DC has announced two projects coming later this year aimed at the young adult market, which include a Wonder Woman collection and a new Blue Beetle graphic novel.
Up first is Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana, written by Jordie Bellaire and drawn by Paulina Ganucheau. These stories originally ran as a back-up in the regular Wonder Woman title starting 2021, and featured a look at Diana’s early life on Themyscira.
It’s nice to see them collected:
The world may know her as Wonder Woman, but once upon a time she was Diana, the young princess of Themyscira. Back then, she struggled to find her place on an island deemed paradise by many, but which was, to her, a prison. Trapped in her role as a royal and shielded from the harsh realities of Man’s World, Diana yearns for adventure, or at least a purpose. So when ancient texts portraying her home’s history go missing, she gets both. How far will our hero go to find the texts and the truths they’re hiding? Find out in this exciting story that promises to be a classic for years to come!
Look for it to arrive on shelves on Aug. 6.
Then in October, This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story arrives by Julio Anta, Jacoby Salcedo and Francesco Segala. It’ll feature a retelling of Jaime Reyes’ origin against the backdrop of immigration tension in El Paso:
Jaime Reyes is an ordinary high school student in El Paso, Texas, with a deep love for his family, culture, and home. Whether it’s working with his dad at the auto shop or a multigenerational barbecue filled with music and dance, Jaime loves nothing more than his neighborhood’s spontaneous gatherings that go late into the night. But lately he’s begun to realize that he and his border community are being used as pawns in an increasingly toxic immigration debate.
The last few months have seen armed troops deployed along the U.S. and Mexico border, manufactured crackdowns at official border crossings, and now, at the community level, a mounting resentment amongst a disaffected and reactionary group who believe they’re being “replaced” by El Paso’s growing immigrant population. And to make matters worse, one of Jaime’s oldest friends, Riley, has bought into the propaganda. What started off as innocent web searches have now led Riley down a path to joining an unabashed hate group with a chapter in El Paso looking to cause some real-world violence.
But Jaime’s problems get even more complicated when he finds an odd bug-like artifact while stargazing. He starts feeling a little different—like there’s another voice in his head pushing him toward his basest instincts. And to make matters worse, he’s been having surreal dreams that show him that the true threat El Paso faces isn’t “illegal aliens,” but actual aliens known as the Reach. In fact, according to his dreams, Jaime is meant to pave the way for the Reach’s impending invasion!
Look for it to land in stores on Oct. 1.