Nubia & the Amazons #5 // Review
The queen of Themyscira faces one of the most notorious monsters of ancient Greek myth in Nubia & the Amazons #5. Writers Vita Ayala and Stephanie Williams test the queen’s strength in a battle that splashes across the page courtesy of artist Alitha Martinez, inker Mark Morales and colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. A satisfying resolution leads int0 further developments, which set up the multi-title Trial of the Amazons crossover that awaits next month. Though the script feels a bit uneven in places. The central plot of the story has impressive heart and emotional weight to it for a series that’s only been around for a little less than half a year.
Nubia’s wearing a helmet with a face shield. She can’t afford to see what she’s attacking...because she’s attacking Medusa. The good news is that she’s a warrior who has trained for every different type of hand-to-hand battle imaginable. She’ll be okay if she can keep herself from turning to stone. And maybe all that time spent guarding Doom’s Doorway might allow her a bit of an advantage. Regardless of how that battle goes, there are more serious issues on the horizon for Nubia’s kingdom, which continues to descend into danger that awaits in next month’s crossover.
An opening splash page doesn’t often come with 50+ words of monologue from the villain. It’s a bit of an awkward lead-in to a big battle--especially one that happens to cover much of the first half of the issue. Ayala and Williams DO manage to recover from that with a fascinating resolution to the combat, which showcases some of what makes Nubia such an interesting character. The urgency of that which follows the battle comes across strikingly clear, which is odd as there isn’t a whole lot of forward momentum once the battle is resolved. Ayala and Williams do an outstanding job of marching the action forward from the end of the battle to the end of the issue.
The battle hits the page with some impressive impact thanks to the efforts of Martinez and Morales, who transfer the action from script to page with a surprisingly sweeping sense of perspective. Medusa is HUGE against the tiny hero of Nubia, who still manages to have a very distinctive look about her in poise and grace even while wearing a full-face shield. The resolution to the combat would feel kind of weak were it not for the fact that Martinez and Morales can carry across subtle, unspoken drama with the same mastery with which they manage the combat.
The creative team have found a really good rhythm together. It’s really too bad that the series isn’t going to be around for much longer. With any luck, The Trial of the Amazons turns out to be a hit for DC, and they’ll end up exploring further adventures with Nubia and company once the dust settles at the end of the crossover. As for the moment, it’s satisfying to see Nubia & the Amazons find its momentum.
