Ariel Must Find Compromise with Fathom Menace in Comic: Review

Outside of Hans Christian Anderson, mermaids were often feared creatures, as evidence in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Ariel’s curious eyes now come across her antagonistic mirror in Ariel’s Adventure Journal, new from Papercutz.

You could call it The Fathom Menace, as this is a story that starts with trade expansion. Prince Eric ships off to Greenland, to oversee the construction of a massive shipping port for the Kingdom of Denmark. Ariel gladly joins, looking to explore somewhere new, meeting the local Inuit who work at a small settlement. But lo and behold, there’s a mermaid colony led by an iron-fisted fish-tailed leader, who like her own father bans contact with humans.

Not only will the port change the unspoiled beauty of this part of Greenland, but the mermaid habitat. Ariel must find a way to resolve the conflict.

This mix of habitat conservation, Indigenous culture, and a crash course on Danish history is handled masterfully by Rhona Cleary. This story was first published in 2022 as Ariel’s Adventure Journal: the Curse of the Sea Witches, but like the others in the series, thankfully got a re-release.

All four books in the series are a delight in their own unique ways, and all provide meaty stories without intruding on established canon, or redirecting future storytelling.

Art in the book is by Valentina Brancati, who bring a slight tweak to the original character designs, while ultimately staying faithful. New characters fit in with the old, despite facial angles reminiscent of The Emperor’s New Groove. Brancati’s done character design for various feature animations, and was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids in 2022.

Yet another enjoyable read from this series. I can only hope that the reprint spurs more titles in this series.