Friday, April 12, 2013

What Universe Does Nimona Exist In?

An aspect of Nimona that stands out it its constant re-ordering of facts. Points of view change quickly, the "Axis of Action" is frequently broken, and artwork is constantly in flux. Initially, these may seem like artist mistakes, but it's possible that it's representative of a larger theme of the comic. It may be that Nimona's universe is constantly shifting. If we take it as fact, we can say that Ballistar's armor is gray in one panel and white in another and both are correct. This can be written off as an effect of the lighting, although this isn't always the case. The world of the comic exists in a place where technology and feudal systems co-exist. This is perhaps best exemplified by a medieval version of Monopoly with castles and pieces of gold instead of money. While dragons are a definite thing that exist, since Nimona can only replicate animals that are real, we know that magic and science both have a place in the universe. This constant shifting and reordering is perhaps because Nimona herself is a shape-shifter. She is continually changing herself, and therefore the universe that surrounds her is also malleable. However, this brings up the problem of how we define her world. If it's close to anything goes, where what we know in one comic might change in the other, how can we willingly suspend our disbelief, or intelligently go along with the story? We haven't had anything directly negate anything previously in the story, but how far does the malleability go? So far, Noelle Stevenson has been able to balance this constant shifting with steady character development and plot arcs. It's understood that while small details may change, larger pieces are constant.

How might this affect the comic in the future? If our perception of the universe is constantly changing, will we start to see a new light to Ballistar and Goldenloin's story?

3 comments:

  1. Nice questions! I like the idea of a shape-shifting universe--matched to Nimona's own shape-shifting qualities--although consistency can become a difficult issue for a serial in the long run. Will we be willing to overlook this finer sense of flux, or will it become too much?

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    1. I think that, as of right now, the flux/consistency isn't overwhelming. I've been impressed with the quality of this web comic so far, and I think Noelle has enough sense to stay away from going over the top with it.

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  2. This is bouncing off Tamara's comment, but do you think that the changing art in Nimona could be a reflection of how she views the world? How much change can Nimona's world take before it starts to become a major part of the story?

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