Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On July 26, 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 26, 2023.

New Story Arcs:

Newburn #9, Image

NEW STORY ARC

When Newburn is asked to investigate a missing mafioso, Emily begins to wonder how far he’s willing to go for his work-and to protect himself.

PLUS: the beginning of “GO BACK,” a thrilling backup story from acclaimed artist NICK DRAGOTTA (EAST OF WEST, GHOST CAGE) and writer DAVID BROTHERS (Good Devils).

Fire Power #25, Skybound

NEW STORY ARC

FIRE POWER RETURNS with an extra-length 44-page story!

After learning Wei Lun killed his parents, Owen cannot let the past go.

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.

Blade Runner 2039 #5, Titan

A NEW ARC BEGINS AS BLADE RUNNER 2039 GOES TO SAN FRANSICO!

Reunited, Ash and Cleo take to the road in search for Cleo’s missing mother. Will they survive the treacherous I-5 Highway, and can they escape the lingering threat of Niander Wallace’s ‘First Angel’, Luv?

Notable #1s and One-Shots:

X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1, Marvel

THE FALL OF X BEGINS HERE! The Hellfire Gala is always the biggest event of the season…but this year’s will change everything for Krakoa. What is meant to be mutantkind’s biggest night becomes their biggest nightmare as the Fall of X begins! All your favorite X-Men are going to be left reeling after this one—shocking revelations, stunning betrayals, horrifying tragedy, impossible deaths…and of course the most glamorous looks of the year, all in one CANNOT-MISS package!

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1, DC

BATMAN TRAPPED IN THE NIGHTMARE REALM!

Jim Gordon stumbles upon a sacred ritual held by three disciples chanting around an enchanted clock…and one of them is wearing the robotic Batsuit that he donned many years ago as Batman…except this metal suit seems to have have soldered directly into the flesh of the wearer! What do these creatures want with Gotham, and why are they targeting Jim’s daughter, Babs, too? This has to be a dream, right? Or perhaps it’s a nightmare, but if you die in it, you can die in real life as well…

Knight Terrors: Titans #1, DC

TITANS VS. TERROR TITANS!

The kids are not all right! After plummeting into the Nightmare Realm, the remaining members of the Titans come face-to-face with a fever dream turned reality: the Terror Titans! These warped versions of our heroes are prepared to do anything to become the next Justice League…even kill!

Alice Never After #1, BOOM! Studios

Alice finally got her wish. Wonderland has become her new home, but with her abuser’s avatar with the uncanny grin turning the mad residents of a moonstruck world against her, she’s clawing for a little rationality amongst the chaos.

As Alice’s sister Edith and her childhood friend Earl fight for a way to bring her back, Alice has to contend with whether or not her torment is due to her father, herself, or maybe a curious combination of both…

Superstar writer Dan Panosian (Unkindness of Ravens, Black Tape) and artist Giorgio Spalletta (007: For King & Country) explore the morbid side of escapism in this twisted tale that blurs the line between fantasy and reality.

Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1, DC

Slipping into the world of nightmares is only the beginning as Power Girl faces off with the scariest dream of all…herself! Paige may have narrowly escaped the grasp of the devious Johnny Sorrow, but all of that was just a warm-up for the real villain inside. Meanwhile, the Super-Twins are lost in a terrifying dreamscape and being hunted by a nightmare version of their own adopted father, the murderous Cyborg Superman. Can Superboy, Kong Kenan, and the Steel family find the twins in time to save them, or will they join his bloody list of victims?

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1, DC

Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch reunite to tell a tale centered on their favorite superhero. Superman learns Lex Luthor is dying, and he wants the Man of Steel to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid decline. While the world wants to say good riddance to Luthor, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. But just why does he want to save the person who’s spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution?

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #1, DC

Terry McGinnis defeated the evil A.I. controlling Neo-Gotham and asserted himself as the one true Batman, but his next battle will bring him to the remains of Old Gotham. Children are going missing and being swallowed by the city’s old bones. Batman Beyond will have to go underground, led by a mysterious splicer named Kyle the Catboi, to find the children and confront the city’s buried sins. What happened to the green of the city? What happened to magic? And what villains never left old Gotham? All these questions will be answered by the red-hot creative team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty) and Max Dunbar (Batman: Urban Legends).

Terry McGinnis defeated the evil A.I. controlling Neo-Gotham and asserted himself as the one true Batman, but his next battle will bring him to the remains of Old Gotham. Children are going missing and being swallowed by the city’s old bones. Batman Beyond will have to go underground, led by a mysterious splicer named Kyle the Catboi, to find the children and confront the city’s buried sins. What happened to the green of the city? What happened to magic? And what villains never left old Gotham? All these questions will be answered by the red-hot creative team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty) and Max Dunbar (Batman: Urban Legends).

What If…? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1, Marvel

Spider-Legend Gerry Conway returns to his most famous Spider-Story for this WHAT IF along with co-writer Jody Houser! WHAT IF Gwen Stacy didn’t die on the bridge that day, but Spider-Man DID?! ‘Nuff said, I presume!

Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1, DC

Imagine a world—beyond both the waking world and that of dreams. A world where your every choice creates a series of infinitely rippling profane reverberations. Where donuts and soda cans can do the cancan and I actually am goin’ steady with yer mom. Our story takes place there, in the realm beyond the limits of the liminal. A place we call…the Harley Quinn Zone. I’m your host, Dr. Ryleha Q. Niun, attorney of drawers—Just kiddin’. It’s still me, Harley! But hey, this one is real freaky—and my life is already pretty dang bananas! Hold on to your buns, ’cause this one is gonna give you some interdimensional chafing for sure! Plus, Leah Williams and Ben Templesmith help me crack a cosmic-mystery night terror! This case goes so many layers deep it’s practically a true turductective story, if you will…

Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1, DC

Deep in an abandoned Kobra safe house is a device able to access the dream powers of John Dee, a.k.a. Doctor Destiny. As heroes across the world succumb to nightmares, Angel Breaker wants it. Now, to infiltrate a hall of horrors, she’ll need the help of a professional thief—the man known as Raptor. But Angel Breaker and Raptor aren’t exactly friends. Can the mysterious merc trust a man who feels nothing but grudges as the strange pair encounter a horror as old as the Coda Sisterhood and even more dangerous?

BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness #1, BOOM! Studios

A sea of gore and devastation awaits as B, through a fateful chance encounter, safeguards the advanced and ancient realm of Atlantis as its unstoppable protector.

But a sickly king serves as a symbol for the rot inside, as the security and bliss created through B’s violence is shallow… The cracks created by a secret cult might spell a monstrous end for the legendary city, one beyond even B’s ability to save.

Renowned filmmaker and record-shattering comic creator Keanu Reeves joins acclaimed writer and artist Steve Skroce (Doctor Strange) for a one-shot special that fans of Lovecraftian horror would be mad to miss!

Conan the Barbarian #1, Titan

Robert E. Howard’s legendary Conan is back in a new tale of bravery and heroism! Conan the Barbarian FCBD Edition leads into the debut issue! Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?

Poison Ivy: Uncovered #1, DC

This gallery of Poison Ivy’s greatest variant covers celebrates the first year of the verdant villainess’s acclaimed, GLAAD Award-winning ongoing series.

The Ribbon Queen #1, Artists Writers & Artisans

There is something ancient and terrible loose in the world of men. Something that hates them with burning passion, that bears a grudge born of ten thousand years. Something that wants its revenge.

NYPD Detective Amy Sun has a problem: Three years ago, a young woman was rescued from a serial killer by a police tactical unit. Now she’s dead, and Amy has a bad feeling that the SWAT team leader is responsible. As she investigates the existence of a corrupt cabal within her own precinct, Detective Sun soon discovers that there is something else on their trail – a force of vengeance older than the human race itself has awoken, invoked by the tormented murder victim in the weeks before she died, and is out for the blood of the guilty, who soon find themselves suffering a fate more gruesome than anything they could have dreamed of. The Ribbon Queen has come to New York City…and when she learns the truth, Amy is not at all certain that it should be stopped.

Purr Evil #1, Image

MINISERIES PREMIERE

THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE MEWING EVIL…

Rita loves her daughter Deb, but a dark evil from her past threatens the lives of anyone who gets too close to it. Can the bond between two women overcome a life built on blood and lies? And what secret is lurking in the Morando family’s apartment?

Written by Harvey Award-winning superstar MIRKA ANDOLFO (SWEET PAPRIKA, MERCY, UNNATURAL, Punchline) and illustrated by fan-favorite LAURA BRAGA (WITCHBLADE, Future State: The Next Batman, Harley Quinn, DC Bombshells), PURR EVIL is a stand-out story about the relationship between a mother who gave everything for her daughter and a daughter who needs to figure out her role in a world that she’s about to doom!

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?

Space Outlaw #1, Scout

The most dangerous criminal in the solar system-the F-24K prisoner-has escaped from the Maximum Security Prison on Mars. Upon fleeing the facility, he manages to reach planet Earth, where he is intent on resuming his criminal exploits. The prison’s wardens, however, send the deadliest of their robots to stop the dangerous villain.

Fearless Dawn: Cold #1, Asylum Press

After the Battle of Alamo Prison (FD Chibi Finale), Fearless Dawn finds herself in a cold and desperate land. Events literally and figuratively go sideways in this latest installment of Fearless Dawn… and you should see what happens to One Eyed Hans! Fans of Dave Stevens, Betty Page, The Goon, and Good Girl/Bad Girl comics will love this book! Written and drawn in “landscape” format by artist and creator Steve Mannion. All told in glorious Black and White!

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.

The Duchenne Smile #1, Blood Moon

Doctor and researcher Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne became obsessed with smiles. His electrical experiments allowed him to conclude that a truly happy smile is formed not only by the muscles of the mouth but also by those of the eyes. That kind of smile is called a Duchenne smile. Many researchers have suggested that the Duchenne smile indicates spontaneous and genuine emotion since most people cannot contract the orbicularis muscle at will. Duchenne’s Smile is a psychological horror thriller that addresses the traumas of those who, in the abandonment of their own mind, can only glimpse at their dark past.

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors – Summer Smash #1, IDW

Ahh, summer vacation. Cedric’s ready for sunny beaches, cool drinks, and not being at school! Nothing could go wrong… short of a Xilien invasion! Between alien attacks, maybe-evil robots, and the return of the scariest monster Cedric’s ever had to face, it’s going to take him, his friends, and all Earth’s protectors to fight back! If only they could find Godzilla… An extra-length one-shot completing the Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors in the perfect Godzilla adventure for middle graders!

Impossible Jones / Holly Daze #1, Scout

Impossible Jones (a thief pretending to be a hero) and Holly Daze (a former hero, now a thief) join up for a Girls’ Night Out of drinking, dancing… and danger! With Holly’s ex, Krampus, lurking in the shadows, Imp learns that sometimes the only thing harder than being enemies-is being friends! Added bonus: first glimpse into the secret Dark Files being kept on Impossible Jones and other crime-fighters and criminals in New Hope City!

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?

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.

Trakovi #1, Scout

A Slovenian thug in Edmonton, Canada, tries to put his criminal past behind him, but there are those who know where the bodies are buried who refuse to allow the dead to rest in peace

Calexit Battle Of Universal City #1, Black Mask

WHAT IF CALIFORNIA REFUSED TO BE RULED? It’s total war on the streets of Los Angeles as Zora leads The Mulholland Resistance to seize freedom or die trying.

Charm City #1, Scout

The Baltimore police are baffled when a Ravens cheerleader is found floating in the Inner Harbor with an arcane symbol carved onto her corpse. And only Alyssia Singer, music blogger at the Baltimore Sun, knows what it means: that a serial killer is targeting Baltimore’s underground witching community. Alyssia-an excommunicated witch who no longer uses magic-must decide: take the case and confront her estranged family and long buried demons… or risk more bodies piling up…

Gunbreed #1, Blood Moon

“A grudge is a terrible thing to die for… But a hell of a reason to come back from the dead.” Gunbreed is a supernatural western anthology about Powder Cain, a Sheriff who witnesses the killing of his son and the people of his town at the hands of a criminal gang that practices black magic. After coming back from the dead himself, Powder Cain protects his ghost town from demons and monsters creeping from Hell. This issue features the stories “Soul Search,” “Night of the Breaker Boys,” “Wagon!,” and “A Full House of Gods.”

My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof #1, IDW

Welcome, campers, to Camp Bighoof! The Mane 5 have taken over an old camp, named after the elusive Bighoof creature (Bridlesquatch if you’re a unicorn, Yakuti if you’re a Pegasus), to teach fillies and colts about their powers. Plus, arts & crafts with Izzy, singing with Pipp, obstacle courses with Zipp, what could be better?! Surely nothing could go wrong, right? Right?!

Far South: The Great Union Score #1, Fair Square

Whatever the hell happens in the Far South stays in Far South! Montoya’s bar has seen it all. Everyone who lives in the area frequents it, and those who don’t, won’t take long to do so. Everyone’s a regular: scoundrels, prostitutes, thieves, truckers, bandits. There’s wine and grappa to last for ages. Darkness is the only color you see there. So when the Police is looking for a culprit, they know where to knock first.

The hardboiled brutal land of the Mobsters and Gauchos continues to unfold, as bestselling international author Rodolfo Santullo and THE OLD GUARD superstar artist Leandro Fernandez present a new set of blood-soaked Noir tales, a must-read for fans of gritty crime fiction.

Featuring covers by revered artists Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets) and Matias Bergara (Step by Bloody Step)

Mary Machinegun #1, Antarctic Press

In this new addition to the A.P. Superverse, Templar agent Mary Machinegun is sent to Kentucky to eradicate a pack of werewolves. Upon her arrival she discovers not all is as it seems in the small town, especially in the church overlooking it.

Mother Russia #1, Comics Experience Publishing

One baby. One rifle. Two million zombies! As a zombie apocalypse breaks out in WWII, a Soviet sniper risks her life to protect an innocent baby boy. From Jeff McComsey, the creator behind the hit Mother Russia: Winter Special and introducing rising star guest cover artist Ugis Berzins! Don’t miss the retailer incentive cover by Michael Avon Oeming!

Toxx #1, Blood Moon

In a dystopian wasteland where humanity has long since been sterilized by radiation, a woman miraculously becomes pregnant and must find a way to stay alive as multiple groups vie for control of her and her unborn child’s future.

Rebel Grrrls #1, Rebel

Cursed with the power to resurrect the dead through music, three girls from rural Alabama set out to tour dive bars, basements and county fairs throughout the south. If making it as an all-girl punk band wasn’t difficult enough, these cursed souls are pursued by a ghoul, disguised as a record executive, who has been tasked with using them to resurrect enough of the dead to overthrow the living. Despite the forces of hell patiently awaiting its time to rise, these riot grrrls are intent to prove that they’re no sellouts, and that they can make their mark on their own. Will it be revolution, girl style… or Armageddon?