Archie Halloween Spectacular
(W) Ian Flynn (A) Steven Butler (CA) Vincent Lovallo
In Shops: Oct 02, 2024
SRP: $3.99
BRAND NEW STORY: “Party Hardly!” A Halloween party at Lodge Manor turns into a real battle of good vs. evil thanks to Amber Nightstone!
Sabrina The Teenage Witch Annual Spectacular
(W) Ian Flynn (CA) Vincent Lovallo (A/CA) Steven Butler
In Shops: Sep 04, 2024
SRP: $3.99
BRAND NEW STORY: It’s an all-out BATTLE at Eyegore Estates as Sabrina’s nemesis AMEBR NIGHTSTONE makes her return! But when the evil Amber unleashes is more powerful than even she expected, it’s going to take more than just two magical beings to set things right!
Warning: this review contains spoilers
Archie finally picks between Betty and Veronica once and for all in Archie: The Decision. (Or am I lying for clout/clickbait?) Tom King, Dan Parent, Bob Smith, and Rosario Peña turn in a perfectly okay classic, standalone Archie story where Archie flips a coin to choose between Betty and Veronica once and for all, and he, Jughead, and virtually every character to appear in an Archie comic run after it to see what it lands on. Basically, this love triangle is what’s keeping this fictional universe together, and if the redhead with cross hatching on his hairline was ever to decide, it would cease to exist along with the Peanuts universe where Charlie Brown nails a 50 yard field goal to win the game of comics.
King doing an Archie comic might be the draw for most folks, but Parent is the true star of this issue. He’s not new to this kind of story having worked on the “Love Showdown” back in 1994 when Archie chose Cheryl Blossom over Betty and Veronica. Dan Parent is also the creator of Kevin Keller, the first gay Archie Comics character, and he’s kept the iconic Archie house style alive well into the 21st century. Him getting to draw basically every Archie character ever reacting to their universe’s protagonist’s shenanigans is like the slice of life romance equivalent of George Perez on JLA/Avengers. Parent and Tom King bring out folks that will have you scouring the Wikis or scratching your brain to remember what Riverdale Season 4 episode they appeared on. Visually, Dan Parent draw them in a unique yet consistent way with Smith and Peña nailing the little details like the Blossoms’ hair being just a shade different from Archie’s, or the disdain, yet curiosity that the adults in this universe have for what’s going on.
Except for a reference to Soren Kierkegaard towards the end of the comic, Archie: The Decision doesn’t even seem like a comic written by Tom King, but just basically a stadium rock style version of any Archie/Betty/Veronica/Jughead-centric comic you’d read in a digest from the supermarket. (Hence, Dan Parent doing the art instead of someone like Mitch Gerads.) It’s like the Arctic Monkeys taking a break from their slowed down piano shite to do an album of standards, which would actually be a cool thing. I love the little grace notes he gives the tertiary characters like Melody (In full-throated Tara Reid form.) from Josie eagerly wanted to see the result of the coin toss, or the sassy dialogue for Salem in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch phase. He doesn’t do anything new with the Archie characters, but basically does the comic book equivalent of following the instructions to build the Lego kit.
Archie: The Decision is a love letter to the most enduring love triangle ever. Betty and Veronica are brilliant, but Archie is just Archie. He’s the archetype of mediocre white guy who gets pushed on us decade after decade like Mario or Glen Powell. At least, Jughead has that freak factor. For the most part, King and Parent eschew any kind of modern elements like contemporary references or psychological depth and tell a straightforward Archie yarn for better or worse. Probably better because Dan Parent’s modernization of the Dan DeCarlo Archie art style is pop storytelling at its finest hitting like a hand-drawn Disney film or an upbeat, synth-driven New wave single. I definitely prefer “Love Showdown” to “The Decision” though.
Story: Tom King Pencils: Dan Parent
Inks: Bob Smith Colors: Rosario Peña Letters: Jack Morelli
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.5 Verdict: Read
Archie Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
The Cursed Library Alpha #1
(W) Eliot Rahal, Magdalene Visaggio (A/CA) Craig Cermak
In Shops: Aug 28, 2024
SRP: $4.99
This is it… this is the moment our horror one-shots have led to… THE CURSED LIBRARY!
When we last left off in Madam Satan: Hell on Earth, Jinx has the former Queen of the Underworld trapped in the mysterious library, as her father-bestowed demon powers have intensified. To stop Jinx from becoming like her father, her best friend Danni Malloy must rescue and convince Madam Satan to guide her through Hell itself to find the one thing that can possibly save her friend’s soul–Jinx’s mom. Along the way, they’ll also discover a number of faces they’ve seen before, though only in the pages of the terrifying tomes within the cursed library. This three-issue miniseries horror event tells a story about the bonds that tie us together and how the only thing that can save the world from evil is radical love. It’s Riverdale’s Return of the Jedi meets Dante’s Inferno. A three-part event that will close the door on the Cursed Library and usher in a whole new chapter of horror stories.
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Aliens vs. Avengers #1 (Marvel) – Really the title says it all.
Archie: The Decision (Archie Comics) – Betty or Veronica? We finally find out!
BRZRKR: The Lost Book of B #1 (BOOM! Studios) – The latest story of B has him the 13th Century and serving as the ultimate weapon of the legendary Ghenghis Khan!
Convert #1 (Image Comics) – A science officer is stranded on a distant planet and makes an astonishing discovery. We want to see what that is!
Eye Lie Popeye #1 (Massive Publishing) – Popeye goes manga!
Life #1 (DSTLRY) – Stephanie Phillips and Brian Azzarello are writing this comic which is a flip book and features the art of Lee Loughridge and Danijel Zeselj.
Nice House By the Sea #2 (DC Comics/DC Black Label) – It’s another group whisked away during the apocalypse by an alien, except they’re in on the situation. It’s similar to the first volume but like a new season of Real World, a whole new group of personalities.
Recognized (Good Trouble Productions) – An anthology series that celebrates LGBTQ+ heroes like Alain Locke, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, and Larry Kramer, with contributions from top comic creators.
Register (Good Trouble Productions) – A captivating journey through American constitutional amendments, focusing on the 26th and 15th.
Sesame Street #1 (Oni Press) – A new series featuring the Sesame Street gang for all ages! Grover wakes up to another beautiful day on Sesame Street! But he soon discovers that his friends each have a problem to solve before they can enjoy it.
Universal Monsters’ Frankenstein #1 (Image Comics/Skybound) – Skybound’s line of Universal Monsters comics have been great so far so we’re hooked to see what they can do with the classic Frankenstein.
Archie: The Decision
(W) Tom King (A/CA) Dan Parent
In Shops: Aug 28, 2024
SRP: $3.99
Archie. Finally. Decides. At long last, the answer to the question generations of fans have asked will be answered. Who will Archie choose? Betty or Veronica? Written by Eisner Award-winning comics scribe TOM KING and illustrated by Archie legend and fan-favorite artist DAN PARENT, this is the tale only they can tell. Everyone in Riverdale is waiting for his choice, and all of your favorites, from Josie & The Pussycats to Sabrina the Teenage Witch (and even Hot Dog!), are joining in the fun. No matter who you want him to choose, you DEFINITELY don’t want to miss this ALL-NEW, FULL-LENGTH story!
Archie Comics expands into new genres and media every year, and it will round out 2024 with a giant leap in an explosive new superhero series, Archie is Mr. Justice! The comic, launching in November, reimagines flagship character Archie Andrews as a hero who has left his mark on Riverdale and gone away, leaving his friends to remember his selfless and incredible exploits.
The four-issue limited series begins with a story by writer Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton, told from the perspective of Archie’s best friend Jughead in an emotional recollection of how the pair discovered Archie’s hidden talents, designed his costume, and set off to save Riverdale —and the world.
That expansive cast populating Archie stories for over 80 years is the heart of the series, which will spotlight different POV characters in following issues as Riverdale looks back on the impact of Mr. Justice, for good or for ill. Each issue will feature a new creative team, as well, including Amanda Diebert, Blake Howard, Kenny Porter, Maria Laura Sanapo, and Brent Schoonover.
Longtime Archie fans may recognize Mr. Justice as a familiar figure from the “Mighty Crusaders” superhero line, dating back to the Golden Age of comics when the publisher was still known as MLJ Comics. This is a nod to Archie’s long history; in an interesting bit of meta play, these MLJ-era comics exist within the fictional universe of Archie is Mr. Justice and inspire Archie and Jughead to act when discovering Archie’s powers.
Archie is Mr. Justice #1 releases November 20 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Glenn Whitmore, lettering by Jack Morelli, and three open-to-order covers by Reiko Murakami, Francesco Francavilla, and Matt Talbot.
Kardak the Mystic
(W) Joe Corallo (A/CA) Butch K. Mapa
In Shops: Aug 14, 2024
SRP: $3.99
All John Cardy ever wanted was to be recognized for his talents at magic tricks and sleight of hand. He’s talented, but not enough to get noticed for it until he comes across a (unbeknownst to him) cursed ruby. This ruby grants John the power of invisibility. As Kardak the Mystic, he performs feats no one else can with this magic. Unfortunately for him, going invisible isn’t just a trick of the eyes, but rather entering another realm parallel to our own. And something inside that realm wants to use Kardak to enter our world for dark purposes.
Betty & Me #16 Facsimile Edition
(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Dan DeCarlo
In Shops: Aug 07, 2024
SRP: $3.99
It’s the cover that snuck past the Comics Code Authority and would go on to spawn a million memes! Archie Comics is proud to present this highly sought after issue of BETTY AND ME #16 faithfully reprinted in a full-facsimile edition!
Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s rogues gallery is going big with a brand new villain in September! Fan-favorite baddies Amber, Jade, and Sapphire — known as The Wicked Trinity — will conjure up Mother Striga in the pages of Sabrina Annual Spectacular, a one-shot comic book kicking off a rare three-part crossover from Archie Comics written by Ian Flynn with art by Steven and Lily Butler.
As will be revealed in the series, Mother Striga is an esoteric witch from whom all other witches in Sabrina’s world descend. An ancient juggernaut of malefic power, she is summoned by Amber in an attempt to defeat Sabrina, her earthly adversary, once and for all. Born on the same day as Sabrina and unable to exist in the mortal realm simultaneously as a result, Amber wants to take her place — but the consequences of Amber’s actions set off a chain of events that can’t be contained in one comic. The story will continue in October with Archie Halloween Spectacular and conclude with Josie and the Pussycats Annual Spectacular in November.
Amber Nightstone’s first appearance in 2022 sold out instantly and went to a second printing. Sapphire Gill and Jade Kazane were introduced a year later, their respective water- and wind-based powers rounding out Amber’s fire-based magic to form the Wicked Trinity and adding a note of danger to Sabrina’s world that’s further amped by Mother Striga’s power. Sabrina, one of Archie’s most popular and globally recognized characters, was the star of a Netflix streaming series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as numerous stories for readers of all ages in Archie’s current ongoing monthly comics and digest magazines.
Sabrina Annual Spectacular releases September 4 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Jack Morelli, and a cover by Vincent Lovallo, Steven and Lily Butler, and Rosario “Tito” Peña.
