Aqua Leung

Aside from the fact that this adventure epic takes place under water, there are few surprises in the story of young Aqua, a boy prophesied to unite the seven seas and rule them all as king. Narrowly escaping the treacherous attack that killed both his parents, the anointed newborn is hidden with a family on land to grow up in safety. But the evil forces eventually track him down and murder his adoptive family. Returning to the sea as a boy, Aqua embarks on a series of battles, both internal and external, as he fights to embrace his destiny. The basic narrative borrows freely from both Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings mythology, but has its own touches, such as the giant turtle who narrates the tale. The impressive coloring adds a lush facet to the story, and Maybury's imaginative drawings mix manga and indie comics sensibilities. A gallery of pinups by a bevy of indie stars like Jeffrey Brown and James Kochalka adds to the feeling that this is the alterna-comics crowd's answer to widescreen epic fantasy. While there's a lot of verve and energy on display, the jumbled storytelling makes this saga hard to follow at times. (Apr.)