Mera: Queen of Atlantis #2 Review

Down by the Seaside

Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: Lan Medina, Norm Rapmund, Veronica Gandini and Simon Bowland
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 28, 2018

The first issue surprised me with how much I liked it and it all comes down to one thing...Orm!!!  Yep, Ocean Master is back, his appearance fits nicely in from where we last saw him and he is a changed and better man.  Of course, the issue ended with Orm looking like he may be up to some "Ocean Mastering" and it's up in the air if that will be a good thing or a bad thing.  Do we find out which in this issue and was it good?  Let's find out...
The issue opens with the normal unknown narration while we see that Orm has left his new family and gone off to deal with personal matters.  We Continue with Dan Abnett giving newer readers a little catch-up through a dream that turns into a nightmare, but if you have been reading Aquaman this is just the start of an issue full of padding.  The two storylines do converge as Orm has gone to Amnesty Bay to visit Mera and find out the what's what.  Here we go!

As we continue, Abnett keeps playing a bit with Orm and I am not sure that I like the end result.  Last issue was set up to show an Orm who has learned a valuable life lesson and had chosen a life he never would have thought possible, let alone acceptable just a short time before.  We continue that with Mera and him talking...at first...until he loses his mind!  I'm pretty sure that most people are here for Mera and having Orm straight up attack her after hurling insults at her won't win many points for him and really, the rest of the issue is just that repeated over and over.  Throw in this impersonal (for now) narration that is guilty of telling over showing and this issue really felt like a letdown.

All is not lost, though, as the issue does a great job of showing new readers the awesome might of Ocean Master, sets up some of Orm and Mera's past and pushes forward with a conflict that will have to be resolved if Mera is to eventually get the title on the cover of this book.  Plus the issue ends with a little hope that Orm will actually come to his senses and stop being such a dick.

This is a very quick read and in a limited series like this, felt unnecessarily padded.  It all boils down to fighting and throwing shade, rinse repeat and end.  Lan Medina's art was fantastic and the whole art team came through big time and if that's good enough for you to shell out $3.99 then go for it.  If I was to read the writing on the wall after two issues, I'd say to just wait for the trade.

Bits and Pieces:

Dan Abnett gives us an action-packed fight-filled issue that is over way to quickly because not much happens.   Lan Medina and the art team make it all look great, but this kind of padding in a six-issue mini should never happen.  You can probably skip this one and jump back in with no problem next month or just trade wait on this series.

6.5/10