Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson was originally published as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012 as part of Stevenson’s senior thesis. HarperCollins would go on to publish the graphic novel in 2015. It has since gone on to be recognized for several awards, including being a National Book Awards finalist and an Eisner Award nominee for Best Digital/Web Comic.
The titular character, Nimona, is a shapeshifter that shows up in the lab of Lord Ballister Blackheart, a former knight turned supervillain whose nemesis is the knight, Sir Ambrosius Goldenlion. The history between the two knights contrasts with Nimona’s lack of a history to give the story some real pathos that pays off by the end. We are given little snippets of Nimona’s origins, but can never be completely sure what is real and what isn’t.
The initial villain/sidekick relationship between Nimona and Blackheart quickly evolves into a friendship and a father/daughter relationship, which only grows more complicated as events unfold. Stevenson creates wonderful parallels between a sidekick who grows increasingly frustrated by her supervillains steadfast adherence to the rules and a teenager who desperately wants to come into their own.
I highly recommend this graphic novel as a story of redemption, self discovery, and a well told fantasy story about coming of age.