Script: Aubrey Sitterson Art: Megan Hutchison Colors: Matt Herms Letters: Jack Morelli Cover: Megan Hutchison Variant Covers: Francesco Francavilla, Jae Lee, Reiko Murakami On Sale Date: 5/22 32-page, full color comic $4.99 U.S.
In a world overrun with demons, Archie Andrews is on a quest to cleanse Riverdale of all wicked-kind. Harnessing the destructive power of a captive fiend, he will have to destroy corrupted and possessed versions of the people closest to him. Questioning his own morality and forced to make difficult sacrifices, are Archie’s efforts truly good, or the work of pure evil? Traverse the most horrifying version of Riverdale yet in the first Archie Premium Event.
Over more than 80 years of publishing and pop culture history, Archie Comics has built a vast library of memorable cover gags, first character appearances, and fan-favorite stories. Many of these sought-after collector’s items will be returning to print in a new line of faithful reproductions known as “facsimile editions,” launching in August. The program kicks off with a reprint of 1968’s Betty & Me #16, sporting a world-famous widely memed cover by Archie legend Dan DeCarlo.
Facsimiles are a soaring trend in comics, giving today’s readers a chance to own affordable versions of valuable issues without breaking the bank. And though many of these stories are available in trade paperback collections, facsimiles are printed in the original single-issue format, including all the vintage ads, editorial pages, and letter columns that fans enjoyed when they picked up the first printings decades ago, a reading experience that’s like going back in time.
Betty & Me #16: Facsimile Edition releases August 7 in comic shops nationwide, with stories by Joe Edwards, Frank Doyle, Dan DeCarlo, and many other legendary Archie Comics creators. It will be available for pre-order on May 24.
Dark worlds converge in August when Archie Comics opens the doors to The Cursed Library, an all-new premium-printed limited series that unites Archie’s three main horror heroines — and its various one-shot comics — in one explosive storyline by writers Magdalene Visaggioand Eliot Rahal with art by Craig Cermak, colors by Matt Herms, and lettering by Jack Morelli.
Archie Horror readers have been treated to a series of standalone one-shot comics in recent years that can be enjoyed as chilling ghost stories and campfire tales, but eagle-eyed fans will have noticed hints of connection, which came to a head in last fall’s Madam Satan: Hell on Earth. That story ended with Madam Satan, the escaped Queen of Hell, captured by Jinx Holliday, a teenager interested in magic and rock ‘n’ roll who is rumored to be Satan’s daughter. Jinx is often aided by her loyal best friend Danni, who made global headlines last summer when she was revealed to be Archie’s first transgender character. While all three protagonists have charted their own course thus far, their worlds collide in The Cursed Library when each will be tested as Danni descends into the depths of Hell to save her friend’s soul — and the world.
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 limited series 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.
The Cursed Library Alpha releases August 21 in comic shops nationwide, with a main cover by Craig Cermak and open-to-order variant covers by Robert Hack, Soo Lee, and Reiko Murakami. It will be available for pre-order on May 24. The first issue will be followed by Omegain September and the final chapter, Unbound, in October.
This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, a global event where participating comic shops give away special issues of comic books for free and celebrate all the fun, magic, mystery, and heart that has made comics such an enduring art form all around the world for over 100 years.
Archie Comics, a Silver Sponsor of the event, will be offering Free Comic Book Day 2024: The Cursed Library Prelude.The issue is a direct follow-up to last fall’s one-shot horror comic Madam Satan: Hell on Earth, which featured the first ever meeting of characters from Archie’s “one-shot era” of horor comics. Jinx Holliday, who has headlined her own series of dark adventures over the past few years, now has the antihero Madam Satan confined in a mysterious library filled with scary stories about people Jinx knows, with titles that are familiar to us readers, as well.
Following 10+ years of Archie Horror content, all roads have led to the summer’s scariest showcase! In 2024 worlds collide as Jinx Holliday and Madam Satan unpack the mystery behind the horrors that seem to descend upon Riverdale and its surrounding towns endlessly. Its source – the very library that Jinx calls her own. These terrifying stories are not merely tall tales, but an endless collection of dark worlds all created for the demonic Cursed Library. Who created this collection, and how can the horrors finally be stopped by this unlikely team?
The new frame story, written by Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante with art by Craig Cermak, colors by Glenn Whitmore, and letters by Jack Morelli, intertwines with vignettes presented by Jinx from Archie’s most recent horror titles, all currently available at comic shops everywhere for new readers who would like to dive into the fun. It also hints at terrifying things to come in Archie’s next wave of horror publishing!
Script: Francis Bonnet Art: Rex Lindsey Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Rex Lindsey Cover: Bill Golliher, Dan Parent, Rosario “Tito” Peña On Sale Date: 5/1 192-page, full color digest $9.99 U.S.
BRAND NEW STORY! Jaguar and Jughead are being held by a group of super-power squashing gangsters! Can Superteen and Powerteen rescue them without their powers?
Riverdale High’s time is up when Trula Twyst comes to town this July! In Truth or Dare, an all-new one-shot from Archie Comics, the classic character makes her horror debut with a savvy, villainous plot that could topple the school’s familiar social order for good. It all goes down in a psychological tale of teenage terror by writer Ron Robbins and artist Laura Braga.
Trula Twyst was first introduced in 1997’s Archie’s Pal Jughead #89, by writer Craig Boldman and artist Rex Lindsey. In their status quo-shaking story, Trula uses her interest in psychology to manipulate Jughead and shake the stoic slacker’s resolve. In Truth or Dare, her first comic for older readers, these mind games come with a more sinister and dangerous twist.
Part of Archie’s “Chilling Adventures Presents” line of one-shots, the comic is both a done-in-one nighttime read and a new addition to an ever-growing universe of horror lore populated with characters from Archie’s more than 80-year history.
Truth or Darereleases July 17 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Ellie Wright, lettering by Jack Morelli, and an open-to-order variant cover by Suspiria Vilchez.
Script: Cullen Bunn Art: Dan Schoening, Ben Galvan Colors: Matt Herms Letters: Jack Morelli Cover: Dan Schoening, Luis Antonio Delgado Variant Cover: Robert Hack On Sale Date: 4/24 32-page, full color comic $3.99 U.S.
Returning to the world of last year’s successful THE CULT OF THAT WILKIN BOY, Bingo is now a music manager—and the devil incarnate. He’s initiating others by exchanging their souls for stardom. But is this what he really wants out of life? Is this what he worked so hard for? Bingo embarks on a quest to return to his first love: performing music. But the road back to superstardom isn’t going to be an easy one, and it’s going to take a lot of souls to get there.
Script: Craig Boldman Pencils: Steven Butler Inks: Lily Butler Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Jack Morelli Cover: Vincent Lovallo, Steven Butler, Lily Butler, Rosario “Tito” Peña On Sale Date: 4/3 32-page, full color comic $3.99 U.S.
A BRAND-NEW STORY kicks off this NEED FOR SPEED issue! In “The Race to Save Face,” the first appearance of Daisy Thunder of the Southside Serpents, Daisy challenges Archie and his crew to a charity race throughout Riverdale. Can Archie’s souped-up jalopy best Daisy’s hot wheels? All that plus more racing fun!
Script: Amy Chase, Jordan Morris, Ryan Cady Art: Federico Sabbatini, Liana Kangas, Chris Panda Colors: Ellie Wright Letters: Jack Morelli Cover: Adam Gorham Variant Cover: Aaron Lea On Sale Date: 3/20 32-page, full color comic $3.99 U.S.
Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe has been around for what feels like forever… but how? In this thrilling horror anthology, we learn just how Pop’s infamous malt shop came to harbor such evils, and the cursed deals he makes to ensure his doors always stay open. From the full creative team that brought you last year’s successful Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors, we learn the nefarious origin of the beloved hometown haunt, with stories filled with shady business deals, carnivorous plants, and the horrors of small business ownership.
Script: Dan Parent Pencils: Dan Parent Inks: Bob Smith Colors: Glenn Whitmore Letters: Jack Morelli Cover: Dan Parent, Rosario “Tito” Peña On Sale Date: 3/6 32-page, full color comic $3.99 U.S.
BRAND NEW STORY! Betty, Veronica, Sabrina, and a few friends are all having a sleepover at a cottage on the mysterious estate Alexander and Alexandra Cabot inherited. But when weird things beyond levitation and ghost stories start happening, Sabrina suspects magic is afoot! Plus, more stories of sleepover fun, including pillow fights, gossip, and plenty of cute pajamas!
