Parent company | DC Comics |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Predecessor | DC Zoom (2018–2019) |
Founded | 2020 |
Founder | Michele R. Wells [1] |
Country of origin | United States |
Headquarters location | New York City |
Publication types | Graphic novel, one-shot comics |
Fiction genres | |
Official website | dccomics.com/GraphicNovelsForKids |
DC Graphic Novels for Kids, formerly known as DC Zoom, is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics consisting of original one-shots and reprints of books previously published under other imprints. The imprint intends to present traditional DC Universe characters for middle-grade readers. [2] The first title of the DC Zoom imprint, DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis was published on September 26, 2018. Black Canary: Ignite and Super Sons Book Two: The Foxglove Mission were the last titles to be published under DC Ink. Diana: Princess of the Amazons, the first title of DC Graphic Novels for Kids, was published on January 7, 2020. The first reprint, DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science was published on July 14, 2020.
In 2017, DC Comics announced that a new untitled young readers imprint would launch in 2018. [3] Abraham Riesman, for Vulture , highlighted a shift in audience for graphic novels that didn't have to do with either Marvel or DC Comics; Riesman wrote that "shift was the result of decisions made by librarians, teachers, kids'-book publishers, and people born after the year 2000. Abruptly, the most important sector in the world of sequential art has become graphic novels for young people. [...] According to Milton Griepp of comics-industry analysis site ICv2, aggregated annual comics sales across different kinds of retailers for 2016 revealed that more than half of the top-ten comics franchises were ones aimed at kids. [...] DC is hiring for a new division targeted at young readers, and has already done a bit of a stealth launch by publishing youth-friendly takes on their fabled characters like Supergirl: Being Super and DC Super Hero Girls: Finals Crisis". [4]
Two graphic novels lines were revealed in 2018; the DC Zoom imprint for middle grade readers and the DC Ink for young adult readers. [5] [6] [7] The New York Times reported that "though a few of the graphic novels will have creators who are already working in the comic book industry, the majority of the writers are a Who's Who of popular novelists for young readers. [...] While staple-bound comic books have traditionally appealed to an audience of male readers, graphic novels have a more diverse readership". [8] Michele Wells, the vice president for content strategy at DC, said "if you look at readership in middle grade and Y.A. in general, you'll see a swing on the side of female readers". [8] DC Ink and DC Zoom were created after the New 52 branding was retired in 2015 and the launch of the DCYou program which "employed younger creators than the New 52 titles, with the titles having a more contemporary feel". [9] These imprints were built off both the creative success of DCYou and "the financial success of the DC Super Hero Girls property, which launched in 2015 and featured a line of young reader graphic novels". [9] Dan DiDio, DC's co-publisher from 2010 to 2020, explained that:
A lot of that had also to do with our interest in getting the young adult marketplace. That was DC testing the waters and wondering what a young adult book would be from DC Comics. We realized that ultimately, there was a strong, creative talent pool to tell those stories, but we decided we had to change the format in regards to how it appeared. That's when the DC Ink and DC Zoom books wound up being created, where we knew, This is the right direction, we know there's a market for this, but the periodical might not be the best way to deliver it. That audience might not find the periodical, but let's create it in a book. They're much more comfortable reading in that style. [9]
An expanded list of titles was then revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. [10] [11] In 2019, DC Zoom "technically launched with the continuation of DC Super Hero Girls, but the first Zoom debut was [...] Super Sons: The Polarshield Project". [12]
DC Comics began to shutter its three imprint lines and separate graphic novel titles by a three-tiered age system in June 2019: DC Zoom would become DC Kids (ages 8–12), DC Ink would become DC (ages 13+), and Vertigo would become DC Black Label (17+). [13] [12] [14] The new segmentation launched in January 2020; the names of the segments also shifted to DC Graphic Novels for Kids and DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults. [15] [16] [17] Later in October, DC Comics released a new boxset of select DC Zoom titles with the DC Graphic Novels for Kids branding on the slipcase. [18]
Graphic novels | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Title | Publication date | Writer | Artist | Ref. | |
DC Zoom | |||||
DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis | September 26, 2018 | Shea Fontana | Yancey Labat | [5] [19] | |
Super Sons Book One: The Polarshield Project | April 2, 2019 | Ridley Pearson | Ile Gonzalez | [12] [20] | |
DC Super Hero Girls: Spaced Out | May 29, 2019 | Shea Fontana | Agnes Garbowska | [21] [22] | |
Dear Justice League | August 6, 2019 | Michael Northrop | Gustavo Duarte | [12] [23] [24] | |
Superman of Smallville | September 3, 2019 | Franco Aureliani and Art Baltazar | Art Baltazar | [12] [25] | |
The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid | October 1, 2019 | Kirk Scroggs | [26] [27] | ||
DC Super Hero Girls: At Metropolis High | October 15, 2019 | Amy Wolfram | Yancey Labat | [28] [29] [30] | |
Black Canary: Ignite | October 29, 2019 | Meg Cabot | Cara McGee | [31] [32] [33] | |
Super Sons Book Two: The Foxglove Mission | October 29, 2019 | Ridley Pearson | Ile Gonzalez | [34] [35] [36] | |
DC Graphic Novels for Kids | |||||
Diana: Princess of the Amazons | January 7, 2020 | Shannon Hale Dean Hale | Victoria Ying | [37] [38] [39] | |
Green Lantern: Legacy | January 21, 2020 | Minh Le | Andie Tong | [40] [41] [42] | |
Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime | February 11, 2020 | Derek Fridolfs | Dustin Nguyen | [43] [44] | |
Zatanna and the House of Secrets | February 18, 2020 | Matthew Cody | Yoshi Yoshitani | [45] [46] [47] | |
Batman: Overdrive | March 3, 2020 | Shea Fontana | Marcelo Di Chiara | [48] [49] | |
DC Super Hero Girls: Powerless | March 17, 2020 | Amy Wolfram | Agnes Garbowska | [50] | |
Anti/Hero | April 14, 2020 | Demitria Lunetta Kate Karyus Quinn | Maca Gil | [51] [52] | |
My Video Game Ate My Homework | April 28, 2020 | Dustin Hansen | [51] [53] [54] | ||
Superman Smashes the Klan | May 12, 2020 | Gene Luen Yang | Gurihiru | [55] [56] [57] | |
Primer | June 23, 2020 | Thomas Krajewski Jennifer Muro | Gretel Lusky | [58] [59] [60] | |
Teen Titans Go! To Camp | August 4, 2020 | Sholly Fisch | Marcelo Di Chiara | [61] | |
Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge | August 11, 2020 | Grace Ellis | Brittney Williams | [62] [63] [64] | |
DC Super Hero Girls: Midterms | September 1, 2020 | Amy Wolfram | Yancey Labat | [65] | |
Super Sons Book Three: Escape to Landis | October 6, 2020 | Ridley Pearson | Ile Gonzalez | [66] [67] | |
Teen Titans Go! Roll With It! | November 10, 2020 | P.C. Morrissey Heather Nuhfer | Sandy Jarrell Agnes Garbowska | [68] [69] [70] | |
ArkhaManiacs | December 8, 2020 | Franco Aureliani Art Baltazar | Art Baltazar | [71] [72] [73] | |
We Found a Monster | January 12, 2021 | Kirk Scroggs | [74] [75] [76] | ||
Flash Facts | February 2, 2021 | Sholly Fisch, Varian Johnson, Darian Johnson, Amy Chu, Dustin Hansen, Amanda Deibert, Vita Ayala, Cecil Castellucci, Corinna Bechko, Michael Northrop and Kirk Scroggs | Isaac Goodhart, Vic Regis, Ile Gonzalez, Dustin Hansen, Erich Owen, Andie Tong, Devyn Hansen, Gretel Lusky, Yesenia Moises, Yancey Labat, Monica Kubina and Kirk Scroggs | [77] [78] | |
Dear DC Super-Villains | April 6, 2021 | Michael Northrop | Gustavo Duarte | [79] [80] | |
Metropolis Grove | May 4, 2021 | Drew Brockington | [81] [82] | ||
The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel | June 29, 2021 | Ryan North | Derek Charm | [81] [82] | |
DC Super Hero Girls: Ghosting | September 7, 2021 | Amanda Deibert | Yancey Labat | ||
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld | November 9, 2021 | Dean Hale Shannon Hale | Asiah Fulmore | [83] [84] | |
Batman and Robin and Howard | November 9, 2021 | Jeffrey Brown | [85] [86] | ||
Teen Titans Go!/DC Super Hero Girls: Exchange Students! | January 25, 2022 | Amy Wolfram | Agnes Garbowska | ||
Green Arrow: Stranded | March 8, 2022 | Brendan Deneen | Bell Hosalla | [81] [82] | |
Green Lantern: Alliance | April 26, 2022 | Minh Le | Andie Tong | [87] | |
Batman's Mystery Casebook | August 30, 2022 | Sholly Fisch | Christopher Uminga | [88] | |
Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales | September 27, 2022 | Franco Aureliani | Sara Richard | [89] | |
Shazam! Thundercrack | November 29, 2022 | Yehudi Mercado | [90] | ||
Bruce Wayne: Not Super | March 14, 2023 | Stuart Gibbs | Berat Pekmezci | [91] | |
Fann Club: Batman Squad | June 6, 2023 | Jim Benton | [91] | ||
Clark & Lex | August 1, 2023 | Brendan Reichs | Jerry Gaylord | [92] | |
Teen Titans Go! To the Library! | January 2, 2024 | Franco Aureliani Art Baltazar | Franco Aureliani | ||
Upcoming | |||||
Primer: Clashing Colors | November 5, 2024 | Jennifer Muro Tom Krajewski | Gretel Lusky | [93] |
Graphic novels | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Title | Publication date | Writer | Artist | Ref. |
Released | ||||
DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science | July 14, 2020 | Amy Wolfram | Yancey Labat | [94] |
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | September 1, 2020 | Landry Walker | Eric Jones | [95] |
Oliver Sava, for TheA.V. Club, highlighted the puzzling shift of eliminating the Ink and Zoom imprints shortly after launch and right when new titles were "realizing their potential". [12] Sava wrote that "having those clearly defined channels makes it easier for retailers, librarians, educators, and consumers to find the books that are appropriate for different age groups. The Ink and Zoom branding is still present on new releases, so maybe the market's response will change DC's plans to phase out the imprints as it gears up for its huge slate of upcoming graphic novels for young readers. And the market is responding very well. The Ink and Zoom books are in the top 10 of Diamond's graphic novel sales charts for each month they debut, and given the popularity of Harley Quinn and Superman, that trend is likely to continue with August's debuts". [12]
Heidi MacDonald, for The Beat, wrote: "DC Comics is re-branding all its publishing under the DC brand [...]. The announcement confirms recent rumors that Vertigo, the much admired and industry changing mature-themed imprint, is being sunsetted. It's a kinder word than cancelled or killed, but still one that brings a tear to the eye. More surprisingly, however, DC Zoom (for middle grades) and DC Ink (a YA line) – two much heralded imprints for young readers – are also being phased out. The lines only launched this year and had already seen sales success. Despite this, I'm told that DC is still going full speed ahead with more material for younger readers [...]. The move to phase out the imprints is intended to make the overall DC brand more inclusive of a wide variety of material". [96]
S.W. Sondheimer, for Book Riot, highlighted the imprint name change and wrote: "A little less catchy, perhaps, but a better guide to the type of content you can expect to find in a given book [...]. Every one of the DC Graphic Novels for Young Readers and DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults has something different to offer their readers, but they're all built around forging connections, lending support to their audiences in their quests for self-realization and actualization, and most excellent hero stories. With tons more in the works, I hope these imprints, whatever their names happen to be, are around for a long time". Sondheimer also highlighted the specific themes the two imprint lines address and wrote: "Some of the protagonists are in-canon teenagers and some have been de-aged for their books, but they're all, for the purposes of this imprint, the same age as their readers, which allows those readers to forge connections with the protagonists and their stories more easily, and also helps kids self-insert to learn problem-solving skills. [...] All of the characters are heroes, yes, but they're all waging battles much more intimate and personal than defeating the Joker or the Witch Queen. They're fighting to understand themselves. [...] The other aspect of the DC Young/Young Adult Readers line I love is that, on a very basic level, each graphic novel is a family story. Almost every kind of family one can imagine has, or will, be represented". [17]
DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book series first published in 1937.
Vertigo Comics was an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics started by editor Karen Berger in 1993. Vertigo's purpose was to publish comics with adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and graphic violence, that did not fit the restrictions of DC's main line, thus allowing more creative freedom. Its titles consisted of company-owned comics set in the DC Universe, such as The Sandman and Hellblazer, and creator-owned works, such as Preacher, Y: The Last Man and Fables.
In comics in the United States, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually presenting either a complete miniseries, a story arc from a single title, or a series of stories with an arc or common theme.
Gurihiru, also credited as Illustrator Unit Gurihiru and Gurihiru Studios, is a Japanese illustration team, consisting of Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano. Both originating from Sapporo, Japan, they are currently based in Saitama, mainly working as artists for American comics.
Raina Telgemeier is an American cartoonist. Her works include the autobiographical webcomic Smile, which was published as a full-color middle grade graphic novel in February 2010, and the follow-up Sisters and the fiction graphic novel Drama, all of which have been on The New York Times Best Seller lists. She has also written and illustrated the graphic novels Ghosts and Guts as well as four graphic novels adapted from The Baby-Sitters Club stories by Ann M. Martin.
Becky Cloonan is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo. In 2012 she became the first female artist to draw the main Batman title for DC Comics.
Dave Roman is an American writer and artist of webcomics and comics.
Axel Alonso is an American comic book creator and former journalist, best known as the former editor in chief at Marvel Comics, a role which he held from January 2011 until November 2017. Alonso began his career as a journalist for New York's Daily News. He later worked as an editor at DC Comics from 1994 to 2000, during which he edited a number of books published under their Vertigo line, such as Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Hellblazer, Preacher, and 100 Bullets. In 2000 he went to work for Marvel Comics as a senior editor. While there, he edited Spider-Man and X-Men-related books before ascending to vice president, executive editor in 2010, and editor in chief in January 2011, replacing Joe Quesada. He has also worked as a writer and inker.
Leandro Fernández is an Argentine comic book artist, known for his work on various Marvel, Image, and Vertigo comic book titles.
Gene Luen Yang is an American cartoonist. He is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of graphic novels and comics, at comic book conventions and universities, schools, and libraries. In addition, he was the Director of Information Services and taught computer science at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. In 2012, Yang joined the faculty at Hamline University as a part of the Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults (MFAC) program. In 2016, the U.S. Library of Congress named him Ambassador for Young People's Literature. That year he became the third graphic novelist, alongside Lauren Redniss, to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
Minx was an imprint of DC Comics that published graphic novels aimed at teenage girls. It ran from 2007 to 2008.
Kami Garcia is an American writer. She is known for writing young adult fiction and graphic novels for DC Comics.
Earth One (EO) is an imprint of graphic novels published by DC Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the DC Universe. Those characters include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Teen Titans, as well as others whose characteristics and origin stories are revised and altered to suit the 21st century audience. The shared universe, unlike the original DC Universe in comic books, has yet to cross over its common plot elements, settings, and characters. The reality of Earth One is designated as Earth-1 as part of the DC Multiverse.
DC Super Hero Girls or DC Superhero Girls is an American superhero web series and franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network based on characters from DC Entertainment that launched in the third quarter of 2015.
Marieke Nijkamp is a Dutch New York Times bestselling author of novels for young adults.
Joan Hilty is an American cartoonist, educator, and comic book editor. She was a Senior Editor for mainstream publisher DC Comics and currently works for Nickelodeon as Editorial Director for graphic novels, comics, and legacy properties. Hilty works independently as both a writer-artist and editor.
DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, formerly known as DC Ink, is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics consisting of original one-shots, graphic novels and reprints of books previously published under other imprints. The imprint intends to present traditional DC Universe characters for young adult readers. The first title of the DC Ink imprint, Mera: Tidebreaker, was published on February 2, 2019 and Batman: Nightwalker was the last title to be published under DC Ink. Wonder Woman: Warbringer, the first title of DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, was published on January 10, 2020.
Jody Houser is an American professional comics writer known for her work on adaptations and licensed properties. She was nominated for the Eisner Award in 2017 for her writing in the comic series Faith (2016). Additionally, she was the writer on the second volume of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, which became a New York Times best-seller in September 2020.