{"id":33070,"date":"2025-06-10T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T08:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33070"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:51:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T16:51:37","slug":"you-brought-me-the-ocean-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/06\/10\/you-brought-me-the-ocean-2\/","title":{"rendered":"You Brought Me the Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Alex Sanchez<\/strong>, Julie Maroh<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-9081-8 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

In recent years DC opened up its shared superhero universe to include Original Graphic Novels featuring many of its stars in stand-alone(ish) adventures for the demographic clumsily dubbed Young Adult. To date, results have been rather hit or miss, but when they\u2019re good they are very good indeed.<\/p>\n

You Brought Me the Ocean<\/strong> reinterprets the origin of a modern day Aqualad<\/strong>, concentrating on the comic book character\u2019s Gay credentials rather than his costumed career. Crafted by Alex Sanchez (Rainbow Boys<\/strong>; So Hard to Say<\/strong>; The God Box<\/strong>; The Greatest Superpower<\/strong>) and Julie Maroh (Blue is the Warmest Color<\/strong>; Body Music<\/strong>), this dreamily-rendered, salty sea tale details the graduation year of High School student Jake Hyde<\/em>. He lives in the driest part of New Mexico but constantly dreams of deep-sea kingdoms and fantastic marine adventure…<\/p>\n

His mother is a perpetual worrier: an uber\/tiger mom always telling him to eat properly, dress appropriately and stay hydrated. Ironically though, ever since his all-but-forgotten dad drowned years ago, she has never let him near large bodies of water or even allowed him to swim…
\n\"\"
\nAlways a loner by instinct, Jake\u2019s absolute best friend in the one-horse town of Truth or Consequences (formerly Hot Springs, NM) is Maria Mendez<\/em>. She has already mapped out their future together and has no idea he yearns for the nautical life or that he has already applied to University of Miami to study Oceanography…<\/p>\n

The Mendez\u2019s are neighbours and a second family; far more amenable to Jake\u2019s aspirations of leaving New Mexico, even as his own mother shuts down every attempt to discuss the issue. She\u2019s more concerned with why Jake and Maria haven\u2019t started dating yet. Sadly, Jake has never – ever – thought of her that<\/em> way, and has resigned himself to going it alone if he wants to realise his ambitions.<\/p>\n

One day, things change dramatically as Jake suddenly notices class rebel Kenny Liu<\/em>. He\u2019s known the strange, outspoken outsider since Middle School, but always stayed well away, painfully aware of the target the outsider\u2019s actions made him. Now though, the bully-defying, openly-Gay swim team star athlete seems irresistibly fascinating…
\n\"\"
\nAnd apparently, the interest is mutual…<\/p>\n

Life changes forever when Jake agrees to accompany Kenny on a hike into the desert. The far more mature misfit has plenty of solid advice – on Maria, leaving town and life choices – but all that is forgotten when a sudden flash-flood interrupts their first kiss and activates tattoo-like birthmarks all over Jake\u2019s body. Suddenly, he starts to glow and project water-warping energies…<\/p>\n

With Jake\u2019s world suddenly shaken to flotsam and jetsam, shock follows shock and calamity arrives in its wake. Jake\u2019s attempts to explore his sexuality bring crushing heartbreak and chaos, but even that agony is dwarfed when he comes out to his mom and learns the truth about his father, how he\u2019s connected to superhero Aquaman<\/strong> and one of the most dangerous supervillains on Earth…<\/p>\n

Moreover, in the throes of such astounding revelations and an irresistible attraction, it\u2019s too easy to forget that not only metahuman maniacs respond with bigotry and mindless violence to what they deem \u201cunnatural\u201d…
\n\"\"
\nA truly magical treatment exploring the processes of coming out and finding yourself, deftly cloaked in the shiny trappings of costumed heroics, the search for belonging and teen feelings of alienation, You Brought Me the Ocean<\/strong> is an intriguing tale to warm the heart and comes with a contact page detailing Resources<\/em> available to those affected by the issues explored herein; personal messages from Sanchez & Maroh and an extensive section of designs and drawings from the illustrator\u2019s Sketchbook<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A true triumph of inclusive entertainment that has stood the test of time, You Brought Me the Ocean<\/strong> is a modern classic you must read and should share.
\n\u00a9 2020 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alex Sanchez, Julie Maroh & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-9081-8 (TPB\/Digital edition) In recent years DC opened up its shared superhero universe to include Original Graphic Novels featuring many of its stars in stand-alone(ish) adventures for the demographic clumsily dubbed Young Adult. To date, results have been rather hit or miss, but when they\u2019re … <\/p>\n

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