Mera of Xebel wants more than anything to fight for her throne, but no one seems to be listening. Everyone, including her father, expects her to marry her childhood friend, Larken of the Trench, and let him take over their country’s long-running rebellion against Atlantis. Mera, determined to follow in her mother’s warrior footsteps, hatches a plan to eliminate the heir of Atlantis. But the Atlantean prince turns out to be not who Mera expected to find.
I always enjoy Mera when I read Aquaman titles. She’s consistently portrayed as a strong partner to Arthur, and I’m delighted to find that this origin story stays true to this characterization. Paige writes Mera as a believable teenage young woman, pigheaded and trying to figure out who she is.
Mera: Tidebreaker is an excellent introduction to the Queen of Atlantis, appropriate for young readers. I would readily put this in the hands of my 10 year old as a next step up from the DC Super Hero Girls series. If this is representative of what DC is trying to do with their new DC Ink (young adult) and DC Zoom (middle grade) series, then the series is off to a great start.
The story is beautifully illustrated in muted colors, with Mera’s flaming red hair the brightest part of every page. Stephen Byrne’s illustrations are full of strong lines, the scenes are uncluttered, and the emotions are clear.
I was provided with a complementary copy of this book via NetGalley in order to facilitate this review.