Is there really enough space to do a proper re-imagining of a classic fairy tale set in yet another fantasy setting?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

The Little Mermaid arrives at the Center of the Ocean, only to find the Great Whorl as huge and terrifying as legend has it. But when the Little Mermaid dives to retrieve the mysterious Axis Mundi, she discovers something else that wants it even more. Warning: May contain romance, mutiny, and giant squid!

In the most basic sense what we have here is a love story wrapped up in a high seas adventure, that from the first page to the final panel is destined to pull you in.  There are certainly some pitfalls within the structure but for the most part the creative team delivers an engaging jaunt that’s worthy of your attention.

Matt Sturges pens the script and I have to say the scribe captures the basic elements of a naive protagonist while embracing some discriminating abilities in order to make our fish out of water a heroine worth following.  She’s not perfect but this little mermaid has a strong enough head on her shoulders to carry this narrative toward a predictable but nonetheless compelling cliffhanger.  I have to say I was impressed by the inclusion of the mysterious artifact, simply because the author never lost sight of the main character even as he embraced a hook of sorts that will serve little more than a plot device.

The art by Jean-Paul Deshong is heavily stylized as it evokes a free flowing world surrounded by both magic and water.  The depictions of the leads, monsters and the vessels in between suffered from some intentional deformities but for the most part I found the unique visualizations to be quite engrossing.  Overall the body of work contained within this comic is up to the task but there are some drawbacks as design choices birthed some truly confusing sequences.

Damsels: Mermaids #3 is a good comic that deserves to be on your pull-list whether you’re new to the franchise or not.  Recommended.

3.5/5