Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee
released today. It’s been more than a year since we last saw Nebula and Gamora
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nebula was attending Tony Stark’s funeral
while the Gamora bought back from 2014 had taken off for who knows where. Under
the current Marvel schedule, we won’t know what becomes of them for another
year or two. However, we can still learn more about their youth as sisters and
this book is an excellent window into that time.
Nebula has spent her whole life desperate for the approval
of her father. It’s an innate need to be loved by family. However, her only
family, her adopted father is also Thanos whose very name demands fear and
respect across the galaxy. As his daughter, she gets the same, but it doesn’t
matter to her. She must have been young when Thanos adopted another daughter,
Gamora. She quickly became his favorite and Thanos did nothing to hide it, showering
her with the affection Nebula craved.
Gamora had her family and home world slaughtered by Thanos
and his minions. She knows firsthand what happens to those who didn’t even
anger him. Her motivation to please him is about survival. Nebula should be her
sister, but they’re treated more as game pieces to pit against each other. If
the choice is between Nebula or doing what Thanos wants, how can she choose
against self-preservation?
Thanos isn’t the only one to treat living beings as
playthings. A deal with the Grandmaster brings Gamora and Nebula to Torndune, a
mining planet where everyone and everything is abused in one way or another. It’s
a perfect way to illustrate how people can be seen as masses to be manipulated
instead of living beings and all for someone else’s profit. The people of
Torndune suffer and die in jobs forced on them while gas-lighted to feel
grateful for a job and whatever’s provided to the planet. Parallels can be
found to even our galaxy and planet. Are we just playing the part expected of
us like Nebula? Do we feel like we have no choice like Gamora or the people of
Torndune? Why is it that Young Adult fiction is so vilified, but providing some
of the best social commentary in modern literature?
Bullying doesn’t just have to be parents, tyrants,
corporations or the government. It can also be religion. The Universal Church
of Truth appears in Lee’s novel. The church hasn’t been in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe. For one thing, it’s main god is Adam Warlock, possibly created at the
end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2. However, the comics continuity works
in this case, furthering the argument against blindly following leaders who
will never love you back like Nebula and Thanos or just following orders to
have a life like Gamora and Thanos.
Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee is a
wonderful novel that’s not only full of existential quandaries, but unpredictable
twists and turns. The action almost never stopped. Lee writes science fiction
and all its rules so well that one hopes for a Star Wars book at some point. The
only complaint would be the scenes on Sakaar are transcribed from security
footage so they’re in script format unlike the rest of the book and the change
in format was jarring. Otherwise, this is a great book available where you
purchase books online or in person.
9 out of 10
*Thank you to Netgalley and Disney for the ARC!
