DC Brings Two Beloved YA Heroes Into Its Main Canon

By Jenna Anderson

Over the past few years, DC Comics has reimagined its stories for new readers with a line of buzzworthy young adult graphic novels. The stories told within those pages have ranged from subversive takes on familiar heroes to wholly new characters — and now, it looks like two of them have officially been folded into the main universe. Spoilers for Teen Titans Academy #8, from Tim Sheridan, Mike Norton, Hi-Fi, and Rob Leigh below! Only look if you want to know!

The issue opened with class being back in session at the Teen Titans Academy, and potential recruits and their parents being given a tour around the campus. Among those recruits were two young women — Ashley Rayburn / Primer and Willow Zimmerman / Whistle, accompanied by her dog Lebowitz — who introduced themselves after one walked into the other's picture.

For those unfamiliar with DC's young adult line, Primer and Whistle both made their debut in eponymous graphic novels, with Primer, from Jennier Muro, Thomas Krajewski, and Gretel Lusky, arriving in June of 2020, and Whistle, from E. Lockhart and Manuel Preitano, arriving in September of this year. Primer recounts 13-year-old Ashley's origin story, as she is a superhero who acquires new powers based on what color paint she has on her. Whistle, meanwhile, recounts Willow and Lebowitz's origin, after they gain superpowers following a run-in with Killer Croc, and use them to protect Gotham City's predominantly-Jewish Down River neighborhood.

Krajewski shared a panel from the Teen Titans Academy issue on social media, and indicated that she has "many more adventures to come."

This serves as the first instance of a new character from DC's YA graphic novels being brought into the flagship comics — and given the positive response both Primer and Whistle got surrounding their respective debuts, it's easy to see why they were among the first. Going forward, it will be interesting to see where and how Primer, Whistle, and Lebowitz factor into DC storytelling — it certainly would make sense for them to actually enroll in the Teen Titans Academy, but there's always the possibility that either hero could branch off and appear in other books as well.

What do you think of Primer and Whistle entering the main DC Comics canon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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