Tag Archives: archie comics

Preview: Archie x Army of Darkness #2

Archie x Army of Darkness #2

Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Bill Galvan
Covers: Francesco Francavilla (A), Bill Galvan (B), Laura Braga (C), Craig Cermak (D), Stuart Sayger (E)
FC | All Cardstock Covers | 32 pages | Horror/humor | $4.99 | Teen

IT’S A DEADITE PARTY! Reggie’s lake house soirée was supposed to be the social event of the season, but now it may prove to be the town of Riverdale’s swan song! Following Archie Andrews’s unwitting awakening of the Army of Darkness, chaos — in the form of an undead horde — has descended upon the shore. With slavering evil literally at their doorstep, the gang has only one hope of making it out alive — the Savior of S-Mart, one Ashley J. Williams. Unluckily for them, the Chosen One’s car currently has four flat tires! Amateur mechanics ERIK BURNHAM and BILL GALVAN pop the hood and supercharge the adventure in Archie X Army of Darkness #2 — featuring nitrous-boosted covers from GALVAN, FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, LAURA BRAGA, CRAIG CERMAK, and STUART SAYGER!

Archie x Army of Darkness #2

Preview: Archie & Friends: Space Adventures

Archie & Friends: Space Adventures

(W) Dan Parent, Angelo DeCesare, Bill Golliher (A) Dan Parent, Fernando Ruiz, Gisèle Lagacé

Archie and his friends go INTERGALACTIC in this BRAND NEW Space-Age story! When Archie and the gang gets ready to head into space on a rocket Dilton built, everything goes smoothly, until the spacecraft enters a realm where it becomes lost. With the teens LOST IN SPACE, it’s going to take someone out of this world to save them — someone like COSMO THE MIGHTY MARTIAN! All that plus over 30 pages of intergalactic adventures!

Archie & Friends: Space Adventures

ComicsPro 2026: Oni Press and Archie Comics Unveil First in New Line of Classic Collections Spotlighting America’s Favorite Teenager – Beginning Fall 2026!

In advance of the upcoming ComicsPRO Comic Book Industry Meeting in Glendale, CAOni Press and Archie Comic Publications, Inc. have revealed their first wave of new collected editions from across Archie’s 85-year history. Timed to coincide with the launch of the Oni Press’ new line of Archie ongoing series—beginning with the all-new Archie #1 by multiple Eisner Award-nominated writer W. Maxwell Prince and multiple Eisner Award-winning writer Fábio Moon—the first new collection editions under the Archie banner at Oni Press will span multiple decades of the esteemed publisher’s history and feature an array award-winning creators including Mario AcquavivaRoberto Aguirre-SacasaNorm BreyfogleDan DeCarloJoe Edwards, Marty EppVeronica FishFrancesco Fracavilla, Robert HackErica HendersonTom King, Paul KupperbergDan ParentFiona StaplesKelly ThompsonMichael UslanMark WaidAnnie WuChip Zdarsky, and many more. 

First: Beginning in September 2026, fans and retailers can look forward to a selection of prominent new additions to Oni’s Compact Edition line, spotlighting a selection of fan-favorite stories from Archie’s best-selling and widely acclaimed “New Riverdale” era:

ARCHIE: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

WRITTEN BY MARK WAID
ART BY FIONA STAPLES, ANNIE WU & VERONICA FISH

The New Riverdale era starts here as Eisner Award winners Mark Waid (Kingdom Come) and Fiona Staples (Saga) bring Archie Andrews to living color in this modern-day retelling of how Riverdale’s fastest friends first came together.

Meet the Riverdale gang as you’ve never seen them before: Archie, the cool, guitar-strumming all-American boy; his oddball but wise best friend, Jughead; girl-next-door cum car mechanic Betty; and the stylishly rebellious new girl Veronica as they conquer high school drama, dating, and so much more in this contemporary new take on the students of Riverdale High!

The first in a new line of compact editions collecting Archie Comics’ most memorable moments, this handy volume collects the best-selling reinvention that io9 calls “absolutely fantastic”with additional contributions from acclaimed artists Annie Wu (Hawkeye) and Veronica Fish (Spider-Woman).

Collects Archie (2015) #1–6.

$9.99 | 148 pgs. | 5.51″ x 8.46″ | COMING SEPTEMBER 2026

ARCHIE: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

WRITTEN BY KELLY THOMPSON
ART BY VERONICA FISH & ANDY FISH

The New Riverdale reinvention of the Archie Comics universe continues in this spellbinding compact edition collection! There’s a new moon rising for the teenage witch next door and her constant cat companion, Salem, in this hair-raising introduction to one of pop culture’s greatest icons, from Eisner Award–winning writer Kelly Thompson (Absolute Wonder Woman) and incomparable artist Veronica Fish (Spider-Woman)!

At first glance, Sabrina Spellman is a typical teenager trying to balance school and homework, family and friends—all the while navigating the social perils of being the new girl in town . . . but with her burgeoning powers, trouble is sure to follow, forcing Sabrina to become the unwitting (secret) hero of Greendale!

Collecting Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2019) #1–5.

$9.99 | 128 pgs. | 5.51″ x 8.46″ | COMING OCTOBER 2026

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

JUGHEAD: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

WRITTEN BY CHIP ZDARSKY
ART BY ERICA HENDERSON

The incomparable Jughead Jones finally takes center stage in his own New Riverdale compact edition—as imagined by Eisner Award–winning creators Chip Zdarsky (Captain America) and Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl)!

Archie Andrews’s best friend, Jughead Jones—a freethinker with an insatiable appetite for food and justice—takes on the school administration when a strict set of rules and increasingly bland healthy lunch menu threaten the fate of his beloved cafeteria at Riverdale High! Forced to his breaking point by an almost-empty stomach, Jughead will need to marshal his fellow students and save his friends from a soulless teen existence sodden by healthy, sodium-free fare. Burgers and lasagna shall reign once again!

A hilarious, entertaining, and irreverent examination of one of Archie Comics’ most iconic characters, this pocket-sized collection re-presents one of the 21st century’s ultimate Jughead comics epics in all of its lip-smacking glory!

Collecting Jughead (2015) #1–6.

$9.99 | 128 pgs. | 5.51″ x 8.46″ | COMING OCTOBER 2026

JUGHEAD: NEW RIVERDALE COMPACT EDITION SC

Then: Beginning in continuing across the fall, some of the greatest moments in the Riverdale gang’s long and storied history – from Archie Andrews’ debut in Pep Comics #22 through the modern day – take center stage with a new series of premium, deluxe hardcover collections:

ARCHIE: THE DECISION – THE DELUXE EDITION HC

WRITTEN BY TOM KING & MORE
ART BY DAN PARENT & MORE

Multiple Eisner Award winner and screenwriter of the upcoming Archie feature film, Tom King (Mister MiracleThe Human Target), and Archie Comics legend Dan Parent (Betty & Veronica Spectacular,Archie & Friends), curate a self-guided selection of the greatest Riverdale tales ever told—beginning with their own self-contained saga that finally solves the most epic love triangle in the history of American pop culture!

It has finally come to this . . . Archie’s big decision! Who will it be? The good-natured Betty or the stylish Veronica, both of whom have been vying for Archie’s affections while trying to maintain a friendship of their very own. The three get to navigate the follies of teenage romance in a place like Riverdale, where no one minds their own business and is sure to have an opinion of their own. No pressure, Archie!

Plus: After King and Parent’s “The Decision,” explore a decades-spanning collection of Archie’s greatest escapades past and present curated by King and Parentfeaturing legendary creators Dan DeCarlo, Marty Epp, Joe Edwards, Mario Acquaviva, and many more, alongside guest appearances by fan-favorites like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, Kevin Keller, and more! This is the ultimate Archie collectionfor longtime readers and new fans alike, just in time for the 85th anniversary!

$29.99 | 192 pgs. | 7.5” x 11.125” | COMING SEPTEMBER 2026

ARCHIE: THE DECISION – THE DELUXE EDITION HC

AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE: THE DELUXE EDITION HC 

WRITTEN BY ROBERTO-AGUIRRE-SACASA
ART BY FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

R.I.P. Riverdale! Once in a generation, a story so potent, so powerful, so horrifying rises from the grave to redefine the comics medium’s greatest icons. Enter: The first-ever deluxe collection of Afterlife with Archie – collecting the totality of the groundbreaking, cemetery-shaking comics masterpiece from Harvey Award-winning writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Stephen King’s The Stand: American Nightmares) and Eisner Award-winning artist Francesco Francavilla (Batman: The Black Mirror) that first introduced Riverdale’s teenage icons into a merciless world of ritual magic, undead terror, and survival at any cost!

When a tragic death befalls Jughead Jones’ closest companion, his grief drives him to the doorstep of Sabrina the Teenage Age Witch … and into the thrall of a dark magic that will soon turn the whole of Riverdale into a ravenous pack of undead zombies fueled by a desire for human flesh. Hunted by the reanimated corpses of their friends and loved ones, can Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the rest of America’s most beloved teenagers battle back by a legion of the dead … and live long enough to stop the entire world from being consumed by the same unholy hunger? Pal vs. pal. Classmate vs. classmate. Living vs. dead. They swore to be friends until the end…but they never expected the end to look quite like this.

This definitive hardcover collection of the riveting and relentless milestone that the New York Times calls “gruesome ..[and] masterly” re-presents the entirety of the Afterlife with Archie saga – including the never-before-collected issues #6-10 – in an oversized format that also features a complete cover gallery and behind-the-scenes materials on the development of Archie Comics’ first all-out horror epic.

Collecting Afterlife with Archie #1-10.

$39.99 | 272 pgs. | 7.5” x 11.125” | COMING OCTOBER 2026

AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE: THE DELUXE EDITION HC

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA: THE DELUXE EDITION HC

WRITTEN BY ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA WITH CULLEN BUNN
ART BY ROBERT HACK WITH DAN SCHOENING

Though a mirror darkly, Archie’s iconic teenage witch returns in the best-selling, genre-defying series that reimagined Sabrina for a new, more gruesome generation—torn from the imaginations of New York Times bestselling writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Afterlife with Archie) and terrifying artist Robert Hack (Doctor Who)!

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, young Sabrina Spellman is a sorceress at a crossroads. Under the tutelage of her immortal aunts, she could take the left-hand path into a life of magic and witchery . . . or choose to remain under the thrall of the mortal world and her adoring boyfriend, Harvey. But when the demonic entity called Madam Satan arrives to make her presence known, Sabrina’s promising young life—and the two fates she thought she thought she knew—will be thrown into a maelstrom of terrifying chaos and horrifying wonder . . . 

This definitive hardcover collection of Sabrina’s most “chilling adventure” ever told re-presents all nine issues of the original series and two one-shot tales of her animal familiar, Salem, by Eisner Award–nominated writer Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun) and riveting artist Dan Schoening (Ghostbusters)!

Collects Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1–9, Chilling Adventures of Salem #1, and Archie Horror Presents: The Nine Lives of Salem #1.

$39.99 | 224 pgs. | 7.5” x 11.125”| COMING NOVEMBER 2026

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA: THE DELUXE EDITION HC

ARCHIE: THE MARRIED LIFE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL E. USLAN & PAUL KUPPERBERG
ART BY NORM BREYFOGLE, STAN GOLDBERG, DAN PARENT, FERNANDO RUIZ & MORE

Now collected for the first time in a new series of oversized hardcover omnibuses, experience the complete, decades-spanning chronicle of Archie Andrews’s parallel lives and divergent futures in the groundbreaking saga that Comics Alliance calls “the most fascinating Archie comic of all time”!

When Archie goes for an afternoon stroll down Riverdale’s most magical side streetMemory Laneonly to find himself turned around and facing the future, America’s favorite teenager will be given the ultimate chance to examine two diverging roads yet to be traveled . . . and, with them, a tantalizing glimpse of his own possible fates. Down the first fork: Life as the husband of sultry socialite Veronica Lodge. Down the second: Marriage to the good girl next door, Betty Cooper. How could the most personal and painful choice of Archie’s entire existence impact not just Riverdale . . . but the world and the future of everyone in it? The future is coming, Archie Andrews . . . and it’s not what you think!

Told across two intricately interwoven timelines, experience the ultimate experiment in comics storytelling as The Married Life epic begins its pulse-pounding, heartbreaking, expectation-defying journey. Crafted by legendary writers Michael E. Uslan (The Boy Who Loved Batman) and Paul Kupperberg (Action Comics) and illustrated by masterful artists Norm Breyfogle (Batman), Dan Parent (Archie), and more, discover the opening act of Archie’s lives not yet lived in this definitive edition, packed with behind-the-scenes material.

Collecting Archie #600-606 and Life with Archie #1-12.

$125.00 | 512 pgs. | 7.5” x 11.125” | COMING DECEMBER 2026

ARCHIE: THE MARRIED LIFE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC

ComicsPRO 2026: Oni Press Reveals Stacked Slate of Retailer Giveaways with Archie, Mind MGMT: New & Improved, Murder Drones, (Classified), and more!

In advance of the upcoming ComicsPRO Comic Book Industry Meeting in Glendale, CA from February 18th to February 21st, Oni Press has revealed a slew of giveaways for participating ComicsPRO retailers from some of the most high-profile and hotly anticipated comics of 2026, including the upcoming launch of the ARCHIE publishing line; this summer’s paranoia-inducing introduction of New York Times best-selling creator Matt Kindt’s (BRZRKRFLUX HOUSE imprint with MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED and FORT PSYCHO; and the record-breaking MURDER DRONES series, adapting the global hit animation phenomenon from Glitch Productions. In addition, signed, advance copies of several of Oni’s most acclaimed, upcoming graphic novel collections will be available — including the psychedelic sci-fi adventure by BENJAMIN by Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel UniverseThe Last Policeman Trilogyand Leomacs (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss, DC Black Label’s Rogues); the bloody satire FREE FOR ALL by Harvey Award winner Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees); and the beautifully bloody western CAVE GRAVE by cartoonist Shawn Kuruneru (The Goddamn Tragedy).

Plus: Oni presents signings and appearances all weekend long from a distinguished roster of creators including Juan Gedeon (TO BE REVEALED!), Patrick Horvath (ARCHIE IN HELL, FREE FOR ALL), Brian Hurtt (FORT PSYCHO), Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED), Curt Pires (TO BE REVEALED!), Ben H. Winters (BENJAMIN, EC’s CRUEL UNIVERSE), and more surprise guests!

Here’s a complete listing of exclusive giveaways that retailers can look forward to as Oni Press prepares to unleash an epic slate of news and announcements this February at ComicsPRO 2026:

“ARCHIE TEASER” PIN SET
ART BY KANO
[LIMITED TO 500 COPIES] 

“ARCHIE TEASER” PIN SET

ARCHIE TEASER POSTER
ART BY KANO 
[LIMITED TO 200 COPIES]

ARCHIE TEASER POSTER

FORT PSYCHO ART PRINT (11”x17”)
ART BY BRIAN HURTT
SIGNED BY MATT KINDT & BRIAN HURTT
[LIMITED TO 250 COPIES]

FORT PSYCHO ART PRINT (11”x17”)

[CLASSIFIED] ART PRINT (11”x17”)
ART BY JUAN GEDEON
SIGNED BY CURT PIRES & JUAN GEDEON 
[LIMITED TO 250 COPIES] 

[CLASSIFIED] ART PRINT (11”x17”)

MURDER DRONES #1 COMICSPRO VARIANT
ART BY JO MI-GYEONG
[LIMITED TO 250 COPIES]

MURDER DRONES #1 COMICSPRO VARIANT

BENJAMIN HC
SIGNED BY BEN H. WINTERS
[LIMITED TO 100 COPIES – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST] 

BENJAMIN HC

CAVE GRAVE: WILD WEST TALES HC
SIGNED BY SHAWN KURUNERU
[LIMITED TO 100 COPIES – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST] 

CAVE GRAVE: WILD WEST TALES HC

FREE FOR ALL HC 
SIGNED BY PATRICK HORVATH
[LIMITED TO 100 COPIES – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST] 

FREE FOR ALL HC

Mini Reviews: Marian Heretic #4, Archie x Army of Darkness #1, Godzilla Infinity Roar #1, D’Orc #1, Batman #6

Batman #6

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Marian Heretic #4 (BOOM! Studios) – Shit hits the highest heavens in Marian Heretic #4 as the titular character drops the charade of fighting for the patriarchy and kicks ass for the mother goddess instead. Tini Howard and Joe Jaro skillfully juxtapose Marian’s past and present and unpack that her power doesn’t come from a blessed Communion wafer, but from her background as mixed martial artist. Caught up in a whirling dervish of blends of Christianity and old school paganism, Marian ends up being at the eye of the storm. All the gloves are off, the torture devices and firearms are out, and Howard and Jaro have set the stage for a spiritual battle royale. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Archie x Army of Darkness #1 (Dynamite) – I love Archie Comics (Especially the old house style!) and the Evil Dead so I’m kind of a biased mark for this kind of thing. Bill and Ben Galvan bring the carnage, splatter, and gore of Sam Raimi movies into wholesome, innocent Americana with a Deadite channeling Alien-meets-Temple of Doom by pulling Moose’s still-beating heart out of his jock body. But, unfortunately, Erik Burnham structures this story in a kind of jumbled together way. I appreciate the Archie working at S-Mart with Ash subplot, but it should have gone at the beginning or middle of the comic not the end. Maybe, this whole series would have worked bigger as a lengthy one-shot a la the excellentArchie/Jay and Silent Bob, but I’m still tuning in for the Archie/Ash banter and hopefully some lessons in chainsaw use. Overall: 6.6 Verdict: Read (If you’re a big Archie/Army of Darkness)/Pass (If not)

Godzilla Infinity Roar #1 (Marvel)Godzilla Infinity Roar #1 is big, dumb, and full of fun. Gerry Duggan, Ig Guara, and Javier Garron set the King of Monsters and symbiote god Knull loose on the Marvel Universe causing a cosmic scale of destruction and freaking out the various intergalactic players. They just want to let them find their way to Earth and be done with it, but not if elements from the Avengers, FF, and Guardians of the Galaxy have their way. Cue an utterly pointless battle scene between the Guardians, Knull, and a being of an unfathomable. However, this scene of total filler is counterbalanced by ending setting up a battle that I’ve been waiting almost my whole life to see. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read

D’Orc #1 (Image) – Both political sides sucking is a relatable refrain, and Brett Bean explores it in fantasy comedy kind of way in D’Orc #1, which features plenty of violence, gore, puns, and supernatural elements. But the best scene is a simple six panel grid of both the light and dark sides finishing each others’ sentences and having the same conversation about our half dwarf/half orc protagonist as some kind of violent harbinger of doom. Even in this first issue, the d’orc has his own little arc going from creeping in the trees with his talking shield to using the talking shield for active violence. What is likely to follow is a silly, yet timely take on the fantasy genre from Bean and the dark Saturday morning cartoon palette of colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Batman #6 (DC Comics) – After last month’s single action sequence centric issue, Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez are back to the ratatat subplot/gadget heavy storytelling in Batman #6. Fraction seeds in lots of real world themes like AI as a substitute for companionship and police corruption while not neglecting the action. Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey really let Batman cut loose in a sequence versus the new and improved Monster Men. However, there is also room for moments with Bruce’s sons Tim Drake and Damian Wayne with this issue being a big milestone in Bruce and Tim’s relationship. I love for the awkward conversation that Bruce and Annika have at the beginning of the comic where he tries to explain why his son is Robin featuring some well-timed beat panels from Jorge Jimenez. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Archie x Army of Darkness #1 has its moments but overall is a choppy start

Archie x Army of Darkness #1

There’s a certain man — name’s Ash, you may have heard of him — who is doomed to battle against the forces of evil, over and over again, whether he likes it or not. No matter where he goes, the cycle of violence always repeats itself — until the day that he arrives in the picturesque town of Riverdale.

This supernaturally wholesome community seems to break the curse that has plagued Ash ever since he first encountered its otherworldly evil all those years ago. Or rather, the curse was broken — until an over-curious teenager named Archie finds a copy of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and reads a portion of it aloud, summoning the horrifying Deadites once again!

Now Ash and the good townsfolk of Riverdale must hold back the undead hordes long enough for Archie to undo what he’s unwittingly done. Otherwise, an Army of Darkness will roll over Riverdale and destroy everything and everyone in its path — and that’s just not going to happen on Ashley J. Williams’s watch!

Archie x Army of Darkness #1 has the potential to be up there with some of the crazy crossovers the Riverdale gang has had. And, with such comics like Afterlife with Archie, it could also go a bit harder in its tone. What we get in Archie x Army of Darkness #1 is a debut that shows off what could be but also delivers a rather disconnected and choppy debut.

Written by Erik Burnham, Archie x Army of Darkness #1 has a bit of fun with tropes taking the kids to a lakeside cabin where they discover a book that unleashes the Deadites who go on a killing spree. You’d expect for the end of the comic to be Ash Williams using his boom stick to put a hole through a Deadite to save the kids, but instead, it flashes back to Archie getting a job!?

It’s all a rather confusing choice which really sums up Archie x Army of Darkness #1. There’s so much that could be done with this series but it instead overall plays things rather safe and then even when it breaks expectations it pivots to something that feels disconnected to the here and now.

The art by Bill Galvan is good. With ink by Ben Galvan, color by Ellie Wright, and lettering by Carlos M. Mangual, it sticks to the classic Archie style, but a bit more of the blood and guts. It works in some ways but it delivers a feel that’s rather cartoonish in a way that’s not conveyed by the story. It feels a bit more Scooby-Doo with some blood than Archie in its tone. With what we’ve seen Archie has done in the past, the choice is interesting to stick to the rather standard style and it could work but it overall feels like it’s missing something to really put it over the top.

Archie x Army of Darkness #1 isn’t bad but it also doesn’t feel like it really hits the insanity one would expect from the crossover. The fact it strangely jumps to the past to show Archie getting a job at S-Mart kills the momentum the series could have had by sticking to the expected formula. There’s some aspects that could work well going forward but as a debut, there’s better Archie crossovers out there.

Story: Erik Burnham Art: Bill Galvan
Ink: Ben Galvan Color: Ellie Wright Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicsKindle

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 Teases Potential But Feels like it Holds Back

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1

Unexpected fighters from beyond the DC Comics enter the arena! Wait… What? WHO?! As the remaining champions in the K.O. tournament prepare for the final rounds, they discover that there isn’t enough Omega energy left to crown the winner a King Omega. To have any hope of stopping Darkseid, they’ll need to engage in combat with the champions of other worlds beyond our own including Annabelle, Homelander, Sub-Zero, and more! This shocking, star-studded crossover sets the stage for the final chapters of the epic DC K.O. event and features matchups you never imagined possible. The ultimate battle is only beginning! DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 delivers some unexpected battles but overall feels like it doesn’t go far enough.

DC K.O. has been going on for the past couple of months and has DC’s heroes and villains going through a gauntlet to see who will eventually challenge Darkseid. As part of that, the contest has felt like video game match ups mixed with a March Madness bracket as the contestants get winnowed with each release. DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 takes place after the third issue of the series and has the remaining four heroes battling characters from outside of the DC universe to gain power to then use against Darkseid. It’s a side quest to level up.

Written by Jeremy Adams, the comic brings together some very unlikely characters and match-ups and has a few that we’d like to see more of. Contestants are sent to various worlds to battle having heroes and villains face Annabelle, Homelander, Sub-Zero, Sabrina, Vampirella, and Samantha Strong. Some of the battles work and work really well while others barely happen.

There’s some battles like Batwoman vs. Vampirella that seem like they’d be great but barely register in the comic. Sabrina’s addition feels rather odd in its execution. But, Wonder Woman vs. Red Sonja and Superman vs. Homelander are both battles we need to get an entire comic of. And that pretty much sums up the issue. There’s some aspects that are barely a blip while others don’t get enough of a focus. Lex Luthor taking on Samantha from Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees has so much potential and seeing Lex freak out with what he’s facing has some great humor to it. But, that gets far too few pages. The Joker arguing with Annabelle has some laugh out loud moments. Again, it too is given little beyond a few pages but they’re a highlight. Superman fighting Homelander could be great to really juxtapose those characters but it doesn’t go far enough to do so. It’s a comic that’s full of hits and misses. It teases something really great but isn’t given enough pages to do it and with what little each moment has, plays it rather conservative.

The art is handled by Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, and Pablo M. Collar with color by Hi-Fi and lettering by Tom Napolitano. It looks pretty solid and there’s some sequences that look absolutely solid. The art has a rather quick and frenetic aspect to it that matches the rather short time given to each aspect of the comic. There’s some matches that really stand out and there’s moments where a lot is packed into the issue.

And that’s the thing with DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1, it packs a lot in. It expands the story beyond the remaining for contestants. If it focused on just that four, it’d have been a far tighter and better issue with each getting a bit more time to enjoy. But, it’s an issue that attempts to put too much into it which makes everything feel a bit short. It’s not bad and there’s some things that are really great. It overall shows off some potential we’ll hopefully see more of in the future.

Story: Jeremy Adams Art: Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar
Color: Hi-Fi Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.3 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicsKindle

Preview: DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1

(W) Jeremy Adams (A) Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ronan Cliquet, Kieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar

TO SAVE OUR WORLD, THEY MUST BATTLE THE CHAMPIONS OF OTHER WORLDS! Unexpected fighters from beyond the DC Universe enter the arena! Wait… What? WHO?! As the remaining champions in the K.O. tournament prepare for the final rounds, they discover that there isn’t enough Omega energy left to crown the winner a King Omega. To have any hope of stopping Darkseid, they’ll need to engage in combat with the champions of other worlds beyond our own including Annabelle, Homelander, Sub-Zero, and more! This shocking, star-studded crossover sets the stage for the final chapters of the epic DC K.O. event and features matchups you never imagined possible. The ultimate battle is only beginning!

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1

Preview: Archie’s Valentine’s Spectacular #1

Archie’s Valentine’s Spectacular #1

(W) Holly Golightly (A) Steven Butler

The OFFICIAL COMIC BOOK OF VALENTINE’S DAY returns with a BRAND NEW STORY! A-POP is a vibrant world fueled by music and love—and when Sabrina, Betty, Veronica, and Josie form a band (managed by Archie!) to spread joy and compassion, they catch the eye of a dark spirit that’s threatened by their positivity. Can they rise above his dark influence? Find out in this fun KPOP DEMON HUNTERS-style story, along with even more romance-filled tales than ever!

Archie's Valentine's Spectacular #1

DC Unleashes a Multiversal Showdown in DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1. Check Out an Early Preview!

Arriving February 4DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 delivers a high-octane one-shot that brings the multiverse into the event. The issue is from writer Jeremy Adams and artists Ronan CliquetCarmine Di GiandomenicoKieran McKeown, Pablo M. Collar, and Hi-Fi. This special issue throws DC’s greatest Super Heroes into a gauntlet of unexpected challengers from across comics, horror, fantasy, and gaming.

For the first time ever, DC Super Heroes will face off against icons including Sub-Zero (Netherrealm), Homelander, Red Sonja and Vampirella (Dynamite), Samantha Strong (IDW Publishing), and even New Line Cinema’s Annabelle, the infamous horror doll. And in a surprise twist, DC has revealed that Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Archie Comics) will make a cameo appearance!

In DC K.O.: Boss Battle, the heroes of the DC Universe are running out of time, and don’t have enough Omega Energy to enter the final battles. To stop Darkseid’s escalating threat, they must enter a series of escalating boss fights across the multiverse, each more unpredictable than the last. Every encounter pushes them closer to the edge, and failing to level up means certain failure in the final DC K.O. contestant brackets!

DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 arrives on February 4 at participating comic shops and digital retailers with a main cover by Jamal Campbell and card stock variant covers by Jeff Spokes, Darick Robertson and Diego Rodriguez (featuring Homelander), Patrick Horvath (featuring Samantha Strong), Frank Cho and Sabine Rich (featuring Vampirella, Red Sonja, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch), and Gleb Melnikov (AEW cameo variant). Jeff Spokes’ variant cover will be available as an OTO wraparound in both card stock and foil. DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 will retail for $4.99 US (main), $5.99 US (card stock variants), and $7.99 US (foil variant).

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