The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 Preview – Bendis & Edgar Return With a New Prophecy
Brian Michael Bendis and Jacob Edgar return to Dark Horse Comics’ satirical superhero universe as The Ones face a brand-new prophecy, world-ending stakes, and a rival group convinced they are the real chosen heroes.
Apparently, being a Chosen One was not complicated enough.
The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 launches at Dark Horse Comics on December 9, 2026, reuniting Peabody and Eisner Award winner Brian Michael Bendis with artist Jacob Edgar for another round of mythology, superhero satire, questionable prophecies, and characters discovering that destiny may have been oversold.
Written by Bendis, illustrated by Edgar, colored by K. J. Díaz, and lettered by Joshua Reed, the new four-issue arc follows the aftermath of the original The Ones while introducing an entirely new problem.
The Ones already survived discovering that several different mythologies had apparently selected their own “chosen” heroes.
Then they learned none of them were actually the Chosen One.
Now another group has entered the picture.
They also believe they are The Ones.
And they are not particularly happy about the competition.
Dark Horse officially announced the return of the series as a new chapter of Brian Michael Bendis and Jacob Edgar’s superhero comedy, setting up what could be an even stranger collision of prophecy, ego, mythology, and superhero expectations.
The Ones Are Back
The original premise behind The Ones was already built around taking one of the most familiar ideas in genre storytelling and turning it completely upside down.
Every mythology seems to have a chosen hero.
Every prophecy claims somebody special has been selected to save the world.
But what happens when all of those supposed Chosen Ones meet?
And what happens when they discover none of them are actually the singular hero they thought they were?
That was the foundation of the first story.
Now Bendis and Edgar are escalating the joke.
The Ones have already dealt with the existential crisis of realizing the universe apparently handed out “Chosen One” status far more frequently than expected.
Their next problem is even more awkward.
There are other Ones.
Meet The Other Ones
The title tells readers almost everything they need to know.
The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones introduces another collection of people who were also told — or independently decided — that they were destined for greatness.
Unfortunately, these new arrivals do not seem interested in peacefully comparing prophecies.
They believe they are the real deal.
The existing Ones disagree.
That gives Bendis a perfect setup for another satire of superhero storytelling.
The genre is filled with characters convinced that destiny has selected them.
Some inherit powers.
Some are chosen by mystical forces.
Some fulfill ancient prophecies.
Others simply decide that their talents make them uniquely qualified to save everyone else.
The Other Ones turns that concept into conflict.
What happens when two different teams both believe the universe chose them?
There is probably only one mature way to settle it.
Naturally, that is unlikely to happen.
A Brand-New Prophecy Means Brand-New Problems
Prophecies did not exactly work out smoothly the first time.
That apparently has not stopped the universe from creating another one.
Dark Horse describes the new arc as introducing a brand-new prophecy for the Chosen Ones, immediately putting the team back into the kind of cosmic nonsense that defined the first story.
The Ones already know that prophecies can be misleading.
They already know that destiny may not be as exclusive as advertised.
But knowing the system is ridiculous does not necessarily mean they can ignore it.
Especially when the stakes are once again potentially catastrophic.
That tension gives the series room to parody superhero mythology without completely abandoning the consequences of the story.
The joke works because the characters still have to deal with whatever ridiculous situation destiny has dropped into their lives.
Brian Michael Bendis Returns to Superhero Satire
Brian Michael Bendis has spent decades working with superheroes from nearly every angle imaginable.
He helped redefine Spider-Man for a new generation with Ultimate Spider-Man.
He explored celebrity, identity, and superhero culture through Powers.
He has written Avengers, Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, and numerous creator-owned projects.
That history makes The Ones particularly fun.
Bendis understands the conventions being mocked because he has worked inside them for years.
The mythology.
The dramatic reveals.
The chosen heroes.
The world-ending stakes.
The complicated teams filled with wildly different personalities.
The Ones takes all of those familiar pieces and asks what would happen if the characters involved actually stopped to question how absurd the entire setup sounds.
Bendis said returning to the series feels like another chapter in its “mythological superhero comedy,” emphasizing how much fun he continues to have writing specifically for Edgar.
That enthusiasm fits the premise.
This is not a superhero book embarrassed to be ridiculous.
The ridiculousness is the point.
Jacob Edgar Brings the Chaos to Life
Artist Jacob Edgar returns after helping establish the visual identity of the first volume.
That continuity is important because The Ones depends heavily on character interaction.
The larger concepts may involve prophecies and potentially world-ending threats, but the appeal comes from watching a strange collection of people attempt to function together.
Edgar has described that interplay as the heart of the series.
That makes sense.
A book built entirely around parody could easily become a sequence of superhero jokes.
Instead, The Ones works best when the absurd premise creates character friction.
People argue.
People misunderstand each other.
Egos collide.
Friendships form despite everyone involved being slightly ridiculous.
And occasionally they have to save the world.
Edgar’s expressive cartooning helps keep that combination of comedy and action moving.
The New Arc Is Also a Jumping-On Point
One of the most useful details surrounding The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 is that readers apparently do not need to have completed the first volume.
Edgar has described the new story as a fresh jumping-on point.
That is a smart approach.
The core concept is easy to understand:
A group of supposed Chosen Ones discovered they were not as individually chosen as they had been led to believe.
Now another group has arrived claiming the same thing.
That premise gives new readers everything they need to start enjoying the characters while returning fans get to watch the mythology expand.
There will undoubtedly be additional rewards for anyone familiar with the first story, but Dark Horse is clearly positioning Volume II as something that can stand on its own.
World-Ending Stakes, But Come for the Characters
Edgar also makes an important point about what readers should expect.
Yes, there are world-ending stakes.
But the real attraction is spending time with the characters.
That may be the best description of The Ones.
The comic uses enormous superhero concepts as an excuse to bring together a strange collection of personalities and watch what happens when they are forced to coexist.
The prophecy matters.
The threat matters.
The Other Ones matter.
But the humor comes from how this particular group responds to all of it.
That makes the series feel more like a dysfunctional ensemble comedy wearing superhero costumes than a traditional save-the-world adventure.
And that distinction is exactly what separates it from the countless stories built around chosen heroes.
The Ones Volume II Cover Introduces the New Conflict
The main cover immediately reinforces the ensemble nature of the series.
A central costumed figure dominates the composition while multiple characters surround her in sharply divided panels.
Some look serious.
Some appear irritated.
Others look like they have absolutely no idea why they have been dragged into another prophecy.
The large THE ONES 2 branding makes the return immediately recognizable while the fragmented composition communicates the crowded, personality-driven nature of the story.
It is not difficult to imagine those panels representing several different opinions about who exactly deserves to be called “The Ones.”
For a series centered on competing ideas of destiny, the layout fits perfectly.
K. J. Díaz and Joshua Reed Return to the Creative Team
The new arc also features colors by K. J. Díaz and lettering by Joshua Reed.
Díaz’s colors help give the cover and world a bright visual energy that contrasts nicely with the comic’s increasingly absurd mythology.
The Ones may be dealing with cosmic destiny, but this is not visually presented as grim prophecy-driven fantasy.
The color palette embraces the comic-book nature of the concept.
Reed’s lettering will again be essential to a Bendis script built around conversation, timing, character exchanges, and jokes landing correctly amid the action.
For a book where dialogue and personality matter as much as superhero spectacle, that part of the creative team is especially important.
Dark Horse Continues Its Creator-Owned Tradition
The Ones Volume II also fits comfortably within Dark Horse Comics’ long history of supporting creator-driven projects.
The publisher has spent decades building a catalog that includes major creator-owned worlds alongside licensed comics, manga, graphic novels, and genre series.
Bendis and Edgar’s superhero satire gives Dark Horse another title that can play with familiar comic-book conventions without being tied to decades of corporate continuity.
Readers looking for more from the publisher can explore Comic Book Addicts’ ongoing Dark Horse Comics coverage for additional previews, reviews, announcements, and upcoming releases.
The First Volume Earned Strong Reviews
The original The Ones earned positive attention for its approach to superhero parody.
Publishers Weekly praised the first story as a superhero saga filtered through an offbeat comedic sensibility, while other reviews highlighted Bendis’ humor and Edgar’s artwork.
The response makes a second volume understandable.
There are countless superhero parodies.
Far fewer manage to create characters readers actually want to spend more time with after the joke has been established.
The return of The Ones suggests the first volume succeeded at building something capable of expanding beyond its initial premise.
And introducing another team of supposed Chosen Ones is a logical way to push the concept forward without simply repeating the original story.
Why The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 Should Be on Your Pull List
The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 should appeal to readers who enjoy superhero comics but do not mind seeing the genre mocked along the way.
The new arc offers:
- Brian Michael Bendis returning to superhero satire
- Jacob Edgar back on artwork
- A brand-new prophecy
- The introduction of The Other Ones
- Competing groups of supposed Chosen Ones
- A four-issue story arc
- World-ending stakes mixed with ensemble comedy
- A fresh jumping-on point for new readers
- Creator-owned superhero storytelling from Dark Horse Comics
The key question is no longer whether these characters are actually chosen.
They already learned how unreliable that label can be.
Now they have to determine what happens when somebody else shows up claiming the same destiny.
Book Details
Title: The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Jacob Edgar
Colors: K. J. Díaz
Letters: Joshua Reed
Series Length: 4 Issues
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 9, 2026
Availability: Comic book shops
Preorders: Available through local comic shops
For more information on the new arc, visit Dark Horse Comics’ official announcement for The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones.
Final Thoughts
The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 sounds like exactly the kind of escalation this series needs.
The first story questioned what happens when several different people all discover they have been declared the Chosen One.
The second asks what happens when an entirely different group shows up making the exact same claim.
That immediately creates new conflict without abandoning the joke that made the concept work in the first place.
Brian Michael Bendis and Jacob Edgar clearly understand that the appeal is not simply making fun of superhero tropes.
It is building characters funny enough, strange enough, and relatable enough that readers want to watch them survive the consequences.
Now there is another prophecy.
Another group of supposed heroes.
And probably another argument about who destiny actually meant.
The Ones are back.
Unfortunately for them, so are The Other Ones.
Join the Discussion
Did you read the first volume of The Ones?
Are you picking up The Ones Volume II: The Other Ones #1 on December 9?
Who do you think has the better claim to being the actual Chosen Ones?
And are you ready for another round of Brian Michael Bendis and Jacob Edgar’s superhero mythology gone completely sideways?
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