DC Comics joins forces with YA Authors for 2 New Imprints

[lordultimus]

source: nytimes.com
EDIT: new info from newsarama.com





This fall, DC Comics will launch a pair of new imprints aimed at younger readers: DC Zoom geared towards middle school readers, and DC Ink meant for young adult readers.

“We wanted to go back to what we used to have in comic books: story arcs for younger readers,” DC Vice President Bobbie Chase told the New York Times. Chase will serve as Executive Editor for both lines.

DC Ink will launch with two graphic novels - a Harley Quinn story by She-Hulk writer Mariko Tamaki with art from Animal Man's Steve Pugh, and one focused on Mera by author Danielle Paige with no artist yet attached.



Both imprints will focus on bringing in established Young Adult authors such as Speak's Laurie Halse Anderson, Melissa de la Cruz of the Descendants series, TombQuest author Michael Northrop, and Ridley Pearson of the Kingdom Keepers series.

Pearson will author a Super Sons graphic novel. Additionally, New Super Man and the Justice League of China writer Gene Luen Yang will author a graphic novel entitled Superman Smashes the Klan, presumably related to the real story of the Superman radio show raising awareness and opposition to the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s. No projects for the other named authors have been announced.

DC Zoom's OGNs will feature soft covers, and cost $9.99 for 128 pages. “They are character studies, not necessarily superhero stories,” explained Chase. DC Ink's offerings will weigh in at 192 pages for $16.99. The stories will not be tied to mainstream continuity.

EDIT: Full list of creators and titles:

DC Ink:
BATMAN: GOTHAM HIGH – Melissa de la Cruz (ALEX & ELIZA, BLUE BLOODS series, WITCHES OF EAST END series)
BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER – THE GRAPHIC NOVEL – Marie Lu (LEGEND series)
TEEN TITANS – Kami Garcia (BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series)
UNDER THE MOON: A CATWOMAN TALE – Lauren Myracle (INTERNET GIRLS series, KISSING KATE)
WONDER WOMAN: TEMPEST TOSSED – Laurie Halse Anderson (SPEAK and CHAINS)

DC Zoom:
BATMAN TALES: ONCE UPON A CRIME – writer and artist: Derek Fridolfs, Dustin Nguyen (BATMAN: LI’L GOTHAM) BATMAN: OVERDRIVE – Shea Fontana (DC SUPER HERO GIRLS series)
BLACK CANARY: IGNITE – Meg Cabot (THE PRINCESS DIARIES series)
DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE – Michael Northrop (TOMBQUEST series)
GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY – Minh Lê (DRAWN TOGETHER)
SUPER SONS – Ridley Pearson (KINGDOM KEEPERS series)
SUPERMAN OF SMALLVILLE – writer and artist: Art Baltazar & Franco (TINY TITANS)
SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN – Gene Yang (AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER series, NEW SUPER-MAN), will be released as periodicals first, then collected

Comments

[zachbeacon]

I'm not saying this can't work but it's weird that DC would copy one of Marvel's most recent failures. I mean, Marvel had RL Stein and that didn't exactly set the world on fire.

(Insert "those who know fear..." joke here.)

And bringing up America just feels like beating a dead horse at this point.

[q99]

RL Stein isn't really part of the YA graphic novel bunch like some of these are and have had success with, though.

It should be noted that the biggest graphic novels of the last decade are *by far* YA ones. Raina Telgemeie dominated the NY Times graphic novel section to a hilarious extent.

[zachbeacon]

I missed that these were YA cartoonists as opposed to YA novelists trying a hand at comics. Yeah, if you're going that route then get Telgemeier.

It just seems a waste of time and resources to get someone who just came off an underwhelming She-Hulk run instead.

[q99]

Honestly it looks like a mix- the novelists I'm more unsure of, but Gene Luen Yang is a YA comicer.

Oh, and to clarify, they don't have Telgemeier, but they're after the slice of market she's done so well in.

[astrakhan42]

No matter what else, I'm looking forward to Superman Smashes The Klan. They should tap Gene Luen Yang to bring back the JSA.

[mastermahan]

"Shadow Hero" showed Gene Luen Yang knows how to revive a Golden Age character and make them great, so yeah, I would read the hell out of his JSA.

I'm down for Superman Smashes the Klan too.

[q99]

Sounds like a good idea, hope it works!

[icon_uk]

I'm really hoping this pays off for them,

[shakalooloo]

Those are some good price points for the page counts - I'm assuming they're going to be manga-sized?

[philippos42]

How long has Bobbie Chase been at DC?

(I remember her as the editor of Marvel's G.I. Joe comics, when I was a kid.)