DC Entertainment, the home of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and a legion of other heroes, is planning two new graphic novel imprints aimed at younger readers. DC Zoom will feature stories for middle school readers, and DC Ink will focus on young adults. Books from the two divisions are scheduled to come out in the fall.
“We wanted to go back to what we used to have in comic books: story arcs for younger readers,” said Bobbie Chase, a vice president at DC and the executive editor for the new imprints.
Though a few of the graphic novels will have creators who are already working in the comic book industry, the majority of the writers are a Who’s Who of popular novelists for young readers. They include Laurie Halse Anderson (“Speak”), Melissa de la Cruz (the Descendants series), Michael Northrop (“TombQuest”) and Ridley Pearson (the Kingdom Keepers series).
“Any initiative that will create material for 7- to 15-year-olds, I’m all for,” said Chuck Rozanski, the president of Mile High Comics, which has three comic stores in and near Denver. “That’s our biggest growth area in the store.”
Mr. Rozanski added that a lot of comics, particularly those centered on superheroes, attract a limited, die-hard audience. “The young people coming into stores are not getting material they can take ownership of,” he said. “They are hungry for adventure and for the kind of escapism that comics can provide.”
a lot more at the link, including the reveal of the first two projects: all-ages books focusing on Mera and Harley Quinn!
This is basically what some of the sharper minds have been saying for a good long while that comics companies need to do—broader audience appeal, and going right to graphic novels instead of individual issues. I know a lot of children’s and YA librarians who will be happy about this.
They are making two new imprints: DC Zoom which is for young readers and DC Ink for teenagers and young adults and so far they have announced only Graphic Novels.
GNs announced for DC Zoom:
DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis by Shea Fontana and Yancey Labat
Super Sons by Ridley Pearson (I don’t think an artist was announced)
GNs announced for DC Ink:
Harley Quinn by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh
Mera by Danielle Paige (no artist has been announced for this)
There’s also going to be a Graphic Novel by Gene Luen Yang (who writes New Super-Man) called Superman Smashes the Klan which is really significant considering the old Superman Radio show was integral in dealing a great blow to the KKK.
When she left DC Comics in September of last year, Janelle Asselin was one of the few female editors at the company. Asselin, who worked on the Batman line, was an editor on Birds of Prey as well as an associate editor on Batwoman, Detective, Batman and few other books. During her time at DC Comics, Asselin began work on 
hich is so easily dismissed by people on the other side. I wanted to write something positive - something that admitted the problems in the industry (which are plentiful) but more importantly offered what I saw as solutions. And certainly being in the midst of the early days of planning the New 52 and watching, from the inside, as DC hatched marketing plans and all that as I came up with my topic was…influential. 
zeromayhem
