Mera truly takes control!
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Mirka Andolfo
Colors: J. Nanjan
What They Say:
Aquawoman and Supergirl fend off an attack from a giant, demonic squid while Stargirl learns an upsetting truth about her biological father.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The DC Comics Bombshells series has been on a roll for pretty much its entire run with only a couple of minor deviations that didn’t do too much for me overall. While I enjoyed the whole Batgirl arc and what it did, it wasn’t something that captivates me like this arc is currently doing – even though they largely are telling the same story. While we saw the Batgirls take control of their destiny, we’re getting that again here with Mera as she talks about who it is that narrates the story of her life. It’s an important message to be sure and Bennett weaves it into the story well without making it seem like it’s a message of the day or something last minute little add on piece. It’s very much at the core of things and for someone like Mera, and Courtney here as well, it’s the kind of defining moment that they need to truly chart the course of their lives.
Courtney’s story carries into this installment and you really do have to feel for her with what she goes through as Whitmore works to protect her. It’s very much of the time, and of the mind of many parents, but it’s hard to take him too seriously considering he only just got her back into his presence. But he has that kind of elite personality and position who always gets his way, hence Nygma making sure that Courtney is tucked safely away where she can just enjoy life without any worries. But for Courtney, she’s struggling not only with what Whitmore is doing but also what she herself did to Kara, coming to the realization that it was she who wanted adventure and Kara who just wanted to be with her in the world. There are some important flashback moments here that really do enhance the pairs relationship and it reinforces why Courtney will go the distance she does.
Mera and Kara’s story follows up from the previous issue as well as they deal with the mines in the bay and discover that Nereus is orchestrating all of this in an attempt to bring Mera back to Atlantis. This has Kara questioning what it was that Mera has been telling them all this time, but she makes it clear it’s how she’s viewed what she’s done as opposed to Nereus’ view of it all. The Atlantis side is intriguing as we learn that the king has aligned with the Tenebrae, citing their both being superior to humanity, and that looks to alter the scope of the war to some degree as well. There’s a lot of action to it all but it’s well tied to the dialogue that Mera and Nereus have with each other and as Kara copes with the underwater fighting aspect. It builds well here but it’s what Mera talks about throughout that sells it since she takes ownership of her other path, providing a solid complement to what we see with Courtney’s story.
In Summary:
The Bombshells series continues to be a real delight and one of the biggest highlights of my reading list every week. This issue is pretty much on par with last week’s in what it delivers and I’m loving it. Mera’s storyline is exactly what I want out of her and it feels like the character is finally getting the kind of proper characterization and exposure that she’s struggled to get over the decades. Combining her with Kara her works well and I’m definitely enjoying seeing Courtney’s storyline where she’s going to really take ownership of her own life path now. Very good stuff all around and made even more awesome this week with Mirka Andolfo’s artwork. Andolfo continues to deliver some of my favorite installments of the series with the character designs and layouts and this one is absolutely no exception, resulting in a fantastic read through the first time and a very fun exploration of the artwork and details the second time around.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 7th, 2016
MSRP: $0.99
