Nubia and the Amazons #3 – Stephanie Williams/Vita Ayala, Writers; Alitha Martinez, Romo Stanton, Pencillers; Mark Morales, Inker; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It’s pretty impressive just how compelling this series manages to be without ever leaving home. For the third straight issue, the action is mostly contained to Themyscira except for flashbacks, as the new arrivals continue to upend the world of the Amazons. An impressive opening segment shows one Amazon adapting to her new wild life by hunting a monstrous Tuna that looks more like a Megalodon—bringing dinner to the entire tribe. But others are having more trouble—Bia, whose status as the first trans Amazon that we know of got a good deal of mainstream attention, has a bizarre flashback to something terrible happening on Man’s World, which leads some Amazons to wonder if she’s bringing danger towards them—and others to realize that she may be blessed with the gift of prophecy. These are the first new Amazons we’ve had in a while, and they’re definitely bringing some new life to the franchise.
And that’s not even talking about the woman in the title. It’s been pretty compelling to see Nubia struggle to find her footing as the new Queen of the Amazons, as well as to see her bond with her lover Io. This makes Nubia the first canonically queer Wonder Woman or queen of Themyscira, I believe, although Diana herself has been heavily implied. But while Nubia has enough trouble with politics, a far bigger villain is waiting. The ruthless Medusa—whose story may be more complicated than previously thought—has possessed one of the Amazons and is working to indoctrinate her and use her against Nubia. So far, this book’s biggest weakness is its slow-burn pace, but it’s more than made up for by its strong characters and great sense of pacing and mythology. Unlike the Wonder Girl book, this feels like an essential part of the bigger story that’s building in the world of Wonder Woman.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
