Originally Posted by
bardkeep
Honestly I think Nubia only comes across as too similar to Diana or Hippolyta when a writer misses some of the key elements of the latter 2 characters.
A well-written Hippolyta is generally shown as being pretty fiercely protective, occasionally to the point of neurosis - probably the one element of her characterization that's consistent. A well-written Diana is wide-eyed and curious and wears her heart on her sleeve, and it isn't totally consistent but a lot of writers give her a boisterous quality that I really like (Marston, Gail Simone, Cloonrad, Darwyn Cooke, Marc Andreyko, and to an extent Phil Jimenez all made a point to show it, as did the writing team behind the 2017 film).
Nubia's entire mini-series was a pretty in-depth exploration of not only her character, but her central emotional conflict. In public she's reverent, intensely duty-driven, and consistently acts as the voice of reason, but privately she's quite vulnerable and openly expresses when her duties are at odds with her emotions. It isn't always easy or natural for her, which is what gives her more depth than just "I must do the noble thing."
Frankly I think other than Williams/Ayala, the best-written Nubia is Diana in Rucka's first run - right down to her relationship with the PROPER Io, i.e. before they tragically de-butchified her. Both Nubia and Diana are deeply honor-bound, have a "warrior-priest" quality to them, and are natural leaders without being lone wolves, but Rucka didn't really work out the wide-eyed element of Diana's character until Rebirth (though the brilliant narrative writing in his first run easily outweighs the slightly lacking characterization).
