The Last Mermaid #1: A So-fish-ticated Tale

Sometimes in life, the thing you are most passionate about is the thing you are meant to do, and Derek Kirk Kim is a perfect example of this. After a decade, Kim has made an epic return to the comic world following his life-long love for comics. The Last Mermaid #1, with story and art by Derek Kirk Kim, is an absolutely spectacular work of art. Opening in a desolate post-apocalyptic San Francisco, this first issue introduces an unnamed mermaid and her axolotl companion, Lottie. The pair live in a machine suit filled with water that converts from a buggy to a Transformers-esque body suit. These first pages immediately bring the reader into the world our protagonist lives in as Kim’s stunning artwork exemplifies a desert wasteland. The warm yellows and red of the sandy environment are juxtaposed by the cool blue and silver of the unnamed mermaid’s enclosure. These gorgeous visuals alone give the essence of the story- our protagonist is the last cool-toned visual in the story, she is the last mermaid. Kim’s incredible imagination also offers a fresh take on the idea of a mermaid, as our protagonist lives in a dry desert world, relying solely on the machine suit she lives in. The harsh contrast of the ethereal mermaid and the metal suit is an incredible visual.

Immediately demonstrating the stakes of the world our protagonist lives in, the unnamed mermaid and Lottie must find a source of water to refill their enclosure as the current water toxicity levels are rising. As the pair explore the deserted landscape, we see just how desolate this world is. There are little to no signs of water or life, adding to the suspense of their survival mission. During this sequence, we get a glimpse of the series’ possible main villain: a cloaked figure armed with a staff.  Remarkably, Kim is able to create well-rounded character personalities and relationships with a single issue and limited dialogue. By balancing the low-survival possibility with lighthearted quips, Kim creates thought-out and grounded characters. The unnamed mermaid and Lottie feel like life-long companions and are characters the reader grows to care about.

This issue is best described as mermaids meets Dune and Wall-E. The story feels like a subtle commentary on the current environmental state of the world. The lack of water and life in this world feels like a foreboding for what is to come with climate change. I am excited to see how this story progresses and to learn more about this world and its characters and creatures.