2023 is rapidly winding down, but the same can’t be said for the comic book industry. November is home to several new series that promise to set the tone for 2024. That includes the debut of a new Punisher, the foundation of the new Ultimate Universe and the start of a new comic book sequel to Tim Burton’s Batman movies.
Read on to see our picks for the biggest and most noteworthy new comics of November 2023, and be sure to let us know in the comments below what you’ll be reading this month.
Ultimate Universe #1
Ultimate Universe #1 Cover Gallery
Creative Team: Jonathan Hickman & Stefano Caselli
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: November 1
Less than a decade after it officially ended the Ultimate Universe in 2015’s Secret Wars, Marvel is bringing back the Ultimate line. This won’t be a continuation of the original Ultimate Universe however, but rather focuses on a new version of the Marvel Universe with its own lineup of heroes and villains. As before, the goal is to provide a fresh, contemporary take on familiar characters free of any ties to preexisting continuity.
Readers got a taste of what the new Ultimate Universe has to offer in the recent Ultimate Invasion miniseries. However, Ultimate Universe #1 serves as the proper introduction for Earth-6160. This issue will lay out the scope of the new Ultimate line and pave the way for a new lineup of monthly comics, including Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s Ultimate Spider-Man.
Batman ‘89: Echoes/Superman ‘78: The Metal Curtain
Batman ’89: Echoes & Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain Cover Gallery
Creative Team: Sam Hamm & Joe Quinones, Robert Venditti & Gavin Guidry
Publisher: DC
Release Date: November 7 (Superman ‘78) & November 28 (Batman ‘89)
In another timeline, Tim Burton stayed at the helm of the Batman franchise and directed more movies starring Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight. DC’s Batman ‘89 comics give us a glimpse of the world that never was, with Batman ‘89: Echoes acting as a fourth entry in the Burtonverse to follow up the original Batman ‘89. This series shows us what Burton’s versions of Barley Quinn, Batgirl and Scarecrow might have looked like, and once again writer Sam Hamm and artist Joe Quinones are at the helm.
DC is also reviving Superman ‘78 in a sequel dubbed The Metal Curtain. Similarly, this series delivers a hypothetical Superman sequel featuring Christopher Reeve’s Man of Steel. The Metal Curtain looks to be introducing Metallo to Earth-789, and returning writer Robert Venditti is joined this time by artist Gavin Guidry.
The Punisher #1
Marvel Comics’ New Punisher Revealed
Creative Team: David Pepose & Dave Wachter
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: November 8
Jason Aaron and Jesus Saiz’s recent Punisher comic truly transformed the franchise, ending in a status quo where Frank Castle is trapped on Warworld and has renounced being the Punisher. But nature abhors a vacuum in the Marvel Universe as much as the real world, and someone has to claim that mantle. In this new series, we meet that man – a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Joe Garrison.
It’s a risky move on Marvel’s part to introduce a new Punisher, especially given that this is a brand-new character. Will Joe Garrison find more lasting success taking up an iconic Marvel mantle than Lee Price’s brief tenure as Venom? We don’t know, but we’re certainly intrigued by Marvel’s attempt at reinventing such a significant and often controversial character.
Batman: Off-World #1
Batman: Off-World #1 Cover Art Gallery
Creative Team: Jason Aaron & Doug Mahnke
Publisher: DC
Release Date: November 21
DC is launching a new Batman limited series in November. That in itself isn’t exactly newsworthy. The DC line is more Batman-heavy than ever these days. But Batman: Off-World is notable because it’s the first Batman comic written by the formerly Marvel-exclusive Jason Aaron.
After so many years of seeing Aaron work his magic on Marvel titles like Thor and Wolverine and the X-Men, it’s exciting to see him playing in a whole new sandbox. It doesn’t hurt that Off-World pairs him with veteran Bat-artist Doug Mahnke. This series is set early in Batman’s career, chronicling the first time the Dark Knight leaves his home planet for a solo adventure in the wider DC Universe. It should be a wild ride.
Titans: Beast World #1
Titans: Beast World #1 Cover Gallery
Creative Team: Tom Taylor & Ivan Reis
Publisher: DC
Release Date: November 28
Perhaps the biggest lasting change from DC’s 2022 crossover Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths is that the Justice League is gone. The various members may have survived their collective brush with death, but the team itself has yet to reassemble. Instead, the Titans have emerged as Earth’s first and best line of defense against evil. Titans: Beast World marks the first real test of this close-knit group of heroes.
In Beast World, Earth is threatened by Starro the Conqueror and millions of people across the globe find themselves transformed into rampaging beasts. Only Beast Boy and his team stand a chance of setting things right, but they’ve also got a very opportunistic Amanda Waller to contend with. With Titans writer Tom Taylor and superstar artist Ivan Reis helming this series, we have no doubt it’ll be one of DC’s more memorable crossovers in a long time.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike
The Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 Cover Gallery
Creative Team: Zeb Wells, Cody Ziglar & Joey Vazquez
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: November 29
Peter Parker can’t ever seem to catch a moment to breathe these days. No sooner does he recover from becoming the new Green Goblin than he’s faced with an all-out war in New York City. In Gang War, a mysterious enemy has been manipulating the major crime families into conflict with one another, with the collateral damage threatening to consume the entire city. Spidey will have no choice but to assemble a team that includes Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, Daredevil and She-Hulk to keep the chaos contained.
Gang War looks to be one of Marvel’s more ambitious storylines over the next few months, dominating the pages of Amazing Spider-Man and spawning plenty of tie-in series to boot. We’re intrigued to see where Gang War leaves both Spidey and characters like Luke Cage and Shang-Chi when the dust settles. Whatever happens, Spidey doesn’t seem like he’s going to have an easier time of it in 2024.
Other November Comics to Watch
Faceless and the Family #1
Artist Matt Lesniewski is easily one of the most promising new talents in the industry right now, with a detailed yet surrealist style that’s unlike anything else on the stands. We’re excited to see Lesniewski cutting loose in this new Oni Press series about a wanderer of the wastelands who finds an unlikely family in a ragtag group of travelers. (Nov. 1)
Thanos #1
Christopher Cantwell did a great job writing an iconic Marvel villain in his Doctor Doom series, so why not the Mad Titan next? This series brings Thanos to Earth in search of a missing artifact and square into the sights of the new incarnation of the Illuminati. It’s a battle we can’t wait to see unfold. (Nov. 8)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301
It’s frankly incredible that Larry Hama is still writing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero after some 40 years and numerous changes in publisher. This issue marks the series’ debut at its new home at Skybound, and Hama is ringing in the occasion by killing off one of his beloved heroes. (Nov. 15)
The Holy Roller #1
This new Image Comics series features quite the unusual creative pairing, as industry veterans Rick Remender and Roland Boschi team up with comedian Andy Samberg and Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman. But even ignoring the star-studded talent lineup, the series’ premise is enough to warrant a look, as it features a pro bowler becoming a ball-wielding vigilante to save his hometown from Nazis. (Nov. 22)
BRZRKR: Fallen Empire #1
While it remains to be seen when or if we’ll get a full-fledged sequel to Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt and Ron Garney’s BRZRKR, at least the series is continuing on through new spinoff prequels. This issue pairs Reeves with fellow The Matrix veteran Steve Skroce for another look back at the distant past of the immortal warrior known as B. (Nov. 29)
X-Men Blue: Origins #1
As if starring in the new Uncanny Spider-Man series weren’t enough, Nightcrawler also gets an updated origin story in this standalone issue from writer Si Spurrier and artist Wilton Santos. Marvel is teasing that this book will have a dramatic impact on both Nightcrawler and Mystique going forward, so color us intrigued. (Nov. 29)
The Biggest Comics of Recent Months
If you’re a little behind on your new comics, here’s a refresher on the biggest releases of the past several months:
The Biggest Comics of July 2023The Biggest Comics of August 2023The Biggest Comics of September 2023The Biggest Comics of October 2023
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
From the rebirth of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe to a new comic book continuation of Tim Burton’s Batman, these are the biggest new comic book releases of November 2023. Read More