DC’s Young Adult Graphic Novels Are Amazing Reads for All Ages #ComicBookWednesday

With the Diamond Distributors, the only distributor of comics and games in the United States, having announced their closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, today and probably every Wednesday in April will be a day when we will not be able to buy new comics.

Thankfully, there are alternatives, notably DC Comics’ Young Adult and Kids graphic novels that debuted last fall. The different lines include: DC Ink and DC Zoom. Ink is generally Young Adult while Zoom is aimed at junior high school readers. Here are my faves in no particular order.

Batman: Nightwalker Nightwalker was the flagship launch for DC Ink and it’s a riveting story worthy of Batman. It focuses, like many of the titles do, with the flagship characters, on his teen years prior to becoming a hero and a friend from his high school years involved in an elaborate scheme to take over Gotham.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer Warbringer is a real treat since it focuses on the mythos of Themyscira and Diana and features a new character who is literally a descendant of Helen of Troy who becomes Diana’s newest ally.

Shadow of the Batgirl Shadow is a great showcase of Batgirl Cassandra Cain. Cain is my fave among the Batgirls and this book gives her her due, including a love interest and satisfying story arc.

Catwoman: Under the Moon is another standout tale about a flagship character and taps into every interation of Selena Kyle for an outstanding instant classic.

Green Lantern: Legacy does double duty with both refreshing a legacy character and bearing representation of Vietnamese characters. DC’s description says, “Thirteen-year-old Tai Pham lives in the apartment above his grandmother’s store, where his bedroom is crammed with sketchpads and comic books. But not even his most imaginative drawings could compare to the colorful adventure he’s about to embark on. When Tai inherits his grandmother’s jade ring, he soon finds out it’s more than it appears. Suddenly he’s being inducted into a group of space cops known as the Green Lanterns, his neighborhood is being overrun by some racist bullies, and every time he puts pen to paper, he’s forced to confront that he might not be creative enough or strong enough to uphold his ba’s legacy.”

An understated instant classic as well.

Black Canary: Ignite reignites another character many may not know is a legacy character. Dinah Lance has become well known thanks to The CW’s Arrow and its Arrowverse universe of shows. Black Canary began as a golden age second string  superhero who is now considered among the most important members of the Justice League. This story gives a great reboot to her legacy.

Batman: Overdrive is a no brainer, a classic boy and his car story, this particular car just  happens to be the Batmobile. A fun romp through a just about to get his driver’s license 15 going on 16 year-old Bruce Wayne and an origin on the most famous car in all of comicdom!