Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On May 3, 2023

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, May 3, 2023.

New Story Arcs:

Star Wars: Darth Vader #33, Marvel

UNBOUND FORCE, PART ONE

When the Dark Lord of the Sith loses control of the Force, nothing is safe—not even his own Executor-class Star Dreadnought. But in the face of total destruction, Commander Sabé finds an opportunity. Does Vader’s untrammeled onslaught expose a vulnerability? Or is it just another doorway to the terrifying tyranny of the Sith?

Spider-Man #8, Marvel

MAXED OUT, PART ONE: CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGERS

Spider-Man has changed. His powers are super-charged, enabling him to be the best Spider-Man he can be…but can his all-too-human body take it? A classic Spider-Villain is back and doesn’t care if Spidey has his hands full.

LEGACY #164

Star Wars: Yoda #7, Marvel

SIZE MATTERS NOT, PART ONE: A NEW THREAT EMERGES

YODA VS. GENERAL GRIEVOUS…TO THE DEATH! The start of a new arc set during the tumultuous CLONE WARS! The Separatists have a powerful new weapon that can change the course of the war! Can Yoda and Anakin Skywalker discover the secret of the weapon in time?

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Shazam! #1, DC

MEET THE CAPTAIN!

The World’s Finest creators present the World’s Mightiest Mortal in a dazzling solo series!

Dinosaurs from space! The Clubhouse of Eternity! Homicidal worms and talking tigers! Atomic robots, alien worlds, mad scientists, sinister curses, and villains from throughout the DC Universe—welcome to the wild adventures of Billy Batson, whose big red alter ego defends the Earth from its weirdest and wildest threats! Want to stop Lex Luthor and The Joker? Call Superman and Batman! International crises? Page Wonder Woman! But when Garguax, Emperor of the Moon, sets his sights on Gorilla City, that’s when you shout “Shazam!” The fan-favorite team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest) brings the magic!

X-Men: Before the Fall – Sons of X #1, Marvel

A BATTLE OF THE TITANS OF THE X-UNIVERSE! A man of innumerable personalities and powers vs. the most powerful artificial intelligence in this universe: Legion vs. Nimrod! With Nightcrawler in Orchis’ clutches, David Haller and his allies will have to confront the mastermind who destroyed Warlock and nearly took Krakoa with him. But Nightcrawler is not himself… and Legion’s allies aren’t all they seem to be either. Mutant monsters roam the Earth… Banshee, broken once again, dreams of lost vengeance… Mother Righteous, her role in SINS OF SINISTER unrevealed, takes another stab at universal control… Si Spurrier and Phil Noto usher in new status quos for some of your favorite X-Men in this can’t-miss one-shot!

Edge of Spider-Verse #1, Marvel

ENTER: KRAVERTOOTH THE HUNTER / CURSE OF THE SPIDER-KILLER

INTO THE OTHER EDGE OF THE SPIDER-VERSE! SPIDER-REX returns and faces the VENOMSAURUS! PLUS—WHO IS THE SPIDER-KILLER?! Zander Cannon introduces the world to the scariest Spider-Character EVER CREATED!!! Bringing your favorite breakout characters back, as well as introducing brand new Spiders who will blow your mind!

Carnage Reigns: Alpha #1, Marvel

CARNAGE VS. MILES MORALES! CLETUS KASADY IS BACK and badder than ever. With his soul trapped within the Extrembiote Armor created by Tony Stark during KING IN BLACK, Cletus has the means to level an untold amount of chaos and, well, carnage on New York City and the entire Marvel Universe. But like any good Tony Stark invention, the Extremis coursing through Cletus’ symbiotic veins needs POWER, and that means Cletus is HUNGRY. Good thing Brooklyn’s very own SPIDER-MAN is there to stand in his way! If he survives their first encounter, that is.

Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #1, Marvel

As society begins to crumble, SPIDER-MAN 2099 will need all the help he can get—but does the public even want his help? Or do they all just want to watch this world burn? Steve Orlando (SCARLET WITCH, SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS) continues his journey through the future world of 2099, this time paired with bombastic artist Justin Mason (SPIDER-PUNK)—get ready for the debut of the NEW HEROES and VILLAINS that populate the future! 

Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1, DC

Having earned his release from the Suicide Squad, Peacemaker wants to try and do normal superhero stuff for a change. Unfortunately everyone, including the bad guys, thinks he sucks at superhero stuff. But when busting up a terrorist ring introduces Christopher Smith to the cutest thing to ever walk (awkwardly) on four legs, he finds the unconditional love he’s been denied his whole life. That is, until the dog is kidnapped right out from under him by a super-villain who has some very un-super-heroic plans for Peacemaker’s brand of ultraviolence. Will he help an infamously unstable super-powered criminal steal the world’s most valuable—and dangerous—DNA? Honestly, Christopher’s pretty lonely, so it probably just depends on how nicely they ask…

Breakout writer Kyle Starks (I Hate This Place, Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton) and art legend Steve Pugh (Preacher Special: Saint of Killers, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass) deliver a brutal and hilarious take on DC’s biggest P.O.S. that will bust guts, break bones, and melt hearts!

Cult of Carnage: Misery #1, Marvel

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION RETURN HOME! Liz Allen is the mother of Normie Osborn, who she is blissfully unaware is the all-new and all-deadly RED GOBLIN! But what Liz DOES know is that the Red Goblin has been active and has been seen VERY close to her home. And after her late husband’s father, NORMAN OSBORN (maybe you’ve heard of him?), gets pulled into the chaos and violence swirling around Normie, Liz has no choice but to use the resources at her disposal as the head of ALCHEMAX to take matters into her own hands and become something the Marvel Universe has NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

Groot #1, Marvel

Before he was a Guardian of the Galaxy…before the Grootfall…young Groot lived a life of tranquility on his serene home world. But when monstrous invaders attack his planet, Groot must accept his heroic destiny! But will this destiny lead him to come to blows with a young Kree soldier by the name of Mar-Vell?

Demon Wars: Scarlet Sin #1, Marvel

INTO THE SPIRIT WORLD, PART FOUR

The yokai are at war, and Mariko Yashida, descendent of the Oni King, has to choose a side. The fates of the spirit world and the human world hang in the balance. But things just got complicated thanks to the appearance of a mysterious yokaii with incredible power. This Yokai has a scheme of her own, and she wants to paint the world…scarlet. You can’t afford to miss the cataclysmic conclusion of Peach Momoko’s epic DEMON WARS saga!

CONTINUED FROM DEMON WARS: DOWN IN FLAMES #1

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Lando #1, Marvel

LANDO AND CHEWIE ANTE UP TO SAVE THE GALAXY! When Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca find themselves on a perilous mission to steal from Jabba himself, a dangerous figure from Lando’s past threatens their plans and their lives. Chewie finds that putting his trust in Calrissian is a gamble that just might pay off, as Lando calls on his skills as a smuggler to make it out alive. Part of a series of one-shots celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi, this story by Stephanie Phillips (COSMIC GHOST RIDER, ROGUE & GAMBIT) and Álvaro López (CAPTAIN MARVEL) bring you a new, high-stakes adventure with some of Star Wars’ most beloved characters.

Dawn of DC: We Are Legends Special Edition #1, DC

We Are Legends, part of the year-long Dawn of DC storytelling initiative, is set to make a major impact on the comics industry this May, with the launch of three six-issue series: Spirit World, The Vigil, and City Boy. Each feature new characters of AAPI heritage, as leads of their own books! Earlier this year, these heroes first made their presence known across the DC Universe in the Lazarus Planet epic. In the newly announced Dawn of DC We Are Legends Special Edition promotional comic book, you can meet City Boy in a story that first appeared in Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, get to know Xanthe and their unique mission in a Spirit World tale from Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate, and receive intel on the mysterious organization known as the Vigil in an excerpt from Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution, All three short stories are included in this comic, providing everything readers need to know to jump on board Spirit World, The Vigil, and City Boy starting in May. This promotional comic will be made available free to retailers.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Lost Summer #1, BOOM! Studios

Spike is determined to keep the last copy of his embarrassing poetry from being discovered, sending Buffy and the Scooby Gang on a faux-supernatural goose chase to New Orleans to cover his tracks.

At an antiques fair, the group is fascinated by The Casquette Girls’ clothes on display.

When Dawn utters a wish she most likely should have kept to herself, the gang gains a firsthand account of the sisters’ identities… beyond what they could have imagined.

Buffy, The Last Vampire Slayer writer Casey Gilly is joined by Golden Rage artist Lauren Knight, bringing fans a historically fun and frightful one-shot to sink their fangs into!

Starsigns #1, Image

SERIES PREMIERE

The constellations of the zodiac fall to earth, granting twelve ordinary people from very different walks of life the superhuman powers of the Starsigns. But each of them is about to learn that power always comes with a price… 

Animal Castle, Volume Two #1, Ablaze

Animal Castle Vol. 2 picks up shortly after the events of Vol. 1 with Miss B trying to convince the animals not to give in to violence, in order to put an end to Silvio’s reign…

At the castle, the dictatorship continues. Thanks to the efforts of Miss B and her friends, the animals attempt to remobilize the pacifist movement of the Daisies. But Silvio the bull dictator is trying to keep them under his hoof to keep his power. Helped by his cruel canine militia, he decides to have the rebellious animals imprisoned in the dungeon. But Miss B and her friends will respond once again with trickery…and solidarity!

Survival #1, Dark Horse Comics

When Emma Reed journeyed back to her hometown in Alaska, she was expecting little more than a tense family reunion at the annual military alumni get together. But early that morning, a plane crash landed in the thick woods near the mountain. And the creature within brings an ancient terror to the last American frontier, and will turn this unspoiled wilderness into a killing ground.

Astrobots #1, Whatnot Publishing

Simon Furman, writer of the original Transformers comic series and creator of Marvel’s Death’s Head, has teamed up with Heavy Metal artist Hector Trunnec to create an all-new Mecha-Masterwork based on the toyline designed by Aaron Thomas. Pathfinders, Pioneers…breaking new ground in the furthest reaches of the galaxy…they are – ASTROBOTS.

The clock is ticking for planet Earth and the race is on to find a new world capable of sustaining human life. New, sophisticated machine lifeforms called Astrobots are dispatched to scout far-flung worlds in the hope of crafting a new home. With food and raw materials running out and climate disasters escalating, the evacuation of the entire human population is the only slender hope remaining. On Colony World 1, a catastrophic power struggle forges a new – all-Astrobot – society, and presiding over this nascent civilization is Atlas, an evolved mech with a futureproof plan. A plan that does not include humankind.

 

Lamentation #1, Oni

From the mind’s eye of master storyteller Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Basilisk) and rising star Arjuna Susini (Made Men) comes a darkly glamorous tale of bone-splintering terror at the intersection of shadow and light… dream and nightmare … life and the grim specter of Death himself.

After weeks of grueling rehearsals, a new production is set to begin at the famed Requiem theatre: Razide’s Lament, three acts of gothic horror set inside a haunted castle with a story that some say is more than mere fantasy. Under the stern rule of a dedicated but temperamental director, the script seems to be ever-changing, and, more mysterious still, our lead actress has found herself cast in the role of a lifetime without so much as an audition. Her grand debut is fast approaching-and, with it, a barrage of razors in the night that will terrorize audiences and actors alike. There is no exit, no escape, and when the curtain finally rises, Razide himself will take center stage to cross the threshold into the unholy darkness that lies just beyond …

Grimm Space: P1-Nocchio #1, Scout

After malfunctioning repeatedly aboard his old ship, P1-Nocchio was most grateful for being repaired and upgraded by a tinkerer named Petto. He was so grateful that P1-Nocchio dreamed of one day becoming a real boy to give Petto the son he always wanted. Unfortunately, the wide-eyed robot would soon learn that wishes made upon a star don’t come true so easily.

Carmen Courageous #1, Scout

Nonstop Title! Carmen is a plucky private eye with a taste for trouble who is always on the lookout for a new case. In this action-packed first issue, Carmen tracks down a missing businessman and inadvertently uncovers a conspiracy by the evil Mr. Risk and his gang of creepy crooks!

Tales from the Pandemic #1,  Band of Bards

An anthology of 8 stories to mark the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world continues to try to make sense of these events, an extraordinary group of comics creators tell their tales in an attempt to express their feelings and experiences.