Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On February 9, 2022

One of the hardest and most frustrating things about finding new comics to read and enjoy is finding a good jumping on point. It can be confusing and disheartening to pick up a single issue from the middle of an arc without having the context of the previous chapters.

With that in mind, here are some titles kicking off New Story Arcs, notable #1s, and One-Shots premiering this upcoming New Comic Book Day, Wednesday, February 9, 2022.

New Story Arcs:

New Mutants #24, Marvel

NEW STATUS QUO FOR THE NEW MUTANTS! The New Mutants regroup in the aftermath of the Shadow King’s attack! What will become of Amahl Farouk? Why is Warpath…crying?! How many snikts can fit into one panel? What happens to the Lost when they find one another? All this and more in a single issue—plus the setup for the next big arc, a story too magical to be believed.

Magic: The Gathering #11, BOOM! Studios

After paying the ultimate price to defeat the mad god, Marit Lage, Planeswalkers Ral Zarek, Kaya, and Vraska return to Ravnica… and the plane closes behind them!

Now a new stranded trio of Planeswalkers – the combustible Chandra Nalaar, the monster tracker Garruk Wildspeaker, and a debuting, mysterious Planeswalker – must find their way back to Ravnica!

But even as they gain foes and friends in new corners of the Multiverse things are worse there than anyone could imagine… as they uncover the plot of an old enemy to manipulate aether on a scale never seen before!

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Justice League 2022 Annual #1, DC

The return of Wonder Woman! Wait, what’s that? Also, the return of…OMAC! Jack Kirby’s greatest creation, the One-Man Army Corps, returns to the DC universe just in time to team up with the reunited Justice League to stop secret forces of evil from gathering! Join Eisner Award winner Sanford Greene as he brings the legacy of the League to life leading into Justice League vs. the Legion of Super-Heroes!

Maestro: World War M #1, Marvel

THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE MAESTRO TRILOGY BEGINS! A.I.M., the Pantheon and even Doctor Doom have all fallen before the might of the Maestro! Finally, he may now reign over his kingdom with a firm green fist. Except he didn’t count on the Abomination rising from the dead and forming an alliance with Namor and Doom! And this dangerous new alliance is ready for war—WORLD WAR M!

Suicide Squad: Blaze #1, DC

The attacks begin without warning. Brutal, sudden…cannibalistic. A metahuman with all the power of Superman but none of his humanity. An unstoppable being ruled only by hunger and instinct, striking at random across the world. To stop this threat, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark have been assigned to corral, nursemaid, and if necessary execute five deadly new recruits: the expendable products of a secret government procedure called BLAZE. They’re ordinary prisoners, endowed with incredible power…in the certain knowledge that it’ll burn through them like wildfire. They have six months to live, maximum. If you’re staring down life in prison, maybe that’s a good deal—especially if you’re Michael Van Zandt, desperate to reunite with the mad lover who forsook you after your Bonnie-and-Clyde crime spree.

But that power? It’s surprisingly transferrable. As each member of the Squad dies…the others get stronger. What would a hardened criminal do with that knowledge? Worse yet: What would a desperate, lovesick idiot do with it? One thing’s certain: this time the Suicide Squad’s bitten off more than it can chew. Win or lose—they all burn.

Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell, the creative team behind the critically acclaimed John Constantine: Hellblazer, have been turned loose on the one DC title even more horrific and blackhearted than that one! We suggest you brace yourselves…

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventure #1, IDW Publishing

“Look at me!” 

The worlds of Dungeons & Dragons have their share of blue, wish-granting djinn, but none is as desperate to please, persevering, or unstable as Mr. Meeseeks! Watch what happens when a pair of hapless rogues stumble upon the ultimate magic lamp.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1957 – Forgotten Lives #1, Dark Horse

Hellboy and Professor Trevor Bruttenholm team up for some quality father-son time at a New York potter’s field where they try to unravel the mystery of a spectral being haunting the packed graveyard. Upon arrival, the two of them quickly realize there may be more things haunting the buried poor at the mass grave than meets the eye. . .

Celebrated writer Mike Mignola and longtime collaborator Chris Roberson bring you another exciting Hellboy one-shot, with exquisite art by Stephen Green and Dave Stewart!

Draculina #1, Dynamite

One child, two destinies: who is the daughter of Lilith of Drakulon? Is she a streetwise runaway human preteen, or is she Vampirella’s deadly siren nightstalker evil twin? Two souls linked by a reality-jumping demon struggle for control of their own destiny as Draculina, Lilith’s first and most beloved daughter, is brought into Vampirella’s reality and linked to an alternate version of herself by a cursed candle which warps reality when lit, swapping Draculina with her other possible “self”-a tough homeless preteen struggling to make it on her own while being constantly drawn into Draculina’s schemes. Establishing a secret identity for herself as “River East”, high-profile socialite daughter of the missing and presumed dead Lilith Ogden Eastaughffe, Draculina presses forth with a secret, evil agenda of bloody retribution against everyone who’s ever done her wrong, with only Katie-her alt-self-standing between her and her deadly goals. Draculina is a wild, fast-paced ride through the literal reverse sensitivities of our altruistic Vampirella, brought to you by Vampi scribe Christopher Priest and Vengeance of Vampi artist Michael Sta. Maria! Buckle up for one dark, wild ride!

Strange Love Adventures #1, DC

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE / THE GRODD COUPLE / LOVE OF COUNTRY / RITUAL OF LOVE / IN THE NAME OF LOVE / SERVICE / ROMANCE ON DINOSAUR ISLAND / DINNER FOR TWO

Love is in the air again, and DC is here to warm your heart and brighten your soul with eight timeless tales of… strange love? We’ve got stories of a love as old as Jurassic time on Dinosaur Island, a bromance between Peacemaker and his eagle sidekick Eagly, and a first date you never saw coming. Oh wow, these really do sound sweet and heartwarming! So c’mon, let your freak flag fly and get weird this Valentine’s Day.

Norse Mythology III #1, Dark Horse

Faithfully Adapted, Scripted, and Laid Out by P. Craig Russell

Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman and Eisner Award–winning comics legend P. Craig Russell finish their comics adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel, Norse Mythology, with a stunning third and final series! This final arc will see artists Colleen Doran (Snow, Glass, Apples, Chivalry), the artist and co-creator behind the Eisner Award and Bram Stoker Award-winning graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples, P. Craig Russell (American Gods, The Sandman), and Galen Showman (Hellboy: Weird Tales, The Graveyard Book) tackle some of the most iconic stories in Norse Mythology.      

First up is a story illustrated by the incomparable David Rubín (Ether, Cosmic Detective), the first issue in this third series sees the sea giant Aegir as he avoids having to throw a banquet for the gods by setting Thor and Tyr off on a wild quest to find a cauldron and pitting our heroes against a multiheaded giantess, fire-breathing sea serpents, and more bizarre mythological creatures.

Faithless III #1, BOOM! Studios

The final act of Azzarello and Llovet’s erotic thriller masterpiece!

Nine months after her mysterious disappearance, Faith suddenly drops back onto the map.

While the art world debates whether her disappearance was a piece of performance art or all just a publicity stunt, Faith retreats to Louis’s studio to recover from her journey into the unknown.

But Ginny begins to realize that something is very much amiss with Faith. Where was she for nine months? And why does Faith suddenly seem so obsessed with Ginny’s son Jacob?

The acclaimed team of New York Times bestselling writer Brian Azzarello (Batman: Damned) and Maria Llovet (Luna) reunite for the third and final act of their erotic thriller masterpiece

Life Zero #1, Ablaze

Where were you when the cloud arrived? Where were you when the world changed forever? Where were you when people started dying?

Tales Told in Technihorror – Season 2 #1, Scout

Black Caravan Imprint: Tales Told in TechniHorror returns for a second season! Continuing the trend of jumping between sub-genres of horror effortlessly, season 2 includes tales from the dark ages, the wild west, a nod to 80’s slashers, and classic horror comics of the 60’s and 70’s, before finishing on a meta story about a comic book artist. All whilst giving it the unique TechniHorror spin. Includes a mini pinup gallery of horrors.

TMNT: Best of – Jennika #1, IDW

Catch up with the life of the newest Ninja Turtle-Jennika! Once a Foot assassin determined to kill Splinter, Jennika soon embarks on a mission of redemption and unforgettable change. Dig into the stories that made Jennika the new sensation of the mutant world with this brand new collection of her greatest stories!

Playthings #1, Scout

Black Caravan Imprint: Alison Hart wakes up inside a bright candy-colored room to discover that she’s tied down with licorice, small toys around her move because they’re alive, and her hands are no longer real. She struggles to piece together the surreal and horrific events that led her to this place and more importantly what has happened to her young daughter, Emma.

Space Bastards: Special Delivery #1, Humanoids

A special, extra-sized one-shot from the mad minds behind SPACE BASTARDS! Postmaster General Roy Sharpton must rely on an untested green recruit to save the Intergalactic Postal Service! A fledgling entrepreneur crosses paths with a trio of Bastards! Planetary authorities try to get some answers after innocents are gunned down in a feathery, neon-pink bloodbath! Three short stories featuring art by Gabo, Boo Cook, and the legendary Simon Bisley, all under a cover by Glenn Fabry!”

Broken Eye #1, Scout

Liverpool in the early 70s. Seamus Young is a young orphan who works unloading garbage in the docks. But his situation will get worse unexpectedly, when he finds a cutaway hand floating in the river and he will be immersed in a criminal conspiracy involving the IRA. And all because of a secret: Seamus has a broken eye but with which he can see the past.

Puke Banter Gnartoons #1, Silver Sprocket

Someone whose name rhymes with “Pink Panther” has puked at the bus stop, and no one is going to clean it up. Thankfully, nature finds a way. A Gnartoons mini-comic by James the Stanton, presented in brilliant neon!

Cheap Tricks #1, Bad Kids Press

A western adventure featuring a gunfightin’ Grandma who will do anything to protect her Grandson. That means pulling every cheap trick in the Old West to survive!