Merging DC Inkand DC Zoom in 2020, DC Comics created its most recent imprint targeted towards younger audiences — DC Graphics for Young Adults.Since then, the imprint has consistently brought fan-favorite characters to new readers in easy-to-find, more digestible formats. Since 2020, the imprint has published 38 graphic novels, featuring Kami Gracia’s Teen Titans<a href="https://comicvibe.com/angela-comic-series-from-marvel-lands-in-february-2027/” title=”Angela comic series from Marvel lands in February 2027″>series with Gabriel Piccolo on art, and Jadzia Azelrod’s Galaxy: The Prettiest Star. Azelrod’s Galaxynot only earned itself a sequel, Galaxy: As the World Falls Down, but its titular character is now a member of the broader Justice League in the current ongoing Justice League Unlimited.
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Most recently, Sara Shephard, author of the cult-classic, best-selling teen series Pretty Little Liars, partnered with artist Stephanie Pepper for Birds of Prey: The Origins.The graphic novel takes readers to Gotham Prep and reintroduces fan favorites Helena Bertinelli (Huntress), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), and Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn). Each girl has a secret—as is typical Shepard fare—that they need to figure out how far they’ll go to keep it that way as strange things start happening to their fellow students.
The mystery story is not only right in Shepard’s wheelhouse, but also keeps the main spirit of the Birds of Preycomics without the baggage of continuity. Birds of Prey, since its inception, has been about clashing values and putting differences aside.
The team originally started with a one-shot by Chuck Dixon, featuring a post-Killing JokeBarbara Gordon acting as the woman in the chair, with Dinah Lance as a field operative. Writer Gail Simone added Bertinelli’s Huntress to the lineup in the 2000s, while Harley Quinn wouldn’t be added until much later.
An Easy Jump On for New Readers
Some of DC’s most iconic stories have been graphic novels — they’re longer than typical comics, and unlike the usual fare, they are self-contained and can be understood without knowing the larger context. In 1987, DCput out their first standalone graphic novel for Batman, titled Batman: Son of the Demon. Son of the Demonwas immensely popular and was beloved by fans. The comic was quickly declared out of continuity, and by the ‘90s, editorial decided that the matter of Talia and Bruce’s son — whom Grant Morrison would revisit and name Damian Wayne — was off the table and not to be touched.
Batman: Son of the Demon, along with other successful Batmangraphic novels, paired with the success of DC’s Black Labelline — established in 2018 — makes out-of-continuity graphic novels a no-brainer. They sell, and they can push the character in a new direction while still allowing for the toys to be reset in the sandbox by the end of the story. New readers can get to know beloved characters beyond what they’re seen in TV and film adaptations.
The Imprint’s Successes
Despite being standalone stories for the most part, DC Graphics for Young Adultshas still been able to launch interconnected graphic novels. Starting as a carryover from DC Ink,Kami Garcia’s Teen Titansseries includes not only the 2018 Teen Titans: Ravenbut five other graphic novels, with the last installment, Teen Titans: Together,published in 2026. The series proved sufficiently popular with readers to launch a sequel series about the Young Justice Team, with the first installment in that series set to feature Kid Flash and Blue Beetle.
One of the two main stars of DC’s Pride Summer event, Galaxy was first introduced in Galaxy: The Prettiest Star back in May 2022. By April 2023, the graphic novel had nearly sold out, and DC sent it for a second printing. Galaxy later joined Axelrod’s run on Hawkgirland was a major character in the graphic novel Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story before later joining the Justice League.
Where it Should Go Next
DC’s Young Adult comics are not afraid of the teen coming-of-age genre. It has embraced it for heroes and villains alike, spotlighting Pamela Isley in Poison Ivy: Thornsand the much underappreciated but totally awesome twin sister of Wonder Woman in Nubia: Real One. Mister Miracle: The Great Escapereimagines Scott Free’s romance with Big Barda, and Constantine: Distorted Illusionsfinds the skilled magician as the lead singer of a punk band.
Birds of Prey: The Originsis undoubtedly a coming-of-age story, but its gestures towards mystery could very well be indicative of where the imprint should go next. Literature aimed at teenagers often goes a coming-of-age route, but after a while, it can feel formulaic. It can be successful, but also get creatively stale.
Leaning into mystery, horror, or other genres outside the typical teen coming-of-age could be the next phase for DC Graphics for Young Adults. Birds of Prey, in the tradition of Teen Titans and the upcoming Young Justice books, has the makings of a team book, one that could spin off into a series. Gotham, even in the world of Birds of Prey: The Origins, is not without its secrets and intrigue.
What other directions should DC Young Adult Comics go in, or is the tried-and-true formula working for them? Let us know in the comments!
The First 10 Members of the Birds of Prey, Ranked by Power
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