Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics | Tagged: prez, ya

DC Repackaging Old Comics As YA Graphic Novels, Starting With Prez

With 2024 as an election year in both the US and the UK, DC Comics is repackaging Prez, by Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell, for a YA audience.

Published Thu, 11 Jan 2024 12:03:19 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Comments

Article Summary

DC repackages the satirical Prez comics for a YA audience as graphic novels.
Prez tells the tale of America's first teen president, elected via social media.
The series includes contributions from creators like Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller.
Prez: Setting a Dangerous President releases June 4th, aligning with election year.

It's Prez time! Now, this is a very smart decision by DC Comics. Who have found recent success in the exploding YA graphic novel market with original works from Teen Titans to Dreamer, from Wayne Family Adventures to Primer. Recently they have announced that they are taking Kids and YA titles and serialising them as comic books for a comic store market. And now they are doing the opposite. Taking older comics, including those that have already been collected as trade paperbacks, but repackaging them in a new format and marketing them towards the YA audience.

And with 2024 as an election year in both the US and the UK, they are beginning with Prez, by satirical comic book writer Mark Russell and artists Ben Caldwell, and Dominike "Domo" Stanton, originally published in another contentious electoral cycle, from 2015 to 2016. And telling the story of the first teenage President of the USA, Betty Ross, elected President via Twitter in the year 2046.

It's 2046 and America has just elected its first teenage president! Previously selected as one of YALSA's Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens, DC's critically acclaimed political satire Prez is in a new format and more relevant than ever. Oregon teen Beth Ross has just been elected President of the United States of America. Age restrictions were abolished when corporations gained the right to run for office. Elections are now held on social media, and after a corndog accident makes Beth Ross go viral, a nation is shocked to wake up and find that "Corndog Girl" has just become their new president. The eyes of the world are on Beth. But in a nation so used to misrule that the poor are willing to do anything on TV for a chance at a better life, will a fresh start be enough to undo the damage caused by Boss Smiley and his corporate shadow government? Eisner-winning writer Mark Russell (Superman: Space Age, The Flintstones) teams with artist Ben Caldwell (Justice League Beyond) and others to revive and reinvent a classic! Collects PREZ #1-6, a short from CATWOMAN ELECTION NIGHT #1, and DC SNEAK PEEK: PREZ #1, as well as a brand-new short story.

Prez was originally Prez Rickard, the first teenage President of the United States, who appeared in a comic by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti in 1972, manipulated by the shady businessman Boss Smiley. It was cancelled after four issues, the fifth issue eventually included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2, which guest-starred Supergirl. In 1993, Neil Gaiman, Michael Allred and Bryan Talbot featured the character in issue #54 of Sandman which included an assassination attempt on Prez. This was picked up by Vertigo Visions: Prez – Smells Like Teen President by Ed Brubaker and Eric Shanower, with an appearance in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again as a computer program which takes on human form, Rick Rickard, who takes over the country. Version of Prez were established across the multiverse in the New 52.

And now DC Comics is releasing Prez: Setting a Dangerous President on the 4th of June.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!