Popular Webcomics Company Goes Public for $315 Million

If the idea of a webcomics company IPOing for more than a quarter of a billion dollars is surprising to you, you may not be paying enough to attention to Gen-Z and younger readers. For digital natives who grew up in a truly global media environment, free content with paid perks is the rule, not the exception. Webtoon has figured out how to make the model appealing to readers and creators alike through “Super Likes,” advertising revenue share, and Patreon integration, and I’ve got to say, this feels like the future. Anecdotally, we see consistent high demand for content focused on comics, manga, and manwha from the Book Riot audience. I’m curious, readers: are webcomics a part of your reading life? Let’s talk about it.

Far Out! The Best Sci-Fi for July

I can’t imagine why, but if current events have you yearning for an escape from this world, you’re in luck! July tends to be pretty sleepy as new releases go, but there are a bunch of intersting sci-fi and fantasy novels coming out this month. We love a summer getaway vibe. Mostly notably, the Keanu Reeves-China Miéville collab The Book of Elsewhere hits shelves on the 23rd. The project made major headlines when it was announced in January, but reviews have been middling at best—Kirkus called it “a well-written if elusive treat for fans of modern mythologizing” and PW straight-up said that it “disappoints“—so I’ll be eager to see readers’ reactions.

Code Switch Takes on Book Bans

NPR’s Code Switch podcast has launched a new monthly series about book bans. The first episode features Mike Curato, the author of Flamer, which is one of the most frequently banned and challenged books in the U.S. At one point, it was tied with Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer as the most banned book in U.S. schools.

Listen online or in your podcatcher of choice.