Mera: Tidebreaker

Mera: Tidebreaker introduces readers to Aquaman’s future wife as she is as a teen: strong, feisty, and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure her future is in her own control rather than her father’s. Mera’s confidence and determination carry the story, even when in places the plot becomes somewhat hard to follow or the motivations of the characters don’t fully make sense. Meeting Mera for the first time is a pleasure, as is watching her grow out of some of her own flaws.

The art for the graphic novel is beautiful, featuring muted blues that evoke the ocean, with Mera’s bright red hair as the contrast in nearly every frame. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, allowing readers to get hints about the action and the thoughts of characters that are not directly stated in the text.

You don’t need to be a fan of Aquaman or really know anything about him to enjoy this book; you only need to like stories with strong heroines and some political intrigue. Learning about Aquaman as a teen, and how his power seems to come from kindness rather than brute strength, is just a bonus here.