Welcome to our New Number Ones: One-Shots & Specials for July 2023.
In this regular column, we collect the one-shot books, special anthologies, and original graphic novels that are being released this month. You can check out our regular New Number Ones column for the month and see what new series are starting this month.
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, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Fair Square Comics, Drawn and Quarterly, First Second Books, Boom! Studios, Source Point Press, IDW Publishing, and Clover Press.
Clark & Lex GN TP
DC Comics
Written by Brendan Reichs
Art by Jerry Gaylord
Cover Art by Gaylord
Original Graphic Novel
Struggling with understanding why his parents demand he hide his amazing superpowers, Clark has no problem using a bit of super-speed or super-strength to give himself that extra edge as quarterback of the football team or while doing his chores around the farm.
And when LuthorCorp holds a competition to find the best and brightest for a summer internship in Metropolis, Clark decides to use his X-ray vision in order to cheat his way in, especially since it might provide the means of getting out of Smallville. Amazingly, Clark is not the only competitor with special abilities…just ask his newfound friend, Lex Luthor.
But as the kids go missing one by one, the boys realize the competition may not be all it seems. Can Clark put aside his pride for the sake of the team and become the friend and leader they will need to overcome LuthorCorp’s ambitions?
From New York Times bestselling author Brendan Reichs and artist Jerry Gaylord comes a fresh twist to a familiar face that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
Release Date: July 4, 2023
PCS NOTES: We continue to be excited by DC’s YA and Kids reimagination of classic characters.
A Boy Named Rose TP
Fair Square Comics
Written by Gaelle Geniller
Art by Geniller
Cover Art by Geniller
Original Graphic Novel
Paris. The 1920s. Rose is a boy and, like all the girls he’s spent time with since he was born, he wants to dance at “Le Jardin”, the cabaret managed by his mother. As Rose blossoms into a 19 year old young man, he discovers love and tries to find his place in a society that’s not ready to welcome true love between two men with open arms.
PRIDE Month is there and we decided to celebrate Love like there’s no tomorrow! Created and beautifully drawn by Gaelle Geniller, A BOY NAMED ROSE is going to make you fall in love with this story, set in Art Deco Paris and where a young man discovers who he really is in a place filled with entertainment and drama. What is Rose’s place in the world? Is he just a boy? Is he a girl inside? Rose just wants to be accepted for who he really is and live, love and dance as free as he can be. A beautiful LGBTQIA+ tale from a time where loving differently was a challenge, A BOY NAMED ROSE will move you, in all its subtleness and tenderness.
Release Date: July 5, 2023
PCS NOTES: I am looking forward to reading this.
The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee TP
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Rafer Roberts
Art by Mike Norton
Cover Art by Norton
Original Graphic Novel
It’s 1989 and Marty Ward-Jackson, Tennessee’s number one juvenile delinquent-never wanted to join the Rock Gods. After all, who wants to play with nerds like Jonny, Lenny, and Doug? But after the high schoolers stumble into the gig of a lifetime-opening for local rock legend Tommi Tungstun-the four outcasts must put aside their differences and play together if they want to achieve their dreams of fame, freedom, and popularity. Standing in these future superstars’ way are: their parents, their teachers, a school full of jerks and bullies, a townful of bad bosses, sanctimonious preachers, and corrupt politicians, each other, and a rampaging horde of mutated monsters tearing through Jackson and eating everything in their path. Wait. Monsters?!?!
Release Date: July 5, 2023
PCS NOTES: We have been anticipating this book for a while and can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it.
X-Men: Before the Fall – Sinister Four #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado
Cover Art by Lucas Wernock
One-Shot Special
FALL OF X IS COMING!
As the nineteenth century drew to a close, the dying Nathaniel Essex unleashed four clones of himself into the world. They’ve been haunting it ever since, while lurking in the shadows. We know what Sinister has been up to. What about the others? In this issue, we delve into their past…and discover their latest atrocity. When they start to…date?
Release Date: July 5, 2023
PCS NOTES: Fall of X has me intrigued
50
Clover Press
Written by Remi Guerin
Art by Alexis Sentenac
Cover Art by Sentenac
Original Graphic Novel
A special unit of the FBI has the mission of cataloguing, classifying, and tracking down the worst serial killers in the country. But some don’t fit the profile and have proven to be elusive. There are 50 of these killers, tagged as “suspect zeroes.” The most formidable of all, codenamed “Schrödinger’s Cat,” decides to challenge the FBI by tracking down the other 49. His rules of the game are simple: if the Feds find his designated target before him, he will reveal a clue about himself. If they arrive too late, he will kill each “suspect zero,” one by one. 50 is a breathtaking detective thriller that keeps you guessing until the end!
Release Date: July 11, 2023
PCS NOTES: This looks pretty cool.
The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood TP
First Second Books
Written by Brian “Box” Brown
Art by Brown
Cover Art by Brown
Original Graphic Novel
Brian “Box” Brown brings history and culture to life through his comics. In his new graphic novel, he unravels how marketing that targeted children in the 1980s has shaped adults in the present.
Powered by the advent of television and super-charged by the deregulation era of the 1980s, media companies and toy manufacturers joined forces to dominate the psyches of American children. But what are the consequences when a developing brain is saturated with the same kind of marketing bombardment found in Red Scare propaganda?
Brian “Box” Brown’s The He-Man Effect shows how corporate manipulation brought muscular, accessory-stuffed action figures to dizzying heights in the 1980s and beyond. Bringing beloved brands like He-Man, Transformers, My Little Pony, and even Mickey Mouse himself into the spotlight, this graphic history exposes a world with no rules and no concern for results beyond profit.
Release Date: July 11, 2023
PCS NOTES: I am pretty interested in seeing how the content of this book plays out.
Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Saladin Ahmed, Mark Waid, G. Willow Wilson,
Art by Humberto Ramos, Takeshi Miyazawa, Andrea Di Vito
Cover Art by Kaare Andrews
One-Shot Special
THE HEART OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE HAS STOPPED BEATING.
Kamala Khan died a hero’s death in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #26, saving our entire universe. Come join the other heroes of the Marvel Universe, the creators of Ms. Marvel, and comic fans everywhere in honoring and remembering one of Marvel’s brightest stars!
Release Date: July 12, 2023
PCS NOTES: This is a must have to put some temporary closure on the tragic events of ASM #26.
The Legend of Luther Arkwright
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Bryan Talbot
Art by Talbot
Cover Art by Talbot
Original Graphic Novel
Bryan Talbot’s groundbreaking science-fiction epics The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire have been acclaimed by Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and more. Talbot now launches a third Arkwright saga, The Legend of Luther Arkwright, another milestone in graphic literature.
Luther Arkwright, a being of vast psychic power capable of traversing the swirling multiverse of infinite existences, is pursued by a far superior adversary across multiple historically divergent parallel worlds, both utopian and dystopian, and only Arkwright’s experience and force of will provide any hope to avert humanity’s annihilation.
Release Date: July 12, 2023
My Little Pony 40th Anniversary Special #1
IDW Publishing
Written by Tony Fleecs, Jeremy Whitley, Sam Maggs
Art by Andy Price, Amy Mebberson, Keisha Okafor
Cover Art by Okafor
One-Shot Special
Forty years ago, Butterscotch, Blue Belle, Minty, Snuzzle, Cotton Candy, and Blossom cantered onto shelves and into the hearts of children everywhere. Now, join IDW as we celebrate decades of ponies, toys, and friendship! First, from Sam Maggs and Keisha Okafor, travel back to the ’80s in a story about four young girls, their My Little Pony toys, and the power of friendship and imagination as they try to save their horse barn from closing. Then, a story from Jeremy Whitley and Amy Mebberson, where Sunny Starscout and her pals learn more about Equestrian history and a place called Dream Valley. And finally, from Tony Fleecs and Andy Price, in 2023, an aunt and her My Little Pony-loving niece have to rely on some dusty G1 toys for entertainment when the power goes out.
Release Date: July 12, 2023
PCS NOTES: Some great creators celebrating a fan-favorite franchise.
Svengoolie: Lost in Time #1
Frank Miller Presents
Written by Rich Koz, Jim Roche, Chris Faulkner
Art by Jill Thompson, Art Baltazar, Franco Aureliani, Chris Jones
Cover Art by Chris Jones
One-Shot Special
In this first of two specials, MeTV sensation Svengoolie appears in his first full length comic book feature, as the evil Svenbot goes to the past to undo Svengoolie’s future. Learn the secrets behind Sven, and his crazy cast of friends, Boddy Sorrell, Tombstone and Kerwyn as told by the show’s creators Rich (Svengoolie) Koz, Jim Roche and Chris Faulkner.
Buy this at your local store and remember, No Personal Checks!
Release Date: July 12, 2023
PCS NOTES: This looks fun.
Web of Carnage #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Ram V.
Art by Francesco Manna, Ze Carlos, & Erick Arciniega
Cover Art by Kendrick Lim
One-Shot Special
CARNAGE SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH! As Cletus Kasady exacts his vengeance on an unsuspecting city and CARNAGE REIGNS across the Marvel Universe, THE CARNAGE SYMBIOTE remains left to its own devices, adrift among the stars. With its purpose renewed after the DEATH OF THE VENOMVERSE, Carnage has scant few hurdles between it and a glorious ascension to the throne of the King in Black…and the first is named MORLUN.
Release Date: July 12, 2023
What If…? Dark: Loki #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Walter Simonson
Art by Scot Eaton, Cam Smith, Scott Hanna, & Andrew Dalhouse
Cover Art by Simonson & Laura Martin
One-Shot Special
Walter Simonson returns to his illustrious run on THOR…but this time, Loki’s in charge! A tale of one of Asgard’s worst days—and one of Loki’s best.
Release Date: July 12, 2023
John Tiffany
Mad Cave Studios
Written by Stephen Desberg
Art by Dan Panosian
Cover Art by Panosian
Original Graphic Novel
John Tiffany is one of the best bounty hunters in the world: A ten year career and fifteen million dollars worth of bounties! Tiffany certainly looks the part of a cool hit-man for hire – but he’s not quite the stereotype we’ve come to expect in modern fiction. He’s a bit more human and very, very flawed. John has no illusions about the world that employs him, he trusts only four people: Pastor Lovejoy, an unorthodox priest that sees a bit of himself in John oddly enough… His love for money; Wan Chao, an underworld geek whose circles serve as an interface with the outside world; Dorothy, his Conservative/Right Wing teammate, and Magdalena, a call girl he has foolishly fallen in love with.
Release Date: July 18, 2023
PCS NOTES: This looks like a hot summer read.
Hack/Slash Vs Seance Room #1
Source Point Press
Written by Ben Goldsmith
Art by Dustin Irvin
Cover Art by Irvin
One-Shot Special
Cassie Hack and Vlad guest star in this issue where Harry puts his true and tried style of mental torment up against Cassie’s good old fashioned cut-off-heads-first-and-ask-questions-later style. The world of horror will never be the same, perhaps even Cassie and Vlad will come out of the Séance Room changed?
Release Date: July 19, 2023
PCS NOTES: What a team-up?!?!
Juliette
Drawn and Quarterly
Written by Camille Jourdy
Art by Jourdy
Cover Art by Jourdy
Original Graphic Novel
Juliette boards a train from Paris and comes back to her hometown hoping for a low-key visit with family and old friends. What she finds is anything but; her family is a mess and Juliette finds herself involved with the unlikely Georges, a dyspeptic alcoholic who is stuck in his life. These divergent paths inevitably cross one another against a gloriously painted backdrop of eccentric small-town living.
Release Date: July 19, 2023
PCS NOTES: This is the kind of book that comes with little fanfare and will captivate you. Looking forward to it.
Nocterra: Nemesis Special #1
Image Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Liam Sharp
Cover Art by Tony Daniel & Marcelo Maiolo
One-Shot Special
As Sundog Convoy fights to prevent the end of everything, a Ferryman is shown the beautiful, terrifying origin of light and darkness across all of space and time. This special one-shot will lead directly into the stunning conclusion of the “No Brakes” storyline!
Release Date: July 19, 2023
PCS NOTES: We continue to enjoy this series and look forward to seeing Liam Sharp’s take on this property.
Star Trek: Day of Blood #1
IDW Publishing
Written by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, & Christopher Cantwell
Art by Ramon Rosanas
Cover Art by Malachi Ward
One-Shot Special
Immortal emperor of the Klingon Empire, Kahless II has consolidated power, raided ancient tombs and secret bunkers, taken the power of gods for himself, stolen the Bajoran Orb of Destruction, and commenced a slaughter across the stars. But this genocide of gods was just the beginning. For with the power he has stolen, Kahless is about to declare war on all those who do not follow the Red Path. To prevent genocide unlike any since the ancient days of Qo’noS, the crew of icons led by the emissary known as Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek) and the renegades who follow a desperate and violent Worf (Star Trek: Defiant) must unite for a common cause. Only they can hope to stop the Day of Blood.
Release Date: July 19, 2023
PCS NOTES: Read the solicit. You will want this book.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – The Rebellion #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Alex Segura
Art by Matt Horak
Cover Art by Ryan Brown
One-Shot Special
MON MOTHMA MUST DIE! ADMIRAL ACKBAR is the only one with the knowledge of THE EMPIRE’s plans to kill Mon Mothma. Enter POE DAMERON’s parents, SHARA BEY and KES DAMERON, to thwart the threat! But do they have what it takes to take down the unknown assassin in time?
Release Date: July 19, 2023
PCS NOTES: Alex Segura playing in hidden Star Wars lore sounds fun to me.
Homicide: The Graphic Novel Part One
First Second Books
Written by David Simon & Phillipe Squarzoni
Art by Squarzoni
Cover Art by Squarzoni
Original Graphic Novel
Homicide, the celebrated true crime-book from the creator of HBO’s The Wire, is reenvisioned in this first volume of a gritty, cinematic graphic novel duology. In 1988, journalist David Simon was given unprecedented access to the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit. Over the next twelve months, he shadowed detectives as they took on a slew of killings in a city where killings were common. Only the most heinous cases stood out-chief amongst them, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Latonya Wallace. Originally published in 1991, Simon’s Homicide became the basis for the acclaimed television show Homicide: Life on the Streets and inspired HBO’s The Wire. Now, this true-crime classic is reimagined as a gritty two-part graphic novel series.
Release Date: July 25, 2023
PCS NOTES: Fans of hard boiled crime dramas won’t want to miss this.
The Sandman Universe Special: Thessaly #1
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Maria Llovet
Cover Art by Reiko Murakami
One-Shot Special
The immortal witch Thessaly is no stranger to dead ends. But she’s won the hearts of gods and beings more powerful than gods, and persistence has always been her strong suit. Following her scheming machinations in Nightmare Country and Dead Boy Detectives, Thessaly is more determined than ever to suss out the seemingly impenetrable mystery surrounding the death of Madison Flynn. To do that, she’s going to have to get close to the source material—close enough to magic herself into the job of screenwriter on Madison Flynn’s biopic. But she’s going to need a little help to keep the gig…perhaps from one of those Muses the King of Dreams told her about long ago…
Release Date: July 25, 2023
PCS NOTES: James Tynion has proven that he can handle Sandman Universe properties and we want to see what he does with this one.
BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Keanu Reeves & Steve Skroce
Art by Skroce & Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Skroce & Stewart
One-Shot Special
A sea of gore and devastation awaits as B, through a fateful chance encounter, safeguards the advanced and ancient realm of Atlantis as its unstoppable protector.
But a sickly king serves as a symbol for the rot inside, as the security and bliss created through B’s violence is shallow… The cracks created by a secret cult might spell a monstrous end for the legendary city, one beyond even B’s ability to save.
Renowned filmmaker and record-shattering comic creator Keanu Reeves joins acclaimed writer and artist Steve Skroce (Doctor Strange) for a one-shot special that fans of Lovecraftian horror would be mad to miss!
Release Date: July 26. 2023
What If…? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Gerry Conway & Jody Houser
Art by Ramon Bachs & Dee Cunniffe
Cover Art by Greg Land & Frank D”Armata
One-Shot Special
Spider-Legend Gerry Conway returns to his most famous Spider-Story for this WHAT IF along with co-writer Jody Houser! WHAT IF Gwen Stacy didn’t die on the bridge that day, but Spider-Man DID?! ‘Nuff said, I presume!
Release Date: July 26, 2023
PCS NOTES: Great concept. We are interested to see how it plays out.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Adam Kubert, R.B. Silva, Matteo Lolli, Javier Pina, Valerio Schiti, Kris Anka, Pepe Larraz, Russell Dauterman, Luciano Vecchio, Joshua Cassara, Rain Beredo, Matt Willson, Marte Gracia, Ceci de la Cruz
Cover Art by Phil Noto
One-Shot Special
THE FALL OF X BEGINS HERE! The Hellfire Gala is always the biggest event of the season…but this year’s will change everything for Krakoa. What is meant to be mutantkind’s biggest night becomes their biggest nightmare as the Fall of X begins! All your favorite X-Men are going to be left reeling after this one—shocking revelations, stunning betrayals, horrifying tragedy, impossible deaths…and of course the most glamorous looks of the year, all in one CANNOT-MISS package!
Release Date: July 26, 2023
PCS NOTES: This is a big one. You won’t want to miss it.
