Jumping On: New Story Arcs, Series Premieres, And One-Shots Dropping October 4, 2023

One of the 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, Series Premieres, and One-Shots available this upcoming New Comic Book Day, Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

New Story Arc:

Ghostlore #5, BOOM! Studios

With Lucas and Harmony having parted ways, Shane continues enacting his sinister plan, with Harmony in his sights.

Meanwhile, while Harmony finds herself invited into the home of another who can see ghosts manifest, she encounters yet another ghost story, and her views on family take on an entirely new light.

Series Premieres and One-Shots:

Archie Halloween Spectacular 2023, Archie Comics

BRAND NEW STORY: “Monster Mash-Up!” Trick and Treat return on Halloween night to harass Archie and Jughead with assorted monsters until Sabrina takes charge. All that plus more scary-fun stories!

The New Golden Age: Special Edition #1, DC

From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.

Ghost Rider Annual #1, Marvel

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, GHOST RIDER! Halloween is a night for monsters…and the Hood is one of those monsters! Can Ghost Rider and special guest ELSA BLOODSTONE put a stop to the Hood’s plans? Or is this the final Halloween? Don’t miss this special issue that lays the foundation for the future of Ghost Rider!

G.O.D.S. #1, Marvel

JONATHAN HICKMAN RE-INVENTS THE COSMOLOGY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE-POWERS-THAT-BE MEET THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS? The infinite détente between THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS and THE-POWERS-THAT-BE nears an end. Old acquaintances are reunited during a Babylon Event. The Lion of Wolves throws the worst parties. Don’t look under the table. There’s a John Wilkes Booth penny on the ground. This ENORMOUS EXTRA-SIZED first issue features DOCTOR STRANGE, who, while not boring at all, is easily the most boring person in the book.

Transformers #1, Skybound

THE ALL NEW TRANSFORMERS ERA STARTS HERE!

Superstar creator DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (DO A POWERBOMB, WONDER WOMAN: DEAD EARTH), alongside ENERGON UNIVERSE showrunner ROBERT KIRKMAN (VOID RIVALS, INVINCIBLE), reimagines Hasbro’s robots in disguise for a brand-new generation.

Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies-the Decepticons.

As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity’s only hope of survival is Optimus Prime.

Discover THE TRANSFORMERS like you’ve never seen them before!

Alien Annual #1, Marvel

ALIEN VS. ALIEN: PITY THE XENO! A Xenomorph queen and her hive descend on a dark world. They’re hungry—they’re always hungry—and stand poised to overrun this planet like they have so many others. Until the native life fights back. Declan Shalvey and Danny Earls deliver an action-packed story and show-stopping visuals in this standalone entry in the Alien mythos!

Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #1, Marvel

WHO LIVED? WHO DIED? ANSWERS TO THE GREATEST CATASTROPHE OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEDI! Little has been revealed about the year following the fall of STARLIGHT BEACON and the ultimate triumph of THE NIHIL…until now! THE JEDI COUNCIL, reeling from its losses, has recalled its JEDI KNIGHTS from across the galaxy and instituted the emergency measures. MASTER YODA has a plan to save the Order and the galaxy, but he must touch the dark side to achieve it…and the consequences will be grave indeed.

Ranger Academy #1, BOOM! Studios

If you had a chance to join the Power Rangers, would you do it?

13-year-old Sage lives on an isolated lunar colony with her adoptive father, but her days on the farm will change forever when she comes across a wreckage with wounded passengers… people from an academy training to be something called… POWER RANGERS!

Fresh off their Free Comic Book Day preview, acclaimed YA author Maria Ingrande Mora (Fragile Remedy) and superstar artist Jo Mi-Gyeong (Eve: Children of the Moon) introduce a bold new expansion of the Power Rangers Universe!

For the first time, discover the amazing school where Rangers are trained, and find out for yourself which Ranger color you would join!

Would you test your might as a Red Ranger, never surrender as a Black Ranger, inspire those around you as a Pink Ranger, show no fear as a Yellow Ranger, or prove that you’re the smartest kid on the team as a Blue Ranger? Enroll today!

Justice Society of America: Gold #1, DC

Contains JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA (2022) #1-3.

The Midnite Show #1, Dark Horse

From the creators of The Sixth Gun and Manor Black comes this new supernatural horror series about monsters of the silver screen coming to life and wreaking havoc on a small town. Basil Saxon is a legend among horror fans. Over fifty years ago, he vanished during a freak accident on the set of the film that would have been his masterpiece. The cursed film-God of Monsters-was never completed and has never been seen. But when a film festival shows footage from the long-lost movie, classic horror monsters manifest to wreak havoc and terror on the unsuspecting populace. A ragtag group of misfits must band together to stop the most famous creatures of all time and send them back to the realm of celluloid nightmares.

Strange Academy: Amazing Spider-Man #1, Marvel

The brilliant new villain THE EQUATION has taken down Miles Morales, Moon Knight and half the students of Strange Academy. Can the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN be of help?

CONTINUED FROM STRANGE ACADEMY: MOON KNIGHT #1

DC’s Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun #1, DC

SKIN-CRAWLING STORIES OF THE DC GHOUL-IVERSE! Superman imprisoned by an unfriendly ghost! Man-Bat versus a werewolf! Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho crashing a Halloween frat party! Plus: the Question faces horrific crimes of fashion; Robotman wrestles a ghostly glitch; Crush helps Lobo find the perfect costume; and Nightwing and Red Hood spend a frightful night in Blüdhaven, co-written by Christopher Sean, the voice of Nightwing from the Gotham Knights video game! The chills will last longer than your candy corn!

Star Trek: Holo-ween #1, IDW

Acclaimed writer Chris Sequeira (Justice League Adventures) and Eisner-nominated artist Joe Eisma (Morning Glories) are bringing horror to the holodeck in a new four-issue miniseries! After enduring an anxiety-ridden passage through a solar storm, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take to celebrating Halloween to reset the mood. But while the Earth holiday involves sweet treats and other festivities, they soon learn that fear is in season when crew members begin to go missing one by one.

Vampirella: Dead Flowers #1, Dynamite

When her age-old nemesis finally gives up the ghost, Vampirella is lured to his rural gothic estate of Rookhaven to hear the reading of his last will and testament. There, she meets the manor staff – the prurient assistant, the wild-eyed groundskeeper and his pensive young daughter, and the sinister and enigmatic Mr. Frey. Expecting a trap, Vampirella and her young companion are not disappointed – but they also get more than they bargained for in this thrilling adventure!

Written by SARA FRAZETTA and BOB FREEMAN and illustrated by ALBERTO LOCATELLI, this brand-new miniseries is steeped in gothic horror, complete with a sinister mansion, a mist-enshrouded graveyard, and a bevy of witches, ghosts, werewolves, and ancient satanic magicks. And all of it is enclosed in an amazing assortment of covers from some of comics’ greatest artists, including LUCIO PARRILLO, COLLETTE TURNER, ERGUN GUNDUZ, series artist ALBERTO LOCATELLI, and Frazetta Girls’ very own SARA FRAZETTA!

The Devil That Wears My Face #1, Mad Cave Studios

The year is 1740, and the Vatican is in turmoil. Grappling with a profound crisis of faith, outcast exorcist Father Franco Vieri is dispatched on a mission of grave importance — to rescue a Spanish nobleman from the clutches of the sadistic demon known as Legion. But when the exorcism goes tragically wrong, Vieri finds himself trapped in a stranger’s body… and learns what horrors lie ahead when the Devil wears his face. Equal parts Face/Off and The Exorcist, Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (Moon Knight: City of the Dead, Savage Avengers) and Bram Stoker Award-nominated artist Alex Cormack (Sea of Sorrows, The Crimson Cage) conjure a harrowing tale of terror, action, and body-swap intrigue that will leave comic readers at the edge of their seats.

Alice Cooper #1, Dynamite

Legendary rock acts are finding themselves attacked by demonic forces. The police investigate, but there’s little to nothing they can do to stop the problem.

At the same time, Alice Cooper has a new album out and is in the midst of a promotional tour. It’s great to see all his fans again, but there’s a disturbing trend happening in every city – more and more of his audience appear to be undead! Complicating matters, when he goes to bed at night he ventures into the Nightmare Place. When he awakens, he’s in another city standing before a throng of fans, where he meets the Archangel Gabriel.

Gabriel tells him there’s a great music club called Burning Meat where the souls of legendary musicians hang out, watching the headliner – Lucifer – play his own personal style of rock music to the raucous applause of the demons in attendance. Now, Lucifer wants to take the show to Earth and the only thing stopping him is… Alice freakin’ Cooper!

Composed and arranged by writer RODNEY BARNES and artist EDU MENNA, this power anthem of an issue has its amps turned up to 11 with a trio of amazing covers from JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER (Rodney Barnes’s collaborator on Killadelphia), the incredible STUART SAYGER, and master of horror ANDREW MANGUM – all capped off with a classic photo cover of the man himself: Alice Cooper!

Abbott: 1979 #1, BOOM! Studios

On the eve of the 1980s and the Reagan Administration, Detroit is burdened with an oppressive darkness-both political and supernatural.

Dejected and tough tabloid reporter Elena Abbott, who previously defeated the occult forces responsible for her husband’s death, must dig herself out from rock bottom if she’s going to save Detroit from the Umbra, one last time…

As the trilogy’s final chapter by Hugo Award-nominated novelist Saladin Ahmed (Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Black Bolt) and artist Sami Kivelä (Beautiful Canvas) opens, Elena will have to contend with the dark cloud hanging over Detroit… and over her personally.

Fung Gi #1, Scout

In a fantasy world inhabited by humanoid mushrooms who have built a society close to Feudal Japan and Ancient China, follow the adventure of a band of Outcasts who journey across an epic landscape in an heroic quest for forgiveness, revenge and honor.