From a Christian perspective, there is absolutely shocking concerning content packed into this colorful graphic novel (a format we always contend will end up in the hands of very young readers. We will attempt to paint the full picture here. Please keep in mind as you read this that all of this is illustrated for your readers.
In this book that Harper Teen almost warns us about (calling it “brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent”), where we expect to see a hero or heroine, we instead find that the main character, Nimona, is a self-proclaimed villain… and proud of it. And she has signed herself up to be the sidekick of an infamous super-villian named Ballister. But it gets worse. One of the most evil things in our culture is when humans attempt to blur the lines between right and wrong. Very quickly we start to see very confusing messages. We start to feel our heartstrings being pulled towards them actually being kind of good… and then they go and do something totally evil… but maybe it is for a good reason… and maybe its the land’s hero that is evil… or maybe he is just dumb and being played by an evil institution… and then Nimona and Ballister are back to doing evil things. It is all swimming in the morass of modern/postmodern culture where satan tries to convince everyone that right and wrong are simply opinions and up to the eye of the beholder. Think maybe we are over exaggerating? Let’s look at a few examples:
Ballister plans to capture the king. Nimona very seriously then suggests, “we’ll murder the king in front of everyone!”. And this is from a character illustrated as a small girl.
She later remarks, “what do you mean there are rules? Why would you follow the rules?” (not a message any parent wants for their children)
Ballister also adds things like, “If anyone is going to kill him, it’s going to be me”
Nimona, speaking of good guys, “You need to destroy them” and “Can I kill them now?”
Nimona speaking “We’re villains. Villains kill people sometimes”
The two main characters settle in to turn on a zombie horror movie
Nimona says, “Are you pissed you’re not the fairest of them all”
In a key plotline, at one moment they are exposing corruption and next they are literally making a poison to give to unsuspecting innocent people so everyone will point fingers at the institution, who are shown to be evil… but a worse evil? Nimona actually gets excited that people are dying and the plan is working. Then later Ballister gives an antidote for it… to some, which Nimona is not happy about. Oh, and in between there they rob a bank. Ballister asks Nimona “how do you feel about robbing a bank?” to which she replies, “Posivietly. I feel positively about robbing a bank” while smiling and getting excited.
“I’ve killed people before. That’s an understatement. I’ve killed LOTS of people”
This book is also both more violent and dark than you would expect.
Nimona turns out to be a “shapeshifter”. She turns into a wolf and savagely attacks and kills a guard (remember, illustrated)
She turns into a small, helpless, scared girl and then when guards come to help she literally drives a dagger into one’s back
She turns into a dragon and eats a man
As a wolf we see her devouring a deer
A story is told that Nimona got her powers from a deal with a witch
We are told “bloody chaos ensues” as if that is a good thing
A man is stabbed in the back with a sword
As a dragon again, Nimona burns men alive
More and move violent and bloody details come
It actually gets darker and weirder from there. We find out Nimona is actually some really evil dark being. This starts to feel truly demonic and evil whereas the earlier parts of the book felt like a twisted sense of humor trying to be funny. We see illustrated examples of her in her little girl form looking truly disturbing and wicked (again, she oddly feels like she is supposed to be a hero somehow earlier). It looks like something out of a horror movie. The backstory brings more evil feeling content and drawings. The ending has this weird mix of all of this evil along with confusing emotions young readers are supposed to feel around the two main character’s friendship. Even after the book in one of the author’s sketch drawing we see something disturbing with a song type lyrics next to it that includes, “don’t wanna be damned oh hell I don’t wanna be broke don’t wanna be saved”.
As if this dark content wasn’t enough, there’s more:
Multiple sources online show quotes indicating that the author N. D. Stevenson, identifies as some type of transmasculine and non-binary designation.
It is seriously implied that Ballister and Sir Goldenloins used to be in a gay relationship. At one point one man grabs the other’s hand to which we read, “We can’t do this right now”
A news anchor says, “Coming up next, an expose on Sir Goldenloins cod piece. What’s he hiding under there? Does he really expect us to believe that his junk is that impressive?”
Other items to be aware of:
These terms are used - “Dammit Nimona”, “You’re an idiot”, “Would you shut up”, “Damn straight”
The townspeople tell an older woman, “Aw, get out of here you crazy old bat” to which someone adds, “Stupid old crane”, “oh god”, “what the hell”
Someone apologizes and Ballister says, “It’s not like I would have forgiven you”
The institution says it has “experimented with many occult substances”