, even if a few of them fall into clichés. By now stories with "heroic villians" are common enough that most people know the tropes of "misunderstood villain" and "dumb foppish hero" by now, but Ballister and Ambrosia are fun enough characters that I never felt that they were just stereotypes of the tropes. Nimona is a complex and sympathetic character as well -- while she can be diabolically funny and has a bloodthirsty streak, she also has a vulnerable side, and unraveling the secrets of her character and past makes for a fascinating story in itself. Minor characters are enjoyable as well, from the cold and diabolical director of the Institute to the eccentric absent-minded scientist Meredith. (Yes, I said scientist... more on that later.)

The story of the comic isn't terribly new -- evil organization masquerading as good, spunky character with a dark past, hero and villain with a shared history and broken friendship, etc. -- but Noelle Stevenson makes it fun to read, partly by centering the story on the sidekick and partly by giving us a unique fantasy world that deftly straddles the line between medieval and modern-day. Science and magic exist side by side -- indeed, the aforementioned Meredith focuses her studies on reconciling science and magic together -- with soldiers using both swords and guns, people possessing video-phones and TV screens, and a substance called jaderoot being treated like this universe's version of radioactive material. Magic and science don't always mix well in fiction, but here it works.

Reading this graphic novel makes me want to check out the webcomic it's based on, if only to see what, if any, differences exist, and if Nimona's story has been continued at all. At any rate, Noelle Stevenson is a writer and artist to watch, and I hope to check out more of her work. If you like a villain-centric story, or like your fantasy with a comic and/or modern-day twist, give "Nimona" a shot. You won't be disappointed.

This was my first experience with Noelle Stevenson’s work and I was completely blown away by her talent. Nimona started out as an award-winning, serialized web comic that was published as a full graphic novel; Stevenson does both the artwork and the writing for it. Given the theme of super villains, I knew right away that I was probably going to enjoy this story. I did not, however, expect to love it nearly as much as I did. The plot, the characters, the art—everything met and exceeded all of my expectations.

I first discovered Noelle Stevenson and Nimona a few months ago through watching Booktube, and I am extremely glad that I did. Finding out that she writes and illustrates her own graphic novels was something that instantly intrigued me. I have always loved the idea of an author being able to do the artwork that corresponds with their text. That personal touch not only allows the illustrations to flow more seamlessly with the words, but it gives the most accurate possible depiction of what is going on in the author’s mind. This can be particularly captivating when it comes to this medium, as it relies so heavily on the visual aspect, and this was definitely true of this novel.

The story itself has a perfect mixture of hilarious and heartwarming moments, and it is completely packed with witty humor. There was also a deepness and complexity to the plot that I was not originally expecting to get out of it. To me, this felt like a sort of caricature of the types of stories where the villains are not entirely evil and the supposed “good guys” are not truly the heroes.

It stars the notorious, not so villainous super villain, Ballister Blackheart, and his reckless new shape-shifting sidekick, Nimona. Nimona’s main mission is to make Ballister into a better super villain so they can cause as much general destruction as possible. On the other hand, Ballister’s main goal is to prove that his friend turned nemesis, Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics are far more corrupt than people realize. Ballister is, in fact, quite against creating havoc, and steadfastly refuses to hurt or kill anyone. Obviously, delightfully hysterical shenanigans ensue.

All of the characters in this story are extremely interesting and wonderfully endearing. The relationship between Ballister and Nimona is lovely. She has sort of forced herself into the position of sidekick, and she does a lot of things that he does not always approve of. But they take care of one another, and you can see very clearly just how much they care about each other. Together, they make a great—and only moderately destructive—team. Ballister and Ambrosius’s relationship is beautiful and done to perfection. I really appreciated how Stevenson fluidly works their romance into the plot without making a huge fuss about it; it feels perfectly normal and accepted, as it should.

The best part to me about reviewing a graphic novel is that I get to talk about the artwork, which, in this novel, was absolutely fantastic. The style was colorful and comical, fitting absolutely flawlessly with the themes in and tone of the plot. I loved the fact that she designed her work more like sketches, focusing less on having thorough detailing. The composition of the text itself had a very handwritten feel to it, and matched the overall style nicely. The entire graphic novel was solidly constructed as a whole, and made for an incredibly entertaining reading experience.

I cannot recommend this highly enough, particularly if you are new to graphic novels. I am relatively new to them myself, as I have only begun reading them in the last year or so and have only read a handful. Nimona was one of my first real experiences with them, and an absolutely magnificent one at that. This story has the perfect mix of comedic and heartfelt moments, and beautiful artwork on top of that. It is a hilarious, fun, and captivating read that will put a smile on your face and leave you feeling good long after you have turned the final page. I am really looking forward to reading more of Noelle Stevenson’s work in the future.

I’ve wanted to read Nimona ever since I read her other graphic novel series, Lumberjanes. I really loved Lumberjanes, because it was all about young girls being themselves and having fun. So when I saw this graphic novel was about a woman who becomes the sidekick of a villain, I knew I had to read it.

Honestly, this graphic novel is so much fun but at the same time, I loved the themes it included. I loved Nimona herself, because she was always up for something crazy. Just follow the plan, Nimona! It was just the most interesting plot line, because Nimona is the most interesting character. Always up for some mayhem -and maybe murder too.

I don’t really want to say anything about the plot of the story, because you need to figure that out yourself. Also, it’s only 260 pages, so just jump in knowing as little as possible. I will say though, that I didn’t see the ending coming at all. It was much more heart warming, yet painful than I expected. I felt for these characters, even though I’ve only been with them a short time.

Like I said, I also really enjoyed the themes it included -and Noelle Stevenson didn’t shy away from. Nimona was an orphan, but that’s not all she was. She was so much more than the damaged orphan who doesn’t really trust anyone, that we so often see in (fantasy) stories. There were also a lot of times the author drew right and wrong into question. For example, this is some of the text from a certain panel:

‘You wouldn’t.’
‘No, I wouldn’t. And I’m the villain. What do you suppose that says about you?’
I obviously can’t tell you what that scene is about, but it’s interesting to see the morality of the hero and the villain challenged. Lastly, the graphic novel also includes an LGBTQ+ character. I don’t think it’s really said, but it’s quite obvious when you’re reading. I actually quite like that it wasn’t necessarily said, because that makes it seem like any other relationship. (Which of course it is, but you know what I mean)

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of some of the drawings or illustration style, I did still find it enjoyable.

I’d highly recommend this graphic novel to you. It’s a fun story, with a lot more themes to make you think than I would’ve thought possible for such a short story. It has fun characters, dragons, shapeshifters and EVIL!

I love this.

Nimona is this unapologetic, excited girl with totally unexplained superpowers. She's a shapeshifter, or a skin changer, or... well honestly who cares because Sir Blackheart's evil career needs some serious boosting and HERE COMES NIMONA.

This graphic novel is a really well thought-out story about a girl who is lost, two old friends forced by the Institution to be enemies, and a system in power too busy entertaining its own ideas to worry about its people. There's deep sentiment and delightful silliness in the panels. I really enjoyed it.

As a graphic novel, it's brief. The characters and world aren't really as well developed as in a novel. That said, for the little slice of life you get to see them, they're delightful. I certainly wish there were additional volumes, but Nimona is based on a webcomic. I love the characters' fears and struggles, and enjoyed trying to spot Nimona in various panels.

Many of the best scenes were "filler" - moments where Nimona is complaining about sardines in pizza or hiding in Blackhart's cape from a scary movie.

This was a great little book and a wholly recommend it. I don't typically pick up graphic novels, and this one is fantastic.

Yup I know I am late in the ban wagon to read a book by Noelle Stevenson I just could kick myself for waiting so long. But I have heard amazing raving reviews about Noelle Stevenson books every where and her books was very hyped up when I first heard about her a couple years ago. And of course her book deserves all the hype it gets, but the reason I waited so long is because I wanted to wait until the hype of her books has dyed down. Because there has been a few books that I read there were really hype up when I first heard about them and when I read that certain hype book I was left disappointed at the end. So that is my reason why I wait so long to read an overly hype book. But Nimona was such an amazingly and fantastic book that I couldn't put it down. Just, just I can't tell you how amazing it was if I could give it all the stars or more I would happily do so. Yes that's how great this book was for me. It was a very unique and different graphic novel I have never read a graphic novel quite like Nimona before but I so want to find more like it in the near future. My favorite part of Nimona was the art in the book and I just love and adore the designs and different color schemes in this amazing book. All the characters and plotline was well developed, rounded and done so, so, so, so well I just couldn't get enough of it. The writing style was flawless and absolutely fantastic that I wanted too read more and more of Nimona. I won't go into any details about Nimona because I think everybody's knows about it. But I do highly recommend this graphic novel it was utterly a very fun and fantastic book that you don't want to miss out! I certainly will continue reading more graphic novels by Noelle Stevenson in the near future as well!

EXPLOSIONS! SCIENCE! SHARKS! NERDS! SYMBOLISM! Yep, that’s the kind of graphic novel this is. It won a bunch of awards, not only from other artists but from its (mostly) teenage readers, as well. Lord Ambrosius Goldenloin is the Official Hero here and Lord Ballister Blackheart is the Bad Guy, but neither of them is really terrible -- even though the former hacked off the latter’s arm when they students together. Now, Ambrosius works for the Institution while Blackheart tries to keep the kingdom’s growing police state from impinging on its subjects any farther.

Maybe what he needs is a new sidekick. At least, that’ Nimona’s opinion, and she’s just the girl for the job. It helps that she’s a shapeshifter, able to take the form of nearly any living thing. Including dragons, because this is a fantasy/medieval world, though it also has wrist radios and viewscreens. And while the knights all wear plate armor, and the guards carry spears, the dialogue they share is decidedly modern in flavor. But the humor -- and there’s a lot of sly wit here -- is balanced by the author’s exploration of just what constitutes good and evil in the world. And the artwork is pretty cool, too.

I have to confess that I don't tend to read graphic novels of collected graphic series unless they've been strongly recommended. There just always seems to be too low a content-to page ratio. Intellectually, I appreciate that some sorts of stories can be told in graphic format, and that there's an artistry to the combination of text and image that's simply a Different Thing than purely textual fiction. Maybe it's part of how I'm not so much of a visual person. But when enough of my friends talk about a particular graphic work in ways that suggest it will push my buttons, I'm quite happy to give it a go.

I think the entirety of my emotional reaction to Nimona can be summed up in a tweet I sent responding to someone who asked if I liked it: Sharp and true, like a knife of broken glass--and iridescent, as if the glass were buried a thousand years.

This is a story of love and loyalty and being true to who you really are despite what the world thinks of you. It's the story of a young girl who is a monster, and monsters who walk in human form. It's a story of betrayal and redemption. Um…I really liked it.

Nimona is a shapechanger who wants to be the sidekick of the Official Villain who fights against the noble champion of the realm. But while Nimona's talents (and complete lack of morals) would be useful, Lord Blackheart has a lot of awkward scruples in his sinister plots against the kingdom and their champion Sir Goldenloin. There's a bit of a…um, I'm not sure what to call it…medieval mad scientist flavor to the setting. Lord Blackheart was once in competition with his best friend (and maybe more?) Sir Goldenloin to be the kingdom's champion but a tournament accident that may have been no accident set him instead on the path to being its nemesis. Nimona herself has a painful backstory that is only glimpsed in brief flashes, and her motives in offering her services to evil (as she thinks it) are hard to untangle.

But what shines forth is the friendship that develops between the two, and the love and loyalty that outlasts all the adventures, conflicts, and challenges. This is not a story with simple and easy answers, for all that it's present in the form of a comic strip. Definitely recommended.

~4/5
I’d heard so much about this book, that there was no way it wasn’t on my radar. And I’m glad that I finally picked it up.

First of all, I will say that I was impressed, particularly with all the positive body-image in this book. The way that Nimona chooses to look while human, and then also the hinted romance between Blackheart and Goldenloin—especially with that second one. There’s also the corrupted government trying to control everything, using Blackheart and Goldenloin for their own purposes. Nimona’s reasoning behind sticking to Blackheart but never talking about herself or where she came from. The depth behind all of this was really well done, and surprising.

It all leads up to the ending, which was rather deserving, even if a little sad.

Aside from that, this was a fun book to read. All the scheming and tricks that they use, the comedic antics thrown in. The artwork is pretty, and I love that it’s all in color and hardback. It’s a very pretty book, for sure.

I was impressed with this book, and will hopefully be picking up more like it soon. Definitely recommended.

[More of my reviews are available on my blog, Geeky Reading, to which there's a link on my profile.]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:

If I am the first person to recommend NIMONA to you, drop whatever you’re doing and check out the three first chapters, available as an excerpt. If you don’t fall in love with Nimona and Lord Ballister Blackheart, there is possibly something terribly wrong with you - or your sense of humour.

This graphic novel features a strange mix of tech and fantasy I found automatically endearing. Dueling knights and dragons share the pages with supercomputers and scientists, and it works so well that you don’t even blink when these aspects mix. Nimona’s strange powers seem purely magical, but it’s a scientist who comes closest to understanding her - or at least containing her.

Although the book is named after Nimona, the red-headed, hot-headed shapeshifter, the true hero for me was Lord Ballister Blackheart, a villain with a strict moral code. He used to be one of the good guys, until he was betrayed and made to be a scapegoat for the secretly sinister Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. It cost him his arm, but it also cost him his best friend. He is truly horrified when Nimona’s antics cause someone’s death during one of their disruptive attacks; this isn’t how he operates, and although he is a villain, it’s not how he “does things”. Nimona, on the other hand, has morals as shifty as her shape.

It has enough action and humour to appeal to younger teens, and becomes emotionally charged enough to appeal to older readers. As Nimona’s mysterious origins and powers start to create more problems for the Institution and for Lord Blackheart, readers become more conflicted about the morality of the various characters. By the end, it’s almost deliciously heart breaking.

For a book with a truly sharp, unique illustration style and characters that will stay with you long after you’ve reread the epilogue, get your hands on NIMONA. I have yet to find someone who didn’t adore it, regardless of age.

Nimona started out as a web comic in 2012, with the author posting free updates weekly for a number of years. Obviously the comic's been removed now that it's a published book, but I definitely think it's very interesting backstory, as I feel that it explains some of the more unique themes as compared to more mainstream published comics. I hadn't heard of Nimona until it was chosen for my bookclub, but I currently follow a number of webcomics, and one thing they all have in common is representation in one form or another (or multiple) of narratives that are often excluded from popular media.

Nimona herself, for example, a loud, brash young woman with a thicker waist, and an unconventional/butch appearance. She's got piercings and a partially shaved head, and she isn't there to be a love interest or be eye candy. Which is awesome.

The relationship between Blackheart and Goldenloin is another great example, two arch-nemeses with a backstory and some wonderfully wrought tension. I liked that the reader knew exactly what was going on between them, without it ever having to become the central story line or detracting from Nimona's storyline.

Honestly, I thought the whole novel was delightful and I just devoured it in a sitting. The characters were interesting, the world was intriguing, and the interactions were wonderfully wrought. I thought the over-arching plot was a captivating one, and though there were places where it could have easily fallen apart, I was so immersed in the characters and the wonderfully drawings, that I didn't pay any of that much mind. Blackheart was my favorite, and I loved his relationship to Nimona, and how he was the villain, but clearly disliked violence. I really liked how the author took a fairly standard backstory, but twisted it just a bit to make it more compelling and interesting. The ending was suitably satisfactory, though I think I would have liked a little more to wrap things up.

My main gripe with the novel, is that Nimona still mostly remains a big question mark mystery. I'm sure that's part of the point, and we do learn a little bit about her past etc. but we never really learn what she is, which felt a little frustrating after all the build up. And, though I understood why the novel ended as it did, the thought of Nimona on her own was a little too sad. I would have preferred her finding a way to stay with Blackheart and Goldenloin, though I understood why she didn't.

I believe the author is done with this universe, which is a shame, because I'd happily read more of it. :D

Bahahaha!

This had got to be one of the funniest comics I've read in my life. Noelle Stevenson had an amazing gift for humor. When you're on a plane and other people are staring at you wondering what's wrong with you, you know you've got a good book.

The story was fantastic, too. The characters, amazing. I LOVE Nimona! (The character, not the comic. Well, I love the comic, too, but…well, surely, you know what I mean.)

What made this book even better (well, not a lot better, because it's so good, it couldn't get A LOT better) is that I was listening to the new audiobook from the Millennium Series, and in my head Blackheart had Simon Vance's voice.

But then…

But then. It's such a beautiful story! Noelle Stevenson weaves a wonderful tale! I hope to see more solo stuff from her!

Anyway, I heartily recommend this. I can’t believe it took me so long to read it!

When I started reading this graphic novel I didn’t plan on writing a review for it. But after actually finishing it I knew I had to write a review (even if it turns out to be a short one).

THE ART: I was very surprised by the art, it wasn’t the way I expected it to be. Why? I simply wasn’t used to reading graphic novels that had that many panels on one page. (And that’s the way this one starts out.) The surprise aside, the art was simply wonderful. I loved the way the characters were designed. The backgrounds and everything else was gorgeous as well. After reading this I seriously need more art from Noelle Stevenson. (Definitely going to pick up something else by her.)

THE CHARACTERS: The characters were very interesting and a lot more complex than I expected them to be. Ballister, Nimona and Ambrosius were all wonderful and I really loved reading about them. Their interactions and dialog were also wonderful. I can’t go into much detail about the characters, as I don’t want to spoil anything.

THE STORY: The story started out being really fun and cute. Then it went ways I never expected it to go and it got a lot darker. I greatly appreciated that and absolutely loved it. It just made my whole experience of this graphic novel greater than I thought it would be. The story just kept surprising me and I couldn’t put this book down.

OVERALL: This graphic novel was simply amazing. Everything about it is wonderful – from the art, to the characters, to the story. I would highly recommend it!

What do you mean there are rules? Why would you follow the rules?

This was so much fun to read. I had this on my TBR for over 18 months and for the life of me I cannot remember why I put this off for so long. A shame I tell you. If I was aware of the hype when I put it on my list, I forgot about it, so I read this without any expectations. I wanted to read more books that have been on my TBR for a long time and this was up next. I enjoyed this, a lot. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments for me, one that stood out was movie night.

Nimona is a cute impulsive high energy shapeshifter. I just realized why I had put off reading this. I always read werewolf whenever I see the word shapeshifter. Anyway, she's reckless, dangerous and oh so funny. She shows up and announces to Lord Blackheart that she is his new sidekick. He initially refuses, not wanting a kid hanging around, until she tells him she's a shapeshifter and can take the form of any living creature. He realizes that she may come in handy and hires her.

We get a hint of what Nimona is like in the panels of page 1 and I was hooked. She's impulsive, cute and I wanted nothing more than to pinch her cheeks. Loved her energy, but I must admit that I got tired just watching her bounce around. Nimona wants to take Lord Blackheart's villainy to another level. She's willing, and offers, to kill anyone that stands in his way - even the King. A tad misguided but her heart's in the right place :)

Lord Ballister Blackheart - Once hero now a notorious villain. He's such a complex character in that he's a villain that doesn't want or need to kill in order to fight the powers that be and expose their hidden secrets. He does bad things but for good reasons. Can a villain have a big heart?

Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin - Nemesis to our Blackheart. Stooge of the evil Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics that rules the Kingdom. They claim to be the good guys but do they really have the Kingdom's best interests at heart? What dark secrets are they willing to kill for in order to keep them covered?

As for as the story, I said I was hooked from page 1 and quickly got the feeling that all wasn't what it seemed. It starts out as an adventure then it becomes something more complex. The bad guys don't seem so bad. I started to question motives and what defines a villain. What secrets were the characters hiding? And Nimona's backstory, amazing.

The world they lived in was unique, to me at least, in that it appears to be set in medieval times with Lords, swords, magic, and dragons alongside modern day technology like computers and rayguns.

I liked the artwork, I didn't love it. It took me a few minutes to get used to it and then I got so engrossed in the story that the style seemed to make sense.

Nimona is an adventurous, often funny, sometimes dark and sad story.

Highly recommended

5/5 Stars

Nimona follows the adventures of the title character as she joins the designation villain of the Country as his sidekick. It seems a simple story but as it continues, it grows in depth and complexity. Who, after all, is the real villain? Who – or what- is Nimona, and why is she with Blackheart?
While the plot is fast-paced and intriguing, with action and humor, it is the characters and their relationships that make this graphic novel so brilliant. From the first, Stevenson subverts the tropes and gives the characters a depth of personality that makes you hang on every frame. I desperately wanted a happy ending for them.
Stevenson’s art is crisp and clear and I grew to appreciate the choice of colors. It’s highly stylized and has a pleasing simplistic to it. The focus is on the characters and dialogue, not splashy colors or complex designs.
A fantastic read, all around.
It is suitable for middle-age children and above, although younger readers may benefit from guidance from an older reader due to the serious nature of some of the plot. There is no overt gore or sexual content.

The hype for Nimona started long before it was published as a book. Several of my friends were already raving about it as it was gradually being posted online. That plus Noelle’s STUNNING drawing style made this a graphic novel I definitely could not resist. And I can say with certainty that I feel it deserves the hype.

Nimona is made up of everything I love: fantasy, dragons, magic, comedy, anti-heroes, and a morally complicated storyline. It’s all about Nimona, a shapeshifter. She’s fun and bubbly and has a penchant for trouble, which is why she joins up with the country’s leading supervillain. Blackheart is skeptical about her at first, but soon becomes charmed by her quirky personality. Together they take on Sir Goldenloin and the Institution.

Noelle’s art is STUNNING, which makes this graphic novel an absolute feast for the eyes. But the creative and engaging story make it fuel for the soul. I love that it’s so complex. Blackheart is the “supervillain” but he has a code of ethics that he seems to follow that keeps people out of harm’s way. Nimona’s much more reckless, so Blackheart balances her out very well. Meanwhile, the “good guys” – Goldenloin and the Institution – show that you should never blindly trust authority. Be vigilant, and when you know something’s not right, speak out and expose the truth.

The story is basically just as gripping as a regular novel, so if you’re a newbie to graphic novels, this is a great gateway title. The only thing that I was still missing at certain moments was a little more depth and back story. I mean, Blackheart and Goldenloin obviously have something going on, but it’s never named explicitly. That made me kind of sad. And I do want some more information about this world and how Nimona wound up here. I mean, the story’s so short that there would definitely have been room for some of this. But maybe that’s just me expecting too much depth from a graphic novel.

Honestly, I loved this book from start to finish. I loved seeing Nimona and Blackheart become friends. I loved seeing their nefarious plotting. I loved Nimona’s wit and humor. I loved uncovering the truth about the Institution. I had quite some feelings about plot twists that made me realize just how attached I was to these characters in such a short amount of time. And yet.

The thing about massively hyped books is that it can be immensely hard to live up to the buzz. So while I definitely enjoyed Nimona for everything it was, it seems like something was missing from my experience compared to everyone else. Friends had raved about being in tears and having their hearts torn to pieces, and, well, I didn’t feel it quite on that level. But it was still a great read.

Summing Up:

Dragons! Magic! Anti-heroes! LOL moments! Seriously, Nimona is beyond wonderful. The art style is absolutely beautiful, and these characters will touch your hearts in no time at all. I was sucked into the story and loathed for it to end. Noelle Stevenson is one to watch! By all accounts, a great graphic novel – also for newbies.

Recommended To:

Everyone who is at all interested in graphic novels :)

*Some Spoilers*

I just love Nimona! She is this wonderful little shapeshifter girl that befriends an evil villain named Lord Blackheart. He doesn't want a sidekick but Nimona persists and she is so funny!

The thing about Lord Blackheart is he really isn't an evil villain, he just tries to act like one because he doesn't see any other way to be. Years ago his best friend was in a jousting match with him and Sir Goldenloin (the friend) makes it to where Blackheart loses his arm. After this The Institution doesn't want Blackheart any more. We find out later there was a plot to make this happen.

So.. Nimona and Lord Blackheart have some fun times together, although.. Nimona kills a few people and Lord Blackheart doesn't like this, but you have to kill people sometimes or they will take you and lock you up!

I was sad at the end when Nimona went away :( I was hoping she would stay with Blackheart. He still looks for her, wondering if different people or animals he sees are really her. I just want her to come back and live with him.

The good thing is that Blackheart and Goldenloin are friends again.

Awesome graphic novel in my opinion! :)

MY REVIEWS:
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1335238224

I bought this graphic novel after a glowing recommendation from my friend Ashley, and I am so glad that I did. This book was amazing, and I enjoyed every single page. Noelle Stevenson did an absolutely amazing job with Nimona, from the characters to the plot to the artwork.

The characters of Nimona and Ballister Blackheart are so developed throughout the course of the book, and the relationship the two of them have with each other is heartwarming and heartbreaking. I caught myself smiling at their scenes together and Nimona's adorable facial expressions and comments to Blackheart. In such a short graphic novel, Stevenson does a wonderful job at getting the reader emotionally attached to the characters through their backstories and personalities. When I finished the book, I wanted more of Nimona and her clever, sarcastic remarks and scheming ways.

The book catches the reader in quickly; at the beginning, it seems like a simple, cute story, but once the action continues to increase, the reader will get even more sucked in and invested in the story. There's so much to think about when not reading the book, and this is one of the biggest signs of a successful book, in my opinion.

I honestly cannot think of one single thing I did not like about this book, and I know I will definitely be reading anything else Noelle Stevenson publishes in the future.

Review can also be read on my book blog: swimmingthroughliterature.tumblr.com

*cough* This book was so cute *cough* How will I review it? This is my FIRST comic book review so uh, here I gooooooooooooo!

What I Liked

Nimona looked adorable, and I like adorable so uh, heck yes I had to read it! One of my favorite things about this book is the art, just look at it! The style is so cute, the colors, character design all so amazing! I wish I drew like her, so adorable so adorable so adorable so adorable sooooooooo CUTE! *cough* get to your point *cough* Uh yes, my point… Nimona’s adorable art does a great job of adding to the story, the layout of the comic was also very well done and easy to read. Let me just finish this point off by saying, the art works well!

I think I already made it apparent that Nimona was cute. Cute in art, cute in story. This book actually made me smile quiet a bit. The characters were all so wonderful! Nimona herself was a very sassy shape-shifter with quite the character, her personality (minus the violence :O) was delightful! Ballister Blackheart was also an interesting character, I really loved his relationship with Nimona, and Goldenloin, the backstory was great. In short, I just want to have a big group hug with these people, they were just too (I need a new word, not cute, not adorable, WHAT ELSE?!) entertaining.

I really cant figure out what the time setting for this book was! It was a mix of old time fantasy in character design fused with futuristic technology! Okay, I LOVED it, that was FANTASTIC! Knights with cool shocky thingies? Wow! SIGN ME UP! Although… I don’t want to be touched by one of those shocky thingies D: Whatever setting this is, it worked, it rocked, and it blew me away!

Obviously I enjoyed the story quite a bit. The characters, plot, and art were all very enjoyable. The plot was such a roller coaster ride, one with laughs, smiles, tears, and a bit of anger all mixed in to a big cauldron (CAULDRON :D!) of pure joy.

What I Didn't Like

Okay, yes I LOVED Nimona, but it didn’t blow me away! There was something about it that didn’t sweep me off my feet into a river of pure joy, it was more like cuteness overload. I really can’t place my finger on what it was though!

Verdict

Nimona was a charming, quick read with SUPER good art! Stop reading this review, and go read Nimona NOOOOW :D! Please? ^_^

Ballister Blackheart is a villain. He doesn't necessarily like it, but there are only so many options available to professionally trained heroes after they lose an arm.

Abrosius Goldenloin has always desperately wanted to be a hero. So much so that he sacrificed his friendship with Blackheart in pursuit of his goal.

Nimona . . . well . . . no one is really sure what Nimona is or what she wants. Sometimes she's a shark. Sometimes she wants to wreak havoc and mayhem and leave a trail of bodies in her wake. Sometimes she's lonely and wants a friend.

Blackheart wasn't looking for a sidekick when Nimona showed up at his hideout. Goldenloin never doubted the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics until his sworn enemy started asking the right questions. Together these unlikely allies and enemies might be able to bring down the Institution once and for all. But only if Nimona can control her powers and doesn't kill everyone first in Nimona (2015) by Noelle Stevenson.

Nimona is Stevenson's first graphic novel, originally seen as a webcomic online. Nimona was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

This graphic novel is entertaining and readable although not ultimately groundbreaking in terms of plot. Stevenson includes a fair bit of diversity. Blackheart has a mechanical arm. Nimona is refreshingly curvy. And the background characters come in all shapes and colors. Unlike many graphic novels, Nimona also features a self-contained arc which makes parts of the ending feel a bit rushed.

Although obviously appealing to teens, it's also interesting to see Nimona published for the YA market when none of the characters are actually teens. (Nimona chooses to present herself as a teenaged girl but, like most of the things Nimona shares about herself, it seems very possible that is just a facade.)

Nimona is a lot of fun. Stevenson's artwork has a decided cartoon aesthetic that is complimented with snappy dialog and sight gags throughout the story. The one failing here is that the lettering for the dialog is extremely small.

Stevenson blends a medieval setting with modern scientific technology to create a unique setting where she can create her own rules for the fantasy elements of the story. Nimona easily subverts the traditional archetypes for both heroes and villains throughout this story where nothing is ever quite as it seems.

Possible Pairings: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, Vicious by V. E. Schwab

There is something wonderfully fun about graphic novels. Something about the art and being able to see the characters adds a whole other dimension to the story. I am continuously amazed at the talent of not only the artists, but the writers who weave complex, utterly amazing storylines into a limited amount of dialogue and pages. Nimona is no exception. Nimona was written and illustrated by Noelle Stevenson. It started off as a serialised web comic, before becoming immensely popular and put into print this year. Although I had never heard of it before I started seeing reviews on GoodReads, I’m glad I gave it a go! What fun it was!

Our story beings when Nimona announces herself to supervillain Ballister Blackheart, as his new sidekick. When she proceeds to show him that she is actually a shapeshifter and able to shift into any animal, he gladly takes her on. However Nimona has a different way of dealing with the “good guys” than Blackheart (namely murdering them). And our Blackheart is a supervillain with a conscience. So things get a little out of control. Who is Nimona really? And how can Blackheart bring down the institution and his old ‘friend’ Goldenlion without Nimona killing him?

I can see why this book has gotten a load of fantastic reviews! Its a lot of fun, easy to read and extremely enjoyable. The dialogue is at times hilarious and other times totally grippingly serious. The illustrations of the characters and events are fantastic!

The characters were all great. There weren’t too many crammed in and it made it so easy to get swept up in the story. My favourite part of the book was the relationship between Blackheart and Goldenlion. What pent up frustration and romantic tension there was there! I loved that Blackheart was bad, but good, but bad, and that the good guys were not as good as they let on.

Nimona was the star of the show though. We begin to learn more about her and where she came from… Or do we?

The only thing I didn’t like about it really was it was too short for me! I am an extremely fast reader, even with pictures to keep me occupied it would seem, and it was over way too quickly! But that’s my problem, nothing to do with the book itself!

Extremely entertaining, I would recommend Nimona to any graphic novel fan. Also to graphic novel novices, I think this would be a great introduction.

For more reviews visit my blog:
www.booksbabiesbeing.com

Nimona is a wonderful story about a shapeshifter who wants to be a villain. The whole story is complete and the characters are all amazing and well thought out. Each mishap that follows Nimona and Lord Blackheart is funnier and wilder than the last. I read this back when it was online and jumped at the opportunity to own it. (Imagine my surprise when I found this review sitting in my drafts and never published, what was I thinking?)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I have been waiting for the printed version of this web comic since its birth. I started following Noelle early on tumblr and instantly fell in love with her style.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?
Yes YES YES! I love Noelle’s artwork and can’t get enough!

There is something special about this book, something about the way we gradually come to figure out he characters, something about the world they live in, that gives the story itself so much personality, such a unique feel.
I started reading it and could not stop until it was over, and the end was great but I was so sad it was over! I still want more!

It's hard to explain without giving anything away but I can tell you you wil find compeling characters with legit backstories, an awesome story with cool twist and a great pace! Also many funny bits! Oh and gorgeous art of course! The art style is so fluid and expressive!
I love everything about this :)

I'm waiting patiently for 4 Wizards!

I never wanted this to end.

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.

Holy wow did this escalate quickly but it was SO GOOD!

It starts out light and humorous and then turns serious and dark...and finishes out with a small light of hope. All in 256 pages of adorable graphic panels.

I want more.
Buy it. Read it. Pay it forward.

This isn’t just some silly internet-funny fantasy/sci-fi romp about a supervillain and his new shapeshifter sidekick. This is deeply emotional, though not so much that it drags down the adventure story. My son read this at age 8 and loves it, but I’d guess he probably doesn’t feel the depth of what's going on with these characters. He's there for the battles and the science. I alternated between having fun, and being heartbroken over how all three of the main characters were hurting. (Note to self: maybe don’t make the dramatic reading to your kid quite so dramatic, if acting the characters’ feelings makes you get choked up. Or at least have a glass of water on your nightstand.) It ends well, though, I promise! The right (queer) people get back together, friendships are healed, and new science labs are built.

BUT here’s the very sad thing about Nimona: this book should have been printed in a larger format, or with better lettering, for better accessibility. My husband couldn’t read it at all. I wore my reading glasses and still struggled at times. If you think you can read it, I advise you to. If you physically can’t read the words, I totally get it.

An adorable read with great color, design, action, and a good (and cliché) plot.

The thing that brought the star down from five stars to four was the ending.

I thought the beginning and middle were good, but there was a lot of power play makeup for Nimona whenever we learned about her powers. (Could just be me though).

•Blackheart and Goldenlion are good characters, but their relationship had me wanting another different ending.

Not a spoiling down below, but I am saying what I wanted to happen and so you'll know that it didn't. So just in case, I tagged it as a spoiler.

<spoiler>I wanted Blackheart and Goldenlion to end up together (I mean, <i>together</i> together). Then they could adopt Nimona, take down the Institution, and become a family. I family ship it. <3

This applies to the Kindle version only; the web comic is five or more stars: wonderful. However, the Kindle version is useless to me. I see in the notes now (not noticed--or noticable?--when pre-ordering) that my primary Kindle reader, my MacBook Pro, is not a supported device. Since I have no other compatible color display, I guess it's a good thing I read the comic on-line.

Characters

The characters were pretty interesting. Lord Ballister Blackheart is supposed to be the villian, but he's the one you, the reader, connect with more. Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin is the "hero" or knight in shiny armor, but he and Blackheart have an interesting past that calls into question his heroic nature. I liked Blackheart. His interactions with Nimona were funny to me. He was the voice of reason, and he didn't want to hurt people even though he was the villian. I was pretty neutral on Goldenloin.

Nimona...I went back and forth on her. At first, I was a little annoyed by her. She wanted to help/be Blackheart's partner, but she wanted to do her own thing. She followed her own set of rules and did what she wanted without thinking of the consequences. But then she began to grow on me. It was clear something happened in her past that made her act the way she did, as if she was on her own and could only trust herself. Still, there was something about her that just didn't work with me. I can't describe it though.

Plot

The "government and those on the 'good' side" are up to no good, and it's up to characters on the "bad" side to reveal the wrongdoings and save the day. I'm not against this type of story, but after finishing this graphic novel, I was more interested in Blackheart and Goldenloin's story than the overall plot.

I think I would have liked the overall plot more if it was drawn out. If this was a series. I'm not familiar with the web comic that this novel is based from, so I don't know if it was drawn out in the web comic and then shortened into a novel. I guess I was expecting something else with this story, based on the summary than what I received. It's not bad! Just not what I was expecting.

Overall, a quick fun read (graphic novels are faster, of course) but I found the subplot was carrying the story for me. I did enjoy the artwork. I thought it was very well done.

Rating: 3 / 5 STARS ~ A good book. I will probably recommend this.

Excellent! This is an extremely entertaining graphic novel that weaves a brilliant little tale with a unique art style making it an instant favorite. The characters share some traits seen in those great heroes and villains of the past yet at the same time are very much one of a kind. The story is engaging, capturing and holding attention right from the start to the very end. I don't want to give anything away about the story so I won't but I will highly recommend you check this out if you have even the slightest bit of interest. It's well worth it whether you are a seasoned graphic comic reader or just a casual browser.

This book captured my attention right away, the art is beautiful and unique and expressive. I haven’t reviewed many graphic novels here on the blog, but going with my newer theme of Bookshelf and Coffee Breaks, a graphic novel is one of my favorite types of books to read when I don’t have a ton of time, but still want to get things read. Anyways, onto the actual review.

Like I said, the art in this novel was beautiful and seemed to fit so well with the theme of not quite fitting into your role tha society has given you. There are three main characters in this story: Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin (the steryotypical knight in shiny golden armor), Lord Ballister Blackheart (the steryotypical good guy gone bad supervillian when he didn’t beat his past best friend, the knight in shiny golden armor), and Nimona (the kick ass sidekick to the supervillan). For the first few chapters, you get to know our lovely characters and learn the surface morals they have and where they came from. I enjoy how the art reflected the characters and as we learned more and more about the characters and their past, the art gets a bit darker and darker. This being said, the content itself gets darker as the truth about Nimona comes to light (kind of), and we realize how complicated she is. Yet, she is still probably my favorite character in this story. The story itself has interesting views of what we view as hero/villain verses what they actually think.

To prevent myself from adding any additional spoilers, I will conclude this review by saying that I hope to pick up more by Noelle Stevenson, because I am in love with her art! This graphic novel gets five beans out of five from me and I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure.

Review Originally Posted on Goodreads.com
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1367861223?book_show_action=false

I'm giving this graphic novel a 4.5 stars. It was phenomenal. The artwork was so simple, yet captivating. I really enjoyed the characters faces. Noelle Stevenson showed emotions on the faces really well, which seems like a really difficult to do. I am not a huge fan of the manga style graphic novels, so this one was a real winner in my eyes.

Nimona is a young girl who insists upon being the sidekick of evil villains Ballister. Ballister holds a dirty vendetta against the town hero, Goldlion. Goldlion reminded me of a lion. He had a large mane of flowing blonde hair and always wore gold armor. Ballister's goal was to take down the government (called the institution) and defeat Goldlion. The two ex-friends have some bad blood. Goldlion shot off Ballisters arm! Not sure if I'd be the forgiving type either?

The qualities I liked about Ballister were that even though he was a villain, he had good morals. He was against any type of killing, and felt awful when Nimona- who had zero problems killing- caused some collateral damage. A really redeeming moment for Ballister was when he risked everything to cure the disease he let out.

Did I forget to mention Nimona is a magical shapeshifter? She is a wild child. Her friendship with Ballister is really sweet. She also had an obsession with sharks that is really humorous. Nimona's shape shifting abilities were told to have come from a witch, but later throughout the graphic novel we find this to be a lie. Nimona's parents believe that their real child died and was replaced with a monster.

Together, Nimona and Ballister wreak a ton of havoc in the kingdom. There is so much good hearted humor, you can't help but laugh at some of the situations they get themselves into.

I enjoyed the ending- even though I though it was incredibly sad. Whenever Ballister was forced to leave Nimona, my heart broke because they were the only friends each of them had.

Goldlion and Ballister eventually made up and became friends, but thoughts of Nimona still haunt Ballister. He is suspicious of everyone because Nimona could be any of those people or animals.

I recommend this book for any age. It is a witty, beautiful piece of art. Step into Stevenson's world and meet Nimona. You won't be sorry.

What an awesome story! This is about a girl who approaches a villain and becomes his new side-kick. They get into some shenanigans and mainly fight against the evil Institution, who are secretly harboring weapons of mass destruction and poisons they might use against innocent citizens. The villain isn't really a villain and the hero isn't that great of a hero. Everyone is flawed and there is a lot of diversity - Nimona is a "chubby" heroine, the villain and hero are both males who have been in love with each other for years, but think they are each others nemesis because of a huge misunderstanding (well, maybe they aren't in love, but I got an unrequited love vibe, maybe I'm wrong).

There was TONS of humor and I just really enjoyed it. I'm glad my library had it so I could read this wonderful book. I'm a huge Nimona fan now. I hope there is another one!

Nimona is a type of shape-shifter too. She's totally bad-asp! She's a rule-breaker, a rebel, a loner (until she finds Ballister), and even though she has some issues, she's still great fun and I was totally cheering for her to kick some Institution booty. I loved her and Ballister as a team.

I had never heard of the Nimona web comics until the book was published. The art work is very Adventure Time-ish, so I was keen to pick it up, even without really knowing much about it.

Here is the run-down of what I liked about Nimona:

1: The artwork.
2: The mixed element of magic and science.
3: The characters. (Especially Nimona and Lord Blackheart.)
4: Goldenloin and Blackheart’s hinted-at relationship.

There were about 2-3 different stories happening at the same time throughout the book. We get a little of Nimona’s story, more towards the end at least. We get to see the struggles that the “hero” Goldenloin faces while trying to do his duty. And lastly, we get to see more of the backstory behind what happened between Goldenloin and Blackheart.

The humor throughout was so dry and witty, I was completely on board. Nimona and Blackheart are just adorable together, so I was so glad he let her stick around! (Although I don’t think Nimona would have accepted any other answer.)

I definitely hope there is more of Nimona and everyone else to come! I’m very pumped to get my hands on more of Noelle’s work. Lumberjanes is next on my list! I don’t have much else to say except I recommend everyone get their hands on this and give it a shot!

This was a quirky little jaunt through a technological Renaissance era. The plot started very simple and fun at first, then built itself up gloriously to a political mystery.

The art was different, the colors were nicely done, I loved the relationships between the characters [especially the extra insight given by the mini stories in the back].

I really liked this story and I hated having to put it down to eat or sleep. I just wanted to know who Nimona was, where she came from, what happened to Blackheart, are his memories the truth of what happened or is that just how he remembers it, what is the institute really hiding??!

I bet you wanna find out too.

It's cute, light-hearted, and just plain adorable.

Nimona is a shapeshifter with a mysterious past who joins villain Ballister Blackheart in his fight against the Institution and its hero, Ambrosius Goldenloin. What she really likes doing is killing people, but according to Ballister, that's "against the rules." lol At least, against his rules.

As the story progresses, we see there's some deep misunderstanding and heartache Nimona carries with her. She's really created a wall that blocks out others but she has a good heart.

The art is lovely too. Nothing to complain about there.

This was such a quick and fun read. There were points that the writing ("font") was tiny compared to other parts of the book. That's really my only complaint.

“I’m not a kid- I’m a shark.”

No really- she’s a shark. This was a lot of fun. There was plenty of humor and it kept me laughing almost all the way through.

The ending turned a little dark, which is why it wasn’t a full five star read for me. But otherwise I enjoyed it.

The plot kept me guessing- nothing on the surface was quite what it seemed.

I loved the mashup of medieval fantasy and modern technology. I would definitely check out more Nimona!

NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson is a quirky new graphic novel fantasy based on the popular web comic.
A young shapeshifter teams up with a super villain to wreak havoc on the Institute of Law Enforcement. Set in a world reminiscent of a Renaissance faire, the story combines kingdoms, dragons, and sword fights with videophones and modern hospitals. The addition of sharks, countdowns, and explosions add to the irreverent atmosphere. Filled with witty humor and symbolism, sophisticated teen readers will enjoy the subversive tone from beginning to end.
The beautifully rendered, full-color graphics will immediately attract graphic novel fans, while the wicked humor and well-paced plot will keep them reading. The complex character development and memorable approach to world building make this graphic novel special.
The unconventional blend of old with new is sure to attract young adult readers. Librarians will find a broad audience for this book that includes lovers of both bizarre superheroes and unusual medieval kingdoms. Look for this book on the YA graphic novel “best of” lists for 2015.
To learn more about the author, go to http://gingerhaze.com/.
Published by HarperTeen on May 12, 2015.

Nimona is something of a pleasant surprise. The story might be a bit straightforward in the end, but there are still unexpected moments and an ending that's a bit more open ended than expected. Nimona is a shapeshifter who insinuates herself as Ballister Blackheart's sidekick. Blackheart is cast as a villan but reads as a moral one. He's not one for killing, just causing a bit of mayhem because that's his lot in life including facing is once best friend Goldenloin. The relationships have a complexity and humanity to them that Stevenson does more than touch on. It's not long before we're forced to confront our own expectations of good and evil. Some of the background characters could have been better developed, but the webcomic feel of the graphic novel still gives everyone a bit of distinctiveness. It's subversive at times, fun at others and sure to be an adventure enjoyed by many.

The first four chapters of this graphic novel made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again. It felt childish and just too "over the top" and I really struggled with it. So I put it down and thought I'd never again pick it up. But then I decided to push through after hearing a review that it would get better after the initial chapters. And I am happy to say that it did get a lot better and it really developed into a deep and interesting story.

It was fast to read, and the characters had a lot of depth despite my initial feeling that they were just completely crazy. The plot was surprising and it was fun to read from the so called villains POV and learning that everything is not always as it seems.

Reading this novel also kind of made me want to turn my own novel into a graphic novel, and I might have given it a try had I been able to draw.

So I do recommend this as a read for those interested in graphic novels. For those, like me, who are completely new to the whole graphic novel/comic book thing, I do however recommend starting with something else.

Full Review [...]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Why, man, why?!

I'm gonna start this review off extremely honest; I have NO idea why I put off reading this for so long. I've seen a few good things about it which caused me to buy the book from Barnes and Noble a few months ago and just never thought to just take a little peek into what I'd be getting myself into.

I don't read too many graphic novels or comics (unless it deals with Deadpool), but every now and then, there's one that draws me in like this one did. Again, upon picking up this book to actually read, I didn't know what to expect, and after reading the first chapter, I was completely hooked.

To me, the style of the characters, the humor, the scenes... (more via website)

A YA graphic novel has Nimona wanting to be the sidekick of the villain Lord Blackheart. She does the things sidekicks should but Blackheart thinks she goes too far. When Blackheart learns Nimona's secret, he tries to save everyone--good and bad.

This is a good vs. evil story. However, things are not always what they appear on the surface. The good are not so heroic and the bad are not as villainous as the other side tries to make them appear. I liked Blackheart. He and the hero Goldenloin have a past. Eventually we find out what is it and it brings out questions. I liked Nimona. She's a teen but has a past that has made her wary of others. She is strong willed and feisty. I hope that she and Blackheart get what they each want in their own way--a place to belong and a friend.

Although the characters at first appear to be fantasy tropes in this sweet and funny science fantasy graphic novel, nothing is as it seems, from the supervillain who is secretly a good guy, to his Sir Galahad-esque nemesis, who is secretly a corporate shill while also being the supervillain’s old flame, to the teen heroine, a trickster who is really a powerful shape shifter. Or is she a monster in the vein of the Wolfman or Frankenstein or The Incredible Hulk or even King Kong or Godzilla? Or is she just a confused teen girl with PTSD? The setting is clearly medieval fantasy, or is it a dystopian science fictional mirror of our own troubled times? Actually, it manages to be both. I loved the way the story was able to tick all of the archplot boxes, while upending the conventions of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. The author, who wrote and illustrated this graphic novel, uses satirical humor and small acts of kindness and vulnerability to build the arc of the buddy relationship between the Supervillain and the Creature/Teen girl, and pays it off in an emotion-packed ending, complete with a Save the Cat moment of death, and a mysterious resurrection. The author’s affectionate mash-up romp through classic genres and stories creates a particular and lovable heroine, LGTBQ supporting characters to root for, and stand-up-and-cheer moments. Oh, yes, and there are dragons.

The art is stylized, fun, and modern. I would read anything Ms. Stevenson creates.

This was so cute and enjoyable!

I saw this one on a ‘New to this Library’ table and I figured I would give it a try. I didn’t know much going into it and the blurb wasn’t very specific.

It didn’t take very long for me to start liking Balister and even Nimona. Their relationship was adorable and you could see that Balister really cared for her as time went on. Their witty banter was cute and funny and I’m pretty sure there was a smile plastered on my face. I really enjoyed this one and the ending was sweet. I do wish we learned more about Nimona and where she went but the way the reader is told leaves them to find their own conclusion.

I liked this, and I think it had a lot of potential, but there were parts that I didn't think were necessary. There were also some parts that I thought could stand with a little more detail or explanation. All in all, a decent story, and my first real graphic novel, so I'm still happy to have read it.

This graphic novel came highly recommended by everyone pretty much. I thought this was fantastic and fun, the art was great, the story, the characters. Loved everything - except I just couldn't get past Nimona's weird hairstyle at the start - I know it's stupid, but I just got distracted every time I looked at it I was thinking "is that a hat? why is it a different color in the back? is her head shaved? why does it look so odd? Anyway... that was my only complaint about the book :)

The first four chapters of this graphic novel made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again. It felt childish and just too "over the top" and I really struggled with it. So I put it down and thought I'd never again pick it up. But then I decided to push through after hearing a review that it would get better after the initial chapters. And I am happy to say that it did get a lot better and it really developed into a deep and interesting story.

It was fast to read, and the characters had a lot of depth despite my initial feeling that they were just completely crazy. The plot was surprising and it was fun to read from the so called villains POV and learning that everything is not always as it seems.

Reading this novel also kind of made me want to turn my own novel into a graphic novel, and I might have given it a try had I been able to draw.

So I do recommend this as a read for those interested in graphic novels. For those, like me, who are completely new to the whole graphic novel/comic book thing, I do however recommend starting with something else.

Full Review [...]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Why, man, why?!

I'm gonna start this review off extremely honest; I have NO idea why I put off reading this for so long. I've seen a few good things about it which caused me to buy the book from Barnes and Noble a few months ago and just never thought to just take a little peek into what I'd be getting myself into.

I don't read too many graphic novels or comics (unless it deals with Deadpool), but every now and then, there's one that draws me in like this one did. Again, upon picking up this book to actually read, I didn't know what to expect, and after reading the first chapter, I was completely hooked.

To me, the style of the characters, the humor, the scenes... (more via website)

A YA graphic novel has Nimona wanting to be the sidekick of the villain Lord Blackheart. She does the things sidekicks should but Blackheart thinks she goes too far. When Blackheart learns Nimona's secret, he tries to save everyone--good and bad.

This is a good vs. evil story. However, things are not always what they appear on the surface. The good are not so heroic and the bad are not as villainous as the other side tries to make them appear. I liked Blackheart. He and the hero Goldenloin have a past. Eventually we find out what is it and it brings out questions. I liked Nimona. She's a teen but has a past that has made her wary of others. She is strong willed and feisty. I hope that she and Blackheart get what they each want in their own way--a place to belong and a friend.

Although the characters at first appear to be fantasy tropes in this sweet and funny science fantasy graphic novel, nothing is as it seems, from the supervillain who is secretly a good guy, to his Sir Galahad-esque nemesis, who is secretly a corporate shill while also being the supervillain’s old flame, to the teen heroine, a trickster who is really a powerful shape shifter. Or is she a monster in the vein of the Wolfman or Frankenstein or The Incredible Hulk or even King Kong or Godzilla? Or is she just a confused teen girl with PTSD? The setting is clearly medieval fantasy, or is it a dystopian science fictional mirror of our own troubled times? Actually, it manages to be both. I loved the way the story was able to tick all of the archplot boxes, while upending the conventions of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. The author, who wrote and illustrated this graphic novel, uses satirical humor and small acts of kindness and vulnerability to build the arc of the buddy relationship between the Supervillain and the Creature/Teen girl, and pays it off in an emotion-packed ending, complete with a Save the Cat moment of death, and a mysterious resurrection. The author’s affectionate mash-up romp through classic genres and stories creates a particular and lovable heroine, LGTBQ supporting characters to root for, and stand-up-and-cheer moments. Oh, yes, and there are dragons.

The art is stylized, fun, and modern. I would read anything Ms. Stevenson creates.

This was so cute and enjoyable!

I saw this one on a ‘New to this Library’ table and I figured I would give it a try. I didn’t know much going into it and the blurb wasn’t very specific.

It didn’t take very long for me to start liking Balister and even Nimona. Their relationship was adorable and you could see that Balister really cared for her as time went on. Their witty banter was cute and funny and I’m pretty sure there was a smile plastered on my face. I really enjoyed this one and the ending was sweet. I do wish we learned more about Nimona and where she went but the way the reader is told leaves them to find their own conclusion.

I liked this, and I think it had a lot of potential, but there were parts that I didn't think were necessary. There were also some parts that I thought could stand with a little more detail or explanation. All in all, a decent story, and my first real graphic novel, so I'm still happy to have read it.

This graphic novel came highly recommended by everyone pretty much. I thought this was fantastic and fun, the art was great, the story, the characters. Loved everything - except I just couldn't get past Nimona's weird hairstyle at the start - I know it's stupid, but I just got distracted every time I looked at it I was thinking "is that a hat? why is it a different color in the back? is her head shaved? why does it look so odd? Anyway... that was my only complaint about the book :)

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't what I got. It was so much more.

I expected to be laughing throughout the entire thing (Just the first chapter had me laughing out loud) but I became so invested in this story that it was heart-wrenching and full of action in all the ways great books should be. I don't know where the goofy humor ended and the intense plot started, it was so seamless, but I welcome it.

I can't wait to read more from this artist!

I was fortunate enough to have this available at my library and quickly picked it up after reading so many glowing reviews about it. Nimona did not disappoint! This magnificent book deserves nothing less than five stars. Nimona is an adorable sci-fantasy story with a so many wonderful aspects that make it great, such as its complex characters, laugh out loud dialogue, and its strange mix of magic and science. Nimona is a fun, fast paced comic that everyone should read. Now, although it works well as a standalone, I'd be delighted that if Noelle Stevenson made a sequel. You'd be doing yourself a huge disservice if you skipped out on Nimona.

Taking the side of the villains and giving some insight into their position seems to be the hip thing to do right now. With that said, I was not at all disappointed with this story. Nimona is such a fun and unique character that you can't help but love. This story takes you on such a ride of emotions and you're easily pulled into the brief mystery that the villain and his trusty sidekick are trying to solve. A speaking of mystery, Nimona is her own mystery that slowing unfolds leaving you wanting more at the end. The artwork was equally as fun as the story and in the end of the tale, I wanted more :)

Nimona is such a subversive, fresh, nuanced, original work. It's solid as story for adults, and I plan on reading it to my (odd, mature) five and seven year olds after we finish Bone. Plenty of it will be over their heads, but it should hold their attention. A monstrous female protagonist in the role of sidekick, with a kick ass alternative appearance and a non-generic, non-Barbiesque body, is already light years ahead of most work I can expose my kids (or friends!) to. Complex themes of past trauma, the nature of good and evil, and some sharp critique of empires and power all add up to a rich story that matters.

Breezy and fun. Witty and non traditional. There aren't enough words in the book for me, but the drawings are plenty cute. Minor complaint for my aging eyes -- the print font is on the thin and small side, and I sometimes had to strain to read it. Graphic novel fans will get a kick out of this one. Suggest to readers who enjoy but have outgrown Renee Telgemeier's SMILE, DRAMA and SISTERS, and Victoria Jamieson's ROLLERGIRL.

I have been trying to get my hands on this book for some time now. I have finally finished the book and I adored it. The story is so much fun and different from any other graphic novel that I have read. The character of Nimona is so sassy! Blackheart is a fun moral villain and together they make an amazing team. If you are looking for a graphic novel to start off with, if you have never read graphic novels before, I highly recommend this one!!

Nimona is a shapeshifter and becomes a sidekick for a supervillian named Lord Blackheart. Nimona's job is to help him prove that Sir Goldenloin and his henchmen are not the good guys they make themselves out to be. Nimona has a big imagination and lots of ideas to bring about justice. Lord Blackheart is overwhelmed by her powers and abilities which leads to lots of trouble for both of them. Pick up this charming graphic novel for the beautiful panels and touching story as it teaches the definition of true friendship.

[this review was originally posted to goodreads on 1/4/17] wow, how have i not read this before now? that was so cute and adorable and also heartbreaking but in a good way and definitely not what i was expecting it to be! can't recommend this enough

basic summary:
blackheart: NIMONA NO
nimona: NIMONA YES
me: NIMONA YES!!!

I picked up Lumberjanes after it won a GLAAD Media Award, and I fell completely in love with the writing, art, and characters. When I found out Stevenson had a one-shot debut graphic novel, I jumped at the opportunity to lose myself in another one of her creations. I was not disappointed, needless to say. What's one more glowing review for this revelation of a little book?

Stevenson's deceptively simple color palette and art style are absolutely perfect. The characters, once again, are so immediately lovable and identifiable. The world is rich and deep without needing fifteen pages of exposition.

I can't recommend it enough. Much like Lumberjanes, it's a great read for both young and old. Stevenson is a breath of fresh air, and I am officially a fan for life.

There are so many great reviews about Nimona that I had really high expectations going into it. But it fell a little short. It wasn't bad by any means, but I also didn't find anything exceptional about it. For the first third of the story Nimona's character really annoyed me. It wasn't until further on when we start seeing the truth behind her facade that I begin to enjoy reading the sections with her in it.

What a brilliant full cast audio of a graphic novel! This was a wild ride and super fun! I liked the focus on the bad guy and his evil sidekick. I did find some of the names amusingly sexual; Goldenloin, Girthrod. Hahahaha what?! I loved this story and thought it was great. When does the next one come out? Now I want to check out Lumberjanes!

Oh my gosh, I didn't want this story to end!! By page 12 I was already saying that I LOVE this book, and it held strong- I absolutely loved everything about it. The storyline was fantastic, the artwork was wonderful, the characters strong in each of their roles. Nimona's character was cracking me up on every other page, and the interactions between her and Lord Ballister Blackheart were so perfect. I highly recommend this book!

It's a review... NO IT'S A SHARK! Ahhh haha I loved this! I've been wanting to read Nimona for ages. It's a beautiful tale and the art is amazing. Honestly it's very high quality. Loved the characters and the story....it hits home huh? A place where you're perceived a villain for fighting an unjust government parading about as if they care about the people when they care more about weapons of mass destruction they stockpile just 'cause "what if?". Very lovely. Definitely worth your money and time!

This book was everything I am always looking for--- a capable female protagonist in a gender-egalitarian world, a great story, humor, geekery, swashbuckling, danger, symbolism, and enough darkness to give it depth. Plus, of course, Noelle's fantastic artwork. Even certain plot points that I thought were not fully developed didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book---and that's unusual for me. I loved it. Loved, loved, loved it.

I wasn't looking for a graphic novel but this was actually in the wrong section. I picked it up and it was really funny. I bought it for my 12 year old son, but I ended up reading it. Funny story. The graphics isn't my style, but works.

HOW CAN SOMETHING SO CUTE AND SHORT HAVE SO MUCH IMPACT!? Like dang, I closed the book and contemplated life for about 5 minutes. There's characters are amazing and their motivation and backstory was breathtaking. Such a great comic.

Used a lot of different styles together well - the indie comic, with real pathos at times, with a light touch and quick-moving action. And funny. Lots of humor, never taking itself seriously, which makes it pretty charming. Can't have enough graphic novels that don't take themselves seriously.

I totally intended on reading two chapters at a time and then I was at the end of the book filled with so much feels and angst before I could blink. This is fantastic and riding the emotional roller coaster panel by panel is something o recommend to anyone who has a good appreciation for sass, calamity, and an amazingly smooth integration of medieval and science fiction.

I truly enjoyed this little read. I felt like the world was intriguing with a medieval background and a high tech twist. The characters are very lovable with Nimona being a lost, strange girl, Blackheart being the misunderstood villain, and Goldenlion being the good hearted and flawed hero. I thought this was written and illustrated well and I found myself not wanting to put it down with perfectly paced chapters.

From the first cell I was captivated by this comics. Every charter was full of life and ever word filled with emotion and humor. The art is beautiful and playful and the story had me wrapped up in the action, peril and comedy till the last page.

This was a pretty ambitious graphic novel. The art style was actually a really nice change from what I usually read and the story was interesting. However, the main question that everyone has about Nimona is never really answered and I feel like there is too much left unsaid. It was a fun read that I recommend people give a chance, but I wish the plot had been deeper and more answers had been given.

I truly enjoyed this little read. I felt like the world was intriguing with a medieval background and a high tech twist. The characters are very lovable with Nimona being a lost, strange girl, Blackheart being the misunderstood villain, and Goldenlion being the good hearted and flawed hero. I thought this was written and illustrated well and I found myself not wanting to put it down with perfectly paced chapters.

From the first cell I was captivated by this comics. Every charter was full of life and ever word filled with emotion and humor. The art is beautiful and playful and the story had me wrapped up in the action, peril and comedy till the last page.

This was a pretty ambitious graphic novel. The art style was actually a really nice change from what I usually read and the story was interesting. However, the main question that everyone has about Nimona is never really answered and I feel like there is too much left unsaid. It was a fun read that I recommend people give a chance, but I wish the plot had been deeper and more answers had been given.

So funny and engaging! Having read Lumberjanes, I already knew what to expect from Noelle Stevenson's art, and this one didn't disappoint. Stevenson continues to have brilliant characters and an intriguing storyline, and I wish it didn't end!

This book was honestly so fun to read. Boy does Stevenson know how to write suspense! However the writing shows she obviously planned the plot and executed it wonderfully! Even though the story seemed to fly by when reading, the character development was satisfying and noticeably there. Anyway, I recommend buying this book, if not for the writing, for the art. -A Fan

Eh, it was okay. I enjoyed reading it but it wasn't my favorite thing, and the beginning felt so rushed. The pacing was pretty bad but the plot was okay and the characters were pretty good. The art is cute, but nothing overly impressive.

I'm really pretty confused about this book. I've heard so many good things about it that I wonder if I missed something? While it was refreshing to see a different sort of protagonist, and while I did appreciate the diversity, I'm left wondering what the book was all about. Spoilers to follow.

In the end, my big question is: am I supposed to root for Nimona? If so, why? Okay, so she's a tortured soul who obviously had a hard past, but so what? She does a lot of really, really terrible things in this book, and that makes me less than sympathetic to her cause. I kept wondering if Ballister would teach her something--for all his "evilness", he has a highly developed sense of morality--but, as far as I can tell, he didn't. To me, it's a real shame that Nimona apparently didn't learn anything from Ballister, though she clearly could have benefited from his wisdom.

I did like the relationship between Ballister and Ambrosious. It was interesting and unconventional, and not just because it's a depiction of a male/male relationship. Their past is complicated, and Ambrosious is clearly not the hero everyone makes him out to be--much like Ballister isn't the villain everyone makes him out to be. I appreciated these shades of gray as they made the characters more complex and interesting. I may be in the minority, but I appreciated that Ambrosious owned his pettiness and that he tried to do something about it in the end. I found his story a well-done redemption arc.

The real winner for me, though, was Ballister, which is why it's such a shame that this book leaves so much unresolved. I like Ballister's taciturn nature, and I like that, while he hated an institution, he possessed enough nuanced wisdom that he understood that everyone who works for the institution is not necessarily a problem. I liked the empathy that he had for Nimona as well, and his willingness to try to forgive her even when she didn't deserve his forgiveness. He has a great deal of compassion, and I was disappointed that I felt his compassion was unmerited.

Maybe it's not a flaw of the book, maybe it's just my take on it, because, while I don't want this to sound After School Special, I did want to see Nimona grow in the end, and the fact that she didn't contributed to my overall disappointment with the book, despite how much I liked Ballister and Ambrosious. Even so, I was happy to see something different, something that broke most of the common tropes of fantasy narratives. It's nice to see characters who aren't all good or all bad. I enjoyed this author's style and hope to get more out of her future books.

(One last note--why was this classified as YA? It is no way strikes me as fitting into the genre.)

This was absolutely fantastic. Great for all ages and just a wholesome fulfilling book. If you haven't read anything by Noelle please give this a read, you won't be disappointed. If I see something come out by Noelle Stevenson now it will be a purchase no matter what. BUY IT! Then seek out more of her work and buy that too.

Picked this up at my local comic book shop on a whim and I'm so delighted that I did! Whimsical art and dialogue that's fresh and funny without feeling worked over. Had to stop myself from reading it all in one sitting. Glad to see it in a comic book shop or I would have missed out on it completely. Definitely plan on catching other work by Noelle Stevenson!

I started reading the Nimona webcomic about two years ago and binged it all (until I ran out and had to read it as it was released). I cannot recommend this graphic novel highly enough. Nimona will steal your heart (and then your dress and chainmail and she'll fly away cackling).

I read this originally as she was posting it online, but it translates to print very well. I love see the progression of her art, the unconventional hero's journey... it'll be a tale and revisit many times.

I wish I had seen that this was a webcomic before purchasing, because it probably would have helped me to avoid it. Mostly this is just really infantile low-brow humor with cute art - no real storytelling to speak of. The protagonist seeks laughs by being totally obnoxious and inane, annoying her employer - but she ends up just annoying the reader instead. The art is cute, though, and reminds me of Pendleton Ward. Frankly, though, this reads like it was written by a 3rd grader with behavioral issues.