Archie Comics has announced what they’re calling their first “Archie Premium Event,” titled Archie Comics: Judgment Day. The Archie Horror title will feature a powered-up Archie Andrews battling in a Riverdale overrun by demons.
The story is written by Aubrey Sitterson, who penned Archie vs. The World and No One Left to Fight. He’s joined by Rockstars artist Megan Hutchison, colorist Matt Herms and letterer Jack Morelli.
“Judgment Day places Archie Andrews squarely at the center, acting as our hero—but with the power to choose who lives and who dies, can he truly remain a hero through and through?” said Archie Comics’ Jesse Goldwater. “This miniseries raises the stakes more than any title we’ve ever done before. The fate of the entire world is in Archie’s hands.”
It sounds like Archie will have his hands full:
Judgment Day sets Archie Andrews on a daring quest to cleanse an alternate version of Riverdale overrun by demons. After claiming some destructive powers of his own, Archie is forced to destroy corrupted versions of the people closest to him, ostensibly in the name of the greater good. As questions about his own morality and the sacrifices he’s made start to pile up, Archie must confront if his efforts are truly good, or in fact the work of pure evil?
Here’s a look at Hutchison and Herms’ interior work:
And here’s a look at the first issue’s variant covers by Francesco Francavilla, Jae Lee and Reiko Murakami:
The debut of the ‘Archie Premium Event’
While most of the recent Archie Horror comics have been one-shots, this is a three-issue miniseries. In fact, that’s where the “Archie Premium Event” designation comes from, as the new labeling will denote stores that “are simply too grand for a single one-shot release,” according to the press release. “With their extended length and scale, these cinematic miniseries will take Archie Comics in epic new narrative directions, paired with upgraded collector-quality issues featuring cardstock covers, improved interior paper stock, and specialized print finishes.”
“Judgment Day is the first in a compelling slate of events. As we look to the future of Archie, we wanted to translate our success in TV and film to focus that sense of grandeur back to our core publishing efforts. With our Archie Premium Event series, we’ve imbued each project with an epic sense of storytelling that is evocative of the exciting new direction for the company,” said Jonathan Betancourt, Archie Comics Senior Vice President. “In addition to our concentrated focus on elevated storytelling, these new series are also investments for the larger comic book community, transforming what would be a normal print issue into a must-have collector’s item.”
Look for the first issue on May 22.