In this regular column, we collect the one-shot books, special anthologies, and original graphic novels that are being released this month. In December, there are quite a few that caught our attention. You can check out our regular New Number Ones column for the month here.
There is an alphabetical list of these special books below by release date, and don’t forget to check for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about these comics.
There are books on the list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, AfterShock Comics, Scout Comics, and Boom! Studios.
Dark Web #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Adam Kubert
Cover Art by Kubert
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
DUSK! The two most famous clones ever are back to take what’s theirs. Ben Reilly and Madelyne Pryor have had enough and are reigniting the INFERNO! Spider-Man and the X-Men are not ready for what’s coming, and what role does Venom have in all of this? The sun is setting, dusk is approaching, and it’s going to be a long night.
Release Date: December 7, 2022
PCS NOTES: The event of the winter at Marvel entwines the worlds of the web warriors and the merry mutants. This is the official starting point for the adventure that spans a bunch of other titles.
Impossible Jones: Naughty or Nice #1
Scout Comics
Written by Karl Kessel
Art by David Hahn
Cover Art by Hahn
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
A Very Special Holiday Special! Holly Daze threatens to blow up the city, forcing IMP to play hero just as she’s planning her own Holiday Heist! And IMP thought they were friends! 🙁 Added Bonus: a seasonal Even Steven story where his insistence that everything be equal is tested when he receives an anonymous gift-and returning the gesture is, well, impossible!
Release Date: December 7, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is a treat just in time for the holidays. The Impossible Jones stories have been curated on Kickstarter for the last few years and having this character show up in regular solicitations is an excellent surprise.
Thanos: Death Notes #1
Marvel Comics
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Kyle Starks, Christopher Cantwell, Torunn Grönbekk
Art by Travel Foreman, Ron Lim, Andrea Di Vito
Cover Art by Andrea Sorrentino & Dave Stewart
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
Thanos is missing, presumed dead after the chilling events of Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribić’s ETERNALS. But Thor has seen a vision of his return. And it is enough to make even a God fear. To prepare himself, to prepare the universe, Thor desperately searches for answers in Thanos’ past…and finds a glimpse of the Marvel Universe’s dark future.
Release Date: December 7, 2022
PCS NOTES: A very talented cast of creators looks to peer past the curtain and let the world know what is coming at Marvel.
Batman / Spawn #1
DC Comics
Written by Todd McFarlane
Art by Greg Capullo, Dave McCaig, & Sabine Rich
Cover Art by Capullo
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
Two dark heroes, cursed by tragedy, find their paths crossing again…but not by choice! What sinister foe is at work, pitting the Dark Knight against the Hellspawn? From the shadows of Gotham City to New York City, this epic event is the blockbuster you’ve been waiting almost two decades for!
Release Date: December 14, 2022
PCS NOTES: When two massive fandoms collide you get incredible things. Like Todd McFarlane writing Batman.
All Night & Every Day #1
AfterShock Comics
Written by Ray Fawkes
Art by Andrea Frittella
Cover Art by Frittella
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
It’s time to party! While celebrating is the last thing grief-stricken introvert Michaela wants to do, her friends drag her out for the night and end up trapping her in a hellish curse: a party that never ends, with no way to escape…not even by dying!
Now she must navigate the labyrinth of the legendary Banquet Hideous all on her own and learn its terrible secrets before she is consumed forever!
This horrifying new 48-page Prestige Format One Shock by acclaimed writer Ray Fawkes and sensational artist Andrea Frittella will rock you to your core…eternally!
Release Date: December 14, 2022
PCS NOTES: This book has us intrigued and we are looking to get our hands on it.
Origins of Marvel Comics: Marvel Tales #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Stan Lee
Art by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Frank Giacoia, George Klein, Paul Reinman, Dick Ayers, & Sol Brodsky
Cover Art by Nick Bradshaw
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
Four of the cornerstone issues that ushered in the Marvel Age of Comics in one unbeatable package! In FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #1, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed everything, introducing Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Susan and Johnny Storm—and sending them on the ill-fated rocket trip that transformed them into the Fantastic Four! In AMAZING FANTASY (1962) #15, Lee joined another legend, Steve Ditko, to spin a tale of power and responsibility featuring teen wallflower Peter Parker…the icon-in-the-making named Spider-Man! In X-MEN (1963) #1, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created a new breed of hero—the X-Men, whose mutant abilities are a gift they’re born with…or is that a curse? And in AVENGERS (1963) #1, they united Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp in battle with Loki…and, lo, the Avengers were formed!
Release Date: December 14, 2022
PCS NOTES: We don’t normally highlight classic reprints, but this is an inspired collection of classic comic. If people what to know where the ideas that became the MCU originated, this is a great place to start.
Too Dead to Die: A Simon Cross Thriller
Image Comics
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Howard Chaykin
Cover Art by Dave Johnson
ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL
Writer/artist team GUGGENHEIM & CHAYKIN (Blade, Wolverine) reunites for an all-new original that brings classic spy novels to the modern world.
In the 1980s, Simon Cross was America’s top superspy. Today, his past has come back to haunt him, forcing him out of retirement for one final adventure.
Release Date: December 14, 2022
PCS NOTES: I can’t wait to read this story by a couple of my favorite creators. That’s it. That’s the Note.
All New Firefly: Big Damn Finale #1
Boom! Studios
Written by David Booher
Art by Simona Di Gianfelice & Francesco Segala
Cover Art by Becca Carey
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
All-New Firefly comes to a stunning conclusion in this double-sized series finale by writer David Booher and artist Simona Di Gianfelice! Things come to an explosive conclusion with Requiem, the mercenaries, and the Alliance portals, but as Jayne reckons with his family and the past, a beloved member of the spaceship Serenity will make the ultimate sacrifice. Covers A-C will each come polybagged to avoid spoiling this character’s final fate!
Release Date: December 21, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is an interesting way to wrap up a series.
Double Walker
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Michael Conrad
Art by Noah Bailey
Cover Art by Bailey
ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL
Cully and Gemma are watching their carefree, childless days come to an end and decide to take one last trip to the magical Scottish Highlands before the baby arrives. What was meant to be a romantic trip soon spirals into paranoia and violence as a bizarre string of murders follows them on their journey.
Conrad has returned to his horror roots while continuing to write the celebrated Wonder Woman as well as Midnighter. The time in the mainstream having only driven him further into the surreal and twisted worlds in which he is most at home.
Release Date: December 28, 2022
PCS NOTES: We have read this book, and it is amazing. It was originally released in individual issue form on Comixology, but the proper way to read this is in a complete collection.
Book of Slaughter #1
Boom! Studios
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Werther Dell’Edera
Cover Art by Dan Mora
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
The future of the Slaughterverse is laid bare by Something is Killing the Children and House of Slaughter creators James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera in the very first SIKTC one-shot special!
From the sidelines to the spotlight, Book of Slaughter follows the white mask Maxine Slaughter… but will her loyalties remain where they are, or will she show her true colors?
In addition to being a precursor to the upcoming chapters of both series, this special issue features a sizable guidebook that delves into the deep lore of the Order of St. George!
Release Date: December 21, 2022
PCS NOTES: Fans of Something Is Killing the Children won’t want to miss this.
Tales from Earth-6: A Celebration of Stan Lee #1
DC Comics
Written by Mark Waid, Becky Cloonan, Michael Uslan, Kenny Porter, Jackson Lansing, Collin Kelly, Steve Orlando, Zac Thompson, Michael Conrad, Meghan Fitzmartin, Stephanie Williams, & Jerry Ordway
Art by Kevin Maguire, Lee Weeks, Max Dunbar, Juan Ferreyra, Anthony Marques, Hayden Sherman, Karl Mostert, Pablo M. Collar, Balen Ortega, & Ordway
Cover Art by Jim Cheung
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
Over 20 years ago, Stan Lee reimagined the entire DC Universe. A criminal turned nocturnal warrior for justice, a champion from the Brazilian Amazon, an intergalactic lawman, and more sprang to existence from Stan’s mind with the help of Michael Uslan. To celebrate the legendary comic book icon’s 100th birthday, dive into 10 new adventures featuring his version of the DC Universe! Batman faces down a villainous new threat, the Choker! Green Lantern digs deep when Nekron arrives to consume the World Tree! The Justice League teams up with a familiar face in order to save the day! Shazam ventures into a top-secret facility to face off against a mind-blowing (and brain-burgling) enemy! The Flash uses her time-bending speed abilities to attempt to reverse the tragedies of her past, but may rob herself of her powers in the process! Chaos ensues when Wonder Woman becomes the editor of the National Exposer!
Release Date: December 27, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is an inventive idea that gives some wonderful contemporary creators the opportunity to play with Stan’s creations. We are looking forward to this.
Timeless #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Jed MacKay
Art by Greg Land, Patrick Zircher, & Salvador Larroca
Cover Art by Kael Ngu
ONE-SHOT SPECIAL
A SHOCKING LOOK AT THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TO COME IN 2023! The last battle of Kang the Conqueror! Tyrant of the timeline, master of endless legions, warrior and conqueror without compare, Kang is in search of the one thing he cannot have. But he is not the only one after the Missing Moment, and Kang soon finds himself in a new position—on the run across the events of the Marvel Universe’s future!
Release Date: December 28, 2022
PCS NOTES: Beautiful cover. End of the year. Looking forward to the next.
