Image Comics have announced they will publish writer/artist Afua Richardson’s “Aquarius: The Book of Mer,” a quarterly fantasy series beginning this May. A reimagining of mermaid myths and legends from around the world, the book takes place in Harlem in 1983, and centers on Astara, who is haunted by dreams of a lake, “visions of Ancestors, monsters, and Merfolk. What will she sacrifice to finally have peace?”
“I like to look into the origins of things and find what is knowable of our history, philosophy, and metaphors that may represent natural phenomena,” Richardson told ComicBook.com. “When looking into the origins of mermaids there seemed to be such a vast culture stretching everywhere I looked. Each land having a flood myth with common themes of half-human, half-aquatic beings that pulled on the strings of nature and the emotions of humans. Where did it come from? What were their names and characteristics? It’s so easy to find what separates us these days. Leave it up to legend to reveal the rivers of our mythologies share a common source of inspiration.”
“Aquarius: The Book of Mer” #1 will be 48 pages long, and be released in comic book stores and online on Wednesday, May 19. The comic will come with Cover B by David Mack; there will also be music released to accompany the series, a demo of which can be found on Richardson’s website.
