You Brought Me the Ocean

You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh is set in the DC universe but is a side plot. At first glance it's like a graphic novel reimagining of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz set in a world where it's possible to see Superman flying across the horizon, or to see news reports about superheroes. http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review A fun new retelling of Aqualad. The art was sketchy and had character and there was wonderful POC representation. The storyline was a little cliche and quick for my taste but it gets the job done. I like the inclusion of other superheroes (like Aquaman and Superman) from the DC universe to buff up the lore. Hopefully we'll be seeing more about Jake, Maria, and Kenny!

Thank you to DC Ink for providing me with a copy of You Brought Me the Ocean in exchange for an honest review! You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez is an Aqualad novel. This graphic novel tells the tale of Jake who absolutely loves the ocean, but has an overprotective mother who tells him to stay away. Jake believes the reason she doesn’t want him near the ocean is due to his father drowning. He later discovers that this is not necessarily the truth. Unlike most of DC Ink’s graphic novels, this one isn’t action-packed. In fact, Jake never physically comes across a supervillain — okay, kind of, but not? Hashtag spoilers. Instead, You Brought Me the Ocean focuses on a story of friendship and figuring out who you are. Jake has a best friend, Maria, who’s known him since their childhood days & Maria has a thing for him. However, Jake has a secret — he’s gay. He doesn’t really get to explore his sexuality until he starts hanging out with another student named Kenny; something he keeps secret from Maria. Black Manta, Aquaman’s supervillain enemy, is referred to a few times in You Brought Me the Ocean. But the villains in this graphic novel are a bit smaller than him — & honestly, even scarier because they are hella homophobic humans. This group of bullies attack Jake and Kenny and, at points of the story, declare “kill the queers.” All-in-All, You Brought Me the Ocean is such an important story for young readers, especially those who are coming to terms with who they are.