All of this business talk does not describe the book though,
and still the question remains of how good it is. I am happy to say that
I enjoyed reading it, and it is pretty dense but not in a bad way. Mera’s
character has a long, complicated history that this book tells in a way that a
new reader could easily get into. She has superpowers, and can control water
via telekinesis. She is a princess of Xebel, an underwater region that is
currently ruled by Atlantis. Her people do not particularly like this
situation, and Mera takes part in covert acts of rebellion, which can put her
father the king in serious hot water. Also, she is supposed to marry Larken, a prince from
the Trench, as a way to unite their regions in an alliance.
Although she has known Larken pretty much her whole life, she
bristles at having these decisions made for her. In order to break out of these
multiple constraints on her life, she decides to go behind her father’s back
and assassinate the crown prince of Atlantis, Arthur (who comics
readers know will grow up to be Aquaman). She feels that would free Xebel from Atlantis's rule and also prove her worthy of choosing her own spouse. There are a couple of complications
in this plan. Arthur, it turns out, lives on the surface world and does not
know anything about Atlantis. Mera has to find a way to infiltrate his life on
dry land, which she does, but the more she learns about Arthur the more she
finds him kind, noble, and innocent of the actions being perpetrated by
Atlanteans. She starts to admire him, and feelings develop that make it hard
for her to complete her mission.
That is about as much of the plot I will reveal without
spoiling things, and I felt that this book covered a lot of ground. I know
young adult books often get dismissed as being light and breezy, but this book
was substantive and weighty. There was much going on, a lot of work put into
developing the character and the intricate plot. I enjoyed seeing how all the
moving parts fit into each other, and I think this book would be great for both
superhero fans, young adult book readers, and also those looking for a good
action/fantasy tale. It also ties in well with the film’s version of these
characters, if that might be the entry point. Although it does not feature the
characters as I am familiar with them, it recasts them in a contemporary way
that is attractive and interesting. This is a Mera who is her own person, a
strong, complicated protagonist who I think would be popular with a new
generation of readers.
This book was a collaboration between writer Danielle Paige
and illustrator Stephen Byrne. Paige is known for her YA novel series DorothyMust Die, and Stealing Snow. Byrne is relatively new to comics, and he is currently working on the Wonder Twins mini-series published by DC Comics. His art is well detailed, reminiscent of animation, and the underwater scenes are especially well rendered and highlighted by the book's coloring. Paige speaks more about her work on Mera: Tidebreaker in this interview.
The reviews I have read of this book have been pretty positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote, "Although classically formulaic, evoking star-crossed lovers and those buffeted by fate and constrained by royalty, the journey here is deep and satisfying." Kirkus Reviews called the plot "a bit convoluted" and described Mera as "a sassy, take-no-prisoners heroine who may look like Disney’s Ariel but who is imbued with grit and substance." Ray Goldfield called it "a surprisingly mature comic, essentially a tale about child soldiers in a war they didn’t start."
Mera: Tidebreaker was published by DC Ink, and they offer a preview and more info about it here.
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