Nubia-Queen of the Amazons #1 // Review
Themysciran Queen Nubia is leaving her island home to make her first appearance in the world since ascending to the throne. There’s danger in the world beyond her home island, but it is a danger she will face with experience and preparation in Nubia-Queen of the Amazons #1. Writer Stephanie Williams begins a four-part journey for Nubia with the aid of artist Alitha Martinez and inkers Mark Morales and John Livesay. Alex Guimarães handles the color. The story moves briskly in its opening chapter--continuing the chronicles of the Amazons while introducing the conflict that will drive the next three issues.
Themyscira is being rebuilt. There’s a great deal of work that has already been done. Nubia leaves with a group of Amazons to make an appearance in Man’s World by way of a floating island that’s used as a conveyance. Their first stop is the Hall of Justice. They will be meeting with various team members and getting a quick tour. Then they’re headed off to Brazil to help protest corporate deforestation. They’re going to run into trouble, though. A mysterious mercenary has been sent in by equally mysterious forces that could imperil the whole trip.
Williams paces the issue quite well. The series opens contrasting the Amazons against the established heroes of the Justice League before launching them into the dangerous cliffhanger that ends the installment. There’s a rather large ensemble to check in with, but Nubia IS clearly the center of her own story. The international tour is a firm foundation for the action that will take place throughout the series. Nubia is a bit of a fish out of water, but she’s not entirely unfamiliar with the world outside. This gives her the chance to be both intrepid AND formidably commanding.
Martinez leads the art team in an issue that works far better at establishing mood and drama than it does in delivering action. Thanks to Guimarães, there’s a beautiful sense of atmosphere about the edges of the drama. Themyscira looks lush and radiant. The Hall of Justice has a gleamingly clean feel about it. Mysterious shadows cling to the scenes involving a masked mercenary. Subtle nuance is delivered in dramatic scenes between a variety of different characters. The kinetics of physical action feel very flat against the page, though. This could prove to be a problem once that physical action of the series ramps up next issue.
Williams is playing with precision in making certain that the tension steadily rises from the beginning of the first issue. The size of the ensemble might be a bit cumbersome, but Williams is showing that she can deliver a satisfying amount of story to every panel. Even a single-page conversation between Wonder Woman and Nubia feels impressively deep in Williams’ hands. The dialogue might not always feel perfectly fluid, but Williams clearly manages a sharply-constructed plot that should glide nicely through the summer of 2022.
