Oni Press has four new graphic novels for middle-grade and YA readers for June and July, including new Courtney Crumrin, the first Aggretsuko OGN, Dragon Racer, and Star Beast.

Ted Naifeh will bring back the sorceress Courtney Crumrin in a new series, The Crumrin Chronicles.  The first volume, The Charmed and the Cursed, finds Courtney trying to help her younger brother Will, who spent 100 years in the faerie world and is still a teenage boy, to adjust to high school.  Not only does the popularity charm Courtney makes for Will backfire, but they attract the attention of an ancient vampire who has come back as a slick businessman.  He wants to have Courtney be his servant, and he is willing to use Will to get to her.  The Crumrin Chronicles Vol. 1: The Charmed and the Cursed is rated for ages 13-17 and will be published on June 22 as a 128-page paperback with an MSRP of $14.99.

Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine, by Brenda Hickey, is the first original graphic novel starring the Sanrio character Retsuko, a red panda who relaxes by singing heavy metal karaoke (she also has her own show on Netflix).  Hickey says she drew on her own love of Japanese rock from the 1990s and 2000s for the story, in which Retsuko and her friends have a karaoke battle with a band from her past.  Rated for readers 12 and up, the 80-page paperback is scheduled for June 22 and will have an MSRP of $12.99.

Dragon Racer, by Joey Weiser, brings back the characters from his previous graphic novel, Ghost Hog, for a new story that stands alone.  Truff, Claude, and Stanley make friends with Vern, a river dragon whose heart’s desire is to be a racer.  He practices a lot, but when a fan at the racetrack gets sick and needs to see a doctor, Vern is the only one with the off-track skills to help, and even then, he needs his friends as well. Weiser is also the creator of the Mermin series, and like his earlier books, Dragon Racer is targeted at readers aged 8 to 12.  The 168-page paperback will go on sale on June 15 with an MSRP of $12.99.

Star Beasts, by Stephanie Young (writer) and Allyson Lassiter (artist) is a story about cute animals doing funny things in space.  The Star Beasts are a group of outer-space critters who protect the Earth, and Bandit, a puppy, leaves his home to join them.  It’s a bumpy ride at first, but when a villain steals some precious fossils, planning to use them to re-create an ancient monster and wipe out all life on Earth, Bandit takes the lead as the Star Beasts battle for the future of humanity.  Designed for readers aged 9 to 12, the 208-page paperback will go on sale on July 20 with an MSRP of $12.99.


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