Few Awards for GNs at ALA:  The American Library Association gave out its Youth Media Awards at its midwinter meeting last week, and two graphic novels were among the honorees: Jeff Lemire’s Roughneck won an Alex Award, which recognizes adult books that appeal to teen readers, and Melanie Gillman’s graphic novel As the Crow Flies was a Stonewall Honor Book, a category that recognizes LGBTQ titles.  This is in sharp contrast to a few years ago, when graphic novels took several major awards (see "Graphic Novels Get Newbery, Caldecott, Printz ‘Honors’").

New Archie Series in Classic Style:  Archie Comics returns to its roots with Betty & Veronica: Friends Forever #1, the first in a series of monthly comics done in the traditional Archie house style.  Each comic will include several five-page stories with a common theme—for the first issue, due out on May 2, it’s "At the Movies."  The all-ages series will be written by Bill Golliher with art by Dan Parent, and each 24-page issue will be priced at $2.99.

This marks the first Archie comic in the classic style and format in three years—that’s how long it’s been since the company changed to a more "mature" look and multi-issue storylines (see "A New ‘Archie’ #1 in 2015"), although Your Pal Archie was sort of a half step back, with art that was a hybrid of the traditional style and an updated look influenced by the TV show Riverdale.

Thirteenth Doctor Comic to Have All-Female Creative Team:  Titan Comics is adding to its line of Doctor Who comics with a new series starring the Thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, and featuring an all-female creative team: Writer Jody Houser (Faith, Mother Panic), artist Rachael Stott (The Twelfth Doctor), and colorist Enrica Angolini (Warhammer 40,000).  The new series will debut this fall, around the same time as the new season of the TV series (see "Thirteenth Doctor Who Announced").

New Titles from BOOM!  BOOM! Studios recently announced two original graphic novels that, while not explicitly described as such, look like good picks for young readers.  Alice: From Dream to Dream, by Giulio Macaione, is about a girl who shares a bedroom with her brother—and shares his dreams as well.  Through those dreams, Alice unravels some deep secrets, including the connection between her family and that of her best friend.  The book, part of the BOOM! Box imprint, will be released in September 2018 in comic shops and October 2018 in bookstores.  It will be a 144-page paperback with an MSRP of $14.99.

Sanpaku, by Kate Gavino, is the story of 12-year-old Marcine, who is obsessed with sanpaku, the notion that if the whites of someone’s eyes are visible above or below the iris, that person will suffer misfortune.  Gavino says her story reflects her own experiences growing up in a Filipino immigrant family and attending Catholic school.  "I wanted to write a book about the people I know the best: the quiet girl in class whose imagination is running at hyper-speed, the old Filipino lola who is a master shoplifter, the upright Catholic who is constantly letting herself down, and the bitchy best friend who will never forgive you for seeing her crap in the sandbox in kindergarten," she says.  Sanpaku is part of the Archaia imprint; publication is planned for August 2018 in all markets.  The book will be a 288-page hardcover with an MSRP of $24.99.