Quite uniquely, this started as a webcomic for a senior college thesis, and was so good that it became a successful, classic graphic novel; one of my favorites. Notes on the movie at the end.

(click the headline to be taken to the artist’s archived site with the original pages, before being redesigned for the graphic novel)

PREMISE - A young, rebellious woman with shape-shifting powers is insistent upon being the new side-kick to the regional supervillain. Classic sci-fi / fantasy mashup, right? Except Nimona is also incredibly headstrong, persistent, and has a mysterious backstory which becomes more and more relevant as the story progresses. The supervillain character also has a fascinating backstory, which rather philosophically begs the question-- “when is the ‘bad guy’ actually the ‘good guy,’ and vice-versa?” There’s lots of understated humor here, mixed with an acknowledgement of how regret-filled and painful life can be, especially for those not tolerated. Features one of the most interesting, satisfying, complex finales I’ve ever read. NOTE: it’s also rare to see a creator’s skills and polish noticeably advance through the state of a book.

MOVIE - I thought it was above average in quality and originality for a modern American animation. It preserves some of the key moments & themes from the book, and that seems enough for the critics. I have to say that most of the complexities of the main characters, the plot, and the humor are either dumbed down or missing, but the movie does have real bite, especially in the second half.