You Brought Me The Ocean by Alex Sanchez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This graphic novel caught my attention for several reasons. One is that I’ve lately been really into the superhero genre, another is that the main characters are young adults of color, and mostly because it’s about a young man not only finding his superpower, but also his sexuality.
A lot of people look down on superhero graphic novels, but I disagree. I think there’s a lot of empowering metaphors and representation in this genre. Fantasy in general allows readers to imagine their own power, even though they may feel powerless in real life. To have this foundation while also showing that BIPOC can also be superheroes is incredible. Representation is so important. And we need more of it! Too often, BIPOC are the side-kick or the villain and never get to tell their own stories. Not so here.
This specific plot takes place in the DC universe with one of the characters being related to an Aquaman-verse character (can’t say more without spoiling it). This was interesting because I’m so used to reading graphic novels that are tied directly to a character and not just existing in a universe. It was really refreshing.
If your interested in an interesting, entertaining superhero graphic novel, give this a read.
