DC has unveiled two all-new imprints aimed at younger audiences, with DC Ink, a graphic novel imprint aimed at Young Adult readers, and DC Zoom, a graphic novel imprint aimed at middle grade readers.
Both imprints will feature stories written by authors familiar with the target audiences — including YA novelists Melissa de la Cruz, Marie Lu, Kami Garcia, as well as DC Super Hero Girls writer Shea Fontana and Batman: Li’l Gotham creators Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen — and starring existing DC super hero characters, with initial titles in both lines to feature Batman, Harley Quinn and Superman.
“Superheroes are more popular than ever so it only makes sense to bring these DC characters to an entirely new generation of young readers,” Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment and president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products, said in a statement. “The first comic books created decades ago were for kids, and as the business evolved and matured, it became more focused on adult readers. DC Ink and DC Zoom present an exciting new opportunity to grow our publishing business and ensure beloved stories built around iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are endeared as part of the fabric of childhood for years to come.”
DC Entertainment Publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee added, “Two of the recent areas of growth in publishing include graphic novels and books for young readers — we’re bringing those formats together with DC Ink and DC Zoom. We’ve already experienced tremendous success with our DC Super Hero Girls graphic novels. The new DC Ink and DC Zoom slate, paired with a stellar author lineup, presents a major business growth opportunity and we couldn’t be more excited — we’re going big.”
Both lines will have veteran editor Bobbie Chase as executive editor, and exist outside the continuity of the regular comic book series of the characters. The middle grade DC Zoom books will be 128 pages for $9.99, launching with DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis by Shea Fontana and Yancey Labat, with the DC Ink line being 192 pages for $16.99, beginning with Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh, and Mera by Danielle Paige. All three books will debut this fall.
DC has also released names for future releases from both lines, with titles including the Young Adult books Green Lantern: Legacy, Black Canary: Ignite and Gene Yang’s Superman Smashes the Klan.
