Nimona

by Noelle Stevenson

Overview

Fans of Noelle Stevenson's beloved and bestselling Nimona won't want to miss her brand-new moving memoir-in-pictures, The Fire Never Goes Out, featuring short essays, mini-comics, and photographs that span eight eventful years in Noelle's young adult life.

Nimona is the New York Times bestselling graphic novel sensation from Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic. Kirkus says, “If you’re going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one.”

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Indies Choice Book of the Year * National Book Award Finalist * New York Times Bestseller * New York Times Notable Book * Kirkus Best Book * School Library Journal Best Book * Publishers Weekly Best Book * NPR Best Book * New York Public Library Best Book * Chicago Public Library Best Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062278227
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/12/2015
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	9,916
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Noelle Stevenson is the award-winning, bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona and a cowriter of Lumberjanes. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is a showrunner for the Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Visit her online at www.gingerhaze.tumblr.com.

Noelle Stevenson is the award-winning, bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona and a cowriter of Lumberjanes. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is a showrunner for the Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Visit her online at www.gingerhaze.tumblr.com.

Editorial Reviews

Nimona…is a fantastic character, cunning, cruel and funny…It is astonishing that Nimona, which was originally serialized on the web, is Stevenson's first solo, full-length work. Her voice is clear and precise, her drawings confident, her use of color growing in depth and assurance as the story progresses. Stevenson's dedication ("To all the monster girls") hints at affection toward girls who might see themselves in Nimona: joyful and dangerous, maybe a little monstrous on bad days, ultimately the architects of their own destinies.

The New York Times Book Review - Faith Erin Hicks

Awesome and adorable.

Ryan North

Those of you who haven’t read Nimona yet are lucky, because you can buy the fantasy comic in book form instead of waiting for Noelle to post an update twice a week. Seriously, that wait was always excruciating.

Bustle.com

Over the course of the collected Nimona, it’s possible to watch artist Noelle Stevenson blossom from a student to a superstar.

NPR.org

Noelle Stevenson has a knack for capturing the humor and heart in a situation in just a few panels.

Rainbow Rowell

Funny and vibrant, with wonderful energy in Stevenson’s illustrations and a wicked wit in her storytelling.

Slate

Nimona, with all her flaws, breaks away completely from what women are allowed to be in popular fiction.

Vanity Fair

Nimona…is beautifully flawed and refreshingly unstereotypical in a book that is both darkly witty and surprisingly touching. And Nimona is a protagonist to both love and fear.

The Horn Book

[Stevenson’s] voice is clear and precise, her drawings confident, her use of color growing in depth and assurance as the story progresses.

New York Times

★ 03/23/2015
In Stevenson’s funny, smart, and provocative graphic novel (which originated as a webcomic), a gentlemanly clash between rivals is disrupted when an energetic shapeshifter raises the stakes with her predilection for violence. Set in a medieval-meets-modern fantasy kingdom, the story begins when Nimona offers her services to Lord Ballister Blackheart, banished evil genius and friend-turned-nemesis of Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, champion of the powerful Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. Through Nimona’s influence, Ballister’s tepid schemes graduate into deadly and destructive plots, forcing the Institution to respond with drastic measures that reveal its own nefarious leanings. Initially poking fun at hero and villain stereotypes (“You can’t just go around murdering people. There are rules, Nimona,” Ballister tells the pierced, pink-haired shapeshifter after she suggests a bloody public execution of the king), Stevenson’s tale presents a nuanced view of morality while offering thoughtful comment on friendship and individuality. Sharp visuals, a nifty amalgam of fantasy and science fiction elements, and relationships drawn with complexity, wit, and depth create a world worth returning to again and again. Ages 13–up. Agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Graphic novel fans will finish the book in a gallop and then want to start right back at the first page.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Funny and vibrant, with wonderful energy in Stevenson’s illustrations and a wicked wit in her storytelling.

Slate

Graphic novel fans will finish the book in a gallop and then want to start right back at the first page.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Graphic novel fans will finish the book in a gallop and then want to start right back at the first page.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Graphic novel fans will finish the book in a gallop and then want to start right back at the first page.

BCCB

11/15/2015
When Ballister Blackheart runs up against Ambrosius Goldenloin, you think you know which side is good and righteous. But it's much more complicated. And when young shape-shifting Nimona partners with Ballister to add her own brand of chaos, we're in for a loopy ride both hilarious and poignant. Marketed to teens, the story captivates on multiple age levels, the younger delighting in the goofball action and the more mature savoring character depth and plot subtleties. Ballister is revealed as a heroic villain and Ambrosius as a shifty hero, while their friendship-turned-rivalry-turned-partnership against the nefarious Institution works both as bromance and as something more. For her part, Nimona shape-shifts effortlessly, thematically not just bodily, from abused child to chthonic force to symbol of mettle-testing crisis. Stevenson's (Lumberjanes) angular, stylish color art, with hand-lettered text, relishes the wackiness of a sword-and-sorcery kingdom incorporating both fantasy and sf elements. VERDICT A masterpiece of picaresque drama, the story, like Nimona herself, morphs unexpectedly from charming silliness through epic adventure into clever satire and finally to Godzilla-league horror. [Longlisted for the National Book Award.—Ed.]—M.C.

Library Journal

★ 04/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—This celebrated webcomic, a mash-up of medieval culture with modern science and technology, is now available in print. Lord Ballister Blackheart, a knight, has assumed the role of a supervillain in order to expose the nefarious schemes of the kingdom's front organization, The Institute of Law Enforcement. The kingdom's champion is Lord Blackheart's nemesis and former best friend, Sir Ambrose Goldenloin. Blackheart's prickly relationship with Goldenloin further explores the limits of their friendship. Enter the title character, a brash young shapeshifter who doggedly follows Ballister until he agrees to take her on as a sidekick. Nimona's skills as a shapeshifter up the ante in the ongoing rivalry between Ambrose and Ballister. Despite her anger management issues, the teen becomes Ballister's invaluable ally and together they form an alliance of mutual trust and dependence. Action scenes dominate as Nimona shifts with Hulk-like ferocity from frightful creatures such as a fire-breathing dragon to a docile cat or a timid child. Dialogue is fresh and witty with an abundance of clever lines. A complementary color palette of Blackheart's muddy browns contrasts with Goldenloin's fresh transparent yellow-greens. Both color schemes highlight Nimona's intense reds. Readers will note subtle visual differences in webcomic images. The print edition includes an exclusive epilogue not available online. At its core, Nimona is a story of rescue. Each of the main characters rescue allies, friendships, the Kingdom, and ultimately, themselves. VERDICT A vibrant solo work from "Lumberjanes" (Boom!) cocreator.—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2015-03-03
A not-so-bad villain fighting against a not-so-good hero teams up with a spunky shape-shifting heroine in a cleverly envisioned world.Nimona, a plucky, punk-tressed girl, is determined to be the sidekick of the nefarious (in name only) Ballister Blackheart, the sworn enemy of the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics and their sporran-sporting champion, Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin. Blackheart, intrigued by Nimona's moxie and ability to shape-shift, takes her on, and the two decide they're going to take down the Institution. Nimona and Blackheart learn that the supposedly benevolent Institution has been hoarding a great quantity of a poisonous plant, jaderoot. As they delve deeper into its inner workings, they soon find that the lines that separate good and evil aren't simply black and white. Stevenson's world is fascinating: an anachronistic marvel that skillfully juxtaposes modern conventions against a medieval backdrop. Imbued with humor, her characters are wonderfully quirky and play with many of the archetypes found in comics. The relationships among her characters are complex and compelling: for an antihero, Blackheart dislikes killing and mayhem, while Goldenloin is not averse to cheating and trickery. Stevenson's portrayal of the relationship between good and evil is particularly ingenious, as is her attention to detail and adroit worldbuilding. If you're going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one. (Graphic fantasy. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

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