Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On April 20, 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, April 20, 2022.

New Story Arcs:

The Flash #781, DC

The Eclipso War left Wally West stopped dead in his tracks…but a brand-new villain has emerged to wreak havoc on the Scarlet Speedster! An exciting new story arc begins here!

Jonna and The Unpossible Monsters #9, Oni Press

A new arc begins! After the incredible cliffhanger reveal from last issue, Rainbow and Jonna are reeling-what does it all mean?! The two sisters have come so very far in their search for their father, only to be met with lots of questions…and, as always, giant monsters! Can the girls escape the strange goopy tunnels they are in and find their dad? Plus: The secret origin of Gor and Nomi!

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Doctor Strange: Nexus of Nightmares #1, Marvel

TO DREAM–PERCHANCE TO DIE!

Nightmare has invaded Doctor Strange’s dreams and turned them into terrible nightmares! These dark feelings now inhabit every fiber of Doctor Strange’s waking life and has left him weak and unable to protect the realm. Now, Baron Mordo and Nightmare are ready to strike. Can Stephen shake Nightmare’s grip over him? Or will the world be lost to Nightmare’s dream realm forever!

Transformers: Beast Wars Annual #1, IDW

This collection of three stories centers on the characters we know and love from the IDW Transformers: Beast Wars series with some fun surprises and adventures. Featuring fantastic creative teams and wonderful art from Phillip Johnson, Sam Maggs, David Mariotte, Nick Marino, and more! This annual is a fun glimpse into the Cybertronian’s lives outside of their main series adventures.

Secret History of War on Weed #1, Image

BRIAN POSEHN, GERRY DUGGAN & SCOTT KOBLISH reform Voltron (metaphorically only) from their days on Deadpool (also not appearing) to tell a true story and lost chapter from our nation’s sad and failed war on drugs.

The year is 1985. The First Lady decides to crush Northern California cannabis farmers and deploys the biggest tool in the armed forces: Scotch McTiernan (collectible first of many hilarious appearances). “If it weeds…we can kill it.” Scotch puts his boots on the ground in Humboldt and does what he does best—but what happens when he gets high for the first time?

This one-shot has it all: laughs, tears, heart, action—plus, an activity page! A portion of the proceeds from this comic will be donated to organizations dedicated to helping casualties of America’s immoral drug war.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game Pre Game One Shot, IDW

Turtles event of the year incoming! Catch up on all the essential backstory with this special-edition reprinting the TMNT Annuals from 2020 and 2021! The Rat King’s diabolical plan and its even more fiendish players are all assembled right here!

The Vampire Slayer #1, BOOM! Studios

A bold new story in a new universe begins, courtesy of Hugo Award-winning author Sarah Gailey (Eat The Rich) and artist Irene Flores (Just Beyond)!

After years of fighting against the forces of evil, Buffy Summers finds herself succumbing to the burden of bearing the Slayer mantle. To help his Slayer, Rupert Giles is willing to risk a return to chaos magic, and with Willow’s help, they attempt a spell to remove the trauma from Buffy’s psyche. The effects backfire though, and leave Buffy unable to remember her past, or her purpose! With Sunnydale under attack, a new Slayer must rise to protect it, while Buffy’s friends race against the clock to restore her true self.

Triskele #1, Scout

When young Alec Ellis is granted a magical gift on Samhain night, the scales of power on the island of Albion are inadvertently shifted. Now, together with his friends, he is about to embark on a dangerous journey that shall decide the fate of their entire kingdom. Set in a medieval world populated by characters and events from Celtic myths and legends, Triskele is a visually stunning journey into the world of once forgotten oral traditions. It is an epic story of courage and friendship imbued with fascinating characters and steeped in the magic of Welsh and Irish folklore.

Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker #1, BOOM! Studios

Delve even deeper into the Magic: The Gathering universe with comic and screenwriter Mairghread Scott (Transformers, Guardians of the Galaxy) and artist Fabiana Mascolo (Firefly: Brand New ‘Verse)! !

While our heroes have many dangers to face throughout the multiverse, the powerful Necromancer Liliana Vess returns to her new home as a professor at the greatest college of magic in the Multiverse.

But she doesn’t return alone. Sensing the presence of a distant planeswalker calling for help… one with the power to save, or destroy, entire planes, puts her on a collision course with the diabolical machinations of the Tezzeret, the Master of Metal…

Canceled #1, Scout

When washed-up kids show host Larry finds himself replaced by Cruncho the Clown, he tries to destroy the local town television tower, but instead gets himself electrocuted…and sucked into the airwaves.

John Carter of Mars #1, Dynamite

Soldier. Outcast. Husband. Hero. Award-winning author CHUCK BROWN (Bitter Root, Aquamen) and dynamic illustrator GEORGE KAMBADAIS (Firefly) present a bold sci-fi vision of a classic titan!

It is the year 1919. An asteroid of pure Ninth hurtles towards Earth. Its teeming power slowly melds the people of Earth to Mars, and Mars to Earth. John Carter is RIPPED from everything he knows, powerless and confused, suddenly in battle with Martian Apes…in Virginia.

Strap in for full-octane adventure every month…in JOHN CARTER OF MARS!

Star Trek: Ferengi #1, IDW

Dive deeper into the world of Star Trek with another extra-long issue focusing on the memorable aliens of the franchise! This month: Follow Quark on an unforgettable adventure to Ferenginar, where mother, brother, and brother challenge the very core beliefs of Ferengi culture. Witness Ferengi history change forever in this can’t-miss issue!”

The Collector: Unit 731 #1, Dark Horse

A man can go by many names, and when someone has been around as long as Michael, he can gain more than just a few aliases. Now he’s Michael Smith, but back in the 1940s he went by James. When the obituary for John, who Michael met during WWII, comes up in the paper, Michael finds himself reflecting on a lifetime he left behind-and the horrors and experimentation he, John, and others, endured at the infamous Manchuria-based Japanese facility known as Unit 731.

Corollary #1, Source Point Press

In a galaxy filled with twin moons, twin suns, and twin planets, everything comes in twos. Even the people. And if your twin dies… so do you. This is the way it’s always been. So, when Captain Andromeda’s twin loses her life in a far-off military battle, and Captain Andromeda herself DOES NOT die, needless to say, the universe demands answers. Answers that the Captain is willing to give… to the highest bidder, of course. This is COROLLARY – a four-issue bombastic sci-fi romp.