When Papercutz launched, 11 years ago, graphic novels for children were a much smaller category than they are now. At Publishers Weekly, I talked to Terry Nantier and Jim Salicrup, who saw the manga boom and the potential audience for graphic novels. They borrowed the format and look of manga, and they started out selling their graphic novels in bookstores, not comic shops. The market has evolved a lot since then, and they have moved from Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys adaptations to a varied line that includes both licensed and creator-owned titles—and can be found in comic shops and as e-books as well as in bookstores.

Raina Telgemeier’s Smile was a breakthrough book when it came out in 2010, and the AV Club assembles a roundtable of critics to discuss not just the book but also the way it changed graphic novels and helped bring in a new audience of girls. It’s a lively discussion that brings up some interesting points.

The Stan Lee Excelsior Awards are not just for young readers, they are chosen by young readers—schoolchildren in the UK vote for their favorite titles. This year, the three top picks were all Marvel comics with movie tie-ins: First place went to Darth Vader: Vader by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca, while Ant-Man: Second Chance Man came in (appropriately) second and Rocket Raccoon: Chasing Tale was third. The winner of the Stan Lee Excelsior Award Junior was Troy Trailblazer and the Horde Queen, by Robert Deas.

Kevin Joseph explains why the next comic he writes will be for kids.

Previews

Angel Catbird, vol. 1
Betty & Veronica #1
Jem and the Holograms #16
Peanuts: Friends Forever Special 2016 #1

Reviews

Stergios Botzakis on Compass South (Graphic Novel Resources)
Matt Santori-Griffith on DC Super Hero Girls, vol. 1: Finals Crisis (Comicosity)
Mark Dickson on Future Heroes (Panel Patter)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Jem and the Holograms: Dark Jem (Comics Worth Reading)
Allen Thomas on Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #8 (Comicosity)
Drew McCabe on Shonen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan (Comic Attack)