Mera, Queen of Atlantis (DC)

[shevek]

Only a couple months after Amber Heard debuted a very sexy and powerful Mera on the movie screen during about two minutes of the Justice League movie....Mera, Queen of Atlantis, finally gets her own headlining comic book series for the very first time.

So far from what I've seen of it, there is action and the usual underwater political intrigue, and a villain who has the same powers as she does (hydrokinesis). But most importantly, writer Dan Abnett shows how to write a beautiful, powerful female character without any social-justice nonsense. Amazing Australian artist Nicola Scott (who was on Wonder Woman for a time, and does the black-and-white comic Black Magick, about a witch who works for a police dept, for Image) hits a home run in the cover art department, and Lan Medina does the inside, making Mera look fierce and strong and insanely hot-looking at all times. Stanley "Artgerm" does his part, too, with his usual "soft focus" alternate-cover style like he did last year for Supergirl. So far, kudos all around from what I've read and heard.

The moment this comes out in TPB I'm buying it! If you can't wait, scoop up #1 right now, it's out. Can't wait to see an increase in Mera cosplays. Just one of the sexiest characters in the DC universe and so quietly underserved (as is Aquaman himself, so we're not talking sexism so much as 'racism' against merpeople, maybe).

Nicola Scott

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Stanley Artgerm

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[Dazzle1]

Mera has undergone as many changes as her husband. from a Lois Lain version to his wife to estranged wife(Obsidian order)

[shevek]

Well, sure, she changes with the times like any other hero character. But the current version hasn't been SJW-ized: forced to be lesbian or Person of Colour or genderfluid or suffering from PTSD. She doesn't fight alt-righters or Nazis or Trump or make unsolicited comments about Israel or constantly rescue immigrants and refugees. She started out as a sexy mermaid helpmeet for Aquaman and now she has come into her own as a super sexy powerful Yass Queen Slayer, which is cool beans.

But what you say about the changes in Aquaman and Mera may be true - if the artists keep changing how they look over the years, it's hard for an audience to stay with them or to have an iconic grasp of what they look like. But with Jason Momoa and Amber Heard in the Justice League movie, this may be about to change and help to standardize their appearance.

I still think, though, there's something to the 'racism against Merpeople' scenario: Namor (and Namora, Namorita etc.) and his whole submarine crew gets equally underserved in the Marvel universe (I mean, throughout the Avengers movies you wonder where the hell the Atlanteans are when the Earth is in danger!).... and even the super-hot Aspen (Fathom, from the titular Aspen Comics) of the underwater Blue race isn't as popular as she should be - I would have expected an Aspen movie by now, like Baywatch with superpowers or something. Yet nobody has even portrayed Namor onscreen yet.

Imperius Rex dammit!

[shevek]

In issue #2 - the power of Ocean Master! the peril of Mera! a comic book battle with no politics in sight. Huzzah! Buy this book all day, people.

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[shevek]

Just topping this thread to say that I got the Mera TPB of the mini-series (her story is then continued in the Aquaman book).
And I can't recommend it enough. Lan Medina's art is tremendous. It is difficult to think of a sexier costume worn by a major female comic book character right now than the Mera suit (and that includes Wonder Woman).

The twists and turns of what happens to Mera in this series indicates that she is a complex heroine and never treated like a Mary Sue, although she is always considered to be powerful and a skilled warrior.
If you get one DC graphic novel right now, and you can tear yourself away from Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman or Batgirl, then get this one!!

Please, 2019 Comicons, I beg of you, let us have lots of Mera cosplay by amazing redheads. Amen and amen.