Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On August 31, 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 31, 2022. 

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Amazing Fantasy #1000, Marvel

The comic that brought you SPIDER-MAN hits issue #1000! We’re going big to celebrate in this, our thousandth issue of AMAZING FANTASY! An ALL-STAR roster of creators are coming together to celebrate Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s birthdays!

The Flash 2022 Annual, DC

BEST-LAID PLANS

It’s been a wild time for Wally West and Linda Park-West: their children are regaining their powers, Wally is bouncing between realms, and Linda is dealing with a mysterious power surge! Now, as Linda begins doing research for her upcoming book, Wally comes along for some quality time, and the couple end up on an adventure neither expected!

Thunderbolts #1, Marvel

…LIKE LIGHTNING! New York City’s finest are here to save the day—Hawkeye, Spectrum, America Chavez, Power Man, Persuasion and Gutsen Glory! You know ’em, you love ’em…they’re the Thunderbolts! In the aftermath of DEVIL’S REIGN, the Big Apple has big problems, and it’s up to a new group of Thunderbolts to turn things around. But when Clint Barton gets tasked with heading up this team and proving they can go toe-to-toe with anything the Marvel Universe can throw at them, the first opponent he’s going to have to face is himself.

Harley Quinn 2022 Annual, DC

TASK FORCE XX, CHAPTER 5

Do you know what ol’ Grandma Quinzel used to say? Live long and fight alien monsters to save Earth! She was full of wisdom like that. And only Task Force XX can save our little blue marble from suffering a full-scale alien takeover! Not all of us are going to survive, but at least we’ll look really good dying thanks to Luke Fox providin’ some new gear. Tune in for the final installment of Harley Quinn’s Task Force XX Space Extravaganza, plus the start of a new status quo for Harley Quinn!

Power Rangers Unlimited: The Death Ranger #1, BOOM! Studios

THE LEGENDARY OMEGA RANGERS defended the universe from evil thousands of years ago, the six of them using their elemental powers to protect others from sinister forces.

But that all changed when one key member turned on the others, seduced by the death-defying powers of the Rangers’ greatest foe.

How does this Ranger connect to what’s locked in the mysterious Omega Vault in Safehaven so many millennia later, as everything converges in the highly-anticipated CHARGE TO 100?

Wonder Girl 2022 Annual, DC

After an unforgettable first visit to Themyscira (see Trial of the Amazons), Yara Flor has been crowned Wonder Girl and her Esquecida tribe accepted into the Amazon sisterhood…so what now? The jungles of Brazil beckon our heroes home, just in time for some new adventures! You won’t want to miss this oversize issue packed with never-before-seen stories about the mysterious new tribe and their most famous member!

Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1, DC

It has all led to this: the final battle between Superman and Mongul, and between the Authority and Mongul’s Unmade Champions! The identity of the hooded stranger has been revealed, uncovering a shocking betrayal that threatens to crush Superman’s rebellion forever! But as the fate of Warworld relies on Superman, the last chance to return his powers now lies with Natasha and John Henry Irons. From the visionary creative team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Brandon Peterson, and Will Conrad, empires fall and rise and the fourth world is reborn in this jaw-dropping final chapter!

DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve #1, DC

SOPHMORE YEAR / HIGH SCHOOL LOWS / BACK TO SCHOOL / EARN IT BACK / PIECE MAKING / THIS IS WHY / HOW ANGELS ARE MADE / A NIGHT OFF

School’s back in session, and we just know you’re waiting for the BELLE to give you some REVElief…all right, you can’t say we didn’t try! DC Saved by the Belle Reve’s halls are packed with eight tales of schooltime fun from around the DC Universe! The Suicide Squad is sent to an international prep school to protect a dignitary’s son! Jean-Paul Valley returns to the school that made him into Azrael! Plus, a return to Tiny Titans by Art Baltazar and Franco, and a new school year starts at Gotham Academy! So grab your pencils and notebooks and get educated!

Thunderbolts: Marvel Tales #1, Marvel

A new super-team delivers justice like lightning as we celebrate the legacy of the House of Ideas with MARVEL TALES! This anthology series shines a spotlight on fan-favorite characters, features timeless stories and highlights some of Marvel’s most impressive talent from the past eight decades. In the wake of tragedy, the Thunderbolts rise to defend a shaken populace—but what is the team’s shocking secret? Meet Atlas, Mach-1, Meteorite, Songbird, Techno and their leader, Citizen V, as they battle the Wrecking Crew and the Circus of Crime in THUNDERBOLTS #1-2—courtesy of legendary creators Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley! The T-Bolts tackle a rampaging Hulk in INCREDIBLE HULK #449, and their legend spreads in TALES OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1—but all is not what it seems! Prepare to relive the greatest trick Marvel Comics ever pulled!

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!

Firefly: 20th Anniversary Special #1, BOOM! Studios

In this commemorative 20th Anniversary Special, discover two never-before-told stories from the Serenity’s past and future.

First, writer Jorge Corona (The Me You Love In The Dark) teams with artist Jordi Pérez (All-New Firefly) on a journey through the past like a leaf on the wind, alongside the original crew of the ship.

Then, Josh Gordon and Fabina Mascolo, the team behind Brand New Verse, force the future crew to keep a deadly weapon hidden at all costs… but those that originally hid it away are more familiar than they realize!

Transformers: Shattered Glass II #1, IDW

Shattered Glass is back! Optimus Prime is a ruthless tyrant, and Megatron is a compassionate peacekeeper. Cybertron sits on the brink of war as Autobots and Decepticons race to gain control of a Titan that could destroy either side in nanocycles. While everyone has their eyes on the Titan, Ultra Magnus, a powerful shadow broker, puts into action a plan kilocylces in the making…

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?

Phantasmagoria #1, Scout

In the 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!

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!

Mr. Easta #1, Scout

The gloriously demented mind of Kit Wallis brings the galactic adventures of the third best assassin in the universe to Scout Comics! Incredible, kinetically charged artwork blasts the blood, mayhem and quirky humor directly through your brain like a high-caliber bullet. In this issue, it’s Elvis night at an interstellar backwater bar, but with all due respect to the King, that doesn’t stop Mr. Easta. With the help of Frank, his teleportation parasite, who can also transform into any handheld weapon imaginable, it’s business as usual.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths & Legends Quarterly – Wonderland #1, Zenescope

Peace has returned to Wonderland at last. The madness that the Jabberwocky wished to unleash has been halted, but all is not right in the realm of the newly appointed Flower Queen of Wonderland, Evelyn.

As madness continues to seep through the cracks of this world, seeking to consume all that is good, it has found a new foothold in someone close to the throne. And chaos may soon reign again in Wonderland.

Vampiress Carmilla #11, Warrant Publishing

Vampiress Carmilla revives the iconic Warren illustrated horror magazines by replicating Warren’s early page layouts and publishing new, classic styled work by original Warren artists, writers and editors. Each issue is a highly collectible instant classic! 

Fearless Dawn #1, Asylum Press

Jet riding good girl Fearless Dawn battles her arch nemesis Helga Von Krause in this mini-series from Steve Mannion. Fearless Dawn infiltrates the vaunted “Manitoba Sector” to discover the secret behind Helga’s chemically-induced Nazi Monsters. Meanwhile, all is not well back at home base when Fearless Dawn’s boss discovers our hero has broken probation and flown the coop! Join us now as Mannion’s beautifully rendered comic book tale unfolds in full-color glory! Fans of Mannion’s The Bomb will love his new action-packed series.

Bush Leaguers #1, Scout

The Brooklyn Bridegrooms baseball team is the shame of late nineteenth century New York City. The cranks can’t stand them, the team owner wants to burn the stadium to the ground, and the police want to send them up the river. Can they make a comeback, or are they history? Find out, in this comedy adventure from Scout Comics.

Enjoy the first issue of this NON-STOP! title followed by the entire story collected soon after in one volume.

Crucified: Exorcisms #1, Scout

And just like that, we’re back! The Christ finally sits down for his eagerly anticipated and heavily hyped first LIVE TV interview with a surprising network and even more surprising choice of interviewer. During this interview, after recounting in vivid detail a recent exorcism he performed on a child in Haiti, The Christ’s claims of divinity are challenged. He is put to the test in front of a national audience. SPOILER: You won’t see the end coming!

Thud: Double Vision #1, Scout

Bo, a creative living in Oakcago, finds himself directionless and tired with his mundane existence. Yet, despite his dissatisfaction, the one happy constant in his life is a comic book character that he has created and drawn since he was a kid-but then a terrible accident changes everything. Meanwhile, a masked vigilante has appeared on the scene and is only starting to discover his capabilities. As this hulking hero begins his career, he must adjust to appearing and disappearing without warning in his new environment.

Combining the original first issue of Thud with a new second issue!

Sabretooth Dan Versus the Moon #1, Scout

Sabretooth Dan returns in another family-friendly LAUNCH book. Launch Journeys are books created for all ages but meant to be shared with younger readers. In this adventure Dan is plagued by the prophecies written on the moon. He struggles through one nearly impossible task after the other in a wild adventure that sees the return of several characters from Dan Vs. Brunch! The list seems endless and as soon as one is completed, he is sent on the next quest! Exhausted, Dan devises a plan to thwart destiny, but will it work?