Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Nubia: Real One
- Author: L.L. McKinney
- Illustrator: Robyn Smith
- ISBN: 1401296408
- Publisher: DC Comics
- Copyright Date: February 23, 2021
Genre: Fantasy/Superheroes/LGBTQ+/Coming of Age
Format: Graphic Novel
Awards/Honors: YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee 2022
Reading Level/Interst Level: Teens grade 10-12, Ages 15-18 (Baker & Taylor, Titlesource 360)
Plot Summary: Nubia has always had super-human strength and powers but did not know why. Any time there was an incident involving these powers, Nubia and her moms would move to a new town to help hide her secret. When Nubia accidentally saves a friend during a robbery, she is the victim of racial profiling and is apprehended by the police as a suspect. The police let her go without arresting her, but Nubia becomes aware of the threat to black teens and racial injustice by the police in her community. When Nubia’s best friend is threatened by a popular, boy at a party, Nubia uses her powers again to save her friend. Nubia does not understand her super-powers and her moms decide to tell her the truth- that she is Wonder Woman’s twin sister. Wonder Woman appears at Nubia’s house to explain to her who she is and how she ended up where she is.
Author Background: Leatrice “Elle” McKinney, aka L.L. McKinney is an American author of YA novels. A Blade So Black (2018), her first novel, is a re-telling of Alice in Wonderland with a Black teenage protagonist. The next book in the series, A Dream So Dark, was released in 2019, and a third book is scheduled to be published in 2021. McKinney’s first graphic novel, Nubia: Real One, was released by DC Comics in February 2021 (Wikipedia, 2021).
L.L. McKinney is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing. In 2020 she was named one of The Root’s 100 most influential African Americans of 2020 (LLMcKinney, 2019). She created the hashtags #publisherspaidme and #WhatWoCWritersHear. McKinney is a serious gamer and studied video game design in college. She lives in Kansas City with her cat, Sir Chester Fluffmire.
Illustrator Background: Robyn Smith is a Jamiacan cartoonist. She has an M.F.A. from the Center for Cartoon Studies. She is best known for her minicomic Angriest Black Girl in Town. and for illustrating Wash Day by Jamila Rowser. Smith lives in New York City and enjoys cake and cats (Robrosmo, 2020).
Critical Evaluation: Nubia: Real One deals with timely themes such as racial inequality, school violence, civil unrest, social injustice, and consent and combines it with humor. The book is engaging and fast-paced. It has family, school, and friendship drama. There is a diverse cast of characters, including Nubia’s two moms, a transgender friend, and another friend who appears in the illustrations to be bi-racial. Most characters are Black. The book contains “Wonder Woman’s themes of truth, love, and justice to the struggle for racial justice and protecting her loved ones” (Booklist, 2021). Like many YA books, Nubia: Real One also has a theme of self-discovery and being true to yourself. The book has many violent incidents and a lot of swearing.
The illustrations in the book are bold and enhance the text. They range from pastel colors to bold, darker scenes. The layout of the images and words are easy to follow. Smith did an excellent job in portraying the characters emotions through her artwork.
Creative Use for a Library Program: It would be intersting to look at old Wonder Woman comics and see how Nubia’s character has evolved over the years. There have been many variations of her character. The teens could spend time discussing this and watch an episode of the Wonder Woman TV show or one of the Wonder Woman movies.
Speed-Round Book Talk: Why is Nubia different? She has superpowers that she can’t control. Whenever there is an issue, her family moves to keep her secret hidden. But when Nubia is caught on video using these powers to help her best friend, her secret is out. Will Nubia come to terms with her past and embrace her powers, or keep running and hiding forever? Find out in Nubia: Real One.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense: Challenges for Nubia: Real One could arise for many reasons. There are many LGBTQ+ characters. Some readers might object to the way police are portrayed. The book deals with many current social issues that readers could see as controversial. Defenses to this can be that teens need to learn about current events and issues and having them portrayed in a graphic novel that is humorous can be a good introduction and conversation starter. Teens also like to see themselves in books so it is important for libraries to have collections that include LGBTQ+ and diverse characters.
Reason for Inclusion: I included Nubia: Real One because it is a coming-of-age story that incorporates racism, social injustice, school violence and gender into one graphic novel. The book is short but has a lot of relevant content packed into its pages. The illustrations are excellent and teens who are into DC Comics, Wonder Woman, and social issues will enjoy it and get a lot out of this book.
References:
Booklist Reviews. (2021, March 15). Nubia:Real One. Retrieved from https://ts360.baker-taylor.com/_layouts/CommerceServer/ItemDetailsPage.aspx?ngbtkey=0026718200&isfromsearchresults=1#ReviewItem_2
L.L. McKinney. (2019). About me. Retrieved from https://llmckinney.com/
The Mary Sue. (2020, May 29). Nubia: Real One will finally Give DC’s first black Woman superhero her due. [Illustration]. Retrieved from https://www.themarysue.com/nubia-real-one-comic/
RoBroSmo. (2020). Bio. Retrieved from https://www.robrosmo.com/about
Wikipedia. (2021, March 5). L.L. McKinney. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.L._McKinney
Debby's YA Mini Library Collection 