What comics can I jump into this week?! Week of 06/08/2022

Posted by David Gage on June 8, 2022

Something I hear quite often is “I’d love to start reading comics, but there are so many that I don’t know where to start.” Or I hear current readers say “I’d love to start reading Batman, but I can’t go back and read 123 issues to get caught up for issue #124.” I know that it may definitely seem intimidating, but don’t worry. I’m here to help!

In this weekly blog, I plan on listing the best starting places for readers this week. Whether it’s jumping into a DC or Marvel comic that is a hundred issues in or finding that awesome new #1 issue, I want to help new and old readers alike.

This blog is broken up into four sections. First I start with the easy stuff, new #1’s. Then I move on to issues from ongoing series that are starting a new storyline or are self-contained stories. Next, I list all new first volume manga. The final section of the blog is for any issues or manga volumes that may not be the best place to start, but the issues or volumes before it are still available on our site www.gagescomicpages.com and could therefore be caught up on.

Quick disclaimer, I only focus on new issues that we’re carrying in our online shop. There are many other new titles out every week, so if there’s a particular one you were looking for, just message us through the site or send an email to customerservice@gagescomicpages.com. I can send you additional information on the title and can potentially order it for you if you’re interested. Also, feel free to send any other questions or suggestions you may have.

Now read on to find that new comic you’ve been looking for!

New #1’s

Dark Crisis #1

This is the start to DC’s latest event. You can definitely start reading this comic without any prior reading, but I would highly recommend at least reading Justice League Road to Dark Crisis #1 (one-shot) which is also available on our site.
Description: Crisis on Infinite Earths. Infinite Crisis. Final Crisis. And now...Dark Crisis! The epic event years in the making is finally here! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League are dead. The remaining heroes are left to protect the world from an onslaught of violent attacks by DC's greatest villains! Can the legacy heroes step out of the shadows of the classic heroes to form a new Justice League? And will that be enough to stop a darkness greater than anything they've ever faced from destroying everything? Don t miss out on the first issue of the blockbuster event of the summer!

Poison Ivy #1

Interesting starting point. The description says this is “spinning out of the pages of Batman”, but you don’t need to read Batman first. You can if you want some additional context to the story, but trust that the story will provide you everything you need to know as the issues go on.
Description: Pamela Isley has been a lot of things in her life. A living god, a super-villain, an activist, a scientist, and dead. In a new body that she didn't ask for and with a renewed sense of purpose, Ivy leaves Gotham and sets out to complete her greatest work, a gift to the world that will heal the damage dealt to it...by ending humanity. Spinning out of the pages of Batman, DC is proud to present the unbelievable next chapter in Poison Ivy's life by the incredible creative team of G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara. Featuring a stunning cast of variant cover artists, including Warren Louw, Frank Cho, Dan Mora, Nick Robles...and introducing main cover artist Jessica Fong!

Nubia Queen of the Amazons #1

This will be a 4 issue series that continues Nubia’s story from her Nubia and the Amazons 6 issue mini-series. You can still enjoy this without reading the previous series, but it does give you the backstory of Nubia which can expand on your enjoyment.
Description: Nubia may be queen, but not all Amazons call Themyscira home, which prompts the new monarch to leave Themyscira for the first time in decades to serve her people in a way Hippolyta never had the opportunity to. Now, as she embarks on her tour through Man s World to show off the newly established sisterhood, she will be met with joy, distrust, and danger. As she travels to the homes of both the Bana-Mighdall and Esquecida tribes, something lurks in the shadows following her every move. A villain from Nubia's mysterious past has been waiting for the day the queen joined the outside world again, and they re ready to make her wish she never left the paradise! Taking place right after the Nubia: Coronation Special, a second miniseries for the fan-favorite Amazon begins! You won't want to miss the exciting new adventures of the one true queen, brought to you by the creative team behind Nubia & the Amazons writer Stephanie Williams and artist Alitha Martinez!

Multiversity: Teen Justice #1

This is an alternate Earth story so no prior knowledge is needed. Just enjoy the ride.
Description: Kid Quick the Future State Flash and their fellow heroes Supergirl, Robin, Aquagirl, Klarienne the Witch Girl, and Troy take center stage in a miniseries that rocks Earth-11 to its core! Co-writers Ivan Cohen (The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries) and Danny Lore (DC Pride, Champions) join rising-star artist Marco Failla (DCeased: Hope at World's End) for the incredible debut issue, which begins with an attack by the H.I.V.E. and ends in the Church of Blood! What is Sister Blood's true mission among the lost souls of New York City? Can Teen Justice get through their growing pains fast enough to learn the answer in time to stop it? And what role will the mysterious Raven the brooding hero who has refused to join the team in the past play in the ultimate battle? The secrets of Earth-11 s newest heroes and villains unfold in DC s most exciting new team title!

DC Pride #1

This is a one issue anthology with 13 LGBTQIA+ stories to read. Perfect way to celebrate Pride month.
Description: Written by Devin Grayson, Stephanie Williams, Travis G. Moore, Alyssa Wong, and others Art by Nick Robles, Brittney Williams, Evan Cagle, W. Scott Forbes, and others DC s 2022 celebration kicks off with more stories, more characters, and more pride than ever before! This anthology features 13 all-new stories spotlighting LGBTQIA+ fan-favorites new and old including Superman (Jon Kent), Nubia, Tim Drake, Kid Quick, Aquaman (Jackson Hyde), Green Lantern (Jo Mullein), Alysia Yeoh, the Ray, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batwoman, and more! This special also includes: A Multiversity: Teen Justice kickoff story spotlighting Kid Quick and written by the miniseries team, Danny Lore and Ivan Cohen! An introduction by activist, actress, and real-life superhero Nicole Maines that will include a teaser for her upcoming Dreamer project! Pinups by P. Craig Russell, J.J. Kirby, and more!

Aquaman Andromeda #1

This will be a 3 issue series. This is DC Black Label which are bigger than your normal comics. The great thing about Black Label books is that they’re not in continuity so they’re always a great place to start. They tend to be darker in tone.
Deep in the Pacific Ocean, at the farthest possible distance from any land, sits Point Nemo: the spaceship graveyard. Since the dawn of the space race, the nations of the world have sent their crafts there on splashdown, to sink beneath the silent seas. But there is something...else at Point Nemo. A structure never made by human hands. And that structure seems to be...waking up. The crew of the experimental submarine Andromeda, powered by a mysterious black-hole drive, have been chosen to investigate this mystery. But they aren t the only ones pursuing it. Anything of value beneath the ocean is of value to the master pirate Black Manta...and anything that attracts Black Manta attracts Arthur Curry, his lifelong foe, the Aquaman! But heaven help them all when the doors of the mystery at Point Nemo swing wide to admit them... Bringing a bracing cosmic-horror sensibility to the world of Aquaman, rising superstars Ram V (Venom, The Swamp Thing) and Christian Ward (Thor, Invisible Kingdom) team up to put Arthur Curry through an exercise in psychological terror that could break the will of even a king!

Star Wars Tales: Krrsantan #1

This is more like a mini-trade paperback. It collects the comic appearances of Krrsantan in a self-contained collection. Great introduction to the character if you watched the Book of Boba Fett and wanted to see his origins.
Description: He thrilled audiences in The Book of Boba Fett - now experience the stories that made him a legend! The deadly Wookiee bounty hunter called Krrsantan is almost unstoppable, but you can get him on your side...for a price. On the desert world of Tatooine, witness Krrsantan hunt down Jedi-in-hiding Obi-Wan Kenobi in a tale set between Star Wars Episodes III & IV! Then, as the Rebel Alliance clashes with Darth Vader, get ready for the ultimate Wookiee fight. Who will be left standing when Krrsantan takes on Chewbacca?! Finally, learn Krrsantan's origins - from his years in the gladiator pits to an alliance with Doctor Aphra to serve up some well-deserved revenge! It's wall-to-wall Wookiee action as only Marvel can deliver! Collecting STAR WARS (2015) #14-15 and #20 and STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA ANNUAL #1. RATED T

Fortnite X Marvel Zero War #1

This will be a 5 issue series with no prior knowledge necessary. If you know anything about Fortnite, it’ll only add to your enjoyment.
Description: THE MARVEL UNIVERSE COLLIDES WITH FORTNITE! The inhabitants on the Island are locked in what seems like a never-ending war, and only one thing has the potential to turn the tide - a crystallized fragment of the Zero Point that was cast into the Marvel Universe. Spider-Man and Wolverine team up with several Fornite fighters and new recruit Shuri to hunt down the elusive Zero Shard. Will these allies be able to find it in time and avert catastrophe? And can the heroes of the Marvel and Fortnite realities hold off the Imagined Order long enough to give them a fighting chance? Epic Games' Chief Creative Officer, Donald Mustard, teams up with veteran Marvel writer Christos Gage (SPIDER-GEDDON, AVENGERS ACADEMY) and artist Sergio D vila (CAPTAIN MARVEL) for a five-part crossover event with enormous ramifications for both universes! Each first print issue contains a redeemable code to unlock a bonus digital cosmetic in Fortnite! RATED T+

The Ward #1

Great introduction into a new world. Fantasy meets ER.
Description: From the writer of Star Wars: The High Republic comes an intense medical drama brimming with fairies, trolls, and real human pathos. St. Lilith's is a secret hospital for supernatural creatures. The personnel are overworked and the facility is underfunded. It's a place, and a life, Dr. Nat Reeves thought she left behind. Until a wounded woman (with a tail) appears on her doorstep.

Skybound Presents Afterschool #1

This is a self-contained story which makes it a perfect entry point into horror comics. This series will be an anthology series made up of 4 issues total which makes it an easy series to collect.
Description: Morals have eroded. Your kids are out of control. Skybound's new horror anthology is going to teach those teens a lesson. In the debut issue, JUSTIN BENSON & AARON MOREHEAD (Marvel Studios' Moon Knight) and GREG HINKLE present a standalone cautionary tale soaked in blood and tears. Nora's anxiety prevented her from approaching high school with any degree of confidence-that is, until she adopted Janie, an emotional support dog with a winning smile and a killer secret. But just how far will Nora go to keep her new life?

Potions Inc. #1

This will be a 5 issue series full of fantasy and adventure into the “real” world.
Description: The call of adventure always seems to hang up whenever Randelgast Jones tries to answer it, leaving him facing the dull future of working in his family's successful potion shop. But when a powerful artifact is stolen from his parents and puts them under a terrible curse, Ran finally gets the quest he's been after his whole life. He and his siblings set off to find the missing artifact - and its trail leads them from their homeland of Primaterra to the very strange realm of... Earth

Orcs! The Curse #1

This will be a 4 issue series. It’s a continuation of the Orcs! series, but you don’t need to have read the original series to enjoy this one.
Description: The fun and fantastical ORCS! series from creator Christine Larsen (Adventure Time) returns with a new installment featuring our favorite underdog heroes: Bog, Pez, Zep, Utzu, and Gurh! After returning from their travels and celebrating with a dance party, a prank gone wrong inadvertently unleashes something ancient and evil. Even worse, in a tower in the middle of a dark forest, a wizard with grand, sinister plans needs a real army, and his sight turns toward the Orcish tribe…

Justice Warriors #1

Description: First issue of a new dystopian satire, written and co-created by cartoonist, publisher, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors! Outside the walls of prosperous Bubble City, two tense cops patrol the Uninhabited Zone, a vast slum where most of the population lives, many of them mutants. After his partner is killed by a self-driving bus, traumatized veteran Swamp Cop must teach naive rookie Schitt that the UZ can only be policed by breaking every rule!

Great Entry Point to an Ongoing Series

Batman #124

If you’ve ever wanted to jump into Batman, this is the perfect time! This is the start of a new storyline following the Shadow War story. Yes there are references to past storylines or other series, but they’re not necessary to read in order to understand the story. They do tell you what issues to read if you do want to find out what happened. Most of those issues are still available as well.
Description: In the aftermath of the Shadow War, Batman has returned to Gotham! But when he hears word of strange developments in Badhnisia, he's forced to question has Abyss returned? Or has a new hero been born in the dark? And in the backup, Poison Ivy uncovers the troubling ramifications of the Gardener and Harley Quinn s actions during Fear State in this prologue to Poison Ivy drawn by Dani and written by Poison Ivy series writer G. Willow Wilson.

Venom #8

This is the start of a new storyline. It’s a great place to start, but I would still recommend reading the first 7 issues if you can. They are all still available on our site.
Description: THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! You've watched and read in terror for months, as Dylan Brock has fulfilled his destiny and become the new VENOM! But what about his old man? What about the ORIGINAL Venom? WHAT ABOUT EDDIE BROCK?! Your answers start here, True Believer. If you buy no other issue of VENOM in 2022, YOU MUST BUY THIS ONE! (And the next two, but START WITH THIS ONE!) RATED T+

New Manga

This is Screwed up, but I was Reincarnated as a Girl Vol. 1

A GENDER-BENDING NEW ISEKAI TALE!
Description: In this isekai tale, a male scientist from Earth is reborn as an orphan girl in a world of swords and sorcery. Ren, a young orphan girl, has been sold off to a merchant with sinister plans for her. Suddenly, memories of her past life on a world called Earth come flooding back, and Ren remembers that she used to be a research scientist–and a grown man! As Ren escapes into the Dark Forest, magical powers awaken within her. In order to survive the harsh realities of this world, she must use her rekindled knowledge of Earth’s science as well as her newfound powers! Will her magical cheat powers and past-life knowledge be enough to keep her freedom, or is she doomed to a life of servitude?

Nightfall Travelers Vol. 1

Description: Two girls explore their haunted hometown in this beautifully illustrated manga. High schooler Ninamori Akane is assigned by the newspaper club to report on local places that are rumored to be haunted. She asks the new transfer student, Amemura Fujino, to join her, and together they discover the simple truths behind the spooky stories. Their friendship grows as they explore their town of labyrinthine paths and endless stairways.