'Nubia, Queen of Themyscira! But what challenges await our new queen? After the thrilling events of Infinite Frontier, Nubia becomes queen of Themyscira, but the new title also brings challenges. With the unexpected arrival of new Amazons, our hero is forced to reckon with her past and forge a new path forward for her sisters. Little does she know, a great evil grows beneath the island and it's up to this former guardian of Doom's Doorway to unite her tribe before paradise is lost forever!'
I've not read a lot of Wonder Woman in the past, and mostly with her as part of a team, and as such I'd had very little experience with Nubia beyond the stories I'd seen with her in Future State. I liked what I'd seen of Nubia, and really wanted to see more of her and learn a bit about her character, as such Nubia and the Amazons proved to be the perfect opportunity.
With Hippolyta having left Themyscira to take on the role of Wonder Woman on the Justice League following Diana's death, Nubia has been selected to take on the role of queen of the Amazons in her absence. Having spent years being the champion of Doom's Doorway, Nubia is stepping into a role that feels completely foreign to her; but with Hippolyta believing in her, she's prepared to give the role her all.
However, when the Well of Souls opens for the first time in centuries, producing the first new Amazons since Nubia, Paradise Island begins to feel unrest. The new Amazons are welcomed by their sisters, but everyone is wondering what this means. Some begin to speak out against Nubia, questioning her fitness to lead. And when something emerges from Doom's Doorway, making its way across the island, leaving petrified victims in its wake, Nubia will be forced to find a solution to this impossible situation.
Nubia and the Amazons felt like a fantastic introduction to both the character of Nubia, and the history of the Amazons and how they come into being. This was the first time that I'd heard of the Well of Souls, and I wasn't aware that women could be reborn through the well as Amazons. It's a fantastic concept, one that explains away where new Amazons come from in an island of only women. I also liked how the women who are reborn are ones that have experienced extreme violence in their lives, with their rebirth as some kind of consolation or reward for their suffering.
And this isn't the only thing I learnt from this book, as we get to delve into more of the myth and history of the the island, and Nubia herself. I really liked how Nubia's past dictated a lot of this story, both in her role as the new queen, but in her personal life as she begins to realise that one of the new Amazon's is someone that she knew, quite intimately, when she left Themyscira in the past. It felt like a perfect way to humanise Nubia to new readers, to show her in a role that isn't queen or champion, but simply a woman.
She makes a human connection, she feels something for someone else, and due to her life she loses that, only to have it come back years later when she's become a different person. I think we've all experienced that at some point or another, whether it's a romantic relationship or something simpler like a friendship, so it helps to connect with this very larger than life character.
She makes a human connection, she feels something for someone else, and due to her life she loses that, only to have it come back years later when she's become a different person. I think we've all experienced that at some point or another, whether it's a romantic relationship or something simpler like a friendship, so it helps to connect with this very larger than life character.
I liked the new Amazons too, and bringing them in was a great way to help new readers, as they were learning about the island and its people as we were. It's not often we get Amazons who are so unsure of themselves, so relatable, that it made for a nice change. These are characters that are demi-gods, or women who have been alive for centuries, they're full of confidence and knowledge, but these four felt much more grounded and relatable.
The books villain was also a great choice, and I loved what the writers did with her character. Medusa is a character that's no stranger to DC, and she's come up against Nubia in the past. But I don't think that she's ever really been treated this way; and might not have been in anything that I've read before. Medusa is often treated like a villain, a monster, someone with little humanity who simply wishes to sow chaos and pain. But Medusa is more complex than that, even in mythology. She's a victim, she's suffered greatly, and that makes her much more nuanced and interesting; and I think that this book embracing that makes it all the more better. I adored the way her story comes to a close here, and how it informs some of the development that Nubia has been through, and am looking forward to seeing more of what comes from her in the future.
The artwork on the book is fantastic too, with some wonderful work on the action scenes. There are a few moments that actually made me cry out loud because they felt so big and so extraordinary compared to stuff we normally see in super hero comics. The moment where Nubia grapples a manticore, flips it over her shoulder and slams it into the ground is a particular scene that I'm going to remember for a good while. But the artwork isn't just good when we're watching the women fighting, as even the most ordinary and quite moment looks great, and there's always something to look at as so much life is breathed into Themyscira. The place feels like a living, working island, filled with small details to pick up on.
I've been catching up with a lot of the DC universe recently, but the Wonder Woman books have quickly become some of my favourites, and Nubia and the Amazons is a particular stand-out. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in Trial of the Amazons, and hope that Nubia goes on to be queen for a long, long time.
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