DC Comics Review: Aquaman #6

If you checked your store shelves for an image of Aquaman to be on the cover, you were probably having a rough time. That is because this issue has Mera on the cover, and the entire issue about Mera. That's right- Mera. Not Aquaman, but Mera.

And you know what? I'm okay with that.

Issue number 6 gives insight to what Mera can do as part of DC's new 52. Being a new DC comic reader, I don't know who Mera is or who she was. So as of the New 52, she's a certified bad-ass to me! So far, she's only followed Aquaman around like a dog, and aside from combat and some confusing action artwork, we really don't get a scope of what she can do that makes her impressive.

Or, maybe you're an excellent reader and you know her full arsenal. Regardless, I read this issue and I was impressed. Apparently, she has 100% control over sources of water. We're talking like a Water Magneto!

SPOILERS BELOW

The issue starts off  weird, and I say weird because she tells her father Aquaman will die. It gets you curious right away, because for the first five issues of this series the two have been a couple. When I read that, I was in awe. And mind you, she says this to her father in the tone that says she will be the cause of his death.

So if you read issue number 5, it left you with Aquaman finding out that Mera had left to get some dog food. At that point, you didn't know- was it an excuse? Was it their shadiness? Was she coming back? Well, now you know, she really was getting dog food.

This issue takes place over 3 locations, the store where the dog food is sold, a random civilian home, and the lighthouse.

At the store, Mera is introduced to an aggressive store owner who touches her inappropriately. She doesn't like it, in fact she finds it insulting. She had witnessed him inappropriately touching his employee and has a thing for the mistreatment of women. She ends up breaking his arm. In addition to the chaos that erupts from other customers because of this, the cops arrive and make the mistake of raising a gun to her. Her first act of awesomeness comes up- she uses her power to pull the water from nearby water bottles and retaliate. After a small scuffle, she ends up going freely in their police vehicle.

As the vehicle drives, they drive past a hostage situation, where a man has been holding his daughter hostage. Upset at the mistreatment of women again, she gets out of the vehicle despite the cops' request not to, and approaches the man. She sticks her hands out, and controls the fluid in his body.

She begins torturing him, pulling the water out slowly, exclaiming that he will be feeling dry, followed by how it would feel after time had elapsed, and up until a point where dehydration would just outright kill him. The daughter stops Mera before this, telling her "It's still my dad".

Mera leaves the scene for the lighthouse, where the employee arrives. She brings Mera dog food for the dog, and Mera makes the decision that all humans aren't so bad after all.

Our final panel shows Aquaman finding Mera, and telling her that Dr Shin so he can tell them who sunk Atlantis.

Geoff Johns is an amazing writer, and I would pick this book up on principle. If you haven't grabbed the first 5 issues, grab them too. This is a great series, and the direction they're taking has so many routes available. I would highly suggest keeping on top of them.