Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On July 5, 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, July 5, 2023.

New Story Arcs:

The Dead Lucky #7, Image

NEW STORY ARC! As new forces rise up to fill the power vacuum left after the Battle of San Francisco, newly minted corporate superhero Bibi takes the first steps to eradicate Morrow once and for all-but she’s not ready for a new enemy that threatens to redefine everything she thinks she believes.

Captain America #750, Marvel

SPECIAL ISSUE #750! THE CAPTAINS AMERICA MOURN THEIR FALLEN! After the harrowing events of CAPTAIN AMERICA: COLD WAR, the Captains America return home to mourn their fallen—and strive to honor the power of legacy. Plus: The secret origin of Sam Wilson’s new shield revealed, and a bold new direction for Sharon Carter! In honor of 750 issues of CAPTAIN AMERICA, a team of fan-favorite guest writers join forces with superstar artists to spin timeless tales celebrating the epic history of the star-spangled hero! Don’t miss this jam-packed oversized issue!

 

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

Thor Annual #1, Marvel

Enter…MYTHOS! When M.O.D.O.K.—fueled by revenge and a refusal to ever again be someone else’s pawn—seizes control of all of the Ten Realms but Asgard, Thor the All-Father must step in and regain control of the Ten Realms and the World Tree. But M.O.D.O.K.’s new, cosmic power proves to be a greater threat than Thor could imagine, and he’ll need the inspiration of some beloved friends from Midgard to reclaim his realms and his awesome power. 

Knight Terrors: Batman #1, DC

Ever since becoming Batman, Bruce Wayne has been a creature of the night. He transformed himself into a symbol that gave the criminals of Gotham nightmares. But now, trapped in the Nightmare Realm, Bruce is stalked by the horror he’s created! Can he escape before his own nightmares pull him deeper into the darkness?

Knight Terrors: First Blood #1, DC

When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia…who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman! The thrills and chills of Knight Terrors are brought to the DC Universe by DC architect and superstar writer Joshua Williamson with horrific art by comics legend Howard Porter!

X-Men: Before the Fall – Sinister Four #1, Marvel

FALL OF X IS COMING! As the nineteenth century drew to a close, the dying Nathaniel Essex unleashed four clones of himself into the world. They’ve been haunting it ever since, while lurking in the shadows. We know what Sinister has been up to. What about the others? In this issue, we delve into their past…and discover their latest atrocity. When they start to…date?

Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1, DC

It’s another absolutely gorgeous and serene day in Pamela Isley’s lovely little new neighborhood! Everything and everyone here is wall-to-wall smiles! Nothing ever goes wrong, everyone is friends, and best of all, it’s made just for Ivy with lots and lots of love. Now, Pammy, don’t frown, don’t fuss, and don’t fret—just because this wasn’t what you thought you wanted, that doesn’t mean it won’t fit you like a glove!

Now have some pie, dear, don’t think too hard, and just smile.

Knight Terrors: The Joker #1, DC

The Joker’s worst nightmare becomes a reality: he’s got a day job! How will he handle meetings that could have been emails?! Why did management cancel “bring your child to work” day?! Who will want to make small talk at the coffee machine?! What is Alexis going to pick for lunch?! And who is the masked madman terrorizing Gotham at night?!

Knight Terrors: Ravager #1, DC

Defend your life, Rose Wilson! Ravager is separated from Stormwatch and trapped in a nightmare world where she must protect her younger self from being consumed and corrupted by the Murder Man and his blood-crazed Slaughter Squadron. Can Ravager protect a young Rose Wilson without losing her own identity? Why does the Murder Man seem so familiar, and how does he know so much about Rose?

Nocterra: Nemesis Special #1, Image

As Sundog Convoy fights to prevent the end of everything, a Ferryman is shown the beautiful, terrifying origin of light and darkness across all of space and time. This special one-shot will lead directly into the stunning conclusion of the “No Brakes” storyline!

Knight Terrors: Black Adam #1, DC

Black Adam is defending Kahndaq from a border assault when the deadly nightmare wave sweeps the planet, putting all people into the nightmare realm! But what are his deepest, darkest nightmares? What horror can put fear into the heart of Black Adam?!

Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1, Marvel

EARTH’S MIGHTIEST! After facing off against the Brood with the X-Men and losing someone she holds dear, Carol Danvers needs a break. She’s not about to get it now! A slinky new cosmic threat comes for Earth’s Mightiest, and they know just who to recruit to really wreck Carol’s world—a surprise legacy villain! Join industry legend Ann Nocenti and artist Paolo Villanelli of STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS fame as they take the torch from Kelly Thompson’s record-breaking run and slingshot Captain Marvel from the Harpswell Sound to the far reaches of the galaxy!

Marvel Zero #1, Marvel

A deluxe edition collecting Marvel’s GOLD 2023 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY titles! This giant-sized issue is jam packed with entry points into the biggest comic storylines of the year and bursting with never-before-seen bonus material including preview art, design sketches, and more! Spidey faces a new villain as a classic villain returns in a story that sets the stage for the next explosive year of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! A shocking story reveals how Venom fits into the history of the Marvel Universe and leads into the next huge epic coming to VENOM! FALL OF X looms over this year’s HELLFIRE GALA! A new threat to mutantkind emerges—one with a very familiar visage! And with the world in disarray, the moment calls for a new alliance between the X-Men and Avengers—the all-new UNCANNY AVENGERS! PLUS! Preview JONATHAN HICKMAN’S two new Marvel projects, ULTIMATE INVASION with Bryan Hitch and GODS with Valerio Schiti!

Swan Songs #1, Image

MINISERIES PREMIERE

MAXWELL PRINCE (ICE CREAM MAN, HAHA) continues his weird, winning one-shot formula with this all-new multi-artist project that explores the way things END…and also how they never really do.

SWAN SONGS comprises stories about endings…The End of the World. The End of a Marriage. The End of a Sentence. The End of the End of the World! (Which I suppose one might consider the BEGINNING of a new world…)

And along for the terminal ride are some of comics’ best and brightest artists! The first apocalyptic issue, “The End of the World,” is drawn by none other than THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH’s MARTIN SIMMONDS. Future artists for future endings include CASPAR WIJNGAARD (HOME SICK PILOTS), and FILIPE ANDRADE (The Many Deaths of Leila Star), with more to be announced.

All things come to a close; these are the SWAN SONGS.

Gargoyles: Dark Ages #1, Dynamite

In this brand new miniseries, Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN and artist DREW MOSS return to the long-lost era when humans and Gargoyles lived in harmony. But in a world ruled by superstition and the sword, monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Forces of evil from both outside and within are threatening to destroy this precarious peace- with consequences that will reverberate down through the centuries and into the present day!

Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland #1, Image

MINISERIES PREMIERE

A five-issue anthology series featuring Untold Tales based on Eisner Award-winning writer SKOTTIE YOUNG’s bestselling comic, I HATE FAIRYLAND, with stories written and drawn by a stellar lineup of creators.

BULLY WARS co-creators SKOTTIE YOUNG and AARON CONLEY pit Gert against an uncouth barbarian in “Bruud the Brutal.” And in “Don’t Trust the P.I.G. in Apartment 23,” by DEAN RANKINE (Simpsons Comics, Invader Zim), Gert finds herself at the wrong end of a classic fairy tale.

Barnstormers #1, Dark Horse

It’s 1918- the early days of the barnstorming era, when pilots competed with each other by performing deadlier and more wondrous feats, as we’ve never seen it before. Pilot John Baron is back from the frontlines of the war, where he was injured. At eighteen-years-old, he’s an adventurer who lives his life traveling from town to town in his plane, entertaining folks across the country, most of whom have never seen a car, let alone a plane. His world changes when he meets Helen, a young woman who shares his passion for aviation and adventure. They become a traveling act, flying from town to town, delighting folks with their antics. Helen even becomes John’s wing-walker, climbing out on the wing of the plane mid-flight to perform death-defying acrobatics. Along the way they bond, confessing their secrets, and begin a romance in this lush, character-driven series that explores the early days of aviation and the evolving relationship and romance between two young pilots.

A Little White Lie #1, AfterShock

A Brand-New Horror Prestige Format One-Shock from Ray Fawkes!

When wealthy identical twin brothers find a bizarrely seductive shape-shifting creature living on their isolated estate, they get drawn into a mind-bending battle of predator and prey against an enemy that turns all their greatest strengths against them.

From Ray Fawkes (JACKPOT!, ALL NIGHT & EVERY DAY, Constantine) and Mark Torres (PHANTOM ON THE SCAN, Cold Spots, Hellraiser) comes a viscerally horrifying new prestige format One-Shock in which the truth might be the greatest liability.

Weird Work #1, Image

MINISERIES PREMIERE

Legendary British artist SHAKY KANE (THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN) and writer JORDAN THOMAS (Frank At Home On The Farm) are your guides through the corrupt, seedy streets of Stellar City in their new MINISERIES! The hard-boiled noir of LA Confidential mixes with the bright, alien-filled worlds of Futurama in this crime epic. Following months of gang shootings, Detective Ovra Sawce is paired with a new partner on a triple homicide. But what were a billionaire’s assistant, a hood-turned-cult leader and Sawce’s former partner doing in that warehouse?

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?

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.

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.

Doctor Who: Doom’s Day #1, Titan

24 HOURS TO FIND THE DOCTOR! DOOM!

This lonely assassin from the 51st Century is hunting for her survival, and there’s only one person who can save her: the Doctor.

Using her vortex manipulator, she’ll do anything to find the tempestuous time traveler, including cavorting with the maleficent Missy.

Every hour a new adventure, every hour closer to death…

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.

Betty and Veronica Friends Forever: Beach Party #1, Archie Comics

A BRAND-NEW STORY kicks off this SUMMER FUN issue! In “Babbi’s Riverdale Beach Party,” to celebrate the release of the new Babbi movie, Veronica decides to throw an over-the-top beach party, with everyone dressed as their favorite Babbi doll. The Lodge Beach House is turned into a lifelike version of Babbi’s Beach House—complete with unicorn rides on the beach! There are even some hints that a surprise guest will make an appearance—so when a handsome, young stranger shows up, EVERYONE wants to know who he is! All that plus even more fun in the sun stories and fabulous summer fashions!

Gene Simmons’ Dominatrix #1, Opus

From the mind of the legendary Gene Simmons comes an action epic flavored with fetish fantasy! Dominique Stern is used to making people hurt-but they always ask for it first. When one of her sessions is interrupted by mysterious agents who seem to have hyper-strength, Dom’s narrow escape leads her down the rabbit hole of a global conspiracy. Based on a story by Gene Simmons with scripts by Holly Interlandi (Cradle of Filth) and art by S L Gallant & Maria Keane (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero).

Children of the Comet #1, Sumerian

A new series set in the world of You Promised Me Darkness and Follow Me Into The Darkness! Ten years after the events of Follow, Sage and the children of the comet live prosperously in New Kolosimo. But one day before the birthday of Miracle, the daughter of Sage and Daversa, new threats appear and the children of the comet must go into action again. Satanists, psychedelic dimensions, chihuahuas that shoot laser beams from their eyes, a deadly villain who wakes up after many years of being asleep and many other oddities. Welcome back to Kolosimo, where everything is weird.

eJunky #1, Scout

NONSTOP. Hector Holmes, a bored, thrill-seeking Experience Junky (eJunky for short), takes a dose of a new alternative reality drug known as Torch which causes him to experience the memory of a train wreck that took place hundreds of years ago from the perspective of a long-deceased passenger. The dosage lands him in the hospital where he is approached by a special task force of the World Corporation Organization (W.C.O.) to investigate The Guardians of Pain, the cult behind the new drug who may also be responsible for Hector’s brother’s untimely death.

Under the Influence #1, Mad Cave

A teenage sociopath, Paul Kozac, has accidentally created an internet cult called The Hot Dog Party. When a prank turns deadly, the F.B.I. sends in an undercover agent, Cara Cole, to investigate and infiltrate their ranks. Now Cara battles against real stakes, fake news, and memes in a character-driven story about power structures and the communities you build. This is a story about “Click to follow” cultism during the age of social media.

Magician’s Rabbit #1, Scout

NONSTOP. In a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has embraced robotic bodies to survive, one such robot begins to doubt his thoughts are really his own. Rabbit, robot 0045, is approached by a mysterious stranger known as the Magician, who begins an investigation toward a horrible truth that Rabbit could never have imagined. Perhaps this world is even more sinister than it seems.

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 Wild Cosmos #1, Scout

Captain Cooper and his crew struggle to stay afloat in The Wild Cosmos. But after finding a derelict space station they have a chance at a big score. The Captain makes the call, they’re going after the dangerous loot… And he’ll have to live with the consequences of that choice.

Death Comes for the Toymaker #1, Scout

A Non-Stop title ! Death comes for us all. But for Gil the Toymaker, the visit is a real tragedy. Every year, the holiday gift giver is forced to do the work of Death, carrying a list of ready-to-harvest souls alongside his naughty list and nice list. As the Toymaker reflects on the relationship he’s had with Death for several millennia, an associate reveals a scheme that may just put an end to Death’s contract (and, perhaps, Death himself).

Grimm Universe Presents Quarterly: Sleeping Beauty – Nightmare Queen #1, Zenescope

Rory Norris was once a promising young artist, but tragedy struck, and with it, the loss of her eyesight. Though her life had changed, she was gifted with a vision and ability possessed by few and thrown into a universe of dreams every time she closed her eyes. Taking on beings beyond even her most horrible imaginings, she came out on top and with a newfound understanding of her life. Now, months later, she digs deeper into her abilities while helping anyone she can, in the strange worlds that surround her. But all the while, unbeknownst to her, she has gained the attention of another, one much more ancient, who walks among these subconscious lands and does not appreciate her intrusion.

The Agency Case Files #1

This collection features the original four full-length Agency stories plus 7 brand new short stories and a wealth of bonus behind the scenes material, all written, illustrated, and lettered by Colin Craker in US Comic Trade Paperback format.

01 MORRIGAN

02 ARCADIA

03 THE BEAST OF OLD TOWN

04 CYBERMANCER

05 TALES FROM THE CITY