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Mera: Queen of Atlantis #1-6
Mera: Queen of Atlantis (2018) (Mera Queen of Atlantis
From the pages of Aquaman comes a brand-new adventure starring Mera, in her own title for the first time ever!
Just in time for the Warner Bros. Aquaman feature film featuring Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera, comes a thrilling new look at Atlantis from Mera's perspective in Mera: Queen of Atlantis!
As the brutal Atlantean Civil War rages, Mera must keep the peace between the surface world and Atlantis as its newly anointed queen in exile. But when Aquaman's brother Orm, a.k.a. Ocean Master, learns of his homeland's fate, he'll feels he must return to Atlantis as its king and savior! But Orm is now torn between his duty to Atlantis and his love for his new surface family--and both he and Mera will clash over the futures they choose to fight for!
From the critically acclaimed author Dan Abnett (Aquaman) and Eisner Award-winning artist Lan Medina (Fables) Atlantis gets a new ruler in Mera: Queen of Atlantis!
Collects Mera: Queen of Atlantis #1-6.
Just in time for the Warner Bros. Aquaman feature film featuring Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera, comes a thrilling new look at Atlantis from Mera's perspective in Mera: Queen of Atlantis!
As the brutal Atlantean Civil War rages, Mera must keep the peace between the surface world and Atlantis as its newly anointed queen in exile. But when Aquaman's brother Orm, a.k.a. Ocean Master, learns of his homeland's fate, he'll feels he must return to Atlantis as its king and savior! But Orm is now torn between his duty to Atlantis and his love for his new surface family--and both he and Mera will clash over the futures they choose to fight for!
From the critically acclaimed author Dan Abnett (Aquaman) and Eisner Award-winning artist Lan Medina (Fables) Atlantis gets a new ruler in Mera: Queen of Atlantis!
Collects Mera: Queen of Atlantis #1-6.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2018
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359 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
April 18, 2019
3.5 stars
I love Mera.
And as excited as I was to see her get her very own title, I was honestly hoping to love this more than I did. <--that's NOT to say it wasn't good! It was.
It's a solid first outing for this character. Not mindblowing, but solid.
The gist is that Mera (who has been named Queen in Exile) has to spend some time recovering on land, due to getting hit by some wonky magic that jacked up her ability to breathe & control water.
Also, while it is temporary, it has made her a tad vulnerable.
Enter Orm in full-on Ocean Master garb, ready to defend Atlantis and take up the mantle as king again. Kinda? He's spent his exile falling in love with a single mom and her son.
So, there's the potential that he might just want to help Mera and Arthur out and then go back to his life on the land.
Riiiight. So, Mera & Orm decide to go Xebel and see if those guys will help Arthur fight off Rath and his nasty magic - because once he's done with Atlantis, he's eventually going to come for Xebel.
And this is where shit goes sideways...
I think this title will get better with time, but Abnett gave it a good start. I'm looking forward to more stories from the Little Badass Mermaid.
I love Mera.
And as excited as I was to see her get her very own title, I was honestly hoping to love this more than I did. <--that's NOT to say it wasn't good! It was.
It's a solid first outing for this character. Not mindblowing, but solid.
The gist is that Mera (who has been named Queen in Exile) has to spend some time recovering on land, due to getting hit by some wonky magic that jacked up her ability to breathe & control water.
Also, while it is temporary, it has made her a tad vulnerable.
Enter Orm in full-on Ocean Master garb, ready to defend Atlantis and take up the mantle as king again. Kinda? He's spent his exile falling in love with a single mom and her son.
So, there's the potential that he might just want to help Mera and Arthur out and then go back to his life on the land.
Riiiight. So, Mera & Orm decide to go Xebel and see if those guys will help Arthur fight off Rath and his nasty magic - because once he's done with Atlantis, he's eventually going to come for Xebel.
And this is where shit goes sideways...
I think this title will get better with time, but Abnett gave it a good start. I'm looking forward to more stories from the Little Badass Mermaid.
May 1, 2019
I was very excited to see Mera was getting her own miniseries. She is maybe an even better character than Aquaman. Unfortunately, this is almost an Ocean Master story more than a Mera story. Abnett quickly reverts Orm to a one note, "haughty royalty" type character missing all the nuance of Geoff John's Throne of Atlantis story. There Orm truly cares for Atlantis and thinks he's doing what's best for his people. Here he quickly turns into a dick who think he's the only one that can rule Atlantis properly. He runs around calling people peasants and cretins after Abnett establishes he's left Atlantis behind for a family on the surface world. It's some real piss-poor writing to be honest. I'm not really sure why Mera is kind of given short shrift in her own miniseries. Lan Medina's art is serviceable.
June 7, 2019
★★1/2
*Note: Make sure to read this after Aquaman, Vol. 5: The Crown Comes Down and before Aquaman, Volume 6: Kingslayer
Mera has become one of my favorite heroines in comics and so I was excited to see her get a miniseries spinoff from the main Aquaman title. And it seems like a great time for it too , now that Arthur is leading a rebellion against the usurper king Corum Rath and Mera is trying to heal after being injured in a battle to save Arthur. While struggling with the fact that she's been named Queen in Exile, a surprise alliance happens when the rehabilitated Ocean Master pops up on her doorstep with an offer of aid to save Atlantis. What follows is a mission to Mera's dangerous home of the Xebel kingdom to look for aid.
While I was so excited to see the return of Ocean Master (one of the best parts of Geoff Johns's Aquaman run), to see more of Xebel, and to see more of Mera kicking ass on her own, I feel like the character deserved better. Dan Abnett has been doing such a good job of writing the main Aquaman series so it seems like a totally different writer worked on this. The work is pretty pedestrian and uninspired, and the third person narration is so annoying, especially when it just details what's on the panel. It's like this was an assignment and he just rushed it out. I like the story itself and enjoyed the shiftiness of Ocean Master's loyalties, but this had so much more potential because Mera is such a great character. A disappointment.
*Note: Make sure to read this after Aquaman, Vol. 5: The Crown Comes Down and before Aquaman, Volume 6: Kingslayer
Mera has become one of my favorite heroines in comics and so I was excited to see her get a miniseries spinoff from the main Aquaman title. And it seems like a great time for it too , now that Arthur is leading a rebellion against the usurper king Corum Rath and Mera is trying to heal after being injured in a battle to save Arthur. While struggling with the fact that she's been named Queen in Exile, a surprise alliance happens when the rehabilitated Ocean Master pops up on her doorstep with an offer of aid to save Atlantis. What follows is a mission to Mera's dangerous home of the Xebel kingdom to look for aid.
While I was so excited to see the return of Ocean Master (one of the best parts of Geoff Johns's Aquaman run), to see more of Xebel, and to see more of Mera kicking ass on her own, I feel like the character deserved better. Dan Abnett has been doing such a good job of writing the main Aquaman series so it seems like a totally different writer worked on this. The work is pretty pedestrian and uninspired, and the third person narration is so annoying, especially when it just details what's on the panel. It's like this was an assignment and he just rushed it out. I like the story itself and enjoyed the shiftiness of Ocean Master's loyalties, but this had so much more potential because Mera is such a great character. A disappointment.
July 26, 2018
Pretty much the same issues I had with Abnett’s Aquaman series.
World: The art is okay, it’s solid, it’s not gorgeous but it’s definitely not ugly, it’s just okay. The world building here is solid, it’s the continuation of Mera’s story from the current Abnett Aquaman run (which is good, the stuff before Arthur lost his crown was terrible). The story plays out from Mera’s point of view and the pieces of the world we see are all about her so I like that about this arc.
Story: The story is okay. I was expecting a lot more character driven plot points and also a strong female lead and message being the current world we live in but that’s not really what we get. I’ll talk about the character stuff below but the main plot with Xebel and Orm and the surface and sea is rather mediocre and has been done again and again. I was hoping that this story would make Mera stand alone as a character but in the end it’s the same old story that Arthur was going through with a different coat of paint. The pacing was okay and the tension and plot not very creative and expected. It’s pretty much what you expect from Abnett’s Aquaman run. It doesn’t stand out.
Characters: Mera is a wonderful character and a strong female character that needs to stand out of the shadow of Arthur. I was hoping this book was book would do that, give Mera a voice all her own, a mission all her own and a story all her own. Nope, we get her pining over Arthur for issues on end and we get her doing things for her man. Yes she loves Arthur and their relationship is one of the strongest in DC but it doesn’t need to be the only thing to define her and it still does. Orm is written rather poorly, yes he’s stubborn but that’s about it, he can’t bend even though we are expected to believe he did before the events of this book and then he reverts back, it’s lazy plot driven character work and the story and readers deserve better. The stuff with Xebel is okay also but stays in the realm of expected characters to make the transparent plot work.
I wanted this to be more for Mera but it’s not, it’s still the same for her and she still needs a book to make her stand on her own, cause she’s awesome.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is okay, it’s solid, it’s not gorgeous but it’s definitely not ugly, it’s just okay. The world building here is solid, it’s the continuation of Mera’s story from the current Abnett Aquaman run (which is good, the stuff before Arthur lost his crown was terrible). The story plays out from Mera’s point of view and the pieces of the world we see are all about her so I like that about this arc.
Story: The story is okay. I was expecting a lot more character driven plot points and also a strong female lead and message being the current world we live in but that’s not really what we get. I’ll talk about the character stuff below but the main plot with Xebel and Orm and the surface and sea is rather mediocre and has been done again and again. I was hoping that this story would make Mera stand alone as a character but in the end it’s the same old story that Arthur was going through with a different coat of paint. The pacing was okay and the tension and plot not very creative and expected. It’s pretty much what you expect from Abnett’s Aquaman run. It doesn’t stand out.
Characters: Mera is a wonderful character and a strong female character that needs to stand out of the shadow of Arthur. I was hoping this book was book would do that, give Mera a voice all her own, a mission all her own and a story all her own. Nope, we get her pining over Arthur for issues on end and we get her doing things for her man. Yes she loves Arthur and their relationship is one of the strongest in DC but it doesn’t need to be the only thing to define her and it still does. Orm is written rather poorly, yes he’s stubborn but that’s about it, he can’t bend even though we are expected to believe he did before the events of this book and then he reverts back, it’s lazy plot driven character work and the story and readers deserve better. The stuff with Xebel is okay also but stays in the realm of expected characters to make the transparent plot work.
I wanted this to be more for Mera but it’s not, it’s still the same for her and she still needs a book to make her stand on her own, cause she’s awesome.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
October 23, 2018
Mera is def one of my fave DC heroes. She's not ONLY a badass warrior who is now queen, she's sexy too!
If you haven't been keeping up with Aquaman, shit is not going well for the king. He was forced out of being the king and now is building an army to rise against the tyrant. Mera is being titled queen but first she must visit her people to get their approval. Orm returns, but he's a bit different than before. He met a woman and her kid and became a family. However, it's not as simple as that. He has a duty to his Kingdom and so him and Mera return together as a team but what awaits them?
Good: Mera is pretty badass. This is a cool way to show her off, see her internal thoughts, and also display her powers in a cool way. I also thought the art was solid enough and the fights were pretty exciting.
Bad: The plotting was typical, even down to the "one on one to prove who is who" thing. I also thought the Orm twist could have been better, and more interesting to go the other direction.
This was a fun mini-series. You don't need to read aquaman to enjoy this. It won't blow you away but it's a enjoyable read with a great main lead. A 3 out of 5.
If you haven't been keeping up with Aquaman, shit is not going well for the king. He was forced out of being the king and now is building an army to rise against the tyrant. Mera is being titled queen but first she must visit her people to get their approval. Orm returns, but he's a bit different than before. He met a woman and her kid and became a family. However, it's not as simple as that. He has a duty to his Kingdom and so him and Mera return together as a team but what awaits them?
Good: Mera is pretty badass. This is a cool way to show her off, see her internal thoughts, and also display her powers in a cool way. I also thought the art was solid enough and the fights were pretty exciting.
Bad: The plotting was typical, even down to the "one on one to prove who is who" thing. I also thought the Orm twist could have been better, and more interesting to go the other direction.
This was a fun mini-series. You don't need to read aquaman to enjoy this. It won't blow you away but it's a enjoyable read with a great main lead. A 3 out of 5.
October 24, 2018
[Read as single issues]
With her powers compromised and her ability to breathe underwater failing, not to mention her partner trapped in a city that no longer tolerates him, the last thing Mera wants is to be confined to land. But a Queen in absentia is still a Queen, and she isn’t about to let Atlantis fall just because she can’t rule it, and she’s prepared to seek aid for her stolen city from the most unlikely of people, such as the warrior king of Xebel, and her future brother-in-law, Ocean Master!
You’ve got to hand it to DC – there aren’t many characters who have a supporting character so good that their B plot justifies an entire mini-series just for them. And yet here’s Mera: Queen Of Atlantis, which is essentially what Mera is up to while Aquaman’s dealing with Rath in the Underworld and The Crown Comes Down arcs of his own series. With a premise like that, you might expect this to be one of those mini-series that has enough plot for four issues and gets dragged out to six, but it’s actually pretty well done.
Mera is a great protagonist, and oftentimes more interesting than Aquaman himself in their own book, so getting to stretch her legs here is a nice change, as is getting her own internal monologue and how she views not just her current situation but the broader landscape of Atlantis’s political climate and the lengths she’s willing to go to be a good Queen even though she never had any ambition to do so.
The plot itself isn’t exactly Game Of Thrones level, but the twists and turns with Nereus and Xebel, as well as the struggles that Ocean Master goes through as he fights between his obligations to Atlantis and his new land-born relationships (a good bit of pre-Rebirth continuity I’m glad Abnett kept) keeps things interesting, and the ending, while obvious if you’ve read Aquaman at this point, is a realisation of everything that Abnett has set up for Mera and her compatriots across the six issues.
Lan Medina is the artist for all six issues here, and he’s very similar to the early Aquaman artists like Scot Eaton and Phil Briones. It’s nice to get one consistent creative team across a six issue mini-series; it sounds like something you’d expect as standard, but it’s rarer than you’d think these days.
Mera’s solo adventure is both a good companion piece to Dan Abnett’s current Aquaman run and a solid story in its own right that explores not just Mera but Ocean Master in ways that we likely wouldn’t have gotten the chance to if she had remained as a co-lead of the main title. While Mera is never overshadowed by her partner, it’s great to see her step out into the sun and lead a series of her own – if this is an experiment for DC, testing the waters as to how well a Mera series would go, I’d say they’ve got a pretty sure win on their hands.
With her powers compromised and her ability to breathe underwater failing, not to mention her partner trapped in a city that no longer tolerates him, the last thing Mera wants is to be confined to land. But a Queen in absentia is still a Queen, and she isn’t about to let Atlantis fall just because she can’t rule it, and she’s prepared to seek aid for her stolen city from the most unlikely of people, such as the warrior king of Xebel, and her future brother-in-law, Ocean Master!
You’ve got to hand it to DC – there aren’t many characters who have a supporting character so good that their B plot justifies an entire mini-series just for them. And yet here’s Mera: Queen Of Atlantis, which is essentially what Mera is up to while Aquaman’s dealing with Rath in the Underworld and The Crown Comes Down arcs of his own series. With a premise like that, you might expect this to be one of those mini-series that has enough plot for four issues and gets dragged out to six, but it’s actually pretty well done.
Mera is a great protagonist, and oftentimes more interesting than Aquaman himself in their own book, so getting to stretch her legs here is a nice change, as is getting her own internal monologue and how she views not just her current situation but the broader landscape of Atlantis’s political climate and the lengths she’s willing to go to be a good Queen even though she never had any ambition to do so.
The plot itself isn’t exactly Game Of Thrones level, but the twists and turns with Nereus and Xebel, as well as the struggles that Ocean Master goes through as he fights between his obligations to Atlantis and his new land-born relationships (a good bit of pre-Rebirth continuity I’m glad Abnett kept) keeps things interesting, and the ending, while obvious if you’ve read Aquaman at this point, is a realisation of everything that Abnett has set up for Mera and her compatriots across the six issues.
Lan Medina is the artist for all six issues here, and he’s very similar to the early Aquaman artists like Scot Eaton and Phil Briones. It’s nice to get one consistent creative team across a six issue mini-series; it sounds like something you’d expect as standard, but it’s rarer than you’d think these days.
Mera’s solo adventure is both a good companion piece to Dan Abnett’s current Aquaman run and a solid story in its own right that explores not just Mera but Ocean Master in ways that we likely wouldn’t have gotten the chance to if she had remained as a co-lead of the main title. While Mera is never overshadowed by her partner, it’s great to see her step out into the sun and lead a series of her own – if this is an experiment for DC, testing the waters as to how well a Mera series would go, I’d say they’ve got a pretty sure win on their hands.
February 21, 2019
After watching the recent Aquaman movie, I was excited to read more about the characters in Atlantis. In the movie, Mera is a powerful ally to Aquaman, so I was looking forward to reading about her adventures in this book. Unfortunately, it seems that this isn't really a Mera book, but rather an Ocean Master book. For most of this book, Mera is depowered, so she doesn't really play an active role until the very end. Also, characters seem to switch personalities and motivation quite suddenly in this book, so it's had to get into the characters. Finally, there is way too much narration. Most of the story is told through inner monologue in narration boxes--lazy storytelling. The art is hit-or-miss. Occasionally, you'll see a good piece of art, but often times you'll also see a bad piece on the same page.
December 22, 2018
If I never see Orm again in an Aquaman comic it will be a good day! The art style was solid and the narrative was really gripping.
July 26, 2018
I've always found Mera a bit of a boring character. A lot of that can likely be blamed on the fact that the majority of comic book writers are men, and men have little idea of 1) how to write married/committed couples and 2) women.
Its not that Abnett does a good job with Mera's characterization. She's pretty one-dimensional and on point (queen in exile, determined to retake throne to save Atlantis, etc.) Orm arguably come off at least as two dimensional, until the point where I would say Abnett gets lazy and just has Orm revert to form.
Because Orm has been living a calm, quiet life on the surface, That Orm was more interesting than the usual Ocean Master villain piece his story line ends up drowning in.
I've not been reading the Aquaman title, but there are enough exposition dumps for me to figure out how this short fits into there. At least by the end of the series, I wasn't in my usual get her off the screen mode (now I guess I save that for Susan Storm Richards?)
Its not that Abnett does a good job with Mera's characterization. She's pretty one-dimensional and on point (queen in exile, determined to retake throne to save Atlantis, etc.) Orm arguably come off at least as two dimensional, until the point where I would say Abnett gets lazy and just has Orm revert to form.
Because Orm has been living a calm, quiet life on the surface, That Orm was more interesting than the usual Ocean Master villain piece his story line ends up drowning in.
I've not been reading the Aquaman title, but there are enough exposition dumps for me to figure out how this short fits into there. At least by the end of the series, I wasn't in my usual get her off the screen mode (now I guess I save that for Susan Storm Richards?)
January 25, 2019
3.5 stars (but Mera deserves all the stars for existing)
This was my first time reading a comic with characters from the Aquaman series and I really enjoyed it! Mera: Queen of Atlantis is set during the events of the on-going Aquaman (2016) series, but it’s okay if you haven’t read it, you can still understand what’s going on and enjoy these issues. It actually made me want to read the Aquaman (2016) series even more, so that’s a win!
Obviously, I adored Mera. I’m not quite familiar with the characters’ backstories as I’m quite new to it all, so I loved that I got to learn more about her past and how she had become the woman she was in these issues: it made me love her even more than I did before. However, I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed that a lot of her arc was about her love for Arthur. Mera and Arthur are an amazing couple and I love Arthur, don’t get me wrong, and I understand how worried she is about him and that this comic is tied to Aquaman, but I wanted the whole story to focus less on male characters (*cough* Orm and Nereus *cough*): I just wanted Mera, that’s about it!
Mera: Queen of Atlantis also had such interesting secondary characters: I loved Tula so much and I want to see more of her, Lammia, who was so very clever, but also Orm, who had a really good character development art in this.
The plot was okay and it totally fitted with what is going on with Aquaman, but I don’t think there is anything new in it? That’s a bit of a shame, but I loved seeing Mera healing and proving how amazing she is whether she has her powers or not. As I’m quite new to this, learning about the world more, its politics, a little bit about their traditions and seeing some places (I can’t say more because spoilers!) was such a wonderful experience and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey in the future.
I also thought the art was pretty solid and there were some stunning pages, it’s making me look forward to reading Aquaman as soon as I can get my hands on those comics.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and that’s probably tied to my love for Mera as well as the 2018 Aquaman movie: I wouldn’t call this comic ground-breaking or anything, but it was so entertaining! I still wanted moooore. It’s giving me hope that we can get more stories with Mera as the lead character though, so I will be watching out for that.
PS: also can we get women to write and draw about Mera next time? I need it.
This was my first time reading a comic with characters from the Aquaman series and I really enjoyed it! Mera: Queen of Atlantis is set during the events of the on-going Aquaman (2016) series, but it’s okay if you haven’t read it, you can still understand what’s going on and enjoy these issues. It actually made me want to read the Aquaman (2016) series even more, so that’s a win!
Obviously, I adored Mera. I’m not quite familiar with the characters’ backstories as I’m quite new to it all, so I loved that I got to learn more about her past and how she had become the woman she was in these issues: it made me love her even more than I did before. However, I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed that a lot of her arc was about her love for Arthur. Mera and Arthur are an amazing couple and I love Arthur, don’t get me wrong, and I understand how worried she is about him and that this comic is tied to Aquaman, but I wanted the whole story to focus less on male characters (*cough* Orm and Nereus *cough*): I just wanted Mera, that’s about it!
Mera: Queen of Atlantis also had such interesting secondary characters: I loved Tula so much and I want to see more of her, Lammia, who was so very clever, but also Orm, who had a really good character development art in this.
The plot was okay and it totally fitted with what is going on with Aquaman, but I don’t think there is anything new in it? That’s a bit of a shame, but I loved seeing Mera healing and proving how amazing she is whether she has her powers or not. As I’m quite new to this, learning about the world more, its politics, a little bit about their traditions and seeing some places (I can’t say more because spoilers!) was such a wonderful experience and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey in the future.
I also thought the art was pretty solid and there were some stunning pages, it’s making me look forward to reading Aquaman as soon as I can get my hands on those comics.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and that’s probably tied to my love for Mera as well as the 2018 Aquaman movie: I wouldn’t call this comic ground-breaking or anything, but it was so entertaining! I still wanted moooore. It’s giving me hope that we can get more stories with Mera as the lead character though, so I will be watching out for that.
PS: also can we get women to write and draw about Mera next time? I need it.
December 31, 2018
I love the title character so I really wanted this to be better but in the end the story can basically be summarized by “Orm’s gonna Orm”.
Too bad so much of the action takes place in Xebel underwater, I always feel artists get a better chance to showcase Mera’s powers on dry land, and the whole “can no longer breathe water” thing would have played right into that.
Too bad so much of the action takes place in Xebel underwater, I always feel artists get a better chance to showcase Mera’s powers on dry land, and the whole “can no longer breathe water” thing would have played right into that.
January 11, 2019
3.5.
it was good but.... eh.
it was good but.... eh.
August 24, 2020
3.5 but I’m rounding it up because I love Mera. Mera is probably the only reason I read Aquaman, she is such an interesting character to read about and so badass. When I heard she was finally getting a solo I thought to myself it’s about damn time. This book ties into the main Aquaman series with the whole Atlantean civil war, this is a side story to that focusing on Mera and Orm which might be my biggest complaint. The title of this book says Mera and a lot of it does focus on her but a lot of the times I was reading this it felt like an Orm book. Not that there is anything wrong with Orm, he’s a really interesting character, one who probably deserves his own miniseries at some point. But when a character like Mera who is rarely given a leading role is given a solo, I expect it to be about mainly about her. Regardless I still enjoyed it, I love Mera as a character and this book reminded me why I love her so much.
December 29, 2023
My toddler picked this book out at random at the library and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The art was stunning, the plot was interesting. I definitely want to pick up the next book to get the conclusion of the story!
May 14, 2019
I like it!!! Mera is echt een geweldig personage, en naast het lezen van Aquaman is dit echt een goede aanvulling ♡
January 1, 2019
Just in time before watching the film..
July 13, 2025
“Orm, we’ve both changed. You and I, we’ve remade ourselves from dark beginnings. You should go back to this family you claim to cherish. Atlantis isn’t your life anymore.” – “It is in turmoil. It has no monarch to save it.” – “Yes, it does. I am Queen of Atlantis.”
4,5/5!
Atlantis is being torn apart by civil war, led by a tyrant Corum Rath, who has taken the throne of Atlantis. Mera of the Xebel has been named queen in exile of Atlantis. But she is still reeling from severe injuries and her powers are not yet quite back: can she stop this civil war and keep it from taking over the lands above the surface as well?
Mera is a character I've recently started to grow more and more fond of, and one I want to read more stories about because, let's face it, she is super cool and fun and you can do a lot with her story – there's so much to love from underwater political machinations and ancient rivalries to her sweet love story with Arthur Curry (who, in this version, she had been sent to kill by Nereus, her once-betrothed and her father, but with whom she had fallen in love with, resulting in her being able to rid herself of her family's brainwashing and violence) and her role as Xebel-born Queen of Atlantis. I love fantasy stories of families competing for power, overthrowing one another, making alliances and so on, so all of this is just right up my alley. The Xebel even have such ancient Rome -vibes with their patriarchal structure, gladiatorial games, strict codes of honor, their outfits and the prevalence of violence in every aspect of their culture. I loved this, cause I am an antiquity nerd. This comic - though a small part in a larger story - was satisfying on its own (I did peek at Aquaman issue 38 to see how this arc ends) and had a lot of great stuff for a Mera-fan as well as some great art.
Mera is a character torn by what she wants to be and what she thinks she must be. As she says: “My future was decided before I was even born. I find I have increadingly little say in my own destiny.” It was intriguing following her as she struggles with whether she should accept the queenship that has been given to her and whether following her heart - having the quiet life with Arthur they both have dreamed of - is selfish. She is also dealing with her past of violence and being raised a soldier and a killer, taught to be willing to sacrifice anything and anyone, and while she is still a great warrior, even with her powers weakened, she has learned to see past what was taught her, to see the value of empathy, friendship and selflessness. I love her humour and the way she seeks out peace and is willing to compromise - up to a point. She fights if she has to and she is not willing to offer people chance after chance. One of my favorite moments in the book was her saying to Sometimes superheroes seem, to me, forgiving to a fault or naive in the way they keep believing the best in people. But Mera is more pragmatic than that. Before I move on from her, I have to say that I appreciate how loving she is, or, how loving she has taught herself and allowed herself to become: she is so soft about Arthur and it is clear they love and trust each other, even when apart. It was also lovely seeing her make connections with other women, admire them and rely on them – we didn't see much of her and Tulia, but I liked their friendship as these two outcasts, one a princess and once-regent chased away from home, and one a queen in exile, a woman of two nations.
The supporting cast was cool. As I said, I liked Tulia and how fiercely she defended her right to live the life she wants and not be wrapped up in atlantean politics anymore. Nereus was a dick, but the kind of dick that feels all-too-relatable. She is threatened by Mera because she is a powerful woman who refused him and who has achieved a position higher than he ever could: he is, in short, a sexist violent douche. Orm was a tough one, cause on the one hand, he was a soft dad to his girlfriend's son, Tommy, and he clearly loved Erin and this little family he has managed to create after being ousted from the throne by Artur Curry, but then again, he was also someone with deeply rooted misogynistic tendencies, severe anger management issues and an irksome, appalling belief in his own grandness and destiny. It was fun seeing him try and team up with Mera despite all the bad blood between them – and them being members of rivalling cultures with ancient quarrels. They share many similarities, but while Mera has broken free of this toxic sense of duty and the violence instilled in her by her people, Orm is in the middle of that process of breaking free, and this book tackles the question: Can he break free or is he too far gone? I was
This comic deals a lot with the concept of duty, how much of ourselves do we owe to our homes, families and cultures, whether your sense of duty should overshadow your own identity, wants and desires, and how duty can be both an empowering and a destructive sentiment. Mera and Orm were both raised in cultures that emphasised duty to the nation, to the monarch, and as they have grown up and faced challenges, they have found their own ways of dealing with this sense of duty they have imbedded in their identities. The book also deals with cycles of violence, whether they can be broken, what can be done to sever them and how viciously people who benefit from said cycles of violence, the terror they bring and the power dynamics they uphold can fight back when their privileged position is threatened. I would love to read a whole novel or long comic book about the political dynamics underwater and how Mera goes about trying to change that: she wants a peaceful world, with strong alliances and equality, but it is clear from her dealings with Nereus that these dreams won't come easy. And of course, this book tackles what it means to rule, what kind of ruler is good and who deserves to sit on the throne – is it the one who doesn't want it but is asked, trusted, to do so, or the one who sees it as his destiny and has the royal blood to prove it?
I'm glad I finally picked this comic up and got back into reading Mera stories. She's so fabulous and powerful and awesome and gorgeous. This comic made me want to get to know her – and her underwater world – even better.
4,5/5!
Atlantis is being torn apart by civil war, led by a tyrant Corum Rath, who has taken the throne of Atlantis. Mera of the Xebel has been named queen in exile of Atlantis. But she is still reeling from severe injuries and her powers are not yet quite back: can she stop this civil war and keep it from taking over the lands above the surface as well?
Mera is a character I've recently started to grow more and more fond of, and one I want to read more stories about because, let's face it, she is super cool and fun and you can do a lot with her story – there's so much to love from underwater political machinations and ancient rivalries to her sweet love story with Arthur Curry (who, in this version, she had been sent to kill by Nereus, her once-betrothed and her father, but with whom she had fallen in love with, resulting in her being able to rid herself of her family's brainwashing and violence) and her role as Xebel-born Queen of Atlantis. I love fantasy stories of families competing for power, overthrowing one another, making alliances and so on, so all of this is just right up my alley. The Xebel even have such ancient Rome -vibes with their patriarchal structure, gladiatorial games, strict codes of honor, their outfits and the prevalence of violence in every aspect of their culture. I loved this, cause I am an antiquity nerd. This comic - though a small part in a larger story - was satisfying on its own (I did peek at Aquaman issue 38 to see how this arc ends) and had a lot of great stuff for a Mera-fan as well as some great art.
Mera is a character torn by what she wants to be and what she thinks she must be. As she says: “My future was decided before I was even born. I find I have increadingly little say in my own destiny.” It was intriguing following her as she struggles with whether she should accept the queenship that has been given to her and whether following her heart - having the quiet life with Arthur they both have dreamed of - is selfish. She is also dealing with her past of violence and being raised a soldier and a killer, taught to be willing to sacrifice anything and anyone, and while she is still a great warrior, even with her powers weakened, she has learned to see past what was taught her, to see the value of empathy, friendship and selflessness. I love her humour and the way she seeks out peace and is willing to compromise - up to a point. She fights if she has to and she is not willing to offer people chance after chance. One of my favorite moments in the book was her saying to Sometimes superheroes seem, to me, forgiving to a fault or naive in the way they keep believing the best in people. But Mera is more pragmatic than that. Before I move on from her, I have to say that I appreciate how loving she is, or, how loving she has taught herself and allowed herself to become: she is so soft about Arthur and it is clear they love and trust each other, even when apart. It was also lovely seeing her make connections with other women, admire them and rely on them – we didn't see much of her and Tulia, but I liked their friendship as these two outcasts, one a princess and once-regent chased away from home, and one a queen in exile, a woman of two nations.
The supporting cast was cool. As I said, I liked Tulia and how fiercely she defended her right to live the life she wants and not be wrapped up in atlantean politics anymore. Nereus was a dick, but the kind of dick that feels all-too-relatable. She is threatened by Mera because she is a powerful woman who refused him and who has achieved a position higher than he ever could: he is, in short, a sexist violent douche. Orm was a tough one, cause on the one hand, he was a soft dad to his girlfriend's son, Tommy, and he clearly loved Erin and this little family he has managed to create after being ousted from the throne by Artur Curry, but then again, he was also someone with deeply rooted misogynistic tendencies, severe anger management issues and an irksome, appalling belief in his own grandness and destiny. It was fun seeing him try and team up with Mera despite all the bad blood between them – and them being members of rivalling cultures with ancient quarrels. They share many similarities, but while Mera has broken free of this toxic sense of duty and the violence instilled in her by her people, Orm is in the middle of that process of breaking free, and this book tackles the question: Can he break free or is he too far gone? I was
This comic deals a lot with the concept of duty, how much of ourselves do we owe to our homes, families and cultures, whether your sense of duty should overshadow your own identity, wants and desires, and how duty can be both an empowering and a destructive sentiment. Mera and Orm were both raised in cultures that emphasised duty to the nation, to the monarch, and as they have grown up and faced challenges, they have found their own ways of dealing with this sense of duty they have imbedded in their identities. The book also deals with cycles of violence, whether they can be broken, what can be done to sever them and how viciously people who benefit from said cycles of violence, the terror they bring and the power dynamics they uphold can fight back when their privileged position is threatened. I would love to read a whole novel or long comic book about the political dynamics underwater and how Mera goes about trying to change that: she wants a peaceful world, with strong alliances and equality, but it is clear from her dealings with Nereus that these dreams won't come easy. And of course, this book tackles what it means to rule, what kind of ruler is good and who deserves to sit on the throne – is it the one who doesn't want it but is asked, trusted, to do so, or the one who sees it as his destiny and has the royal blood to prove it?
I'm glad I finally picked this comic up and got back into reading Mera stories. She's so fabulous and powerful and awesome and gorgeous. This comic made me want to get to know her – and her underwater world – even better.
October 21, 2018
70/100.
Me ha gustado bastante. Esto explica qué ha estado haciendo Mera durante los números de Aquaman en los que no ha estado presente. Bastante correcto en todos los sentidos. Me gusta mucho lo que Dan Abnett ha hecho con todo Aquaman desde que lo cogió.
Me ha gustado bastante. Esto explica qué ha estado haciendo Mera durante los números de Aquaman en los que no ha estado presente. Bastante correcto en todos los sentidos. Me gusta mucho lo que Dan Abnett ha hecho con todo Aquaman desde que lo cogió.
October 31, 2019
It was nice to see Mera in her own book, and I never get tired of Atlantean political intrigue which this book was chock full of from beginning to end.
July 31, 2022
This was surprisingly good. Mera ends up stuck on dry land due to magical injuries she received in Atlantis, and during her recovery runs into Orm, the Ocean Master. They agree to team up to help save Atlantis, and end up trying to recruit Mera's home kingdom of Xebel to help. Of course, with Orm, things never go as planned.
Great tie in to the Aquaman series with great art. This was as good if not a little better than the Aquaman series this is based on.
Great tie in to the Aquaman series with great art. This was as good if not a little better than the Aquaman series this is based on.
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July 4, 2024
one of my favorite comics ever - i love mera and the artwork in this one is GORGEOUS! i also love the story 🫶🏻 highly recommend!
July 9, 2025
HQ maravilhosa, além do enredo, a arte é muito linda. Ficaria perfeita em um filme.
January 20, 2019
3.75 - Great comic! I always love stories about kings and empires and such. Didn’t realize it was a tie in to Aquaman, but still awesome. Enjoyed breaking down and re-building Mera. She’s such an awesome character. Solid world building & character driven plot.
August 20, 2021
I'd already forgotten how epic the last two volumes of Aquaman were, and "Mera: Queen of Atlantis" is an excellent book to pick up ...
Arthur is in the depths of Atlantis planning a civil war against the self-proclaimed King Rath. While on the surface, Mera recovers from the spell that caused her to lose her powers. It's wonderful to see her switch places with Aquaman, being the mouthpiece of Atlantis on earth and fighting alongside the Justice League.
Things are starting to get complicated in the recovery of Atlantis and it is necessary for the Xebelians to enter the battle to balance things, but why on earth would the Xebelians rescue the rebellious Atlanteans, putting their posture and little kingdom at risk?
It is precisely how this goal is achieved that makes this book interesting, because in addition to forming one of the rarest teams I have seen (Mera and Ocean Master) it is here that I feel that it is finally given its place to Mera, making her an extremely important woman to the DC universe.
As a plus, I want to add that the beginning in which Orm is seen in his role as adoptive father and doting husband really surprised me, it is incredible to see villains of that type redeeming themselves ...
Arthur is in the depths of Atlantis planning a civil war against the self-proclaimed King Rath. While on the surface, Mera recovers from the spell that caused her to lose her powers. It's wonderful to see her switch places with Aquaman, being the mouthpiece of Atlantis on earth and fighting alongside the Justice League.
Things are starting to get complicated in the recovery of Atlantis and it is necessary for the Xebelians to enter the battle to balance things, but why on earth would the Xebelians rescue the rebellious Atlanteans, putting their posture and little kingdom at risk?
It is precisely how this goal is achieved that makes this book interesting, because in addition to forming one of the rarest teams I have seen (Mera and Ocean Master) it is here that I feel that it is finally given its place to Mera, making her an extremely important woman to the DC universe.
As a plus, I want to add that the beginning in which Orm is seen in his role as adoptive father and doting husband really surprised me, it is incredible to see villains of that type redeeming themselves ...
November 17, 2019
I thought this book was the most badass girl power novel I've ever read. Mera is a force to be reckoned with, even when she is injured. This book inspired me as a woman to take charge in my own life, and never be anyone else's pawn. Fighting for her right as queen of Atlantis was breathtaking to see. Mera might be separated from Arthur due to her weakened state, but she still uses every air breath to keep the peace and honor her station. Unlike Orm or Nereus, she has learned to utilize both. If this book has taught me anything, it's that men will most often be pigs.
For Orm, he could only see the world as a power-hungry king. He never realized that a true king does not keep the throne for his own sake, but for the kingdom's. Which is, again, why Mera is the most perfect person on the planet. I'm also extremely angry with Orm for choosing himself over Erin and Tommy, not to mention sacrificing his own sister, Tula, in the process. Erin and Tommy deserve better. Not only that, but Orm could have been happy. He didn't have to run straight back into the arms of power as soon as he felt like it.
For Nereus, women are seen as inferior to men. (Simply not true, for example: Mera.) Nereus will never see Mera as a strong leader because he has all these ancient, traditional Xebellian hang-ups that are 100% ridiculous. He even used the help of Lady Lammia to try to cheat Mera in the combat trial. Total hypocrite! Though, I do not forgive Mera's grandmother for her nefarious doings.
The only Xebellian that Mera could trust was Leron, oddly enough. But as I began to learn more about their relationship, it became clear to me that he is a mentor that only wishes to see his pupil excel. And excel she did. Quite the show she put on in the trial. Ordering Orm to bow before her as queen was absolutely amazing. She commands the very water he breathes, but also the air I breath because my own breath was taken away. I recommend this book to women tired of not being in control of their own life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2018
Excellent. Seriously, Dan Abnett's storytelling and his command of both Aquman and his world continue to impress me. It's truly remarkable. This volume focuses on Mera, as Queen in Exile, as she works to both heal from magical injury and to build up an army of her own to help Aquaman bring down the the tyrant king Rath. The answer? Team-up with a possibly reformed Ocean Master and return to Xebel (as a traitor princess, so no pressure, right?) to implore them to join forces to overthrow Rath, because if they don't, all of Atlantis (and all of the world, probably) will be destroyed by Rath's tyranny and his careless use of ancient magic. Can we talk about high stakes?!?! Can we talk about action?!?! Can we talk about political manipulation?!?! Can we talk about the most complex story in comic books currently?!?!? (Or, at least, of all the current comic books I've read.) I can go on and on about this, but what I really enjoyed out of this graphic was Ocean Master. I really wanted him to be truly reformed. I love redemption stories. In the end, though, his ambition and his own twisted sense of duty stopped him from having the love and family he truly needed. A rather tragic ending for a character who, prior to this volume, I didn't really care about. I also liked how what he could have had--and should have had--paralleled what Mera truly wants with Arthur. The irony in the fact that he's willing to give up love for the throne--and that she wishes she cold give up the throne for love--really adds to, not only both of their characters' development, but also to the over all theme: that the best people to be in power are the ones who don't really want it. A poignant theme alongside a poignant plot populated by poignant characters. There's not much else you could want from a comic--or any story, for that matter. There's really only one problem with this graphic novel... the resolution of this Atlantean Civil War (Aquaman, Vol. 6) doesn't come out until tomorrow! Gah!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2018
Top notch. One of the funnest things I've read in a while. I like to see Mera more involved in the DC universe. Orm also plays a significant role in this series, struggling between his love of family and his desire to be king again. Great writing and art all around.
May 16, 2021
Mera has fascinated me ever since Amber Heard played her in Aquaman. I wanted to know more about her past and her motivations. Then of course there is the power couple vibe of her and Arthur that makes her even more attractive. But the rebirth and new 52 titles skim over that. I also realised why people call her a "mermaid" because her colouring is the same as Ariel. I admired her maturity and steadfastness to stick by her partner Arthur in a totally new world: the surface world.
This story comes after Aquaman: The Crown Comes Down, Volume 5.
I was excited when I came across this title and managed to get my hands on it. I loved it! Though I was glad to see Orm reformed with a single mom and her son, he becomes a jerk once he puts on his Ocean Master costume.
Going from this guy:
To the guy:
But this feels as much his story as Mera's. I got a look into the culture of Xebel and their laws. It was very brutal and I can't imagine how Mera develops the compassion she has. Even her grandmother raises sea monsters and schemes against her!
Scary old granny raised the giant octopus "octodon" and eels "water worms"
I liked how she struggles with her title: queen and is not sure about it but she comes to a realisation that those who do not want it may be best suited for it. She is usually very powerful but in this case, her powers are failing.
It sounds tough to cope with and be a heroine. Orm certainly will not make a good king. He is too fickle and violent. I could not believe how fast he dropped Erin and Tommy after Nereus talks to him. He was willing to give his own half sister away to become king!
But Mera and him do see eye to eye on royal duty. Most of us would love to be royalty but as media has illustrated, the weight of the crown and your duty often can lead someone to have quite toxic ideals. The value is selfless because your duty as royalty is to think for your people and act with them in mind, not yourself or your wishes. That can be very pressurising,
If anything, this title makes me interested to read the Aquaman series. I want more of Mera, the powerful and kind leader. The art was great too!
This story comes after Aquaman: The Crown Comes Down, Volume 5.
I was excited when I came across this title and managed to get my hands on it. I loved it! Though I was glad to see Orm reformed with a single mom and her son, he becomes a jerk once he puts on his Ocean Master costume.
Going from this guy:
To the guy:
But this feels as much his story as Mera's. I got a look into the culture of Xebel and their laws. It was very brutal and I can't imagine how Mera develops the compassion she has. Even her grandmother raises sea monsters and schemes against her!
Scary old granny raised the giant octopus "octodon" and eels "water worms"
I liked how she struggles with her title: queen and is not sure about it but she comes to a realisation that those who do not want it may be best suited for it. She is usually very powerful but in this case, her powers are failing.
It sounds tough to cope with and be a heroine. Orm certainly will not make a good king. He is too fickle and violent. I could not believe how fast he dropped Erin and Tommy after Nereus talks to him. He was willing to give his own half sister away to become king!
But Mera and him do see eye to eye on royal duty. Most of us would love to be royalty but as media has illustrated, the weight of the crown and your duty often can lead someone to have quite toxic ideals. The value is selfless because your duty as royalty is to think for your people and act with them in mind, not yourself or your wishes. That can be very pressurising,
If anything, this title makes me interested to read the Aquaman series. I want more of Mera, the powerful and kind leader. The art was great too!
February 10, 2019
I wanted more from this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't still fun.
The art was... okay. The women are very stereotypically sex figures, the way they've been drawn for decades. I kept squinting at one land woman and swearing she was straight outta the 80s with her haircut, glasses, expressions, clothing, etc. But the ocean scenes were interesting.
The first issues started out a little rough; I had to search for the best study music available on Youtube to keep my concentration high. It's always a challenge when you drop in on an ongoing storyline in a comic. Arthur has been removed from the throne and is in exile, Mera has been named queen but is injured and recuperating. Enter Orm, who seems to have been thriving with his exile from the ocean. Until... he gets wind of all this turmoil. Is he a leopard that can change his spots? That's really the crux of the issue, as Mera allies with him in an effort to save Atlantis.
I do think Mera was strongly written. Her yearning to simply leave and enjoy life with Arthur was clearly illustrated, and I think her decisions to uphold virtue and honor were on display.
I would love to see a full Mera line in the future, instead of just a one-off mini series.
The art was... okay. The women are very stereotypically sex figures, the way they've been drawn for decades. I kept squinting at one land woman and swearing she was straight outta the 80s with her haircut, glasses, expressions, clothing, etc. But the ocean scenes were interesting.
The first issues started out a little rough; I had to search for the best study music available on Youtube to keep my concentration high. It's always a challenge when you drop in on an ongoing storyline in a comic. Arthur has been removed from the throne and is in exile, Mera has been named queen but is injured and recuperating. Enter Orm, who seems to have been thriving with his exile from the ocean. Until... he gets wind of all this turmoil. Is he a leopard that can change his spots? That's really the crux of the issue, as Mera allies with him in an effort to save Atlantis.
I do think Mera was strongly written. Her yearning to simply leave and enjoy life with Arthur was clearly illustrated, and I think her decisions to uphold virtue and honor were on display.
I would love to see a full Mera line in the future, instead of just a one-off mini series.
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