Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On December 21, 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, December 21, 2022

X-Men Annual #1, Marvel

THE NEWEST X-MAN BURNS UP THE SPOTLIGHT! In a surprising turn of events, Firestar, who had not yet fully embraced Krakoa, was elected to the X-Men at the Hellfire Gala. Her history with her mutant nature is a tumultuous one for many reasons…but her record as a hero is exemplary. Can she wrestle with her past in time to rise to the occasion thrust upon her?

All New Firefly: Big Damn Finale #1, BOOM! Studios

All-New Firefly comes to a stunning conclusion in this double-sized series finale by writer David Booher (Canto, Joe Hill’s Rain) and artist Simona Di Gianfelice! Things come to an explosive conclusion with Requiem, the mercenaries, and the Alliance portals, but as Jayne reckons with his family and the past, a beloved member of the spaceship Serenity will make the ultimate sacrifice. Covers A-C will each come polybagged to avoid spoiling this character’s final fate!

Mary Jane & Black Cat #1, Marvel

From Jed MacKay (MOON KNIGHT, IRON CAT) and Vincenzo Carratu comes one of the most explosive and kick-ass adventures in Marvel Memory! Set against the explosive backdrop of DARK WEB, Mary Jane Watson and Felicia Hardy find themselves thrown into one another’s paths and then into LIMBO! But SOMETHING HAS CHANGED WITH MJ! And she’s not the only one keeping secret—Felicia’s got a guilty conscience and it’s playing havoc with their escape plan!

DARK WEB TIE-IN

Ghost Planet #1, Scout

A family of deep space explorers rushes to solve the mystery of Ghost Planet before their recently dead loved ones return to kill them next! Murder birds, eye stalks and space pigs abound in this 40-page graphic novella. Ghost Planet is a classic sci-fi tale with a body horror twist

Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #1, Marvel

You know her, you love her! But this time, Kamala Khan may be in over her head. Fresh off her first few weeks working as an intern at Oscorp, MS. MARVEL finds herself as the last line of defense against a bunch of deadly and dangerous experiments going HAYWIRE thanks to the Spider-Epic DARK WEB! Things get even WORSE when Kamala finds herself in LIMBO, with no choice but to fight her way out! From Sabir Pirzada (MARVEL’S VOICES, MS. MARVEL on Disney+) and your new favorite artist, Francesco Mortarino comes a bold and badass new vision of Ms. Marvel!

DARK WEB TIE-IN

The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves #1, Dark Horse

Hailed as the greatest monster slayer-the infamous witcher Geralt is beckoned to the town of Grimmwald. When a strange occurrence stirs murmurs of a werewolf on the prowl, rumors spread about the peculiar arrival of three Piglet sisters. With a grand mystery and a monster to kill, Dandelion may just find the inspiration he needs to write the perfect ballad.

Maniac of New York: Don’t Call it a Comeback #1, AfterShock

Maniac Harry, the seemingly unstoppable killer, has finally been stopped. The city celebrates, the Mayor takes the credit, and Maniac Task Force Director Gina Greene – last seen slicing the Maniac’s head open – has disappeared to parts unknown. Now NYPD Detective Zelda Pettibone must pick up the pieces of a life that’s suddenly so empty she almost wishes the Maniac was back. And unfortunately, sometimes wishes are granted.

THAT’S RIGHT, THERE’S A NEW MANIAC, BUT NOT THE ONE YOU’RE EXPECTING! Stay out of Central Park and stay away from cable news, ’cause something terrifying is on the loose!

Writer Elliott Kalan and artist Andrea Mutti return to the acclaimed horror-satire series for a tale of horrifying gore and even more horrifying cultural relevance!

The Department of Truth: Wild Fictions Special #1, Image

An extra-length issue reprint that pairs together the popular THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #10 & THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #11 issues. Because the hunt for Big Foot never really ends…

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Illyrian Enigma #1, IDW

Journey to new reaches in this exclusive comic tie-in set between seasons one and two of fan-favorite Paramount+ series Strange New Worlds! With Una accused of unlawful genetic modification by Starfleet, Captain Pike sets out in search of evidence that could prove his first officer’s innocence. From the mighty pens of Trek duo Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson with art by Megan Levens.

Groo: Gods Against Groo #1, Dark Horse

The bumbling barbarian Groo has made quite a name for himself, traveling the land leaving a path of destruction and cheese dip. He is either so greatly feared or favored wherever he goes, Groo’s earthly reputation causes a Groo deity to arise in the heavens! While Earthbound Groo hungers, his Divine Groo alter ego unleashes chaos!

Plus, Sergio’s legendary back cover Rufferto strips return!

Concludes an epic storyline that began in Groo: Fray of the Gods and continues in Groo: Play of the Gods.

Sergio Aragonés returns to Groo, featuring beautiful hand-lettering by Stan Sakai!

Dead Seas #1, IDW

Ghosts are real and dangerous. But they’re also valuable, their ectoplasm capable of curing countless diseases. There’s only one problem: harvesting the wonder drug can be just as deadly. Prisoner Gus Ortiz is willing to take the risk in return for a reduced sentence-anything to see his daughter again. All it will take is a few months at sea scraping ectoplasm off the walls of the Perdition, a floating prison containing the most vicious ghosts on Earth. Surrounded by dark waters, Gus soon realizes that angry spirits are the least of his worries. The Poseidon Adventure meets The Haunting of Hill House in this supernatural thriller.

All Night & Every Day #1, AfterShock

It’s time to party! While celebrating is the last thing grief-stricken introvert Michaela wants to do, her friends drag her out for the night and end up trapping her in a hellish curse: a party that never ends, with no way to escape…not even by dying!

Now she must navigate the labyrinth of the legendary Banquet Hideous all on her own and learn its terrible secrets before she is consumed forever!

This horrifying new 48-page Prestige Format One Shock by acclaimed writer Ray Fawkes (Constantine, Gotham by Midnight, JACKPOT!) and sensational artist Andrea Frittella (Borgata Gordiani) will rock you to your core…eternally!

Road Trip to Hell #1, Scout

Francis Rhoades has had a life full of hardship, but things get even worse when he learns that his father is Satan himself. Now aware of his heritage, Francis quickly discovers his father has died-and named him the new king of Hell! The catch? All the damned have escaped from Hell. If one of them can kill Francis before he can reach the netherworld himself, that soul will become the new leader of Hell! With the demonic legions in pursuit, Francis will need to rely on his own special power to survive… along with an angelic ally sent by God themself!

Red Winter: Fallout #1, Scout

The last time we saw Joseph Winter, he was fleeing the scene of a massacre at the Moscow Oil Refinery which decimated the ranks of Kapotnya’s rival gangs and left his father Eli dead. Now Joseph is on his own, desperate to find a way out of a city that seems hellbent on killing him. Vasily Andropov is out for blood, and the Moscow police force is closing in too – but then help comes from a very unlikely source. At the same time, local detective Max Voronin is assigned the Refinery case, all while an American agent is tasked with doing whatever it takes to keep a lid on what really happened.

Mortimer the Lazy Bird #1, Scout

From writer Brendan Deneen, artist Marco Antonio Cortez, and colorist Diego Borin comes Scoot’s latest all-ages story of friendship and excitement! This is the story of a bird (Mortimer) and a very talkative worm (Lucius), two strangers who are supposed to be enemies but end up becoming best friends! But their adventures won’t be easy-though they will be fun! Enjoy the first issue of this NON-STOP! title followed by the entire story collected soon after in one volume.

Grimm Space #1, Scout

The perfect mash-up of sci-fi and classic fairy tales has arrived! Grimm Space tackles “Jack and the Beanstalk” with its debut issue as a mechanic named Jack is forced to sell a broken robot at a space bazaar. Instead, the young mechanic trades it for a mysterious navigation unit with star charts to deep, unknown space. Jack hopes the NAV unit will bring him opportunity, but he and his fellow shipmates find trouble of gigantic proportions. Note: Covers A and B connect.

Maeve Rising Warrior #1, Red 5

Discover the story of Maeve, Ireland’s greatest heroine of antiquity. The Irish warrior Queen of Connacht, who became High Queen of all Ireland and an Irish Goddess, through her will, strength and prowess over men. Her name means “intoxicating.” She was the most beautiful and powerful woman in ancient Ireland more than 2000 years ago. Skilled in the arts of Celtic Druid magic and sorcery, learn how she discovers her powers and strengths to become Ireland’s greatest female hero!

Rest In Peace #1, Scout

Have you ever been overwhelmed by houseguests who won’t let you rest in peace? Ghoul has! After a long Halloween night, his monster friends start knocking on his door. He reluctantly allows Dracula in. Then the Werewolf. Next the Mummy, followed by Frankenstein’s Monster. Finally when Blob tries to ooze his way through the door Ghoul loses his cool and kicks them all out into the darkness. But was his decision too hasty? Only when his conscience-in the form of the Invisible Man-makes him realize that his friends simply wanted to spend more time together does he see the error of his ways.

Curse of Cleaver County #1, Source Point Press

This limited edition Double Feature includes the introduction of the brand new Horror-Verse from Source Point Press!

Set in the one of the deadliest fictional locations in the world, the Curse of Cleaver County follows some of the most grotesque, gruesome, and gore-fueled killers as they haunt, horrify, and harrow the peaceful residents!

Lost Souls: Haywire #1, Scout

Bob is a psychiatrist for robots, a psychiatrist who hates his job. Day in and day out he analyzes, certifies and judges the head-spinning drones, the stuttering bots, the self-looping droids-and he’s had enough! All this silicon lunacy is driving him insane. Luckily it’s his last day on the job. Unluckily, he may have just botched his escape. He’s made a mistake. A mistake that has brought an unusual patient-one that will judge him. Part cybernetic The Metamorphosis part Chuck Palahniuk-tinged Twilight Zone, get ready for the transgressive cyberpunk whodunit in the shared world of Lost Souls.

Category Zero Conflict #1, Scout

Tensions heat up as rioters take to the streets in protest against Sanaxus and their brutality towards One Percenters. The truth behind STRIX’s origin is uncovered and Jade shows that she has a much darker side to her!