Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On August 24, 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 New Story Arcs, Notable #1s, and One-Shots premiering this upcoming New Comic Book Day, Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

New Story Arcs:

Star Wars: Darth Vader #26, Marvel

INTO THE SAND! We all know about Anakin Skywalker’s aversion to finely ground particulate matter. But what does sand mean to the Dark Lord of the Sith? When Sabé, Vader’s unlikely new ally, goes missing, Vader must confront his own dark heart in the maelstrom of a terrible sandstorm—while tapping into one of his earliest skills in a wildly unexpected way!

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Damage Control #1, Marvel

FROM THE CREATOR OF TV’S THE GOLDBERGS! Marvel’s Unsung Heroes finally get sung! After the mega-powered battles and Hulk-level catastrophes, Damage Control is always there to clean up the mess and get things back to normal. But Damage Control is much more than just a glorified cleanup crew, and this new series will pull back the curtain and reveal the secret inner workings that were previously only available to people with Clearance Level Eight. And we’ll witness it all through the eyes of Gus: a fresh-faced, eager newcomer to the company who has no idea how chaotic his life is about to become. Adam F. Goldberg (TV’s The Goldbergs) and Hans Rodionoff team up with Will Robson to take you into the secret labyrinth of Damage Control, where it’s totally common to run into familiar faces like Moon Knight! Nightcrawler! She-Hulk! And more! Plus: A second story by DAMAGE CONTROL creator Dwayne McDuffie’s McSpouse, Charlotte Fullerton, as the Damage Control crew must clean up after the Infinity Gauntlet! 

Tales of The Human Target #1, DC

Building on the most critically acclaimed series of the year, Tom King and four of comics’ top artists tell the tales of what happened before Chance drank Luthor’s poison. Chance teams up with fan-favorite members of the JLI in four connecting mysteries that lead them to that fateful day when one them will kill the Human Target.

Olympus: Rebirth #1

After years of bitter and violent conflict, the Greek pantheon of gods stands united to welcome their latest goddess…Hippolyta of Themyscira! Due to her heroic efforts in the mortal realm, the former queen has earned her rightful place among the gods and plans to use her newfound powers to take care of her Amazon sisters from beyond. Little does she know, some of the gods are wary of the new future Hippolyta brings and will do just about anything to stop it! Join the Wonder Woman writing duo of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad—along with artist Caitlin Yarsky (Black Hammer) in her DC debut—for an unforgettable new adventure on Mount Olympus. It’s only the beginning of many exciting things to come for Wonder Woman and her world!

Gun Honey: Blood for Blood #1, Titan

2021’S BEST-SELLING NON-PREMIER COMIC IS BACK FOR A BLOCKBUSTER NEW SERIES!

With weapons expert Joanna Tan, the legendary “Gun Honey,” off the grid, recuperating from her last job, a vengeful rival takes her place – and frames Joanna for murder. On the run from Malaysia to Milan, from Montana to Monaco, can Joanna catch up to her ruthless enemy…or will she catch a bullet first?

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #1, Dark Horse

All-new all-ages adventures from throughout the galaxy!

When the members of a Republic mission led by Senator Padmé Amidala are abducted by the ruthless Separatist General Grievous, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi jump to the rescue. But the operation quickly goes awry, and the Jedi find themselves cut off and surrounded by an army of battle droids!

Danger and deception at the height of the Clone Wars, in Star Wars: Hyperspace #1!

Wynd: The Throne in the Sky #1, BOOM! Studios

The WYND saga continues in this epic new volume from Eisner Award winner James Tynion IV (Batman, Something is Killing the Children) and artist Michael Dialynas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), the GLAAD Award-winning creative team behind The Woods.

The land of Esseriel has grown darker and more dangerous, as tensions between the human and faerie realms threaten to erupt into all-out war.

Could Wynd be the only hope for peace? And what will his destiny be if he truly is one of the legendary WINGED ONES?

Prepare to embark on an extraordinary fantasy adventure, and discover a world of mysterious legends, ancient prophecies, and the brave heroes at the center of it all!

Minor Threats #1, Dark Horse

It’s hard out there for a supervillain. Not the world conquerors, chaos engines, or arch-nemeses… but the little guys, the career criminals. The ones who put on uniforms, knock over jewelry stores, and get tied to telephone poles before the hero swings off to face the actual big bad. Times are tough for costumed crooks… and they’re about to get much worse. The psychotic Stickman has done the unthinkable and murdered Kid Dusk, sidekick to Twilight City’s premier crime-fighter, The Insomniac. The Insomniac’s teammates, The Continuum, are tearing Twilight apart, turning it into a terrifying police state–desperate to capture the Stickman and stop the Insomniac from “crossing that final line” in which he may never come back from.

Caught in the middle are the small-time c-list villains, finding it impossible to pull jobs or even walk down the street without being harassed by these heroes. With a bounty on the Stickman’s head, former villain Playtime decides to put together a ragtag team of equally disgruntled supervillains to take down the Stickman and kill him themselves. Leading her on a dark journey into the criminal underbelly she’s tried so hard to escape.

End After End #1, Vault

Life is nothing if not a series of endings.

School. Jobs. Friendships. Love.

Until THE end.

Walter Willem’s end was fast and unexpected. His was an unremarkable life. So, how is it that his story continues as cannon fodder in an endless war waged against an insatiable darkness hellbent on consuming all of existence?

And is Walter right in believing he’s arrived in the midst of this titanic battle as the one destined to finally end it?

That’s the tale of the End After End.

Eternus #1, Scout

360 CE. The great god Zeus is long dead, brutally murdered in his own temple some thirty years prior. Heracles, Zeus’s son and champion, spends his days drunk and depressed as the old gods struggle to stay alive after decades of Christian disruption. When Athena’s Temple is sacked by a mysterious Centurion looking for a powerful relic that once belonged to Zeus, the old gods are convinced they have found Zeus’s killer. Now the mighty Heracles must sober up long enough to keep the lone witness, a 9-year-old blind priestess, alive long enough to identify the killer and finally find justice for his dead father.

Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1, IDW

Embark on a never-before-seen journey set between seasons two and three of the Paramount+ hit series Star Trek: Picard!

When the U.S.S. Stargazer goes missing near a planet from his past, Admiral Jean Luc-Picard enlists Seven’s help to unravel the mystery and save the Stargazer crew!

Magic: Ajani Goldmane #1, BOOM! Studios

This standalone tale introduces new readers to fan favorite planeswalker Ajani Goldmane, while delving into his past adventures and uncovering surprising revelations for the brave healer’s current fans!

But what happens when the steadfast, valiant protector faces threats beyond his capabilities?

Emmett #1, Artists Writers & Artisans Inc

Welcome to Brooklyn Through the Looking Glass, where a golem with benefits, a spiraling genie, a demon who feeds on bad vibes, and a mischievous mermaid collide with heartbroken, hard-living, and hype-obsessed humans. Lesser Evils is a hilarious, pop culture-filled universe that explore what intimacy, spite, selflessness, and friendship mean today.

Episode 1: Emmett

Meet Lydia Loew, an artisan potter, who goes on a bender after a bad breakup. Then, in anguish and anger, she accidentally conjures up a golem from clay in her BUSHWICK studio. Enter EMMETT, a golem with benefits. He mixes a mean cocktail, is handy around the house, and will help Lydia exact revenge, with a vengeance.

Dejah Thoris: Fairy Tales #1, Dynamite

Dejah as you’ve never seen her…in a fairy tale!

Once Upon A Time, a queen most jealous sought to destroy any woman fairer than she. And so, a beautiful woman struck out into the wilderness, desperate to evade the queen’s envious wrath. The beauty would find allies in the wild, unlike any she’d ever seen before. And she made plans to return to the queen, to lay claim to the planet of Barsoom…

TMNT: Best of – Baxter Stockman #1, IDW

He’s an inventor. He’s a mad genius. He’s a cutthroat businessman. He’s a villain. He’s a hero. He’s been a mutant fly. He’s even been the mayor of New York City. But most importantly, he’s never, ever boring. This is Baxter Stockman at his very best… Just ask him!

Phantasmagoria #1, Scout

In Victorian London, an Intruder from the Outer has been summoned, leaving behind a series of gruesome killings. The mysterious Professor Hawke helps the possessed Jane Grantley to get rid of the creature. Hawke is an old, powerful wizard. But he’s not the only wizard in London… and the others may not be on his side!

Forever Forward #1, Scout

A sci-fi adventure like no other, one that imagines time traveling through “the future” as an Odyssey-style mythic journey home. When brilliant young scientist Dr. Lewis Moody accidentally launches himself, his secret longtime crush and three best friends 33 years into the future with his unproven quantum time machine, they find a mysterious message from their future selves: THE ONLY WAY BACK IS FORWARD. Now, as they jump again and again through strange future times, will they one day find the technology to time-travel back, or are they doomed to hopelessly travel forward…forever?

Kold #1, Source Point Press

In a modern-day Ebenezer Scrooge-esque tale, a cruel old man named Homer goes ice fishing with his dog. The man is desperate to resolve the guilt that burns deep down in his conscience. Homer went fishing for forgiveness, but all he caught was hell.

Meta: Metalinguistic Crimes Division #1, Scout

Star comic writer Agatha finds her artist boyfriend murdered and believes that the comic book characters they created together are to blame! Her brother Alan, a wannabe novelist, arrives to offer Agatha support in her grief and accidentally finds himself drawn into an unfinished comic book page! Adding to the confusion, a police unit that specializes in “meta-crimes” arrives and starts investigating the case. Without doubt, things are about to get much worse for Alan and Agatha. Enjoy the first issue of this NON-STOP! title followed by the entire story collected soon after in one volume.

One Giant Leap #1, Blood Moon Comics

Alex is a Vtoob sensation and an adrenaline junkie. He’s celebrating his one millionth follower by jumping from one building to the next, pushing the thrill for his viewers.

Meanwhile, two celestials are playing a game of chess with real people as their pawns.

 What does this have to do with Alex’s One Giant Leap? The question of whether or not humans can fly will be answered in a turn of shock and awe!

Grubbs Summer Special #1, Keenspot

Soon to be an animated television series adapted by showrunner M.J. Offen, head writer of Cartoon Network’s Jade Armor! Max Weaver’s Grubbs returns in this special issue with new artist Áthila Fabbio (IDW’s Back To The Future), and it’s a grab bag of sunny fun as the troublemaker recaps his wild summer. Racing rickety cars in a soapbox derby! Birthday parties gone wrong! Summer Camp chaos! Desperate fights with siblings for control of the big-screen TV! If you’ve got a short attention span and are a fan of slice of life comics about childhood like Calvin & Hobbes, this is the comic book for you.