Just as we were getting ready to bid farewell to 2023, I fell prey to a unique end-of-year anxiety. I found myself scrolling through lists, tallying up all the new teen comics published throughout the year. How much had I missed, and why did I miss so much when I spent time buying for a library?! It’s daunting and honestly impossible to capture everything released in a single year, but it gets a little easier when you’ve got help! Rosie Knight and Emily Lauer joined forces with me to pull together a list of some of our favorite titles for young readers published in 2023. If you need new titles for your voracious comic-reading kid, we’ve got suggestions just for you.
Teen (13+)
The Hills of Estrella Roja
Ashley Robin Franklin
Clarion Books, August 29, 2023
I was excited to read a full-length graphic novel from horror master Ashley Robin Franklin this year! The Hills of Estrella Roja is perfect for your horror and cryptid-loving teen. College freshman Kat Fields is always on the lookout for more strange stories for her cryptid podcast, so when she receives an email about the “devil lights” of Estrella Roja she eagerly throws away her spring break to check out the phenomenon. Mari Castillo didn’t want to go to Estrella Roja; she hasn’t been back since her mother fled town when Mari was a child. However, they have to go back for her abuela’s funeral, and Mari’s not ready for the cold reception they receive. When the girls meet, their questions about the lights and Estrella Roja itself take them to strange and dangerous places.
— Alenka Figa
Firebird
Sunmi
HarperAlley, July 18, 2023
For those sweet, sensitive queer teens sussing out some complicated identity feelings, check out Firebird. Caroline Kim doesn’t know what to expect when she starts tutoring Kimberly Park-Ocampo. Caroline is a nerdy sophomore, but Kim is a charismatic, confident senior and an out lesbian. The connection they forge is beautiful. This isn’t a heart-racing romance; it’s a soft story about two teens finding joy and quiet solace in their time together.
— Alenka
My Love Mix-Up! Vol. 9
Aruko (Art) and Wataru Hinekure (Writer)
Viz Media, October 3, 2023
If you really wanna be an MVP for your humor-loving teen, you cannot go wrong with My Love Mix-Up! I’ve sung this series’ praises twice before, but it’s now COMPLETE at nine volumes, so you could purchase it all at once! This romance manga kicks off with a goofy miscommunication resulting in a sweet BL love story that models good consent and healthy conversations. This series has it all: queer teens with supportive allies, fun tropes, and the BEST, funniest faces! You cannot go wrong.
— Alenka
Project Nought
Chelsea Furedi
Clarion Books, February 21, 2023
I know lots of teens love science fiction/dystopia with twists and turns, and Chelsea Furedi’s got you! Her graphic novel Project Nought follows Ren as he’s wrenched out of his life and into the future for a bizarre exchange program designed to help people learn about history from those experiencing it firsthand. Of course, nothing is as it seems, and Ren joins a small crew of friends intent on discovering the truth behind the time-travel exchange program.
— Alenka
Confetti Realms
Nadia Shammas (Writer), Karnessa (Art), Hackto Oshiro (Colors), and Micah Meyers (Letters)
Maverick, October 17, 2023
Confetti Realms is deceptive. On its surface, this comic is just about a group of queer and trans teens who try to summon a ghost in a cemetery on Halloween and are swept away to another world. However, at its heart, it’s about accepting the often terrifying but sometimes joyful need to grow and change. Give this to your teen — especially your goth teen — looking ahead to some daunting life changes and needing to see their struggles reflected in others.
— Alenka
The Talk
Darrin Bell
Henry Holt and Co., June 6, 2023
The Talk is an excellent memoir about a black teenage boy dealing with racism in the US. When I was reading it, it kept striking me how well it would pair with Good Talk, the graphic memoir by Mira Jacob, which is also about racism in the United States but more geared toward adults. I recommend The Talk for your teen interested in racial justice.
— Emily Lauer
Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story
Sara Kuhn (Writer) and Arielle Jovellanos (Art)
DC Comics, April 18, 2023
Superman Harvests of Youth
Sina Grace
DC Comics, October 3, 2023
There have been lots of lovely graphic novels over the last few years, thanks to the hard work of superstar editor Sara Miller at DC Comics. In 2023 DC added two more stellar additions to their YA line with the vibrant slice-of-life story Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story and the lovely and heartfelt small town coming of age tale Superman Harvests of Youth by Sina Grace. Both books reimagine the legendary titular characters’ origins for their 85th anniversaries, crafting stunning and eclectic new takes that will go down as fantastic superhero stories in their own right. Both books are must-buys for any young comics lover, whether they care about caped crusaders or not!
— Rosie Knight
Middle Grade/Tween (8-12)
Digger: Unearthed
Ursula Vernon
Underthing Press, 2023
If you’ve got a reader who loved Bone by Jeff Smith and is old enough to handle some dark themes, I love Digger by Ursula Vernon! This was a long-running webcomic that has been recently collected and polished into a nice omnibus edition. It tells the story of a practical and likeable wombat who goes down a hole … and comes up somewhere else. A weird mystical land where fantasy things happen. Vernon’s black-and-white art is lovely, and as usual, all her characters are well-rounded and enjoyable to spend time with. I’d probably give it to a 12-year-old.
–Emily
Katie the Catsitter Volume 3: Secrets and Sidekicks
Colleen AF Venable (Writer) and Stephanie Yue (Art)
Penguin Random House, May 2, 2023
One of my favorite graphic novel series is Katie the Catsitter Volume 3, which came out this year. When a friend recommended this to me originally, she gushed about how cute the cats were. While that’s absolutely true, the well-drawn friendships and excellent superhero politics are really what keeps me excited about the series. I recommend it for your tween or young teen who likes the interpersonal relationships in the Babysitters Club books and also likes superheroes, heists, and cute cats.
— Emily
Grace Needs Space
Benjamin A. Wilgus and Rii Abrego
Penguin Random House, April 4, 2023
A standout for me this year was certainly Grace Needs Space, written by Ben Wilgus and with lush art by Rii Abrego. My nine-year-old kid and I both enjoyed this pretty realistic family story … in Space! I recommend it for your astronaut-interested middle-grade reader.
— Emily
Picture Day
Sarah Sax
Penguin Random House, June 27, 2023
As someone who has given myself a lot of extreme haircuts over the years, Picture Day spoke to me on a deep level. This super sweet middle-grade graphic novel centers on a young girl who gives herself a new do before the titular picture day and soon finds herself at the center of her school’s social circle, which is as fun as it is increasingly hard.
— Rosie
Early Reader
Things in the Basement
Ben Hatke
First Second, August 29, 2023
I totally loved Things in the Basement, and recommend it strongly for early readers who like fast-paced and immersive adventures. I think this one is an official WWAC favorite for this year, as Kathryn Hemman and I have both already recommended it!
— Emily
Super Magic Boy: I Am a Dinosaur
Jarod Roselló
Penguin Random House, October 3, 2023
I am a Dinosaur, the first in the Super Magic Boy series, is absolutely adorable. Like Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books, its main characters’ speech bubbles are tinted to coordinate with the character’s dominant color, enhancing the reading experience. In this case, the characters are a blue dinosaur toy who comes to life and Hugo, the rosy boy who magically enlivens him and then turns into a dinosaur himself. They rampage. They battle a cursed skeleton. They clean up after their rampage with the cursed skeleton’s help (now they’re friends)! I recommend this one to early readers who love imagination play.
— Emily
Beak & Ally #4: Snow Birds
Norm Feuti
HarperAlley, January 2, 2024
I am very grateful to the children’s librarian at my library for recommending this new Beak & Ally comic, because it is fantastic. Beak is an outgoing, social bird, Ally is an introverted alligator, and they’re odd-couple friends! When Beak learns that tons of other birds known as “snow birds” will be living in the swamp during winter, they’re super excited. More friends who love to party, what could be better? Ally is willing to put up with the noise for Beak’s sake, but what will happen when Beak gets tired of the constant partying? This story was super sweet and funny and teaches a solid but complex lesson about asserting your boundaries and not accepting toxic, conditional friendships. Feuti went wild with the silly character designs for the snow birds, and they are hysterical. A fun read for all ages.
— Alenka
