DC Comics has announced the launch of two new comic imprints, with stories aimed at readers aged five to fifteen.
The two imprints are called DC Zoom and DC Ink and the first couple books from both will be releasing in the fall of 2018. As much as they were announced at the same time, the two lines will be focused on attracting different readers. Zoom will focus on telling stories for middle school aged fans, while Ink will cater to a young adult audience.
DC also announced the creative teams for the first couple book in each line. On the Ink front, writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Steve Pugh will tackle a Harley Quinn Book and writer Daniel Page will join a yet unknown artist on a book about Mera, Queen of Atlantis. On the Zoom imprint side, former Wonder Woman writer Shea Fontana and artist Yancey Labat will collaborate on DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis.
Bobby Chase, the Vice President of DC Comics will be heading up the line and she says that they,”wanted to go back to what we used to have in comic books: story arcs for younger readers.” She went on to say that the books will be “character studies” and “not necessarily superhero stories.”
The other writers announced for the two imprints include young adult novelists, Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak), Melissa de la Cruz (the Descendants series), Michael Northrop (TombQuest) and Ridley Pearson (the Kingdom Keepers series). DC also announced that current New Superman writer and MacArthur Fellowship winner Gene Leun Yang, will be writing a book called Superman Smashes the Klan.
All books will be presented in a graphic novel format, with the Zoom books listed at $9.99 USD and running 128 pages and the Ink books priced at $16.99 USD for 192 pages. The books will also steer clear of elaborate continuity in favor of telling accessible stories.
