Just in time for her 50th anniversary, Queen Nubia of Themyscira is getting some time in the spotlight with Nubia and the Justice League Special #1, available this week. For readers familiar with the character, this issue is unlikely to show them anything they haven’t already seen in her previous limited series and appearances in recent issues of Wonder Woman. However, new readers and fans looking for a character to identify with may find this issue to be a worthwhile read.
Typical of “Special” issues, this book contains a main story and a backup. Unlike most “Special” issues, there’s only one of each, and they are of the same quality, making this feel less like an actual “Special” meant to honor the character’s history and more like an average one-shot. To be fair, however, Nubia was only just recently reintroduced to the average comic reading public through the Infinite Frontier relaunch, as before now she had been relegated to alternate universe appearances and a sparse handful of cameos throughout the 2000s.
In addition, I am approaching this issue as something of a new reader, as though I was aware of Nubia’s existence as a character, I have not been keeping up with her more recent appearances across the line of Wonder Woman comics, i.e. the Nubia and the Amazons and Nubia: Queen of the Amazons miniseries, and the Trial of the Amazons crossover.
With all that being said, this issue was perfectly fine. The dialogue and narration felt very comic book-y; not in a bad way, but more in a “I am definitely reading a comic book” way. Nubia reads like a typical hero, waxing poetic about the quirks and traits of the members of the Justice League, and emphasizing the importance of traditional heroic values of companionship, bravery, teamwork, etc. Given that Nubia was originally conceived as Diana’s twin sister (don’t ask), it makes sense that the two would read similarly. The exception to this is one line of dialogue from Black Canary that struck me as exceptionally cringeworthy; I’m not sure if what she said was a reference to the Bendis run of Justice League, Black Canary’s interactions with Diana, Nubia’s appearances in the Wonder Woman comics by Cloonan and Conrad, or something else entirely, but I’m sure that I audibly groaned when I read that particular panel.
It’s nice to see Nubia be in an environment outside of Themyscira, interacting with characters from the larger DC Universe. However, the main story reads like an audition of sorts (which Nubia remarks on in the backup story), or perhaps more like an on-rails tour of Gotham, Metropolis, and the Hall of Justice with Nubia as the central point-of-view. As such, the heroes of the Justice League (plus Black Adam) are pretty unanimous in their praise and adulation of Nubia, frequently going out of their way to remark on how “cool” or “awesome” she is. Again, this isn’t a bad thing, rather it feels contrived enough that this issue doesn’t feel as, well, “special” as the title might imply.
In addition, it’s strange that, despite being the iconic heads of the Justice League to many, the Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman only appear at the tail end of the issue for a bit of dialogue before the big team splash pages, whereas the other members of the League have the larger portions of the book dedicated to teaming up with the Queen and “showing her the ropes” of being a member of the Justice League and fighting crime in the world of man.
On the other hand, the art is excellent in the main story, with Amancay Nahuelpan’s illustrations filled in by Tamara Bonvillain on colors. Nubia’s movements in battle are incredibly kinetic and graceful, showcasing the artful athleticism of the Amazon queen, and her hair looks well formed and textured. On the other other hand, however, Nahuelpan renders Black Adam as only just tan enough to be different when stood next to the likes of Batman and Superman. Were he not in costume, I can see this rendition of the anti-hero being potentially confused for Superman himself, save for his (greatly diminished) widow’s peak hairstyle.
The backup story is more of the same: perfectly serviceable comics. The story sees Nubia save a group of Black children in Chicago from a sea monster before meeting her partner Io at her hotel. While I did not find this story to be anything spectacular, the presence of the children further served to remind me that I am not necessarily this book’s intended audience. Rather, there are plenty of readers (particularly young Black girls, if the variant cover is anything to go off of) who will pick this book up looking not for groundbreaking writing, but an entertaining and inspiring read.
Ultimately, your mileage may vary with this issue. There’s nothing objectively wrong here, nor worthy of grand praise, outside of the fact that DC is choosing to give Nubia some shine. If you’re an avid fan of the character, or just a follower of the current crop of Wonder Woman comics, this might be your speed. If you’re a new reader looking for a character that you feel you can identify with, you might also enjoy the stories on display here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t expect too much from this issue, especially considering that the Justice League will no longer be the headlining team in the DC Universe following Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.
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