Nubia and the Amazons #1 // Review
The Amazon named Nubia had been introduced in the pages of Wonder Woman in 1973. Sadly, she was promptly forgotten in a wash of events that included Crisis on Infinite Earths and a whole new Wonder Woman series. She didn’t appear again until decades later. As a part of the celebration of Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary, she returns in her own mini-series Nubia & the Amazons. Writers Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala deliver a remarkably well-crafted opening issue conjured in line and form by artist Alitha Martinez, inker Mark Morales, and colorist Emilio Lopez. Themyscira is such a fascinating place that has so often rested in Wonder Woman’s background. Williams, Ayala, and company cast a compelling look at the home of the Amazons with an appealing ensemble.
The Well of Souls has opened up for the first time in centuries. New women are coming to join the Amazons of Themyscira. The island kingdom’s queen Nubia was the last to arrive through the well around the time of the birth of Wonder Woman. Spirits of those who had been killed at the hands of men struggle to find themselves in a new world. It’s a time of celebration, but there ARE ill omens. On the night of the celebration Penelope has dark visions that include Wonder Woman crying tears of blood. Things in Themyscira are about to be plunged into chaos.
A simple listing of every plot element introduced in the first issue by Williams and Ayala would be kind of lengthy. They cram one hell of a lot of foreshadowing into a single chapter of what is sure to be an all-too-brief mini-series. Though Nubia is prominently featured as the main character of her own book, Ayala and Williams provide just enough time with a dozen other characters that are all given their own distinctly satisfying time on the page. Williams and Ayala have managed a delightful balance with the script.
Martinez and Morales are handed an admirable challenge in the first issue. An uncomfortably large group of characters who are all more or less identically dressed all have to look distinct and carry unique personalities. Aided by Lopez’s thoughtful coloring, everyone DOES have a distinct personality. The art team lends Nubia a commanding presence. Morales and Martinez lend the queen beauty and poise that is rendered in appealing depth by Lopez’s color. The team works well together. The foreboding darkness around the edges of the action forms from a smart fusion between art, ink embellishment, and color.
With the first issue over, there are only five more left to go in the series. Ayala, Williams, and company do a good job of covering a great deal of ground in the first chapter. With introductions well and fully out of the way, the series can dive headlong into the action that will dominate the remainder of the series. There are SO MANY elements in play in the first issue. With only five more chapters to go, the series really needs to maintain the kind of focus it has found in the first issue, or it could get seriously derailed.
