This is a story that could have been really cool, but unfortunately is dragged down by a lot of different aspects. The writing is weak and incredibly stilted. The water theme is overplayed and nearly every page features some sort of water/ocean quip that feels forced. Dialogue just lacks any charisma or creativity; if feels like I’m reading a hasty draft for a fanfic. I know artwork is fairly subjective, but I thought the art style was weirdly cartoony. Body shapes looked distorted, and facial expressions were often just WEIRD.
Finally, the plot is just lackluster. It’s basic. It offers nothing fresh or exciting, which is annoying because it COULD have been such a fun story! I guess it was kinda funny at points, but that was just me laughing at the bad writing. Oh, and the Big Bad character? The one they make a huge deal about coming? Yeah, this character NEVER shows up. ( )

CW: a whole lotta homophobia from the antagonist in here, so be warned

Oh hey Aqualad!! (I mean technically...)

Anyhow - what an unexpectedly sweet story about love and friendship and coming out. I loved the colors here (though at times some of the panels confused me as they would switch angles suddenly) and enjoyed how clueless Jake is (seriously he's narrating how great it is to have a friend like Maria who is putting moves on him constantly and every panel is her frustration at his complete obliviousness).

Honestly though we could have done without the bullies - Jake had more than enough to deal with between Maria, his college application, Kenny, his mom and his burgeoning powers. Dude didn't need homophonic bullies too. ( )

Such a sweet, beautiful story on a kore muted superhero scale. ( )

Okay I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The characters were wonderful. I loved the plot of the story. The story moved nicely and wasn't to fast or to slow. I hope there will be more stories with these characters. ( )

You Brought Me The Ocean is an amazing story set in the DC universe. Jake is a Black teen who struggles with his identity, dreaming of being a marine biologist in the New Mexico dessert. He wants to go to a college on the coast, but his mother and best friend are holding him in the stifling dessert. On top of this, he struggles with feelings for Kenny, the popular swimmer at school. The comic is the story of Jake learning about himself and being honest with what he feels and what he wants; the identity of his father, his magical powers, his feelings for another boy, all in a beautifully heartbreaking package. And don't worry, it has a happy ending.

Even though it wouldn't make a great read aloud as a comic book, this would be a great addition to a classroom bookshelf. Sexuality, deciding about the future, problems with friends, not knowing who you are; these are all issues middle level students can experience, and the incorporation of the superhero aspect could interest students who don't particularly care to read. With the aspect of water, marine biology, eco systems, and fish in the story, it has strong ties to the Science curriculum. ( )