The annual Comic-Con International took place earlier this month in San Diego. You’re either too busy to read this because you’re still reveling in the glory of geek-topia, or, like me, you’re wishing you were able to have been there. In the spirit of Comic-Con, here’s a list of awesome comic books and graphic novels aimed towards young adult readers.
Young Avengers Volume 2 (Marvel) — There’s no need to read Volume 1 or have a lot of background knowledge to understand this series. Wiccan, Hulkling, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Marvel Boy, (kid) Loki, and Ms. America come together to save the universe. This is witty, exciting, and a great starting point for new comic readers!
Lumberjanes (BOOM! Box Comics) — When weird things start happening at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, the five girls of the Roanoke cabin go on an adventure to solve the mystery of the camp. Equal parts sweet, hilarious, and fun, this independent series appeals to teens as well as middle grade and elementary school kids.
Ms. Marvel (Marvel) — The newest incarnation of Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, a New Jersey fangirl who discovers she has shape shifting abilities and inhuman genes. She takes the name Ms. Marvel after her idol, Carol Danvers (now Captain Marvel). Kamala balances dealing with supervillains and living her normal life, as well as her religion. She is the first Muslim character to headline her own Marvel comic. Volume 1 is hilarious and action-packed.
The Golden Compass Volume 1 (Knopf) — Philip Pullman’s classic story has been transformed into a graphic novel! The Golden Compass is the story of Lyra, an orphan who lives at Jordan College until her Uncle Asriel returns from the North with a startling discovery that is connected to the rash of disappearances of children. Lyra sets out on a dangerous adventure to save her friends and fulfill Lyra’s destiny. When this comes out in September, you can relive a favorite in a new medium, or read the story for the first time!
YA in the News – Eisner Awards!
The 2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced during Comic-Con in San Diego. The Eisner Awards are kinda a big deal for the comics world. Sort of like the Oscars are the big awards for the movie industry or the Grammys for music. You get the idea. In most of the award categories, teen graphic novels competed with graphic novels aimed at adults. So with that in mind, it’s pretty cool that a teen graphic novel got the top prize (like Oscars’ Best Picture) – Best Graphic Album-New, went to This One Summer by cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. This book also won a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor back in January from the American Library Association. Yeah, it’s a pretty good book and you should read it.
In addition to Best Graphic Album-New, here is a list of YA books and authors who were honored:
Best New Series: Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
Best Writer: Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse); The Shadow Hero (First Second)
Best Writer/Artist: Raina Telgemeier, Sisters (Graphix/Scholastic)
Best Graphic Album—New: This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17): Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
A list of all the winners is posted on the Eisner website. Congrats to everyone!
BookPeople Teen Press Corps 