Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On June 1, 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, June 1, 2022.

New Arcs:

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #38, Marvel

EMPIRE OF THE SPIDER, PART ONE

NEXT STOP…THE EMPIRE OF THE SPIDER! MILES and SHIFT’s hunt through the Multiverse lands them…back in Brooklyn?! It’s NOT the home they know, but the EMPIRE OF THE SPIDER! A timeline where Miles’ clone SELIM is victorious, and the only thing standing in the evil Spider-Man’s way is a rebellion led by General GANKE and a very grown-up and extremely badass Capitán BILLIE!

LEGACY #278

Star Wars: Darth Vader #23, Marvel

THE SHADOW’S SHADOW’S SHADOW

An epic new story begins as DARTH VADER embarks upon a new mission in partnership with a sworn enemy—but who’s leading whom to doom? And what happens when the QUEEN’S SHADOW learns the deepest secret of the Dark Lord of the Sith? Plus: the shocking return of a face from Vader’s most distant past!

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Action Comics 2022 Annual, DC

As the Warworld Saga reaches a breaking point, battle lines are drawn between the two towering forces at odds: Mongul and Superman. In this special 2022 annual we’ll explore how our combatants have evolved over the years to represent the beacons of hope and tyranny that they respectively embody…and witness the first chilling chapter of their ultimate final battle!

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, DC

The Justice League has tragically fallen in battle, and now we see the aftermath. How does the world react to the Justice League being gone? Which heroes rise up…and which villains try to take advantage? And what dark forces are lying in wait to attack? An all-star roster of DC talent showcases a world without a Justice League and sets the stage for next month’s Dark Crisis event!

Shadow War: Omega #1, DC

THE SHADOW WAR’S EPIC CONCLUSION! The shocking finale of the Shadow War! Lives have been lost. Heroes and villains have fallen in battle. And now the real mastermind behind the Shadow War has been revealed. But they are far from done! Batman and Robin are all that’s left to put a stop to their real plans. Can the father-and-son duo work together to save the day? Events in this issue lead directly into DC’s next big summer event!

CONTINUED FROM ROBIN #14.

Blade Runner Black Lotus #1, Titan

Set after the events of the Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime series!

Elle, AKA Black Lotus, hoped she could leave behind her violent past and find a new life. But is that possible in a world where replicants are still hunted and feared? FEARED.

Expanding the world of Blade Runner with a new type of replicant!

Cyberpunk 2077: Blackout #1, Dark Horse

It hurts. Night City hurts. The suffering runs deep and the deeper one falls, the longer the self-prescribed dreams play. Fortune, hope, love -all made possible by DMS technology. But not everyone desires a happy ending. A braindance repairman discovers the answer to pain . . . comes in a blackout.

The Closet #1, Image

Thom is moving cross-country with his family and dragging the past along with them. His son, Jamie, is seeing monsters in the bedroom closet and will not let them go. A tale of existential familial horror by JAMES TYNION IV (THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, RAZORBLADES) and GAVIN FULLERTON (BOG BODIES, Bags).

New Think #1, Artists Writers & Artisans Inc

This Black Mirror-style anthology examines the rapid proliferation of technology, the cultural and political polarization of the country, and the technocrats that have driven us to such extremes of thought that we need to present the present as something…futuristic. Each of the five issues is a stand-alone tale with its own art team

Astronaut Down #1, AfterShock

Douglas Spitzer wants to be one of the “astronauts” selected for the crucial Mission Politzer. And just like astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Sally Ride, Douglas is brave, adaptable, and self-sacrificing. He’s one of the program’s best candidates.

But if he qualifies, Douglas won’t be traveling through space; he’ll be launched into alternate realities on a desperate mission to save Earth from a horrific crisis that has our world on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, it’s a mission where everything will go wrong, where Doug-las’s training and very humanity will be put to the test, and where a deep-seeded secret could sabotage everything.

The Phalanx #1, Image

Inspired since 1992 by the series that launched Image Comics, writer and artist JONATHAN LUNA (ALEX + ADA, 20XX) creates an homage to honor its 30th anniversary with THE PHALANX!

Spur, a mercenary in modern-day Los Angeles, chases a mysterious villain and finds herself going through a portal and running into a famous superhero team. They realize they have a common goal.

Super Freaks #1, Image

“WHEN FIN-ADDICTS TAKE CONTROL!”

Celebrating 10 years of the Savage FINcast podcast with an official fan tribute to everyone’s favorite Fin-Head! SAVAGE DRAGON fans unite to produce one of the wildest comics ever created! It’s crude! It’s rude! It’s hilarious! It’s the most offbeat, off-the-wall comic book ever committed to paper! SUPER FREAKS comes with our highest possible recommendation.

Code 45 #1, Scout

There are dragons lurking in the tunnels beneath Montreal’s city streets – at least that’s the rumor that confronts new metro driver Vanessa. Terrified by these mysterious and horrifying apparitions, the night shift turns to self-medication, losing the ability to tell the difference between reality and fantasy. Pulled in deep by the underground raves that blast through the system’s abandoned stations, Vanessa quickly finds herself on the verge of crossing into a dark world she never knew existed.

Albatross Exploding Funnybooks #1, Albatross Funnybooks

In the spirit of the Golden Age of comics, Eric Powell brings you a new anthology series featuring his fan favorite creations. The Goon, Hillbilly, La Diabla, Lester of the Lesser Gods and Lula the Bearded Girl will all be featured in the pages of Albatross Exploding Funnybooks! But that’s not all. The series will also contain original one-off stories and satirical cartoons by Powell. That’s right, it’s a printed and stapled receptacle for the bizarre musings of a backwoods loon!

Don’t miss out on this oversized 48 page first issue! Also available with a variant La Diabla cover by Dani Strips!

By the Horns: Dark Earth #1, Scout

Scout Comics hit title By the Horns is back!

Six months after their hellacious battle in the sky with the evil sorceress, Feng Po, Elodie and Sajen are back in Wayfarer, reluctantly settling into their new lives as… farmers?! But their days spent tilling the land in overalls proves short-lived when a mysterious blight devastates the continent of Solothus and forces them to take up a new quest.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance #1, Behemoth

Since the capture of King Wenceslaus IV by his half brother, King Sigismund, the Kingdom of Bohemia has been in disarray. The once peaceful Kingdom is now filled with screams of terror as King Sigismund and his army, full of Cuman mercenaries, slaughter those who oppose him. Sigismund is aided by Istvan Toth and his bandit army, as they are able to raid the recently destroyed villages for silver and weapons while also bringing fear to Wenceslaus loyalists. Find out what happened in the events leading to the hit video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance, in the upcoming comic series, Kingdom Come: Deliverance “Death Upon Us”.

Batman 2022 Annual, DC

Following the events of the Abyss story arc, Batman has now tasked Ghost-Maker to finance and lead Batman Inc.! First order of business for the new management? Clean up a huge mess Luthor created in Chechnya…but is this new group ready to face fearsome new threat the Gray Wolf? And prepare yourself for the evolution of Clownhunter!