Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On June 21, 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, June 21, 2023. 

New Story Arcs:

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #35, Marvel

A NEW ERA FOR THE BOUNTY HUNTERS! In the aftermath of the battle with INFERNO SQUAD, VALANCE and T’ONGA are joined by the most dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy… KHEL TANNA! DEATHSTICK! DURGE! …and BOBA FETT?!

Nightwing #105, DC

Masterminds Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are back at it again to present Nightwing fans another special issue uniquely designed for them to be Nightwing for a day! This oversize story will feature Nightwing from his point of view, allowing readers to use his escrima sticks and leap through Blüdhaven! You don’t want to miss this issue, as there’ll be other surprises along the way, including who’ll show up beside you!

Rogue Sun #13, Image

NEW STORY ARC! In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, Dylan struggles to adjust to his new life. But when a new threat arrives, he’ll have to take back control – and fast – or risk losing everything important to him forever.

 

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Scarlet Witch Annual #1

“CONTEST OF CHAOS” PRELUDE! When a newly rejuvenated Agatha Harkness learns of the Scarlet Witch’s recent absorption of Chthon, she decides to educate her former student on the dangers of such an endeavor. But Wanda is not the meek pupil she once was—and Agatha’s intentions are not so straightforward. This epic clash between Marvel’s most powerful witches sets off a chain reaction that will affect the course of Marvel’s summer!

Ultimate Invasion #1, Marvel

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE BEGINS! Superstar creators Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch team up! The Illuminati must form once again to stop the Maker from his plans to destroy—or perhaps rebuild—the universe, with Miles Morales at the center of it all! Bryan Hitch’s work on THE ULTIMATES helped redefine super hero comics for the 2000s—wait until you see what he and Jonathan have in store for this decade! Including new data pages by Jonathan Hickman—plus exclusive behind-the-scenes material on the world-building that has gone into this project!

Talyn: Seed of Darkness #1, Scout

Nonstop. Rulers Vlad Vorden & Amelia are bent on exterminating the witches whom they blame for spreading the bubonic plague known as The Black Death. They pursue the witch queen, Aradia, the last survivor. While seeking refuge, Aradia buries a bloody Seed of Darkness, a seed harnessing the power of the first true magic, the Ars Magica. Meanwhile… Talyn mourns the mysterious abduction of her sister at the hands of an unknown ghostly dark entity.

The Incredible Hulk #1, Marvel

THE AGE OF MONSTERS HAS BEGUN! 

As an enraged Hulk tries to take control of Bruce Banner’s body permanently, a mysterious immortal turns every monster in the Marvel Universe against Banner in an attempt to free their creator, the primordial Mother of Horrors. With the help of an unlikely new friend, Banner and Hulk must try to stop the world from getting plunged into darkness in this terrifying new series!

LEGACY #782

The Bone Orchard Mythos: Tenement #1, Image

MINISERIES PREMIERE

From the Eisner-winning creative team behind GIDEON FALLS, PRIMORDIAL, and TEN THOUSAND BLACK FEATHERS comes the biggest and most essential project yet in the bold and ambitious new shared horror universe of THE BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS!!!

In this extra-length first issue, JEFF LEMIRE & ANDREA SORRENTINO bring you the story of seven residents in a building and the dark secrets that bind them together…beginning with a death that feels much more sinister than natural.

TENEMENT is the newest entry into THE BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS from LEMIRE & SORRENTINO. This universe features self-contained graphic novels and limited series about the horrors waiting to be discovered within the Bone Orchard.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #1, Marvel

CHAPTER 9: THE MARSHAL

SEASON 2 OF THE HIT DISNEY+ SERIES IS HERE! GROGU AND DIN DJARIN return in CHAPTER 9: THE MARSHAL! The Mandalorian is drawn to the Outer Rim in search of others of his kind. Following rumors of another Mandalorian, he instead comes face-to-face with MARSHAL COBB VANTH wearing a very familiar armor! Mando and Grogu have stepped into a situation bigger than they realize! Following the tradition of season one, Rodney Barnes & Georges Jeanty reunite to bring season two to life once more!

Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons #1, IDW

In the 1500s, before humanity had successfully traveled the entire globe, it was believed that monsters ruled the oceans just beyond the horizon. “Here there be dragons…” was written on maps to denote the areas people dared not go.That is, until Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the seas, visiting foreign lands and collecting treasure. That’s what history tells us, at least, but history does not have the full tale. Monsters did lurk yonder, living on an island that still doesn’t appear on any map, and among them was the king of them all-Godzilla!

The Sickness #1, Uncivilized

Feeling sick? The Man may be following you…

1945: Daniel Buss, an anxious teenager living in small-town America, has been experiencing strange symptoms: mood swings, increased sensitivity, and terrifying hallucinations, threatening to ruin his summer vacation before freshman year. Worse, a stalking presence watches Daniel’s every move.

1955: George Brooks—war vet and tireless doctor—nears retirement from his decorated past. When a local housewife murders her entire family, her son—the sole survivor—is put into his care; George grows obsessed with uncovering what could drive an ordinary person to such brutality.

Though they live a decade apart, their fates intertwine through a horrifying illness and the haunting figure who follows wherever they go.

Wild’s End #1, BOOM!

Journey to alien-occupied interwar England, courtesy of the award-winning creative team of Dan Abnett (Warhammer 40K, Immortal Red Sonja) & I.N.J. Culbard (Salamandre, Tales From The Umbrella Academy), with Nik Abnett providing additional material!

Out at sea during the invasion, our intimate crew of unlucky voyagers returns to a world they once knew, their once-cozy seaside home now occupied by alien invaders.

Combining a rich cast of anthropomorphized characters in the tradition of Blacksad and aliens unlike any you’ve ever seen in the spirit of War of the Worlds meets Wind in the Willows! Wild’s End is a world unlike any other… one you won’t want to leave.

Tales of Syzpense #1, Image

SERIES PREMIERE

The split book revival is underway at Syzygy! Every month, TALES OF SYZPENSE presents two titanic 12-page tales of terror and turmoil! Up first, courtesy of Lore co-creators T.P. LOUISE & ASHLEY WOOD, the lead-off mystery of “Les Mort 13” plays out on the surreal and mysterious island of Southport after a run-in with Eris, the goddess of strife…

And then, proof that “power is wasted on the young”! CHRIS RYALL & NELSON DANIEL present “Dreamweaver,” the story of an aging adventurer with a mystical secret who looks to pass on his abilities to the next generation of hero…until they have much greater success than he did, and he decides he wants those abilities back at any cost.

Each issue features two “Les Mort 13” covers by WOOD, a “Dreamweaver” cover by DANIEL, and a Syzpenseful tribute cover to famous split books of the past.

Chilling Adventures Presents… Camp Pickens #1

Camp Pickens has always been the go-to summer destination for the younger residents of Riverdale. It’s a rite of passage for the teen residents to hold the coveted camp counselor positions. However, Camp Pickens’ mysterious past shrouds a deep, dark secret: it’s cursed, and this summer all of its campers are going to find out the hard way in this one-shot anthology that’s equal parts Sleepaway Camp and American Horror Story: 1984, reuniting the team behind the mega-hit comic series Revival.

Murder by Mail #1, Source Point Press

You’re a Private Investigator working for Illicit Investigations, Inc. in Cleaver County, and your first client just brought you a case you’ll never forget…

In Murder By Mail, a fully interactive role-playing experience, you are presented with evidence from an unsolved murder case, and through the favors you call in, the interviews you conduct, and your own wits and attention to detail, you can discover the identity of the killer and put the case to rest.

Annie Donovan’s father has been brutally murdered in a hit-and-run, mere months after the unsolved murder of her mother. Has a killer marked her family for death? Will she be next? Can you navigate the twists and turns of this case and find the true killer?

Destiny, NY: Mystic Mafia #1, Black Mask

Lilith Aberdine is the last surviving daughter of a mystical crime family. She has spent her whole life running from her past, but now those old demons are finally catching up to her. She thought she was meant to be with former prophecy girl Logan McBride, but life has pulled them apart. Now, with Lilith in New York and Logan in California, will destiny reunite them or drive them further apart?

Pink Elephant #1, Sumerian

From the writers of Heavy Metal Drummer, The Purple Oblivion, and The Firstborns comes this 80s slasher, lysergic, weird, indie, lynch-esque story. A group of teens on a road trip meet a creepy old woman at a gas station. A brief back and forth conversation with her leads to a night of acid trips, teen hijinks, and a giant killer with an elephant head. Things are about to get weird.

Victory #1, Dynamite

FROM VAMPIRELLA’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY, VICTORY LAUNCHES INTO HER OWN SERIES!

From Vampirella’s fiftieth anniversary to her very own series! She started as Vampirella’s lover and ended up a very powerful pawn of Vampi’s mother, Lilith. Along the way, Victory’s made new friends, seen countless horrors, been saddled with a demon’s ring that she can’t get rid of, encountered the ghost of an old friend, and opened too many dimensional gateways to count. Despite that, there’s so much that we don’t know about Victory, like what her childhood was like. Or what she’s been doing with her demon ring and the crazy powers it has granted. Or which old—well, foe wouldn’t exactly be the right word—is about to show up to cheer her on. From writer David F. Walker (Compass, Young Justice, Naomi) and artist Brett Weldele (The Beauty, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?).

Starfinder: Angels of the Drift #1, Dynamite

A bold crew of adventurers must race to an isolated world to stop a catastrophic war for faster-than-light technology!

In the science-fantasy universe of the bestselling Starfinder Roleplaying Game, five down-on-their-luck mercenaries sign on to help a robotic avatar of the hyperspace dimension bring starship technology to a previously uncontacted planet. But with sinister forces bent on exploiting the new world, it’ll take all the heroes’ guns, wits, and magic to make it off their space station alive… From Starfinder RPG co-creator James L. Sutter (PATHFINDER: RUNESCARS) and artist Edu Menna (ARMY OF DARKNESS) comes the launch of a brand new out-of-this-world adventure!

Featuring a stunning trio of fantastic cover art, led by series artist Edu Menna along with Richard (Batman, Second Coming) Pace and Biagio (Pathfinder) d’Alessandro! Plus: The covers by Richard Pace will connect across the series and all covers are cardstock!

Ranger Stranger Summer Special #1, Scout

It’s summer! Another hot, scorching, fireball of fun. At least the bluegill are biting. And the ticks. And the African hornets! And the slithering, bloodthirsty rattlesn–where were we? Oh right, summer. Fear not, because your favorite deranged wilderness guide, Ranger Garland Woodburn, has cooked up a real humdinger of a Summer Special full of camping tips, water safety, and other questionable gems of nature knowledge to learn and enjoy while the world burns all around.

Josif 1957 #1, Comics Experience Publishing

Debuting the work of Italian super star artist Fabiano Ambu! You know about Laika, the Cosmonaut dog sent into orbit on Sputnik 2. But no one knows about JOSIF, the first gorilla in space! Born on Josif Stalin’s birthday and subjected to terrible genetic experiments, Josif soon grew far too powerful. The leadership of the Soviet Union did all they could to stop him. But not everything went as planned!

Ancient Enemies: The Greater Good #1, Frank Miller Presents

Out of the pages ANCIENT ENEMIES, learn the origin of THE GREATER GOOD, as Morrigan strikes an uneasy pact with the leader of the Zaiyan Race pushing humanity closer to choosing sides in the alien struggle. Only a mystery from Morrigan’s past can undue everything she’s planned.

Written by ANCIENT ENEMIES series creator, Dan DiDio, Art by Jim “Suicide Squad” Calafiore and colors by HiFi.

First Three #1, Comics Experience Publishing

The age of humanity begins! The first three people on Earth burst out of a rock womb to find themselves in a paradise of talking animals and obedient firewood. But two men and one woman is one man too many, and enough… never is. Inspired by the real-life creation legends of the Tayal people of Taiwan. Introducing legendary Taiwanese artist Chang Sheng to Western audiences for the first time!

The Monster’s Cleanup Guy #1, Blood Moon

Terry works for the monster community. He’s their cleanup guy, covering up their misdeeds in order to keep monsters a secret. Terry operates by only two rules: 1( listen to the Lycan King’s orders, and 2) don’t kill any monsters!

Hope #1, Source Point Press

Julie Lavelle’s superhero identity has been revealed, her daughter has been taken from her, her home has been destroyed, and she finds herself the target of villains and the media alike. Now, her husband is awakening from a coma… but will it make things better or worse?

Killing Hope #1, Bliss On Tap

Hope, a young Native American woman fleeing her reservation, survives a horrific car accident when Danny, a lone drifter, comes to her aid. Danny offers to help the mysterious Hope, but quickly learns that everyone she encounters becomes violent in her presence. That is, everyone but Danny.