Before the school year begins, let’s forget about television and offer our kids the best youth comics of the moment.
Who says September also says back to school and homework first. To help the little ones discover the joys of reading, we have put together a small selection of comics for you, perfect for the little ones, but not only. The possibility of opening new horizons and proving once again that yes, the ninth art can be a formidable vector of (pop) culture.
Dead end (T1)
Screenplay and drawing by Hamish Steele – 212 pages
Published on June 9, 2022 by 404 editions – € 11.95
After the success of the Netflix series of the same name, the comic Without exit it is a very nice discovery for the little ones who like to play with (a little) fear. This first part faithfully follows the beginning of the original series and shows Barney, her best friend Norma and her demonic dog Pugsley in a scary abandoned amusement park.
The tone is whimsical, a bit like the excellent Disney series Memories of gravity falls. However, it has the distinction of placing more emphasis on: deeper and more mature social issuesranging from friendship to family rejection, transience and adolescent love. A very nice discovery to put in the hands of all young people, but not only.
Explore Dead End: Paranormal Park
dog detective
Screenplay by Christian Giove, drawing by Stefano Tartarotti – 207 pages
Released on September 8, 2021 by Ynnis Editions – € 19.95
For budding little geeks who dream of imitating their parents, Ynnis posted a very cute one last year cartoon of which you are the hero, to be read alone from 9 years old, or accompanied by 4-5 years old. The idea is simple but extremely effective. Just like in the classic interactive stories, the child will have to accompany the dog Lucy to solve a mysterious case of ghosts. The time of four investigations will be used to make the right decisions and get to the end of the stories created by Christian Giove and Stefano Tartarotti.
With his designs accessible from an early ageand they are (almost) worthy dilemmas Masters of darkness by Joe Dever, dog detective it is an ideal starting point to introduce children to the world of role-playing games, and more generally of comics.
To discover dog detective
The magic fish
Screenplay and drawing by Trung Le Nguyen – 248 pages
Published on May 13, 2022 by Ankama Editions – € 19.90
Poetic and ambitious, The magic fish is a dip in the world of Tien, a young Vietnamese in search of identity. Through his mother’s childhood stories, the character will try to make sense of the world around him, but will also address his own questions about love and gender. Beautifully illustrated and Very nice to read, The magic fish it’s a visual and narrative slap, the kind of book you don’t put down until you’re done.
With its manga and art nouveau influences, Trung Le Nguyen’s work is a great find, especially as it’s not just aimed at younger people. The theme is powerful, mature, and arguably one of our biggest favorites of the year.
To discover The magic fish
The Teen Titans Go!
Scenario and collective design – 152 pages
Published on 25 May 2018 by Urban Comics editions – 10 €
Comics weren’t necessarily better in the 1980s, that’s proof of that. Begun in 2013, the animated series The Teen Titans Go! received the right to the paper version two years later. There are no big questions about good and evil here, but jokes of spades and questionable morals that will make the little ones (and us too) die of laughter. In this colorful Gotham, Cyborg and Changeling are two idiots always ready to munch on a sandwich for indigestion. Megalomaniac, very complicated by his hands as a child, Robin dreams of Batman recognizing him for his true worth. As for Starfire and Raven, the entire universe pits them against each other.
Crazy and totally crazy, the Teen Titans Go! are a faithful adaptation of the spirit of the animated series. A total success, full of Easter eggs and references, who plays with comic book codes to joke about them. She is bullshit, but we want more.
To discover The Teen Titans Go!
Batman: the animated adjustments
Screenplay by Kelley Puckett, art by Mike Parobeck – 136 pages
Published on February 18, 2022 by Urban Comics editions – 10 €
If the Paul Dini and Bruce Timm series turned your childhood upside down, then the series Batman: the animated adjustments makes an ideal asset for your sweethearts. The possibility of discovering the greatest gangsters of Gotham in the pages of the film, in breathtaking investigations, worthy of those that made us tremble on the small screen in the 90s.
With his cartoon graphics and its colorful characters, Animated adjustments of Batman stand out as one of the most successful references in the Urban Kids collection. Perfect for nostalgics who want to give their children (aged 6 and up) an aftertaste of our childhood.
To discover Batman: the animated adjustments
Victor & Nora: a love story from Gotham
Screenplay by Lauren Myracle, drawing by Isaac Goodhart – 192 pages
Published on May 21, 2021 by Urban Link editions – € 14.50
If your children swear by romcoms à la Bridgerton (also works with I became beautiful in the summer), in which impossible loves and adolescent questions intertwine, Victor & Nora: a love story from Gotham it was made for them. This photo, released last year under the Urban Link label, has some positives. In addition to his holiday love story with a grenadine flavor, he shouts, not without emotion, the themes of death and reconstruction. So you can immerse yourself in the world of Batman comics.
If no hooded superhero punctuates the story, the plot is really interested in the meeting between Nora and the young Victor Fries, who will later become the terrible Mr. Freeze will be. An episode rarely mentioned in the original comics, it gives an unexpected depth to the motivations of the antagonist played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Joel Schumacher’s film. In general, teens should like all the stories posted on Urban Link. But this one, under the guise of Romeo and Juliet Gotham sauce, had the talent to make us melt.
To discover Victor & Nora: a love story from Gotham
Donald Duck and the Jupiter mission
Screenplay and drawing by Luciano Bottaro – 184 pages
Published on 15 June 2022 by Glénat editions – € 15
Wonderfully retro, this new adventure of Donald Duck and his friends already promises to delight the little ones, and more generally all Disney fans. Next Scrooge and the rocket of fortune, depicted by the master Luciano Bottaro, is a feast for the eyes, and is devoured in a single session. When Saturn’s king Rebus sets out to destroy the city, only his Jovian enemies seem able to save the day, even if that means taking Scrooge’s entire fortune as a gift.
The humor is lighthearted and the visual jokes effective – the whole family should come up with something. Looking forward to the release of the long-awaited Scrooge and the Glasgow Dragon in November, Glénat once again does a great job with her literary adaptation of the Disney universe.
To discover Donald Duck and the Jupiter mission