What happens when the nightmare that is Riverdale goes from bad to worse? The idyllic town has been overrun by a horde of flesh-eating zombies, and everyman Archie Andrews is the world’s last hope. But is he enough? The series, one of my favorite recent debuts, continues in a fourth issue that’s beyond shocking and a little heartbreaking.

Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla, spin a cinematic horror tale that blends the iconic characters of Archie Comics and the heart-pounding elements of a Romero zombie film to create a modern, menacing and pulpy epic. It’s all there. The threat of imminent death. The loss of love ones. Pulse pounding action. Yeah, that does say Archie on the cover.

The creative team as usual knocks the issue out of the park. The comic feels like something I should be watching up on the big screen and features solid pacing and a visual style that reminds me of the classic zombie and horror movies of years past. This is the best creative team on the market putting out a series that surprises me with each issue. When I first read about this series, I rolled my eyes thinking it’d be a fun goof. Instead we got a top notch horror series featuring the undead and folks dying all over.

This issue has Archie rushing home, as he started to do in the previous one, in order to try to find his parents during the zombie apocalypse. The events he goes through had my jaw hanging open as I couldn’t believe what Aguirre-Sacasa has happen. It’s some pretty shocking events and some that gets you choked up. I don’t want to ruin any of it, but this is a series that keeps me on my toes, I have no idea what’ll happen each issue.

When you head to your shop this week, brace yourself for the bloody, gut-wrenching fourth chapter of the “Escape from Riverdale” storyline and discover who makes it out alive and who ends up as Hot Dog’s mangled chew toy.

The end of the world is here… and it’s beyond entertaining. Afterlife With Archie should be a part of everyone’s pull list.

Story: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Art: Francesco Francavilla
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Archie Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review