YA Comics and Graphic Novels Releasing July-September 2022
It’s officially summer and if you’re like me, then you’re compiling your stack of summer reading and absconding to a breezy reading spot — my preferred spot is the back yard, in my hammock! Comics and graphic novels make such great summer reading because they’re quick reads and they’re a bit like potato chips — you can’t stop at just one. Now is a great time to catch up on backlist books and your TBR, of course, but if you’re looking ahead, here are all the great new YA graphic novels and comics hitting shelves from July to September 2022!
I’m really excited to see so many new original graphic novels, some great sequels, and even a few re-releases of webcomics and classics. It’s a truly eclectic mix, which just means that you’re sure to find something that appeals to you no matter what your tastes might be — we’ve got queer witches solving murders, a Shadow and Bone prequel, queer and trans memoirs, DC characters, and early aughts original stories! Note: This quarter has a lack of comics and graphic novels written and/or illustrated by creators of color, which really stinks. This category of publishing has seen some improvements on this front lately, but unfortunately it’s not a consistent improvement.
Gender Queer: A Memoir (Deluxe Edition) by Maia Kobabe (July 5)
In this deluxe edition of the award-winning (and frequently challenged) memoir, Maia Kobabe explains what it means to em to be nonbinary and asexual, and recounts eir story of adolescence and self-discovery. This new edition includes new artwork, a new foreword from ND Stevenson, and a new afterword from Kobabe.
Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden and Jacquelin De Leon (July 26)
Zatanna is known for a few eccentricities: her giant rabbit, which she walks on a leash, her unusual house, and her penchant for darkness. But her happy life is challenged with a mystic’s revelation casts everything she knows about herself and her family in a new light.
Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham (July 19)
Two unlikely boys find friendship and maybe a shot at love in a spooky town in Maine! Tony is a track star looking for approval and Eli is a chronically ill loner. When the two connect, they find themselves facing everything from werewolves, hauntings, and jocks. This story is based on the popular webcomic and features alternating chapters drawn in each illustrator’s own style!
Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox (July 19)
In this hilarious, heartbreaking, and irreverent graphic memoir, Lewis Hancox addresses his younger self and recounts his journey through high school, realizing he was trans, and all of the missteps and stumbles (both funny and not) on his journey to coming out and transitioning.
Crumbs by Danie Stirling (July 19)
In this charming and romantic story, Ray patronizes a magical bakery where her order is the same every day and she’s always looking for love. She thinks she might find it in Laurie, a new barista and aspiring musician. Their romance is sweet, but when Ray starts seeing the future, she’s disconcerted to realize she can’t see if she and Laurie end up together. Adapted from the webcomic of the same name, this graphic novel contains original artwork!
Fraternity by Jon Ellis and Hugo Petrus (August 9)
Wyatt isn’t exactly starting his freshman year of college on the best foot — he’s still grieving a big loss, and if not for his new best friend and roommate Jake, he’d probably never leave their room. So when Jake joins a fraternity and starts acting really strange, Wyatt pays attention…and it’s not long before he becomes convinced that something is very, very off about this group.
Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo (August 30)
Set at Younwity’s Institute of Magic as the students prepare for Samhain, this graphic novel is about Abby, who is disturbed when her best friend Noreen goes missing. Her fellow classmates don’t seem overly worried, believing that the coven in charge will find her, but as Abby pries into the secrets surrounding Noreen’s disappearance, she uncovers some horrifying similarities to another missing girl years earlier.
Coven by Jennifer Dugan and Kit Seaton (September 6)
Emsy is a California girl at heart and she’d much rather hang out with her girlfriend or surf than study to become a fire elemental. But when members of her family’s coven back east are murdered by dark magic, Emsy finds herself swept away to New York to try and track down who is responsible for killing her coven — and coming into her own as a witch.
Doughnuts and Doom by Balazs Lorinczi (September 20)
In this witchy romance, Margot and Elena experience sparks when they initially meet, despite being very different. One girl is a witch struggling to launch a potions business while the other is a musician whose band is faltering. Their connection seems magical, but will their personal challenges turn their connection into a curse?
Forest Hills Bootleg Society by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux (September 27)
Set in 2005, Brooke, Kelly, Maggie, and Melissa are four close friends who inadvertently find themselves in possession of a bootleg anime DVD that is more than a little salacious. They decide to capitalize on their fortuitous discovery by starting a bootleg anime DVD business and selling to the local teen boys in their conservative hometown. But when they pressure of their fledgling and illicit business threatens their friendship and romantic tension crops up, can they find a way to remain friends?
Incredible Doom Vol. 2 by Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden (September 6)
In this sequel to Incredible Doom Vol. 1, the four friends who found each other online are discovering that their new realities aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and Evol House, once considered a refuge, is changing into something they don’t quite recognize anymore.
Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo and Dani Pendergast (September 27)
Long before he became the Darkling and created the Shadow Fold, Eryk and his mother Lena were just two Grisha on the run, fearful of those who would exploit their rare abilities. This graphic novel prequel to Shadow and Bone tells the origin story of one of YA’s favorite villains.
Want more great comics and graphic novel new releases? Check out our new graphic novels and comics round up from April-June 2022, and our January-March 2022 YA releases!
