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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
Always happy to read backstory of key characters, especially female ones that may have been introduced intially only as side characters to male leads. I don't have much background on Aquaman beyond the film, but thankfully the politics of the various kingdoms and important players was clearly laid out, yet it never felt too exposition heavy. The emphasis on the right to choose is a strange contrast to the state of being royalty and fated to rule, but the striving for change and peace among previously warring factions is way more appealing than epic action scenes.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was hoping to learn a little more about who Mera is as a character, but overall it was bit of a letdown. The dialogue and the artwork were great, but maybe Mera/the Aquaman universe is not my thing. TBF I had a lot of high hopes for this one after reading the Catwoman 'Under The Moon' book so my opinion might be biased.
Ahh I had such high hopes for this but it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. I had hoped that the other supporting characters would appear again at the end for a massive confrontation, but needless to say, there wasn't one. It would have been better if the book was sectioned with chapters because the flow of it all felt a little choppy at times.
The art was good, but not very strong. Most of the times, the facial expressions of the characters and their body language don't match what the tone of their voice would be like, and I felt confused sometimes when reading the comic.
The writer also could have made better use of the comic book form such as placing important climactic scenes behind a flip-page, or use close-ups and speechless panels effectively to convey emotion. The novel felt very action-based and I could not relate much to Mera's struggles due to the neglect of emotions. This is understandable since Danielle Paige is a prose novel writer, and probably not used to writing for comics. Give a few more tries and I'm sure she'll get it soon :)
A good start to the DC Ink label nonetheless!
The art was good, but not very strong. Most of the times, the facial expressions of the characters and their body language don't match what the tone of their voice would be like, and I felt confused sometimes when reading the comic.
The writer also could have made better use of the comic book form such as placing important climactic scenes behind a flip-page, or use close-ups and speechless panels effectively to convey emotion. The novel felt very action-based and I could not relate much to Mera's struggles due to the neglect of emotions. This is understandable since Danielle Paige is a prose novel writer, and probably not used to writing for comics. Give a few more tries and I'm sure she'll get it soon :)
A good start to the DC Ink label nonetheless!
I enjoyed this. It's a solid origin story for Mera (and Arthur) that shows that Mera is a fierce, principled woman in her own right. One of the things that I have enjoyed about Aquaman comics in the past was that Arthur and Mera are partners, and this highlights that. I also enjoyed the art and color palette.
Despite that, this felt a little bit too long in the getting-to-know-you tame romance, and too quick in resolution. Though I know that this was probably intentional due to wanting to write one volume, targeted at a YA audience, it felt a bit to0 deus ex machina in a Disney's Pocahantas way.
Despite that, this felt a little bit too long in the getting-to-know-you tame romance, and too quick in resolution. Though I know that this was probably intentional due to wanting to write one volume, targeted at a YA audience, it felt a bit to0 deus ex machina in a Disney's Pocahantas way.
Average: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.4)
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
Art Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0)
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.0)
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
Setting/World: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
Art Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0)
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.0)
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐* (4.5)
Setting/World: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
I prefer Marvel to DC, but Aquaman is one of the few exceptions. I had high expectations based on the characters and the author, as I've enjoyed the rest of her published work. However, this was incredibly cheesy and focused far more on the love story between Mera and Arthur than anything else. I guess that's the YA influence, but I would have enjoyed more backstory on the Atlantean and Xebel kingdoms.
I didn't like i as much as i hoped i would. I'm not to much into superhero comics even do i love newer Marvel and DC movies, but like i said comics about them aren't my thing. Honestly i didn't love the characters and they weren't developed and i din't like the romance at all because i knew that it will happen from begging and it wasn't good. When it comes to other characters except Mera we maybe see them 3 times in the whole book (even her best friend). Sometimes the art style was trying too fit too much story one page and i didn't know where to look because there were things happening on that whole page. Overall i tough going into it i would like it more than i did even do i didn't know anything about Mera as a character, but the art and the story in general wasn't great.
Ok enough; given the movement DC seems to be going for, I thought this was going to be an awesome YA epic on par with Teen Titans: Raven. That didn't end up really coming true, but it was fun and novel.
Read it in one sitting. Absolutely adore the art style and use of colour.