DC Comics has released a trailer for the forthcoming Mera: Tidebreaker graphic novel. The initial offering from the publisher’s DC Ink young adult readers imprint, the book is written by Danielle Paige and drawn by Stephen Byrne. The graphic novel reimagines Mera as an assassin sent to kill Arthur, the king of Atlantis, as part of a civil war between Atlantis and Mera’s home of Xebel. Complications arise when Mera unexpectedly falls in love with Arthur. Check out the trailer:

It’s a slick trailer, and another sign of the resources DC is putting behind promoting the Ink and Zoom imprints. It was revealed at the recent ComicsPro retailer summit that DC had already made some cuts to their publishing line over the past year to make room for the new imprints. Here’s hoping the initiative pays off.

The full press release that accompanied the trailer is below. Mera: Tidebreaker is due in comic shops on March 27th, and everywhere else on April 2nd.

BURBANK, CA – (Feb. 28, 2019) – DC’s highly anticipated young adult publishing line, DC Inklaunches April 2, 2019 with the release of Mera: Tidebreaker, and today, DC released an exciting new trailer for the upcoming graphic novel.

Known for her acclaimed re-imaginations of well-known characters in the bestselling series Dorothy Must Die and Stealing Snow, Danielle Paige brings her signature storytelling to the DC universe in her first graphic novel, transforming one of DC’s most popular characters into a fiery teenager who may look like a princess but is no one’s damsel in distress.

“I am so excited for everyone who doesn’t know Mera to get to know her!” exclaimed Paige. “Mera has her own epic saga which begins long before she meets Aquaman. In Mera: Tidebreakerwe follow Mera from her warrior princess beginnings to her not-so-cute meet with Arthur Curry a.k.a. Aquaman. Mera is poised to kill Arthur, only to find that her mission is complicated by the feelings she begins to develop for the future king. Drawn by the incredible artist Stephen Byrne and beautifully colored by David Calderon, Mera has to choose between duty or love…and possibly stop a war.”

Paige is joined by fan-favorite artist Stephen Byrne, whose most recent credits include DC’s popular Wonder Twins series, part of the Wonder Comics imprint curated by bestselling writer Brian Michael Bendis.

“I am so honored to be a part of the DC Ink line, among a group of insanely talented creators,” said Byrne. “I hope this line exposes a whole new audience to the magic of comic books. Danielle is an incredible collaborator with a unique vision for this character, and she has created a version of Mera and Arthur that I think younger audiences will love.  I also want to say a special thanks to colorist David Calderon for his beautiful color palettes, which really bring this book to life and make it feel unlike anything else out there on the shelves.”

Already lauded by Publisher’s WeeklyKirkus ReviewsBooklist and School Library Journal, Mera: Tidebreaker is an empowering and timely coming-of-age tale for today’s teen, exploring such powerful themes as female equality, activism, social justice and self-discovery.

For a sneak peek at the upcoming graphic novel, see trailer here and synopsis below.

Princess Mera is teenage royalty and heir to the throne of Xebel, a penal colony ruled by Atlantis. Her father and the entire kingdom are expecting her to marry and introduce a new king. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown.

When the Xebellian military plots to overthrow Atlantis and break free of its oppressive regime, Mera seizes the opportunity to take control of her own destiny by assassinating Arthur Curry—the long-lost prince and heir to the kingdom of Atlantis. But her mission gets sidetracked when Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love. Will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera’s side, or will he die under her blade as she attempts to free her people from persecution? Mera is forced to choose between following her heart and her mission to kill.

Mera: Tidebreaker is available to preorder now and will hit stores everywhere books are sold on April 2, 2019.

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About Danielle Paige

Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series and the Stealing Snow series. In addition to writing young adult books, she has worked in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.

About Stephen Byrne

Stephen Byrne was born in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied at the Irish School of Animation. He has worked in Ireland and the United States in the fields of animation, TV advertising, satirical newspaper cartoons, and video games. He now lives in London, where he works on his true passion, comics.

About DC Ink

DC Ink is a new young adult graphic novel line from DC. The line will introduce DC’s most iconic Super Heroes to a new generation of fans with stories told by some of the most successful authors from the young adult publishing space. DC Ink titles will be standalone stories, not part of DC’s ongoing continuity, and completely accessible to new readers who have no previous knowledge of DC characters. The line will launch in April 2019 with the release of Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige and Stephen Byrne, followed by Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle and Isaac Goodhart in May, Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo in July, and more titles to be announced.