Summary

• YA authors like Rainbow Rowell, C.S. Pacat, and Sam Maggs bring emotional depth to comics, creating impactful stories that resonate.
• Rowell's She-Hulk run showcased emotional moments, while Pacat's Dark Knights of Steel explored Bruce Wayne's origins in a chilling way.
• The comic industry has a long history of YA stories, with DC particularly focusing on YA themes through novels and graphic novels.

Like her title character, Sensational She-Hulk writer Rainbow Rowell’s time at Marvel has been a smashing success, as her second series writing Jennifer Walters wraps up in August with its tenth issue. However, her time at Marvel has shown that YA authors bring something special to the comic book industry, and she isn’t the only one to do so. Fellow YA writers C.S. Pacat and Sam Maggs have both made waves in DC and Star Trek comics, respectively, proving that there is success to be found in the combination of genres.

Previously known for the cult classic novels Fangirl and Carry On, Rowell ed the monthly comic She-Hulk in 2022, giving Jennifer Walters a fresh start as the super-powered lawyer begins to rebuild her life.

Rowell's first She-Hulk series featured pencils by Roge Antonio, Luca Maresca, Takeshi Miyazawa, Andres Genolet and Joe Quinones. Her second series featured pencils by Andres Genolet, Ig Guara, Gavin Guidry, Emilio Laiso, David Cutler. Both series' covers were drawn by Jen Bartel.

Sam Maggs had a similar run with Carol Danvers in Marvel Action: Captain Marvel before moving on to write Jean-Luc Picard as he entered Starfleet Academy in Star Trek: Picard’s Academy. C.S. Pacat ed DC ahead of its "Lazarus Planet" 2023 event, with Dark Knights of Steel #1: Tales From The Three Kingdoms in late 2022.

YA Writers Know How To Hit Home—Emotionally

While comics regularly serve meaningful moments among action-packed s, Rainbow Rowell’s YA experience shone through in She-Hulk #6. As her beau Jack of Hearts sacrificed himself, Jennifer Walters tore through the pages of the comic to confront her writers with an emotional monologue. While comic quotes often stem from times of strength, YA readers are well-adjusted to more imioned quotes. By forcing the reader to accept what turning the page would mean, Rowell delivered a heart-wrenching climax to Jen’s arc in a way only a novelist could write:

You gave me something, and now you're going to take it away. Because that's what you do. That's all you ever do... Go on. Turn the page.

C. S. Pacat achieved the same result with "King’s Bane" from Dark Knights of Steel: Tales From The Three Kingdoms #1, a story that explained how the cold and imive Prince Bruce Wayne became the strategic knight readers are familiar with in Dark Knights of Steel. Through exploration of a young Bruce’s views on the Els following his parents’ deaths, Pacat wrote the final nail in the coffin that cements Bruce’s animosity against magical beings. It’s a solemn story with a chilling ending due to foreknowledge of the future.

Dark Knights of Steel: Tales From The Three Kingdoms #1 was drawn by Caspar Wijngaard.

The Comic Industry Has Always Told YA Stories

It’s unsurprising that YA writers would be able to find their footing in both genres, be it writing novels or comics. Whether it be DC or Marvel, the comics industry’s past is entrenched with coming of age stories that resonate with younger audiences. From DC’s Teen Titans to Marvel’s Young Avengers, to familiar teenage heroes like Peter Parker and Miles Morales, YA stories have always had a home in comics. It’s unsurprising that YA writers would be able to find their footing in both genres, be it writing novels or comics.

DC in particular has been putting a spotlight on YA stories and authors since 2017: first with its DC Icons novel series, before shifting to graphic novels with its imprint line DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults. The line reworked familiar origin stories, with the most recent being Teen Titans: Starfire, written by Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo. Teen Titans: Starfire marks the fifth book in DC’s YA Titans universe, following Teen Titans: Raven, Teen Titans: Beast Boy, Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, and Teen Titans: Robin.

While the categories have their differences, there are certain elements from the YA genre that play well in the stories the comics industry is devoted to telling. With Rainbow Rowell’s She-Hulk run culminating in three volumes and her Sensational She-Hulk run ending soon, Sam Magg’s take on a younger Jean Luc Picard, and C. S. Pacat’s many impactful DC stories, it's clear that YA writers writing comics is a successful combination that can only make the comic industry stronger.

Sensational She-Hulk #10 will be available August 14 from Marvel Comics.