Category: Graphic Novels

Green Lantern Jessica Cruz breaks out into her own young adult OGN

‘Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story’ will arrive in September from DC Comics.

DC has revealed more details and some preview pages from the upcoming Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story, part of their graphic novel line aimed at young adults.

The story will retell the origin of Cruz as she deals with xenophobia in her hometown, Coast City. The graphic novel is written by Lilliam Rivera (Never Look Back) and drawn by illustrator Steph C.

“I’ve always been fascinated by origin stories and I’m so glad I got to write one for Green Lantern’s Latinx superhero, Jessica Cruz. Unearthed is a story of an everyday high school teenager who strives to make her parents proud. It’s also a story about immigration and how Jessica navigates debilitating anxiety while trying to keep her family together,” said Rivera. “Mexican artist Steph C.’s illustrations not only beautifully capture this struggle; she’s created stunning otherworldly realms that will leave readers breathless. I can’t wait for fans to see a side of Jessica Cruz never before seen.”

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Dark Horse will wrap up ‘She Can Fly’ with a graphic novel

The third chapter of Christopher Cantwell and Martín Morazzo’s Berger Books title will arrive all at once, in October.

Christopher Cantwell, Martín Morazzo and Miroslav Mrva will soar once more with the final volume of She Can Fly in October. She Can Fly: Fight or Flight will be released as an original graphic novel through Dark Horse’s Berger Books imprint, wrapping up the story of Luna — who finally gets to fly.

“Luna finally gets to fly, and we fly with her in this storytelling tour-de-force from Christopher, Martin and Mirsolav,” said Karen Berger, who oversees the Berger Books imprint. “It’s an emotional and thrilling finale that totally captured my heart.”

She Could Fly debuted as a miniseries back in 2018, and was followed by a second miniseries, She Could Fly: The Lost Pilot, in 2019. While both were released as single issues and then later collected, the third volume will be released as a single collection, much like the finales of two other Berger Books titles, Invisible Kingdom and The Seeds.

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Dark Horse will issue new ‘Sin City’ editions starting in September

‘Frank Miller’s Sin City Volume: 1 The Hard Goodbye’ kicks off a line of softcover editions with new covers and a pinup gallery.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Frank Miller’s Sin City series, Dark Horse will release new softcover editions of each volume starting in September with The Hard Goodbye.

These new editions will be presented at their original size, with new wrap-around cover art and a pinup gallery featuring a variety of artists, including Joyce Chin, Amanda Conner, Klaus Janson, Paul Pope, Philip Tan and Gerardo Zaffino.

“Frank Miller’s association with Dark Horse has flourished for over 30 years,” said Dark Horse founder and publisher Mike Richardson. “The original publication of Sin City was a watershed moment for our company, and we are very pleased to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a brand-new edition. Readers will find that Sin City is just at powerful today as it was the day it was first released, exactly what you would expect from one of comics’ master creators.”

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Marvel + Scholastic will release ‘Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin’ this fall

The middle-grade graphic novel will find Kamala Khan over-committed and fighting a robot.

Marvel has announced that Scholastic’s Graphix line will release Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin, a new middle-grade graphic novel by Nadia Shammas and Nabi H. Ali, in September.

The story will see Kamala Khan “stretched thin” due to too many commitments while also dealing with a mysterious robot that attempts to infiltrate Avengers Tower.

“A beloved teacher of mine lent me the very first issues of Ms. Marvel when I was in high school, knowing how important it was for me to see a South Asian super hero,” Ali told Marvel.com. “Kamala and her family didn’t feel like stereotypes, nor were they written with a ‘colorblind’ approach; the generational and cultural misunderstandings between Kamala and her parents—as well as how they overcame them—were very true to South Asian experiences among the diaspora. As a Muslim convert, it also meant a lot for me to see openly Muslim characters. I’m honored that I got to explore Kamala’s world and that I’m helping introduce her to new generations of readers like me.” 

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Grayson + Adamovic conjure up the magical realism story ‘Rewild’

The new graphic novel will be published by Berger Books/Dark Horse in October.

Berger Books, the Dark Horse imprint run by Karen Berger, has announced a new magical realism graphic novel that will arrive in October — Rewild, by writer Devin Grayson, artist Yana Adamovic and letterer Sal Cipriano.

“Beautifully written and illustrated, Devin and Yana have crafted captivating characters in a timely tale where reality, myth and magic overlap,” Berger said. “This lyrical and powerful story deals with the fragility of the mind and our planet in unforgettable ways.”

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Z2 to publish ‘Jimmy Eat World: 555’

The new graphic novel based on one of the band’s music videos will arrive in May.

Z2 Comics has teamed up with rock band Jimmy Eat World for the upcoming comic Jimmy Eat World: 555, an oversized issue written by Alex Paknadel (Arcadia, Friendo) and Jimmy Eat World vocalist/guitarist Jim Adkins, with art by Koren Shadmi (Bionic).

The project draws inspiration from the video for the song “555,” which is on the band’s 2019 album Surviving.

“There was a fair bit of world-building around the characters for the ‘555’ music video and it felt too interesting to end the story there,” Adkins said. “It screamed for a comic adaption. I gave Alex Paknadel the basics of the character backstories and he was able to conceptualize an amazing world that Koren Shadmi perfectly illustrated.”   

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Abrams will release John Lewis’ ‘Run’ in August

The title will serve as a sequel to the award-winning ‘March.’

Abrams has announced that the sequel to the March trilogy, titled Run, will arrive in stores Aug. 3.

The graphic novel will continue to tell the story of Representative John Lewis, who passed away last year. The project was originally announced back in 2018.

“In sharing my story, it is my hope that a new generation will be inspired by Run to actively participate in the democratic process and help build a more perfect union here in America,” Lewis said at the time.

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Scholastic discontinues Pilkey’s ‘The Adventures of Ook and Gluk’ due to ‘passive racism’

The publisher and author announced plans to stop distributing ‘The Adventures of Ook and Gluk’ because it includes ‘harmful stereotypes and passive racist imagery.’

Scholastic will stop distributing The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, a 2011 graphic novel by Dog Man creator Dav Pilkey, because it “perpetuates passive racism,” they said in a press statement.

The graphic novel includes a character named Master Wong and his daughter Lan, who train the cavemen mentioned in the title. Their character designs, names and personalities perpetuate racist stereotypes toward Asians.

Pilkey has also posted an apology on his YouTube channel. He also said that he and his wife will donate any proceeds from the book to “charities that provide free books, art supplies, and theater for children in underserved communities; organizations that promote diversity in children’s books and publishing; and organizations designed to stop violence and hatred against Asians. These non-profit charities include: We Need Diverse Books, The AAPI, and TheaterWorks USA, among others.”

Scholastic has removed the book from their websites, and said they have stopped fulfillment of any orders. They also have contacted their retail partners to explain why this book is no longer available and seek a return of all inventory. They also plan to contact libraries and schools.

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Dark Horse puts a hit out on ‘Mafiosa’ in October

The story follows a mafia family’s youngest daughter and her quest to join the family business.

Dark Horse has announced they’ve acquired Mafiosa, the story of a mafia family’s youngest daughter deciding to join the family business. The comic, which started life on Kickstarter, will be published as a trade paperback in October.

The story was developed by Thomas Brooke of Portland’s Rainwerks Studio, and was created by Sunshine Barbito, Alessia Alfano, Débora Caritá, Ronda Pattison and Mariacristina Federica.

“What draws me into the world of organized crime is the juxtaposition of tradition, loyalty, hyper-morality, and what boils down to murderous greed,” Barbito said. “We wanted to take this familiar and popular storytelling genre; set in the roaring ’20s, but show you this world from a different perspective in order to create a dialogue. For me, this story is about desire and how it affects people once it takes over completely.”

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Warwick Johnson-Cadwell will write and draw ‘Falconspeare’ graphic novel

Johnson-Cadwell returns to the mysterious world he created with Mike Mignola for the new story.

Warwick Johnson-Cadwell will return to the eerie, Victorian world he and Mike Mignola created in Mr. Higgins Comes Home and Our Encounters with Evil: Adventures of Professor J.T. Meinhardt and His Assistant Mr. Knox for a new graphic novel. Johnson-Cadwell will both write and draw Falconspeare, with letterer Clem Robins.

Falconspeare will feature Professor J.T. Meinhardt, Mr. Knox and Ms. Mary Van Sloan, who appeared in the previous volumes, as they investigate the disappearance of their friend fellow monster hunter, James Falconspeare.

“Evil lurks among dark shadows and in many forms. The vampire, the werewolf, monsters of all kinds,” said Johnson-Cadwell. “We need a particular kind of hero to thwart these evils, and Professor J.T. Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Mary Van Sloan are just those heroes. A cryptic correspondence sets them on a mysterious path which will lead them to diabolic danger and grim reality where evil may lie. Diabolic evil is revealed in grim reality, and an ultimate sacrifice is demanded. Their encounters with evil continue.”

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Colleen Doran to adapt Neil Gaiman’s ‘Chivalry’

Dark Horse will release the graphic novel adaptation in September.

Colleen Doran will once again adapt a Neil Gaiman short story into a graphic novel later this year. Chivalry will arrive from Dark Horse in September.

Gaiman and Doran’s collaborations go back to the days of Sandman. She has also adapted his short stories for Dark Horse before, including the award-winning Snow, Glass, Apples and Troll Bridge.

“I’ve wanted to do an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Chivalry ever since he sent a draft of the story to me at about 1 a.m. via fax machine decades ago,” Doran said. “It is one of Neil’s loveliest, most charming stories, and I cried with happiness when I learned I would get to do the adaptation. I wear my art on my sleeve throughout, bringing Golden Age illustration styles and Illuminated Manuscript studies to the work. It’s a Holy Grail project for me. I sincerely hope it brings joy to people.”

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D + Q announces a new Jillian Tamaki + Mariko Tamaki project for 2023

The as-yet-untitled graphic novel will feature two college freshman who go on an “eye-opening trip” to New York.

Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, the creators of the award-winning, critically praised graphic novels Skim and This One Summer, will team up once again for a new graphic novel in 2023.

While the graphic novel does not yet have a title, Drawn and Quarterly revealed that it’s about two college freshman who head to New York for Spring Break.

“In 2010, Jillian and Mariko exploded the YA graphic novel market with a nuanced queer goth coming of age story filled with subtext. Skim raised the bar on what we consider young adult both in subject matter and art style,” said D+Q Publisher Peggy Burns. “With this new book, they’re now shifting their focus to early adulthood, capturing female friendship and the perils of growing up via an eye-opening trip to NYC. Their magic of being able to completely intertwine their individual art forms into a cohesive, spectacular whole is on display yet again.”

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