DC Comics have announced three original, young adult graphic novels debuting in Spring 2023: in order of release, they are “Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story,” by writer Sarah Kuhn (“Shadow of the Batgirl”) and artist Arielle Jovellanos (“Black Star”); “The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley” by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely) and Jenn St-Onge (“Bingo Love”); and “Static: Up All Night,” by Lamar Giles (Not So Pure And Simple) and Paris Alleyne (“The All-Nighter”).
Sarah Kuhn and Arielle Jovellanos’s “Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story” releases April 4, and follows a young Ms. Lane during her summer internship in Metropolis. “When Lois uncovers a potentially explosive scandal, she must team up with the last person she’d expect to publish her own website for young women. And as Lois discovers who she really is and what she actually wants, she becomes embroiled in her own scandal that could destroy everything she’s worked so hard to create.”
“The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley,” Melissa Marr and Jenn St-Onge’s book, releasing May 2, will reimagine Harleen Quinzel as a broke, anxious student who participates in a clinical research trial with her girlfriend, Pamela, to earn a little cash. The results are “increasingly larger gaps in her memory and stolen mementos from some guy named Jack she’s never met,” and “soon, Harleen discovers she’s sharing her life with Harley — a take-no-prisoners, who-cares-about attendance, maybe-we-oughtta-save-the-bunnies kind of girl. She is the opposite of Harleen in many ways. She is anarchy in a cute dress. And in this Jekyll and Hyde story, Harleen discovers that maybe evil ain’t so bad — as long as she doesn’t get caught.”
Finally, Lamar Giles and Paris Alleyne’s “Static: Up All Night” will see Milestone’s Virgil Hawkins, aka Static, attending a music festival with his best friend Richie, to take his mind off after a bad break-up. “But wouldn’t you know it — his ex is in attendance. And that’s just the beginning of his troubles. In this madcap story of one night, a series of encounters and events leads to an adventure involving Super-Villains, a diner, a reluctant rapper, and a size-changing kleptomaniac, as well as Virgil’s frequent bad decision making.” The book, due out June 6, marks Static’s first OGN, and the synopsis further promises “familiar faces from both the Dakotaverse and the Static Shock animated series in a coming of age tale about the cost of being a hero, and what’s possible when you have friends you can count on.”
All three books will respectively retail for $16.99 (US) or $22.99 (Canadian). Head here to check out artwork from “Girl Taking Over” and “Strange Case of Harleen and Harley” in the meantime.
