Mera is princess of the underwater kingdom Xebel, and her nation is in a shaky peace treaty with the Atlantian Kingdom. Essentially their treaty is “Xebel is under Atlantian Rule, so don’t rebel and we’ll keep the peace.” But the citizens of Xebel are fed up and Mera’s father has his own plans for the kingdom. His first plan? Marry off Mera to a Xebel Warrior and childhood betrothed. Second plan? Send out said warrior to bring back the head of the prince of Atlantis. But this isn’t good enough for Mera, who loathes the idea of her crown being granted to a man for committing an act she herself is fully capable of. So she sets off to find this Atlantian prince and do the deed herself. But when she meets the unassuming Arthur Curry, she is taken aback at his unyielding kindness – and the fact that he seems to have no idea of his destiny. What is more important to her – her right to the crown and loyalty to her people? Or the current of her heart?
This is a MUCH better addition to the DC Ink imprint than the Catwoman graphic novel. Paige’s dialogue is snappy and the story is pleasant, if unoriginal. I have never read any Aquaman so I have no idea how it compares to the usual lore. It’s very comparable to the Wonder Woman movie, in regards to the story. Some of the storytelling is choppy, which may relate to the author not translating well to the graphic format. I also thought the artwork was uneven, sometimes exuding beauty off the page and other times looking sweet but bland But it’s very fresh looking and would probably appeal to the age group. But all in all, this title had me more excited to continue with the imprint and see what other authors bring to the table.
