Mixed feelings about this title, which I think is either the first or the second in DC's new YA series. For better or for worse, it definitely reads like a YA novel! (But it's a graphic novel, not an illustrated novel; I wasn't sure about that until I actually opened the book.) Overall I think this style of writing does really work for an origin story, except that the romance between Mera and Arthur was VERY instalove and might have been less jarring if it had been spread out over more time. (In the space of a week this girl is ready to abandon her revolutionary principles and betray her country for a boy? No. For a moral principle, though, I would believe it, so the fact that it's framed as "but daddy I love him!!!" makes it more irritating.) The use of thought bubbles is weird and kind of cheating -- pick a POV character and stick with them! The art is great.

A promising start to a new series.

Fun, clever, and charming. The story is pretty simple and nothing truly new, but it gets the reader invested quickly and has some really sweet moments (the whales!) as well as some subtle humor.

The plot feels a little predictable at this point but I expect it to expand as the series eventually progresses.

Oh, and I LOVED the art.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating graphic novel about Mera's first moments on land and meeting Aquaman for the first time.

I read this quick read, thinking it would tie into Aquaman, but it was a completely different universe. I enjoyed seeing a young Arthur and Mera interact and what Mera's life was like under the sea. A good story for Aquaman fans.

I thought I would love Mera: Tidebreaker with its pitch of a strong female lead, romance, and unwater setting, but I didn’t. I was just bored. I never felt particularly invested in Mera journey. The other characters felt particularly one-dimensional and uninteresting. The romance between the two leads was very lackluster and unoriginal. The art was good though. I simply wanted more from this graphic novel.

I am not much of a graphic novel reader, but I enjoyed this quick read. I have been a fan of Danielle Paige because of the Dorothy Must Die series, and I found this one to be fun as well. Mera is a warrior princess, but definitely more warrior. She is sent on a mission that she thinks will be easy; until she actually meets her target. Could he really be as nice as he seems? She has to decide how to proceed and how to make peace between her world and his.

Danielle Paige has quickly became one of my favorite authors after reading the Dorothy Must Die series. She did a great job with Mera! I enjoyed this book very much!

Loved this! I enjoyed learning Merra's story. I loved the independence and fire of Mera! I appreciated that she was not a damsel-in-distress. I liked that she wanted to price that she could rule on her own, although she was impulsive and hot-headed. This is a great intro for girls and women who like superheros and comic books. I'm impressed with with the writing and artwork. I hope there is more to come.

After seeing Mera in the recently released movie from this ocean world, this graphic novel enhanced my appreciation of the bravery and initiative of this DC character, who previously knew very little about. This storyline is different from the movie, but this will not surprise those who are familiar with the difference of stories in print and movie adaptations. . Mera’s attempts to fit into human society was hilarious and mellowed out the instances when she was thinking about her darkish plan to gain the marine throne. I liked the inclusion of supportive female friends from her ocean life as well as the contrast between Arthur, future Aquaman, and her manipulative suitor, Larken. Not surprising, Byrne’s marine scenes were my favorite with their delightful colors, contrast, and featured animals. I also loved the contrast of Mera’s well-known red hair against the mostly muted colors of each panel. Paige’s story should expand Mera’s fandom among teens.

I received an e-galley from the publisher through Netgalley.com.
My reviews for and opinions to publishers, authors, and review sources are my own and not related to my employer.

Soon to be published by DC Ink in April 2019, the 192 page graphic novel Mera is not my thing. It is the origins series of Mera and Aquaman. It is interesting, The art is good. The story is so generic. Nay… it was EXTREMELY generic.
You know, girl clashes with father over an issue. Dad says no, she does it anyway and falls in love with somebody. They all sort it out and live happily-ever-after. That sort of thing.
Although the title is MERA: Tidebreaker, this is far too wrapped up in Aquaman. It also has romance in it, which is weird. The story is hard to follow and I had difficulty in understanding the pictures in the action bits – which were all very few. Overall, I was disappointed as I think that Mera is cool… but she deserves so much better. I think that the ending was also pretty anticlimactic.
ISBN: 9781401283391
I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I was initially intrigued by the concept, and excited for a graphic novel by an author whose work I have enjoyed in the past, I was disappointed by this book.

The story line starts off pretty abruptly, and it takes a while to be understood. However, at that point it just becomes overly simplistic and kind of flatlines. I did not see much originality in this story that kept me engaged or excited. I think the concept is great, and the artwork was enjoyable. However, I think this story was too predicable, and it was just a somewhat unimaginative retelling of The Little Mermaid.

Princess Mera is sick of the patriarchal malarkey that rules her Kingdom of Xebel - where she's expected to be a lady, and nothing else. So when her fiance, not Mera, is given the task of going ashore and killing the prince of Atlantis, Mera is pissed. She is the superior warrior after all. So she takes matters into her own hands: she comes to our world to do the deed herself: kill Arthur, the half-human prince of Atlantis. Only Arthur turns out to be a pretty good dude. Should she go through with the assassination? I loved the illustrations and the color scheme - the story was alright, highly entertaining but as someone who only'd seen the movie Aquaman, I was a bit confused as to where this story fit into the timeline. Maybe it doesn't? Maybe this is its own thing? As it's own thing, it's still pretty awesome.

Fans of Aquaman and the other characters from his story will be happy to see more of Mera. In this title featuring her first meeting with Arthur Curry and her first visit to dry land. Fed up with her father's refusal to let her lead their people in the fight against Atlantis for Xebellian freedom, Mera decides to take matter into her own hands and assassinate the heir to the Atlantean throne. But is she cut out to be a villain and murderess?

Mera finds that many things are not what she expected - about life on land and about Arthur. As she struggles through various situations she learns more about life outside Xebel and about the young man she has come to kill. Readers get to hear her thoughts and doubts, her conversations with trusted friends back home, and to see her interactions with Arthur. The pent-up frustrations of a young princess sidelined by her father and the forces ruling their colony mesh with typical young adult angst and the drive to DO something, even if it might be the wrong thing. And her final choices set up the story to continue into the future of Atlantis and Aquaman.

The illustrations capture the fierce determination and vulnerability of Mera as she transitions from sea to land. They also show the complicated push & pull between the princess and Arthur. There are the beautiful details of Xebel in contrast to the rather seedy look of the waterfront town where the Curry family lives. The difference between Mera's relationship with her father and Arthur's relationship with his own dad come through visually and verbally.

A great read for anyone interested in the DC Universe, particularly the Justice League and Aquaman. But also fun for anyone who enjoys strong female characters and coming of age stories. (recommended for ages 13+)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing an advanced look at this graphic novel.

Kids who love graphic novels will want to read this book. Mera is a rebellious teen who wants things her way. Her father, on the other hand, wants her to follow his lead and be the princess he wants her to be.

With all the hype about Aquaman and the popularity of the author, Danielle Paige, this should be a very popular graphic novel.

I enjoyed it. Although a superhero comic, the story reminded a little of Romeo and Juliet, just with a happier ending. Not as good as other female centric comics but a good start. I think this one is a start of readers wanting to learn more about Mera.

I got swept into this one, especially in the beginning. The world underwater was dynamic and I enjoyed the political currents. Once Mera got onto land the story felt like it lost some of its steam. I appreciated that there were multiple characters who had conflicting desires, but ultimately it all got wrapped it way too quickly and neatly in a way that didn’t feel like it matched the actual level of conflicts in the story.

I did completely consume this one though and I love when a book can sweep me into another world. I’m curious to see what other folks think of this one.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not normally a graphic novel reader, but the intriguing cover and seeing author Danielle Paige’s name attached had me hooked. I was not disappointed. In fact, I’m ready for more. I was delightfully entertained by the story. It’s your classic rebel princess, Mera of Xebel, who learns the truth about herself and the world when she sees it through her own eyes. The character building of Mera is what I enjoyed most. She’s a kickass heroine trying to do what is right, yet vulnerably showing grief for her deceased mother.

The illustrations are stunning. The colors are subdued except for Mera’s hair, which pops its fiery red across the pages.

This graphic novel was well-illustrated and captured my interest within the first few pages. I like that it takes a different spin on "The Little Mermaid" story, but makes her a warrior who wants to fight for her kingdom instead of simply fall in love. The surprises in this novel are well-thought out and keep you turning the page to find out what will happen next.

I did, however, think that the end was a little rushed and would have liked to see it drawn out more, knowing the background of the two kingdoms. I would be interested to see what happens next in Mera's story though!

<b>DC Ink has requested a review embargo until the release date,</b> so check back in April for my thoughts!

Book review: Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige; illustrated by Stephen Byrne
Pub Date: 02 Apr 2019
Read courtesy of netgalley.com

Mera: Tidebreaker is an origin story of Mera and Aquaman. It says so on the back cover. Otherwise, I never would have known these characters already existed. I'm not a comic book hero follower, so this was a total introduction to these characters for me.

As a graphic novel, it fell a little flat. As others have opined, the romance developed too quickly in story form; although, I could see the foreshadowing of Mera being unable to fulfill her plan and to end up loving rather than hating her father's foe. That's part of the story's flaws, too; it was really a quite predictable story. But there was confusion, too; without background knowledge of the characters, I had to read others' reviews of the graphic novel to know that Xebel was a penal colony.

I was enthralled by the drawing, however. It's difficult to give the ocean a personality, and illustrator Stephen Byrne's portrayal of water was fantastic. On the other hand, his portrayal of Mera was inconsistent.

Because of the terse treatment of the plot, I don't know whether or not this would best be recommend to fans of DC Comics or to people who are newbies of the DC Comics franchise. Both might be disappointed.