The graphic novel revival of the character will be handled by YA novelist L.L. McKinney and artist Robyn Smith. In a statement, McKinney explained, “What’s funny is I didn’t initially set out to pitch a Nubia graphic novel. I was invited to pitch something else, but I made the decision when writing the pitch itself to add in Nubia. I’ve been a fan since pretty much birth, and I’ve watched her get moved around and appear in various iterations, none of them touching me the same way her original one had. I mean, this was Wonder Woman’s twin sister, just as strong, just as fast, if not stronger and faster. And she was black! So, I added her in to my pitch for the other project. I guess something about her stuck out to the team because they emailed me and essentially asked for a pitch about Nubia.”
Added Smith, “Working [with McKinney] has been great, especially since our artistic objectives seem to be the same: all Black everything. In Nubia, I wanted to focus my illustrations on creating something both light and emotionally resonant. Most of my work is heavily influenced by Harry Lucey’s Archie, so finding a way to incorporate that charm and joyful feel into a story centered around more serious issues was important to me. I hope fans reading Nubia feel the same sort of excitement I felt illustrating the characters and their beautifully crafted stories.”
Nubia: Real One will also feature Brie Henderson and Bec Glendining as interior and cover color artists, respectively. The book is set to be released Feb. 2, 2021. Samples of Smith’s artwork for the book are below.