‘Tis the season for Archie news! Things are really heating up for Archie Comics Publications; not only do they have a television program based on the comics in development and a pretty successful reboot, but they have also announced two new series!
Kevin Keller, the first gay character in the history of Archie Comics, will be getting a new solo title with the character’s creator (Dan Parent) on writing duty. Life With Kevin is a digital miniseries about his life, up to and including college. Judging from the synopsis and cover art, it looks to be very similar to Archie: The Married Life; it does not take place in the same world, however, as the character’s future was already shown in that series. Instead, similar to Kevin Keller, it is part of the original Archie universe. What a world we live in, with reboots and multiple Archie universes. According to reports, the series will be be a mixture of comedy and drama. I like this, as the original miniseries felt too watered-down for my taste. The typical Archie fare doesn’t really delve into weighty issues, preferring to keep situations black-and-white.
Secondly, a new Betty & Veronica comic is finally arriving! You may recall a Kickstarter attempt by Archie to speed up the process of getting multiple new series up and running at the same time. Unfortunately, it was cancelled, but it looks like we’ll finally be getting the rest of the promised comics. Coming out on July 20th, the first issue will feature the eponymous duo clashing over a coffee corporation’s attempt to control Pop’s Choklit Shoppe. Whether that ruins anything from the current Jughead storyline remains to be seen, but the Choklit Shoppe was constantly in danger back in the original comics, so I probably shouldn’t worry. Variant covers have already been released and they look glorious. Color me excited!
Finally, in case you missed it, the acclaimed horror series Afterlife With Archie and The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina are coming back to groceries and bookstores across the nation! Afterlife With Archie will return on June 1st with the fourth part in the “Betty R.I.P.” arc. According to the solicit synopsis, it will focus on Reggie’s guilt over jumpstarting the apocalypse by accidentally killing Jughead’s beloved pooch, Hot Dog. Next, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina returns on May 18th, with Sabrina’s quest to bring Harvey back. Be sure to catch up on the previous issues for both series, just in case you forgot what happened. I know I will.
Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.
