Nina Simone in Comics! by Sophie Adriansen

Nina Simone in Comics! Reviews

• 
  Shane Stanis

  First the good - the art here is excellent, and the use of Simone’s lyrics in some of the stories is great.
  
  I found this book in the “adult” section, but it seems to be written for a younger audience- this may be partly due to translation, but the story is also a very broad overview that reminds me of bios I read in elementary school and jr high.
  
  As others have said, the prose interrupts the story more than enhancing it. I would prefer that the art and words be left to tell her story on their own.
• 
  Maileen Hamto

  It is a tall order to issue a new volume on the legacy of the well-documented life and career of the legendary Nina Simone. The voice of a generation has been a household name since she was hailed as the next Billie Holiday in the 1960s. The editor and numerous artist collaborators in "Nina Simone in Comics!" has achieved an impressive feat in sharing appreciation and gratitude for the late singer’s musical legacy.
  
  The book segments significant and pivotal moments in Miss Simone’s life, from her childhood and upbringing in a Methodist household surrounded by gospel music to her solid classical music training and early forays into playing for live audiences. Through fresh eyes and awareness about the plight of powerful Black women, we understand how Miss Simone was truly violated and harmed by those who were closest to her.
  
  Each short chapter – illustrated by a different artist and colorist – is followed by a detailed narrative to provide deeper context. At the height of her career, Miss Simone used her fame and acclaim to speak out against racial injustice in support of the Civil Rights Movement. She took great risks and even greater loves. A new generation of readers and music enthusiasts would appreciate Nina Simone in Comics! for telling the story of the singer’s unapologetic courage.
• 
  Chad

  I'm just not a fan of how this was constructed. NPM used to put out some great biographies. Now they are a mixture of comics and prose and it just doesn't work. The comics never seem to tell you much and then that's followed by a couple of pages of text that goes more in depth and it'll go back and forth like that throughout the book. I hate when prose is mixed with comics. It rarely works and it certainly doesn't here. It's a real shame because I think she has an interesting story to tell. In this case, I'd suggest the Nina movie that came out in 2016 as a starting point to learn about her life. This is just too disjointed.
• 
  FrontalNerdaty

  This was an ultimately frustrating read overall. The mix of prose and comic panels did not mesh as well it could’ve. Nina Simone lead an extremely interesting and diverse life and I was hoping that it would be captured here, preferably with the art, but it misses the mark too often.
  I’m not sure if it was an effort to protect Nina Simone’s character but a lot of her more questionable (but often justified) behaviour is skimmed over or removed entirely.
  An icon such as Simone deserved more honesty.
  
  2/5
• 
  Donald

  One of my all time favorite recording artists! “And I mean every word of it!” I really enjoyed learning more about her, and this format was a pretty cool way to do so! And each chapter had a different artist illustrating it, so that mixed it up nicely! By the time I finished this book, I had Ms. Simone blasting in my headphones!
  
  Born Eunice Waymon, her talent on the piano blossomed before the age of three!
  
  
  "I'll be Nina Simone and defecating on your microphone"
• 
  Quirkyreader

  This book was amazing. I learned things about Nina Simone that I didn’t know before.
  
  If you are a big music fan give this one a go.
• 
  Brown Catherine

  Very interesting. I had no idea she was so dark and tortured.