Jumping On: New Story Arcs Kicking Off On September 1, 2021
by Brendan M. Allen
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 titles kicking off new story arcs and a few interesting #1’s premiering this upcoming New Comic Book Day, Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
New Arcs:
Captain Marvel #32, Marvel
‘THE LAST OF THE MARVELS STARTS HERE! An old darkness has re-emerged, one that almost brought the Avengers to their knees. A twisted Captain Marvel is terrorizing the galaxy – and this time, it’s not Carol Danvers…we’re almost sure. And where is Vox Supreme? Carol must race to find out as “THE LAST OF THE MARVELS” begins. Superstar writer Kelly Thompson joins forces with BLACK KNIGHT: CURSE OF THE EBONY BLADE artist Sergio Dávila to kick off a thrilling fight to save the Captain Marvel legacy!’
Notable #1’s:
Demon Days: Cursed Web #1, Marvel
‘SPIDERS AND WOLVES AND YOKAI…OH MY! Mariko Yashida journeys deep into a dark forest to find answers about her past. Instead, she finds a magical wolf with three toes and a strange girl with a pet spider. But there are deadly creatures in these woods too—a mysterious, blue-skinned woman and a giant with super-strength and claws—and they’re after Mariko! Don’t miss this epic tale, straight from the creative mind of Stormbreaker Peach Momoko! Book THREE of FIVE of the DEMON DAYS saga!’
Mullet Cop #1, Scout Comics
‘After a near-death experience, a mall cop goes undercover as a manager at an all-you-can-eat buffet. With the help of his coworkers and a supercomputer/microwave called M.I.T.T. (Mall Industries Two Thousand), he takes on crime boss Robogrannie and her gang of thugs!’
Almost American #1, AfterShock
‘Spies…like us? In 2008, husband-and-wife Russian intelligence operatives walked into the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic in order to defect, making a deal to trade secrets for new lives. But instead of the American Dream, Janosh and Victorya Neumann found themselves caught up in red tape, bureaucracy and turf wars between the FBI and CIA – all while their past tries to kill them.
Based on the real-life story of real-life spies, ALMOST AMERICAN is written by comics master Ron Marz in close consultation with the Neumanns, with art by rising star Marco Castiello.’
Batman: Fear State Alpha #1, DC
‘The event over a year in the making begins. . . Fear State settles upon Gotham City, and no one is safe! Overwhelmed by the dual threat of the Scarecrow and Peacekeeper-01, Batman and his allies have been one step behind since the events of Infinite Frontier #0. . . and with the arrival of a mysterious anti-Oracle and the return of Poison Ivy. . . Batman might have more than he can handle!?’
Dark Ages #1, Marvel
‘This is what the Watcher has been watching for! A danger older than the Earth threatens everything. For once, the heroes who have saved the planet so many times are almost powerless in the face of it. X-Men and Avengers assemble. Spider-People and Fantastic Four come together. Heroes for Hire fight alongside Champions. None of it will be enough. The lights are about to go out. The world outside our window…is about to end. An all-new saga of the Marvel Universe as you’ve never seen it before from Tom Taylor and Iban Coello!’
Red Sonja #1, Dynamite
‘MOTHER, PART ONE.
Industry icon MIRKA ANDOLFO presents an all-new vision for the She-Devil With A Sword, in a thrilling new ongoing series! Our story begins in a village on fire, set by members of the dreaded Three-Eyed Shezem. When Red Sonja arrives, the only survivor of the flame is a lively child with curious white tattoos. The child will become Sonja’s travel companion, on a journey from hardened ice to imposing forests, where dangerous secrets wait to be revealed…
Begin a trailblazing adventure with MIRKA ANDOLFO (Unnatural, Mercy) and incredible artist GIUSEPPE CAFARO (Suicide Squad)!’
Pyrate Queen #1, Bad Idea
‘This September, embark on a tale of love, loss, life, death and bloody revenge! Meet Monday Ryan, a pyrate with a bad reputation and a price on her head. To be a pyrate is to live a short and merry life and to live it free. It ends for most with a length of rope and a four foot drop. After a series of successful attacks, Monday Ryan, her husband, and her crew of bandits are targeted and pursued relentlessly by the British Royal Navy. When a violent trap leads to their capture, Monday and crew are fitted for the gallows — until the Royal Navy learns that Monday’s pregnant. Civility prevents the hanging of a pregnant woman, and Monday is spared the noose, but her crew and husband are not. Set adrift on a small raft and left to her fate on the open sea, Monday vows that the life growing inside her will be born into a world where its father’s death has been avenged. She will find and kill every last soul responsible for her husband’s death, and her baby will enter into this world free of vengeance, free of bloodshed, and free of a future drenched in violence.’
The Last Annihilation: Wiccan & Hulkling #1, Marvel
‘WORLDS APART, BUT NEVER ALONE! The Last Annihilation has hit the Kree/Skrull Alliance. Wiccan and Hulkling must split up to simultaneously defend two planets against the Mindless Army! But will the individual newlyweds be enough to fight off the forces of Dormammu? Or will they become the next casualties in this senseless war?
THE LAST ANNIHILATION TIE-IN’
Menagerie #1, Second Sight Publishing
‘When a research outpost on the edge of the galaxy is captured, a team of lethal Space Operators heeds the call to rescue the who’s who of civilian scientists and researchers. But personal secrets and unexpected agendas bubble to the surface and a mutiny sends the rescue mission light-years off course to a new and unusual planet with unusual rules.’
Hath No Fury #1, Action Lab Comics
‘Thrown into an unfamiliar world and beset by dangers both magical and mundane, Freya and Yatzil will have to learn to cooperate to survive.’
Telepaths #1, Artists Writers & Artisans Inc.
‘The brand new epic from comic book legends J. Michael Straczynksi (The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor) and Steve Epting
(Captain America: The Winter Soldier). An electromagnetic disturbance results in the sudden awakening of telepathic
powers in a tenth of the Earth’s population. In the moments after the world comes to grip with this development, newlyBoston police find themselves sent against a wrongly convicted prisoner who becomes a hero and leader of other telepaths trying to escape a world in which their powers will make them targets. Both are heroes of their own story, and the future may depend on whether or not trust can be found between them.’
Monster Kill Squad #1, Bad Idea
‘Once upon a time, monster attacks were rare. A forest witch might murder a few hikers, a killer clown might eat a few children, or a malevolent ghost might drive a young couple insane just for the hell of it. But these events were scarce, easily covered up, and soon faded into campfire stories good for a laugh. But no one’s laughing now. Over the past 90 days, cryptozoological attacks have increased a hundredfold, and the arcane has become everyday. Monsters of every shape and size strike at will, and the good, taxpaying folks of the US of A have had enough of this nonsense. Enter: THE MONSTER KILL SQUAD. A Government Unit of the most dangerous motherfuckers on the planet, the deadliest folks alive are here to put a bullet in the brain of everything that walks, crawls, flies, or hides in shadows. And if it doesn’t have a brain, all the better — we’ve got a gun for that, too. Witches and wraiths. Demons and deadites. Goblins and ghosts. There have always been monsters. Now there are monster killers, and the MKS will kill it, and kill it good.’
Chessmasters #1, Second Sight Publishing
‘In the 25th century, society has finally emerged as a civilized population. No more wars, illness, hunger, or racial hatred. However, the evil Pawn-Master has seen this as an opportunity to control the weak and has been using his eight royal pawns to wreak havoc throughout the city. Conversely, the government has put together an extraordinary team of individuals known as The Chess-Masters to battle against this corruption and oppressiveness.’
