DC and Marvel are both trying to capture the young adult (YA) publishing market right now, and DC’s latest announcement is a new line of young superhero graphic novels.
The publisher revealed five new graphic novels at San Diego Comic-Con, starring fan-favorite characters like Oracle (aka former Batgirl Barbara Gordon) and Nightwing. These kinds of standalone stories can be more accessible to new readers because they don’t involve subscribing to an ongoing series or having to know much about the previous canon. Here’s a rundown of the five upcoming books, which were announced without artists attached.
Oracle: Rising will be written by New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends), retelling Barbara Gordon’s second origin story as she makes the transition from Batgirl to Oracle. After the Joker paralyses her from the waist down, Barbara finds a new way to be Gotham’s hero while using a wheelchair.
Heroine Complex author Sarah Kuhn will write Shadow of the Batgirl, a book about Cassandra Cain. She’s a member of the extended bat-family who has fought crime under the names Batgirl, Black Pat, and Orphan.
Y’all. I am writing a Cassandra Cain graphic novel for DC Ink, @DCComics’ YA imprint! Awesome artist TBA! This is a dream come true — I get to write my beloved Asian Batgirl! https://t.co/giNvEa8mEW pic.twitter.com/7kgtXcqyK5
— Sarah Kuhn (@sarahkuhn) July 19, 2018
Long-established superhero comics writer Louise Simonson is adapting the novel Wonder Woman: Warbringer into a graphic novel; a contemporary retelling of Wonder Woman’s origin story.
YA novelist Alex Sanchez (Rainbow Boys) is writing an Aqualad book with the working title Truth or Consequences: A Jack Hyde Story, and sci-fi/comic book author Michael Moreci is writing a Dick Grayson book called Lost Carnival.
All of these YA titles will be published under the imprint DC Ink, which launches in April 2019.