DC Young Readers Titles Announced, Previewed | News

DC has sent over several news items about their young adult titles, so let’s get to it!

Two New YA Graphic Novels Announced

Coming in the second half of 2024 are two new graphic novels featuring media-favorite characters, now available for preorder.

Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana, written by Jordie Bellaire (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and illustrated by Paulina Ganucheau (Zodiac Starforce), will be published August 6, 2024. The book collects “The Adventures of Young Diana” stories originally published in Wonder Woman #770-779 and #785-796, plus the Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular. The young princess of Themyscira rebels against her royal role and desires adventure and a purpose for her life, so she sets out to recover missing texts of her island’s history.

This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, by Julio Anta (Poison Ivy), Jacoby Salcedo (Frontera), and Francesco Segala, is on sale October 1, 2024. High school student Jaime Reyes finds a bug-like artifact that gives him dreams of a coming alien invasion. That’s paralleled with the conflict arising in his home of El Paso, Texas, around “illegal aliens” and border crackdowns. The immigration debate provides a contemporary grounding to this superhero origin story.

FCBD Special Editions Highlight YA GNs

DC has announced its releases for Free Comic Book Day, held in participating comic shops Saturday, May 4. Two upcoming middle grade and young adult graphic novels will have preview comics available.

Barkham Asylum, by Yehudi Mercado (Sci-Fu: Kick it Off), will have its full version published on May 7. The Free Comic Book Day comic contains a chapter of the story about the henchpets of Gotham City’s super-villains. Jester, the Joker’s dog, and a stray cat named Penny work together to stop the evil Dr. Hugo Mange by winning the talent show.

Barda, by Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please), will be out June 4. The Free Comic Book Day comic contains an excerpt of the story about the Apokoliptian warrior. Barda has been assigned the task of breaking Scott Free in order to toughen her up, but exposure to his hope teaches her more about herself, friendship, and love.

In addition to these two titles, on Free Comic Book Day, DC will also release two other comics. The MAD Magazine 2024 Free Comic Book Day Special Edition will contain reprints of favorites and some superhero mockery. There’s also “an original story leading into a new series launching summer 2024,” described as their “summer event blockbuster” and “the biggest DC comic book event” of the year. Of course, ” the DC Universe will never be the same.”

Prez Re-Released With New Material

Out June 4 will be a reformatted Prez. The series, written by Mark Russell (One-Star Squadron) and illustrated by Ben Caldwell (Justice League Unlimited) and Dominike “Domo” Stanton (The Sandman Universe: House of Whispers), was originally released as a comic miniseries in 2016. It’s been renamed Prez: Setting a Dangerous President, and the graphic novel will contain the original six issues, along with a new original story by Russell and Caldwell as well as a short story from the 2016 Catwoman: Election Night one-shot, plus the original Prez Sneak Peek from 2015.

Prez is the story of Beth Ross, a fast-food worker in 2046 who, after becoming a viral sensation, winds up the youngest President in United States history. This was Russell’s first work for DC and demonstrates his trademark topical satire.

Teen Titans: Starfire Preview

Let’s end this roundup with some pretty pictures. Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo previously created Teen Titans: Raven, Teen Titans: Beast Boy, Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, and Teen Titans: Robin. The latest installment is Teen Titans: Starfire, out July 2.

Kori Anders has a summer job at a beach club and enjoys stargazing and hanging out with Victor Stone, her new friend. Her sister Kira is much more popular. The two girls, after participating in a pharmaceutical study, develop strange powers. Here are some unlettered pages from the upcoming graphic novel.

Filed under: All Ages, News, Previews