Nimona is a graphic novel written and illustrated by ND Stevenson (who was formerly identified on the cover as Noelle Stevenson). The author's transition from biological female to transmasculine provides significant insight into a better understanding of the story. Although the graphic novel tackles a great many different themes, ultimately all the myriad strands tie together to become a panoramic and multi-faceted examination of the subject of self-identity.
The title character introduces herself to the "villain" of the story by announcing that she is his new sidekick. Very shortly thereafter she transforms into a shark. There is only one thing that a person can say after such a transformation and Nimona does say it: "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I'm a shapeshifter." That "villain" is named Ballister Blackheart and he is a bad guy with rules. Upon this unexpected discovery, Nimona—having changed back into human female form—says what just about anyone might be expected to say under such conditions: "Isn't that the whole point of being a villain? That you don't follow rules?" And thus, by the fourth page of this book, the issue of self-identity is cemented as the primary subject of the narrative.
Nimona is a shapeshifter who can perfectly transform into nearly any living thing with which she is familiar. Figuratively, however, Nimona is far from the only character that undergoes shifts and transformations from the expected. Nimona uses her spectacular abilities to team up with Ballister because he is "the biggest name in super-villainy." As it will turn out, Ballister is not that much of a villain and, as indicated, does not act in particularly villainous ways. Ambrosius Goldenloin is the biggest name in heroism employed by The Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. Both Goldenloin and the Institution behave with a lesser code of ethics than former golden boy Ballister. Together, Nimona and Ballister infiltrate and expose the deeply embedded corruption at the Institution—eventually joined by Ambrosius himself—in a way that reveals how self-identity is constructed in large part by the external perspective of others.
Despite being told in comic book form which for some is still associated primarily with children's stories, this novel does explore issues related to same-sex relationships and transgender concepts. Without propagandizing the issue, the story ultimately becomes a celebration of accepting one's self-identity. The book also makes a very specific point about the negative possibilities of enforcing that identity upon anyone else as well as forcing others to conform to one's perspective of what is good or bad or right or wrong.
Nimona succeeds as an exercise in visual storytelling precisely because of the message it asserts regarding appearances. Because its protagonist can take on the appearance of others to such a degree of perfect replication that nobody even knows they are not dealing with who or what they think, the ultimate moral of the story is one of the oldest and simplest lessons in literature. Don't judge a book by its cover. Or, in other words, identity is not established by what's on the outside.
