Picture this establishing shot in the opening scene of a movie: A howling wind blows across miles of sand dunes. Its towers partially 
crumbled, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco stands amidst this sandy wasteland. A lone mermaid glides by to some unknown destination. Thus begins the dystopian saga of Derek Kirk Kim’s (Same Difference and Other Stories, The Eternal Smile) The Last Mermaid, a story set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world plagued by desolation shrouded in mystery and adventure.
The story begins with a solitary mermaid accompanied by a tiny salamander-looking companion named Lottie who stays by her side. Driven by a memory from her late mother, she presses onwards in search of a legendary silver trident that points to home, “where the water stretches to the horizon in every direction as far as the eye can see.” Stepping into a transformable robot suit, she learns that the suit is rapidly draining power while toxic levels in the water rise. How long will they survive? Pan over to another angle, and a lone figure, cloak billowing in the wind, stands atop the bridge, eyeing the mermaid and her faithful companion. Is he a threat or an ally? Meanwhile, predatory cyborg creatures and cannibalistic monsters lurk about the rough terrain of this strange and bizarre land, wreaking destruction in their wake.
His first graphic novel in a decade, Derek Kirk Kim conjures up a dystopian fantasy that delves into uncharted waters toward an uncertain future. Numerous wordless panels propel the plot forward against the lush background of sprawling desert wastelands saturated in rusted orange juxtaposed by the light turquoise hues underneath the ocean waters, exuding the sea-like ambience of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and scorched deserts of Frank Herbert’s Dune. The manga-like mecha and its versatile transformation from a walking robot to a motor vehicle by which the mermaid travels adds a unique flair to this cinematically rendered, stroboscopic panel-sequencing story. Survival and the quest to finding a way home is fueled by a tinge of hope that resonates in the balance.
Stunning artwork transports readers into an immersive world within the open pages of this dystopian saga. The back matter features a gallery of character designs and concept artwork from a variety of artists with varied takes on the book’s characters. Collecting the first six issues, this volume sets the stage that pulls readers into a ravaged world populated by mutant nightmares and unforeseen dangers. As the introductory arc to a larger story, The Last Mermaid will expand the imaginative breadth of science fiction narratives for both older teen and adult graphic novel collections.
The Last Mermaid, Book 01
By Derek Kirk Kim
Image, 2024
ISBN: 9781534359215
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Korean-American,
