Nimona, Noelle Stevenson

Oh, man, I loved Nimona. I sort of expected I would: I love Noelle’s art, and of course now I realise she did the art for Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl cover, too. It just seems so cute and lively, and it perfectly fits the tone of the story. From the first few pages, you’d expect it to be silly all the way through (“I’m a shaaark!”), but it actually delivers a meaningful and touching storyline. And yeah, it’s a bit tropey, but I’m pretty sure that’s intentional; playing with the roles of hero and villain, their relationship with each other (I’ve been shipping rivals since Seifer and Squall, so… yeah), playing with issues of right and wrong and government and so on.

Ballister and Ambrosius: so married.

Despite the silliness, the serious parts also worked, and I think they were hinted at from very early in the comic. And despite and because of the silliness, I really got to love the characters: Blackheart’s surprising tenderness towards Nimona; Nimona’s protectiveness of him; Goldenloin’s refusal to actually hurt Ballister or, really, Nimona.

It’s goofy and fun and you should totally pick it up, especially if you’re a fan of Lumberjanes.

Rating: 5/5