Riverdale’s teens push the pedal to the metal in April when Archie Comics welcomes new character Daisy Thunder to town! Daisy, an ace racer from the rival gang Southside Serpents, gives Archie a run for his money in a new story by writer Craig Boldman and artist Steven Butler that kicks off Archie & Friends: Hot Rod Racing, a one-shot comic book collecting racing stories from throughout Archie history.
In Daisy’s debut, she challenges the core Archie cast to a race which Archie hopes to win with his famously run-down jalopy, now rebuilt as a hot rod for the job. And in true Archie Comics style, there’s drama off the track, as well, as the story hints at a complicated history between the characters.
That in-universe backstory will give Archie fans something to chew on as Daisy revs the engine in Hot Rod Racing and future appearances, adding a foil and rival for Archie much in the same way Cheryl Blossom stirred up the dynamic between Betty and Veronica when she was reintroduced in 1994’s “Love Showdown” storyline.
Archie & Friends: Hot Rod Racing releases April 3 in comic shops nationwide, with inks by Lily Butler, colors by Glenn Whitmore, lettering by Jack Morelli, and a cover by Steven and Lily Butler with colors by Rosario “Tito” Peña.
