For March, we have compiled an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this month. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.
This month we spotlight books from the usual suspects: AfterShock Comics, DC Comics, Vault Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Valiant Entertainment, Oni Press, AWA/Upshot Studios, and Dark Horse Comics.
This month we have five Wednesdays which means five #NCBD celebrations.
We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.
You will find the books listed below in the order of when they are released.
Week of 3/2/22
Week of 3/9/22
Week of 3/16/22
Week of 3/23/22
Week of 3/30/22
Week of March 2
Batman: Killing Time #1
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by David Marquez & Alejandro Sanchez
Cover Art by Marquez & Sanchez
Three villains, one Dark Knight, and a deadly heist gone wrong. Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin join forces to pull off the greatest robbery in the history of Gotham City. And their prize? A mysterious and priceless artifact in the secret possession of Bruce Wayne! But, as the events unfold, what fun is a heist without a bloody double cross or two?
Release Date: March 1, 2022
PCS NOTES: Tom King returns to Batman with a limited series and fantastic artist in tow. This looks fun and we expect plenty of “Hmmm” quotes.
Chef’s Kiss TP
Oni Press
Written By Jarrett Melendez
Art by Danica Brine & Hank Jones
Cover art by Kevin Wada
Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!
Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?
When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: I have been waiting for this book for a long time. I have had a chance to read it already and it is possibly the best original graphic novel that I have ever read. It is lovely in art, sentiment, and tone. It reaches emotional notes that catch you off guard. We don’t typically include trade paperbacks in this column but this one requires an exception. Don’t miss this book!!
Loaded Bible: Blood of My Blood #1
Image Comics
Written by Tim Seeley & Steve Orlando
Art by Giuseppe Carafo
Cover Art by Mirka Andolfo
Decades after the events of the original cult series, Jesus’ vampire-hunting clone is a bigger outlaw than ever, and now, he has to face a threat like no other. The church has cut a deal with the vampire nations to unite under their cloned savior – Dracula. A 6-part monthly miniseries starting on Ash Wednesday!
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: Despite not having read the original series of one shots for Loaded Bible, we are totally in on this. The insanity potential with Tim Seeley and Steve Orlando is something that is surely not to be missed.
Radio Spaceman #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Greg Hinkle & Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Mignola
When a ship crashes and lands on a mysterious planet and some of the surviving crew go missing, the mysterious mechanical hero Radio Spaceman is called to investigate. But the planet hides much more than the missing crew, and Radio Spaceman may be stumbling into more than even he can handle.
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: We are really looking forward to this new effort from Mike Mignola and Greg Hinkle.
Red Room: Trigger Warnings #1
Fantagraphics Books
Written by Ed Piskor
Art by Piskor
Cover Art by Piskor
The best selling, most talked about series of 2020 kicks off its second four-issue “season” with another self-contained mini-masterpiece of monthly comics storytelling. In this issue, the Decimator presents… The Rat Queens! And unfortunately for them, they are front and center in his most horrific red room broadcast yet! As seen on the YouTube channel sensation, Cartoonist Kayfabe, from the creator of X-Men: Grand Design and Hip Hop Family Tree!
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: The first series was remarkable and this has the same potential.
Rouge Son #1
Image Comics
Written by Ryan Parrott
Art by Abel & Chris O’Halloran
Cover Art by Declan Shalvey & O’Halloran
Yesterday: New Orleans’ greatest hero, ROGUE SUN, was murdered.
Today: rebellious teenager DYLAN SIEGEL discovers that Rogue Sun was his estranged father, Marcus — and that he’s inherited his father’s mantle. Tasked with protecting our world from the forces of the supernatural — and solving his father’s murder — Dylan will be forced to come to terms with the man he’s spent the majority of his life hating.
From acclaimed writer RYAN PARROTT and rising star artist ABEL comes A SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY that explores the complicated bond between father and son and cements itself squarely in a corner of the IMAGE COMICS’ SUPERHERO UNIVERSE!
Release Date: March 2, 2022
Strange #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jed McKay
Art by Marcelo Ferreira
Cover Art by Bjorn Barends
A NEW SORCERER SUPREME RISES! Doctor Strange is dead! And a new Sorcerer Supreme has taken the title, or should we say Sorceress? Haunted by her recently returned memories, Clea longs to bring Stephen Strange back from the dead! But when a mysterious group attacks the magical realm, Clea must rise to the duties of Sorcerer Supreme. For she is now the sole protector of Earth against magical threats. Don’t miss the twists and turns as Jed MacKay continues the story from THE DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE with artist Marcelo Ferreira!
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: Yep. More Clea is something I am on board with.
War for Earth-3 #1
DC Comics
Written by Robbie Thompson & Dennis Hopeless
Art by Steve Pugh
The Teen Titans, the Flash and the Suicide Squad all collide on Earth-3—home of the evil Crime Syndicate—on the hunt for former Task Force X mastermind Amanda Waller. As Waller tries to take over the alternate Earth and dethrone evil versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and other heroes that rule it, her former partner—Rick Flag—arrives on E-3 bent on making Waller pay for her crimes, while the Titans and Flash hunt for a missing academy student they believe was kidnapped by Waller to form her mysterious Justice Squad.
Release Date: March 1, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is a two-issue series that just sounds like an interesting story with a great cast and creative team.
What If … Miles Morales? #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Cody Ziglar
Art by Paco Medina
Cover Art by Sara Pichelli
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD… CAPTAIN AMERICA! What if…Miles Morales had never been bitten by a genetically enhanced spider and became Spider-Man? What if instead…the U.S. government recruited, trained, and granted him incredible powers with the Super-Soldier Serum? What makes Miles a hero no matter the circumstances, no matter the reality?! And are there OTHER super heroes the many Miles of the multiverse might have become instead of Spidey?!
Release Date: March 2, 2022
PCS NOTES: It has been a while since What If? was a regular series, and I have to say this topic is intriguing.
Week of March 9
Captain Carter #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jamie McKelvie
Art by Marika Cresta
Cover Art by McKelvie
WOMAN OUT OF TIME? A reality where Agent Peggy Carter took the Super-Soldier Serum is turned upside down when the World War II hero is pulled from the ice where she was lost in action decades before. Peggy struggles to find her footing in a modern world that’s gotten a lot more complicated—cities are louder, technology is smarter and enemies wear friendly faces. Everyone with an agenda wants Captain Carter on their side, but what does Peggy want? And will she have time to figure it out when mysterious forces are already gunning for her? Prolific comics creator and designer Jamie McKelvie teams with rising star Marika Cresta to tell an unforgettable Captain Carter story for a modern age.
Release Date: March 9, 2022
PCS NOTES: If you watched the Disney+ What If? show, you know where this title comes from, and I support it. Also, I have a lot of confidence that this creative team will hit the nail on the head with this instant fan-favorite character.
Hit Me #1
AWA / Upshot Studios
Written by Christa Faust
Art by Priscilla Petraites & Marco Lesko
Cover Art by Jeff Dekal
A high-octane crime thriller from Christa Faust (Bad Mother, Redemption) and Priscilla Petraites (Chariot). Lulu has a very unique profession: She gets paid by the bruise. When she is witness to the execution of one of her regular clients, she escapes into the night with a briefcase filled with diamonds and a pack of killers on her trail. Navigating the dark underbelly of decaying, early-90’s Atlantic City, one step ahead of her pursuers, Lulu must call upon every one of her street-born instincts and underworld connections in what will be the longest – and possibly last – night of her life
Release Date: March 9, 2022
PCS NOTES: Who doesn’t love a crime chase book? We definitely want to check this one out.
Little Monsters #1
Image Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Cover Art by Nguyen
They are the last children on Earth…who also happen to be vampires. For longer than they can remember, these child vampires have lived a life of eternal wonder amongst the ruins of humanity. But shocking events fracture the group and set them on a path of discovery that will shatter their innocence forever.
Release Date: March 9, 2022
PCS NOTES: There are some creative teams that you just trust, and there are few worthy of more trust than Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen. We are ready to be wowed by this book.
Naomi: Season Two #1
DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker
Art by Jamal Campbell
Cover Art by Campbell
She’s back! Naomi returns to the pages of her own series to uncover the truth behind the new mysteries around herself and her powers. The entire creative team (Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell) behind the critically acclaimed and Eisner Award-nominated debut series has returned to answer all the questions that surround Naomi, her legacy, and her place in the DC Universe pantheon. Guest-starring Black Adam, Superman, and the Justice League, plus the return of…Zumbado! Soon to be a CW television show from Ava DuVernay!
Release Date: March 8, 2022
PCS NOTES: The first volume of Naomi’s story was really good and to see the whole group of creators back give us hope for a successful sequel.
Punisher #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Jesus Saiz, Paul Azaceta, & Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Saiz
WILL THE PUNISHER’S WAR END? Born of tragedy. Devoted to war. Unstoppable in his rage. As the Punisher, Frank Castle has become the most accomplished killer the world has ever seen. Now it’s time for him to face his true destiny. What shocking secret from Frank’s past will convince him to take the reins of the Marvel Universe’s most notorious clan of assassins? And once Frank becomes the warlord of the deadly ninjas of the Hand, will it also mean an end for the Punisher? Or a whole new bloody beginning? Join the superstar team of writer Jason Aaron and artists Jesús Saiz and Paul Azaceta for an epic exploration of the dark and violent past and inevitable future of one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.
Release Date: March 9, 2022
Radiant Red #1
Image Comics
Written by Cherish Chen
Art by David Lafuente & Miquel Muerto
Cover Art by Lafuente
To her students, Satomi Sone is a diligent middle school teacher. To her fiancé and parents, she’s the rock of their family. To the world, she’s Radiant Red, a criminal turned matter-absorbing superhero. But with a mysterious stranger in her classroom, a nosy reporter on her doorstep, and $2.5 million hidden in the air vents of her house, she’s going to have to decide who she is, and quickly—before the world chooses for her.
Release Date: March 9, 2022
Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Jodi Nishijima
Cover Art by David Nakayama
NOT ENOUGH GWENS! When Gwen Stacy was bitten by a radioactive spider, she gained arachnid-like super-powers and started a crimefighting career as Spider-Woman (or as she’s affectionately known to her peers, Ghost-Spider)! But what would have happened if instead she had picked up the enchanted hammer, Mjolnir? Or if she received the Super-Soldier Serum? Or built a high-tech suit of armor? Or…you get the idea! Find out in this new five-issue miniseries by Tim Seeley and Jodi Nishijima as Ghost-Spider tumbles through time and comes face-to-face with herselves!
Release Date: March 9, 2022
PCS NOTES: If you haven’t caught on yet, there is a theme to to the comics this month. It is Tim Seeley month and if he wants to take on this character, I would like to see where it goes.
Star Wars: Han Solo and Chewbacca #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by David Messina
Cover Art by Alex Maleev
NEW ONGOING SERIES—HAN SOLO IS BACK! But wait! Isn’t HAN still frozen in Carbonite? Yes. But you can’t keep a good smuggler down. Set a few years before Episode IV: A New Hope, Han, his partner, CHEWBACCA and GREEDO, embark on a heist for JABBA THE HUTT. It’s supposed to be an easy job. What could possibly go wrong? Well, for starters, how about a reunion with the very last person Han expected to see? The last page is a jaw-dropper…
Release Date: March 9, 2022
PCS NOTES: Not gonna lie, I am really interested in checking out this series.
We Live: Age of Palladions #1
AfterShock Comics
Written by Roy and Inaki Miranda
Art by Inaki Miranda
Cover Art by Miranda
We are back into the hopeful, apocalyptic world of Tala and Hototo. Year 2090. Six years have passed since Salvation Day, when Palladions, with their majestic powers, emerged as the protectors of humanity, saving the five remaining Megalopolis and securing the future of the human species. But nothing stays and the horizon always brings a new storm. These are dark times. Death, famine and desperation lurk around the streets of Megalopolis 9. The shield has lost thirty percent of its reach. The New Nature has learned to create cuts in the energy channels that power the Beacon and the Palladions. A neverending horde of beasts siege the remains of the city, increasing the desperation among the population. The responsibility of keeping the city afloat lies on the shoulders of Generals Nesbo and Terrassa, who have to resort to risky survival measures. The reconnection missions are the only thing that is keeping the population secure…but nothing seems enough. Powerlessness corners the Palladions, who fear not being able to protect the city. Everything is black, except for the white snow that covers with silence the dying, black present.
Release Date: March 9, 2022
Week of March 16
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #1
DC Comics
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Dan Mora
Cover Art by Mora
The Dark Knight. The Man of Steel. They are the two finest superheroes that the world has ever known…and they’re together again in an epic new series from the legendary talents of Mark Waid and Dan Mora! In the not-too-distant past, Superman’s powers are super-charged from a devastating chemical attack by the villain Metallo…and the only ally that the ultra-powerful Man of Tomorrow can turn to in this turbulent hour is Gotham’s own dark vengeance: the Batman. A nearly fatal burst of power drives Bruce Wayne to his own extreme measures to help his friend…enlisting none other than the Doom Patrol for aid. It’s the world’s greatest superheroes from the world’s greatest comic book talent in an epic comic book experience that kicks off the next big events in the DCU. Get ready, it’s time to soar.
Release Date: March 15, 2022
Slumber #1
Image Comics
Written by Tyler Burton Smith
Art by Vanessa Cardinali
Cover Art by Nathan Fox
Nathan Fox Stetson is a nightmare hunter. A dream detective. She runs a shoddy back-alley business where she helps clients sleep at night by entering their dreams and killing their nightmares. But Stetson’s past comes back to haunt her when she tracks down a literal living nightmare – a serial killer that murders people in their sleep. SLUMBER is an ongoing series from the twisted minds of writer TYLER BURTON SMITH and rising-star artist VANESSA CARDINALI.
Release Date: March 16, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is probably the new book that I am most interested in reading this month. Don’t miss it.
Week of March 23
Armorclads #1
Valiant Entertainment
Written by JJ O’Conner & Brian Buccellato
Art by Manuel Garcia
Cover Art by Garcia
Explore a brand new corner of the Valiant Universe!
In a distant solar system, advanced mechs known as Armorclads are used to fight wars and build worlds. On Xeru, genetically engineered workers live out their short lives mining a valuable mineral called The Pure in construction-class mechs known as Ironclads. When one of their own is killed, the Ironclads’ world is turned upside down and they defy their oppressors. Along the way, they’ll discover they’re embroiled in a mystery dating back centuries that could change the world forever-as long as they band together.
Release Date: March 23, 2022
PCS NOTES: New material from Valiant is welcome. We are hopeful.
Count Crowley: Amatuer Midnight Monster Hunter #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by David Dastmalchian
Art by Lukas Ketner
Cover Art by Ketner
It’s been a hell of a week for Jerri Bartman. She lost her job, crashed her car, took the only gig available hosting the midnight monster show, and . . . oh yeah-dismembered a zombie. No big deal. Now, to protect the people she loves, she’s going to have to take a crash course in monster hunting. And quickly-a vengeful vampire just booked a first-class flight into town.
Release Date: March 23, 2022
PCS NOTES: I love the solicit to this book and will be very interested in reading it.
Ghost Cage #1
Image Comics
Written by Caleb Goellner & Nick Dragotta
Art by Nick Dragotta
Cover Art by Dragotta
This ALL-NEW, EXTRA-LENGTH LIMITED SERIES teams artistic dynamo DRAGOTTA with rising-star writer CALEB GOELLNER. When his megacorp power plant falls under attack by terrorists, the super-scientist who revolutionized and controls all energy on Earth sends his ultimate creation (and an adequate employee) in to destroy his most monstrous secrets.
Release Date: March 23, 2022
Rogues #1
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Massimiliano Leomacs & Mat Lopes
Cover Art by Sam Wolfe Connelly
Ten years ago, the Rogues disbanded and went their separate ways. But time hasn’t been kind to the former blue-collar super-criminals. Caught in an endless cycle of prison, rehab, dead-end jobs, broken relationships, probation, and bottomless restitution fees, the Rogues are sick of paying for their crimes. Luckily, Captain Cold has a plan. One last job that will leave them all richer than their wildest dreams and free from their past…if they can survive. The Rogues plan to steal the world’s largest stockpile of undocumented, untraceable gold. But to pull off this heist, they’ll need to head into the heart of Gorilla City and rob Gorilla Grodd himself, a super-villain now turned ruthless boss of the largest crime syndicate on Earth. This DC Black Label series presents the Rogues as you’ve never seen them before, taking on a neo-noir heist guaranteed to make readers’ blood run cold.
Release Date: March 22, 2022
PCS NOTES: A Black Label book about Flash’s rogue’s gallery written by Joshua Williamson? Yes Please!
Venom: Lethal Protector #1
Marvel Comics
Written by David Michelinie
Art by Ivan Fiorelli
Cover Art by Paulo Siqueria
AN EPIC RETURN! Before Carnage and space gods, clones and toxins, and the revelation that he was a father, Eddie Brock was a down-on-his-luck reporter who had tried to take his own life and been saved by an extraterrestrial alien. This all-new story set in the character’s earliest days welcomes Venom co-creator David Michelenie back into the symbiote hive with open arms, as he and rising star Ivan Fiorelli unite to tell a new, horrifying tale that not only revisits the wicked web-slinger’s past, but hints at what’s to come in his future!
Release Date: March 23, 2022
PCS NOTES: It is good to see David Michelinie writing this book.
West of Sundown #1
Vault Comics
Written by Tim Seeley & Aaron Campbell
Art by Jim Terry & Triona Farrell
Cover Art by Campbell
A beautiful ancient vampire must flee monster slayers in New York City, and reclaim the ancestral soil that restores her undead flesh. But things have changed since she was reborn in the New Mexico desert, and now Constance Der Abend and her loyal ex-Confederate assistant Dooley must adapt to life in the rough frontier town of Sangre De Moro. A Western tale of survival starring a cast of literary horrors.
Release Date: March 23, 2022
PCS NOTES: What?? A third Tim Seeley book this month? This might just be the best of them, and that is saying something.
Week of March 30
Astro City: That Was Then #1
Image Comics
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Brent Anderson & Alex Sinclair
Cover Art by Alex Ross
ASTRO CITY returns with an all-new special! Who were the Jayhawks? How did they inspire five teen sidekicks looking for answers to hit the road in a rickety crime mobile in 1969? And how will this affect Astro City in the present? This one-shot special features new and existing heroes and launches a mystery that will drive the forthcoming ASTRO CITY series. And don’t miss the ASTRO CITY METROBOOK, collecting the first three years of the acclaimed series!
Release Date: March 30, 2022
PCS NOTES: Yes this is a one-shot, but it means that ASTRO CITY is back, baby!!!
Immortal X-Men #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Lucas Werneck
Cover Art by Mark Brooks
IN THE QUIET COUNCIL, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM! The Quiet Council rules the Krakoan age, for better… or worse. Now, shaken by INFERNO and X LIVES OF WOLVERINE / X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE they strive to hold together, no matter how much they want to tear each other apart. Writer Kieron Gillen returns to the world of X with artist Lucas Werneck to bring us all into the room where it happens. “It” being “the most powerful people on Earth deciding the fate of the whole planet.” Prepare for sinister secrets to be revealed and learn that some secrets are more sinister than others…
Release Date: March 30, 2022
PCS NOTES: This might become my favorite current X-Men book.
Marauders #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Eleonora Carlini & Rain Beredo
Cover Art by Kael Ngu
EXTINCTION AGENDA, PART ONE
NEW TEAM! NEW VILLAINS! NEW MYSTERIES! Captain Pryde and the Marauders are rededicating themselves to rescuing mutants, wherever they may be, and no matter how dangerous the odds against them are. But Captain Pryde’s crew is not yet complete! Against her better judgment, Pryde comes face-to-face with the final Marauder: Cassandra Nova! One of the most infamous villains in mutant history might be the Marauders’ only chance to unravel a mystery stretching two billion years into the past!
Release Date: March 30, 2022
PCS NOTES: This book feels right up Steve Orlando’s alley and we are excited to see what he does with it.
