Mera goes to town to buy some dog food, gets fondled by a grocery store employee, breaks his arm, then captures a murderer. In addition, Mera's past and connection to Aquaman is revealed.
The Good
So why is Mera with Arthur? Well, (spoiler) her father hired her to kill him, but she later realized that Arthur is not a threat. We've seen this plot before in the DCU prior to New 52, but it works, and I'm glad to see they're doing it again.
This issue solidifies Mera as an awesome, take-no-crap from anyone, character. She really stands out from Arthur as a strong, independent character that isn't just arm candy for Aquaman. In fact, you could make a good argument that she is in fact more powerful than Aquaman. We get a great showcase of her powers in this issue. She can control water, much in the way that Aquaman used to be able to with his water hand. This includes being able to suck water from people's bodies.
On that note, I was a bit weary on whether or not Mera could hold her own for a single issue, and it feels a bit weird saying this, but if Johns was writing it, I'd read a Mera mini-series or even an on-going series. She's really come a long way in these 6 issues, and she's just as important to this book for me as Aquaman is. I love her "take no prisoners" attitude and the lack of understanding she has for humans, yet she's very lawful and respects authority.
The Bad
Totally not digging the art here. Joe Prado fills in for Ivan Reis, who plotted the issue. My biggest concern with the art is that the faces get a little bit "weird" at times. By weird, I mean eyes are on people's foreheads, the actual face is too big for the head, and characters don't look like themselves. It's very distracting, and while the art, overall, isn't bad, the face distortion is incredibly distracting.
The Verdict
Super awesome! Aside from my problems with the art, Aquaman continues to be one of my favorite books of the new 52. This issue was all about Mera and storywise, it is just as good, if not better than the rest of the series. It's so good and Mera is such a stand-out character that I'd love to read a Mera mini-series, as long as Johns or someone just as awesome is writing it. We get a feel for the new Mera and get to see just how powerful she truly is. I highly recommend this issue and series!