Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art by: Daniel Bayliss
Colors by: Rex Lokus
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: John Timms (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 14, 2026
Aquaman #13, by DC Comics on 1/13/26, splits focus between Aquaman's battle in the K.O. tournament and Mera's desperate defense of the underwater kingdoms against something far more sinister than Darkseid's coming.
First Impressions
The opening immediately establishes emotional weight by dropping readers into Mera's childhood memories in Xebel, a place marked by isolation and death. The present-day collision between Mera discovering an imposter claiming to be her while actual monsters multiply feels urgent and genuinely unsettling. The dual narrative structure works hard to make Mera's storyline feel just as consequential as Aquaman's tournament battles, and it mostly succeeds.
Recap
In the previous issue, Aquaman proved he could access godlike water control, freezing Hawkman solid by manipulating the water within his own body to win the K.O. battle. Arthur emerged from that battle transformed, tapping into something primordial and dangerous, but he's uncertain if he can control the chaotic power coursing through him or what comes next in the tournament.
Plot Analysis
The issue opens with memories of young Mera in Xebel, a hidden kingdom placed under an invisible barrier by Atlanteans as punishment, where only derelict ships and drowned bodies drift through. Present-day Mera returns home to find the kingdom devastated and Nereus, the Xebellian king, traumatized and ranting about a red-haired woman who looked exactly like her. Nereus reveals that this imposter arrived on ships from the surface, promised Xebel freedom and revenge against Atlantis, and distributed small pearls that transformed the Xebellians into Atlanteans before vanishing with them. Mera realizes something has happened to Atlantis as well, so she and Nereus work together to survive attacks from transformed soldiers, with Mera ultimately collapsing a ship's hull to escape and buy them time.
Back at the surface, Aquaman senses something is wrong with his connection to the ocean, but Mera assures him they can handle what's coming together. Meanwhile, Andrina leads ocean forces in a brutal attack against Parademons infesting Earth's waters, and she approaches the Hall of Kingdoms requesting aid from other underwater rulers. A mysterious woman with red hair and Mera's appearance demands fealty from the gathered kings, claiming she can give them their wildest dreams, but when the Brine King refuses, she reveals her true power and reveals herself as something far worse than an abomination. As Mera and Nereus journey to find where this imposter appeared, they discover a path leading to Xebel, and Mera remembers childhood moments with her father before the issue ends with an echo of "Mother" suggesting something deeply wrong.
Writing Quality
Jeremy Adams structures this issue as a three-act narrative that splits attention between underwater catastrophe and surface combat preparation, and while the pacing works, the dialogue sometimes leans too heavy on exposition. Nereus explaining what happened in Xebel feels functional rather than organic, though Adams compensates by grounding the explanation in genuine shock and trauma. The switching between timelines and locations moves quickly without losing the reader, and key emotional beats land hard, particularly Mera's recognition that the imposter looks identical to her. However, the mystery of who the red-haired woman is gets lost in the urgency of survival, and readers might wish for clearer hints about her identity or motivation. The hook at the end with "Mother" is effective, but it raises questions the issue doesn't prepare readers to answer.
Art Quality
Daniel Bayliss delivers strong character work and emotional clarity throughout, with particular strength in facial expressions that convey Mera's determination and Nereus's desperation. The memory sequences early in the issue feel appropriately hazy and dreamlike, contrasting effectively with the sharp, dynamic battle scenes of Andrina fighting Parademons. Rex Lokus's colors shift between the cooler blues of underwater settings and warmer, more violent reds during combat, which works well for mood distinction. However, the action sequences sometimes feel cramped; the Parademon battles read as a blur of tridents and screaming without the spatial clarity that makes superhero violence exciting. The page where Mera collapses the ship shows decent environmental storytelling, but the visual flow could be tighter. Bayliss shines brightest in quiet moments like Mera remembering her father's promise and the final panel with the mysterious woman.
Character Development
Mera emerges as the issue's strongest asset, balancing her role as a queen making split-second military decisions with her vulnerability as someone discovering her home has been utterly compromised. Her loyalty to Arthur despite her concerns feels earned, and her willingness to drag herself through literal danger to help Nereus shows her values clearly. Andrina's brutal efficiency in combat introduces questions about whether she's simply fierce or crossing into something darker, though the issue doesn't explore this enough to feel meaningful. Nereus functions primarily as a exposition device and victim, which limits his impact. The mysterious imposter works as a compelling threat because her connection to Mera creates immediate emotional stakes, though her characterization remains frustratingly vague. Arthur's brief appearance mostly serves as a reminder that he's somewhere else dealing with bigger problems, which undercuts the gravity of the underwater crisis.
Originality and Concept Execution
The core concept of a villain using a familiar face to manipulate entire kingdoms is well-trodden, but Adams ties it to Atlantean and Xebellian history in ways that feel specific to this comic's mythology. The idea that someone can transform entire populations through consumed pearls echoes body-horror concepts without fully committing to the body-horror elements that might make it more disturbing or memorable. The dual narrative of "while the king fights the gods, the queen fights to save what's left" works as thematic counterpoint, and the implication that this imposter might be a corrupted version of Mera or an alternate-timeline threat adds intrigue. However, the execution feels scattered; too many plot threads get introduced without enough payoff or clarity, leaving readers uncertain whether they're watching a mystery unfold or a setup for future issues.
Positives
The best thing Aquaman #13 does is make Mera a co-lead with genuine agency rather than a supporting character waiting for Arthur to solve everything. Mera's emotional journey from discovering her home is destroyed to taking charge of a desperate survival mission feels earned and earned, and her willingness to command other kingdoms shows her growth as a leader. The memory sequences effectively ground the Xebel setting in emotional history, making the present-day catastrophe feel like a personal violation rather than just another world-ending threat. Bayliss's work on character faces throughout this issue conveys fear, determination, and subtle shifts in temperament without relying on shouted dialogue, which is exactly what strong visual storytelling should do. The cliffhanger revelation of "Mother" is genuinely unsettling and promises that next issue will answer some serious questions about who this imposter really is.
Negatives
The issue's biggest weakness is narrative clarity; too many plot developments get introduced without enough breathing room to understand their implications. Readers get Xebellians transformed into Atlanteans, Parademons attacking Earth's oceans, mysterious red-haired imposters, Atlantis apparently damaged, and a cryptic "Mother" reference, all in roughly 20 pages, which feels overstuffed. The action sequences involving Parademons lack spatial composition and feel muddy compared to the clarity of the Mera and Nereus scenes, suggesting Bayliss works better in intimate moments than in combat. The mystery of the imposter's identity feels undercooked; she should feel more menacing or more specifically explained rather than just "red-haired woman who looks like Mera." Additionally, splitting the narrative between Aquaman's tournament and Mera's kingdom defense means neither story gets the page count it deserves, making both feel slightly rushed. The issue also doesn't establish clear stakes for why readers should care about kingdoms they've never seen before suddenly being threatened.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterThe Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity and Pacing): [2.5/4]Art Quality (Execution and Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality and Entertainment): [1/2]
Final Verdict
Aquaman #13 has the bones of a genuinely compelling story, with Mera stepping into her own spotlight and a mystery villain that promises real consequences for the underwater world. Unfortunately, the issue tries to juggle too many plot threads in too little space, leaving both the surface and undersea narratives feeling rushed and underdeveloped. If you're already invested in the K.O. crossover and Aquaman's mythology, this issue delivers enough forward momentum to justify picking it up.
6.5/10
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