‘Nubia: Real One’ Will Finally Give DC’s Iconic Character Her Time to Shine

Our faves author L.L. McKinney (A Blade So Black trilogy) and artist Robyn Smith (Wash Day) have teamed up to bring up a fresh spin of an older comic book character who has been on the sidelines for too long. February 2021 marks the month that their efforts will bring us a new graphic novel on a widely misunderstood woman, seen as disrupter, rival and challenger to her twin sister, Wonder Woman: Nubia.

“Can you be a hero…if society doesn’t see you as a person?” Introduced to the world back in the 1970’s, Nubia, made of clay, was seen as one of the first Black female characters, superhero front side. She’s been in comic book story lines here, yet she’s almost always dismissed as ‘The Black Wonder Woman” or thought of as cannon fodder to prop up more established characters in the DC universe. For Black women who count themselves comic book fans and lovers of pop culture and other Black women alike, she’s been a beloved character who has never truly had time in the spotlight or her time to shine.

As Princess Weekes, over at The Mary Sue mentioned, she first “became aware of the character Nubia during some exploration to find other Black female superheroes besides Storm, Vixen, and Bumblebee.” She’s iconic in the way that there’s tons of fan art, cosplay interpretations, and fan made merch that keeps circulating by the fan base that loves her and has always wanted more. Here the creative team of McKinney and Smith have crafted Nubia’s story in the form of an original YA g…