ARCHIE COMICS SHIPPING APRIL 2008


ARCHIE #584
"Two Ring Circus": Talk about a bad connection - Veronica gives Archie one of her father’s prototype phones, even though the matching phone is Mr. Lodge’s!  How long before Hiram calls 911? 
SCRIPT: Angelo DeCesare.  ART: Stan Goldberg. 
"The Blame Game": To get out of a jam with Veronica, Archie asks Jughead to take the blame.  And in return, he’ll do the same for Jughead.  Need we mention this is one deal doomed to failure?! 
SCRIPT: Craig Boldman.  ART: Stan Goldberg. 
"Outside the Box": Mr. Lodge learns rule #1 of the toy biz: kids almost always love the box the toys comes in best! 
SCRIPT: Craig Boldman.  ART:  Stan Goldberg.
"The Blob": Dilton tries to give Archie the ink blot test, but when his cards are replaced with photos of Veronica, he thinks Archie is certifiably obsessed! 
SCRIPT: Craig Boldman.  ART:  Stan Goldberg.
Shipping Date: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 30th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 13th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 


ARCHIE & FRIENDS #118
"Archie World Tour Part 2 of 4": Having barely escaped with their lives in the previous issue’s trip to London, Archie and his friends are looking for a more traditional vacation spot… a place filled with history and romance… and Madrid, Spain is just the place!  The key word is romance, as Veronica and Betty are wooed by their teen guide, leaving Archie feeling whoa-ed.  Even Ms. Grundy becomes the object of someone’s affection!  But mystery and danger make a handsome couple too, as the villain they’ve been evading continues to pursue them from the city to the country.  A meeting with a beautiful mystery woman provides Archie with his first clue… and a "first date" with a herd of angry bulls!  The mystery continues to deepen and Archie must figure out what is going on before things get really dangerous!  Acclaimed writer, children’s art advocate, and organizer of the world’s only "Kids Comics" convention, Alex Simmons, returns to handle the script chores, while fan-favorite Rex Lindsey is back with some of the best art of his career.  It all adds up to one world tour you won’t want to miss! 
SCRIPT: Alex Simmons.  ART: Rex Lindsey.
Shipping Date: April 9th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 16th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 29th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 


ARCHIE DIGEST #243
"No Worries": Archie doesn’t have a single worry – he has a double worry, namely whether to choose Betty or Veronica!  The "eternal love triangle" lives up its billing as an ad infinitum entanglement! 
SCRIPT: Barbara Slate.  ART: Jeff Shultz. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 9th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 16th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 29th, 2008 
Full color digest format
$2.49 US. 


ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #188
"Catch Phrase": Archie tries to be the "early bird" at the fishing hole, but as the fish are biting, it’s sleep Archie’s fighting! 
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.  ART: Randy Elliott. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 30th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 13th, 2008 
Full color digest format
$3.69 US. 


BETTY & VERONICA #235
A POIGNANT TALE DESTINED TO TURN THE TOWN OF RIVERDALE UPSIDE DOWN! 
"Runaway Ronnie": In serious trouble with her parents for blowing a curfew and other responsibilities, Veronica longs for freedom… and gets it, when she leaves home to live in an apartment and takes on an… egads… part-time job!  Will Veronica’s bid for independence truly give her the "freedom" she seeks, or will she learn that nothing comes free?  Will the love of her parents win out as they miss their only daughter?  How will Veronica’s friends react to the news? 
SCRIPT: Angelo DeCesare.  ART: Jeff Shultz. 
Shipping Date: April 16th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 6th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 


BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #183
"Double Take": Veronica is wearing a brand-new, exlusion, "original" designer dress… wait until she notices Betty is wearing the exact same thing! 
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.  ART: Jeff Shultz. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 2nd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 9th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 292nd, 2008 
Full color digest format
$2.49 US. 


BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #160
"Who is Cheryl Blossom?": Intrepid reporter Tomoko doesn’t know what she’s getting into when she sets out to interview Cheryl Blossom for the school newspaper!  Once Cheryl gets going, it’s apparent to Tomoko that this is one newspaper article that is going to have to appear over the course of several consecutive editions!  Don’t miss the fun in this entertaining recap of Cheryl’s appearances in Archie Comics, including the milestone "Love Showdown" series! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 16th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 6th, 2008 
Full color digest format
$3.69 US. 


JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #139
A FOLLOW-UP TO LAST YEAR’S MOST TALKED-ABOUT BETTY & VERONICA STORY, "BAD BOY TROUBLE" – FEATURING RIVERDALE’S FAMOUS TEENS IN A REALISTIC STYLE! 
"The Matchmakers Part 1": It’s another tale of the teens from Riverdale High, done in a realistic style!  This time, the romantic entanglements are reserved for Jughead, whom Archie, Betty, Reggie and Veronica agree needs a break from his "fifth wheel" status!  Can the cunning matchmakers actually find a girl who will interest Jughead more than food and sleep?  Another pillar of Archie Comics mythology hangs in the balance in this first installment of a 4-part epic, set to play out over the next few issues!  Last year’s "Bad Boy Trouble" set the comics world on its ear as the teens were depicted in a realistic style.  Comic book legends Joe Staton and Al Milgrom carry on that look, handling pencils and inks respectively, in what is sure to be one of the most intriguing Archie stories of the year! 
SCRIPT: Melanie Morgan. 
ART: Joe Staton. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 2nd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 9th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 292nd, 2008 
Full color digest format
$3.69 US. 


PALS-N-GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #121
"Sunny Daze": When it comes to keeping the students’ attention spans from wandering, the faculty is no match for a beautiful day! 
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. 
ART: Jeff Shultz.   
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 30th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 7th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 20th, 2008 
Full color digest format
$3.69 US. 


SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #93
"Salem’s Secret Part 1": Sabrina’s loyal cat Salem is more than you might realize. Salem was a warlock who once tried to take over that the Magic Realm. His punishment was to spend the rest of his life as a cat. For the first time ever we will learn just what Salem did to earn this unique magical punishment…. and what he did in the aftermath that affects Sabrina to this day, especially after her recent battle to become good again!  For the first time in the history of the manga Sabrina series, a guest artist is featured: Chad Thomas takes on the penciling chores to tell the story of Salem’s hidden past! 
SCRIPT:  Tania Del Rio.  ART: Chad Thomas (pencils) & Jim Amash (inks).
Cat-scratch fever cover by Tania Del Rio & Jim Amash!   
Shipping Date: April 9th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 16th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 29th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 
 

SONIC SELECT VOLUME #1
A NEW SERIES OF SONIC COLLECTIONS
FEATURING CLASSIC TALES FROM SONIC SUPER SPECIALS! 
By popular demand, we are happy to follow-up the speedily selling "Sonic Archives" series with a brand-new reprint collection: "Sonic Select", which will reprint many of the much-loved stories from the Sonic Super Specials! The best of the best will be featured in this series, including stories starring fan favorites Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Princess Sally Acorn, plus characters who don’t often get to hit center stage in the main series. Not only that, but "Sonic Select" will also be filled with everything from both the classic era of Sonic super-team Mike Gallagher and Dave Manak, to the later stories with varying artwork from such Sonic legends as Art Mawhinney, Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante, Steven Butler, Ken Penders, and others!  It also features the first appearances of many of the biggest fan-favorite characters!  With reprints from "Sonic: In Your Face", "Sonic & Knuckles", "Triple Trouble", and "Sonic Live!", this is one Sonic compilation you will not want to miss! 
STORIES INCLUDE:
"The Quest": Princess Sally journeys to the dangerous Forbidden Zone to seek out a mysterious treasure, and you’ll be just as shocked as she is to discover its true nature! Features the first appearance of Sally’s friend and hand-held computer, Nicole. 
"The Mirror Zone": Sonic and Tails follow one of Robotnik’s Swatbots into the Mirror Zone, a place where everything (including the very text on the page) is flipped backwards! 
"Tails’ Tallest Tale": Tails’ very first solo story finds him facing off against Robotnik himself! 
"Panic in the Sky": The Floating  island is hijacked and runs off-course, leading to all sorts of infighting and false accusations!  Based on the hit game Sonic & Knuckles featuring Knuckles the Echidna. 
"Fire Drill": Knuckles’ first solo story!  Who is the new mysterious stranger on the Floating Island, and do or she  pose a threat?  "Lord of the Floating Island": Knuckles comes to the aid of a lost kangaroo, but that’s just the beginning of the strange things happening on the Floating Island!  "Triple Trouble": Bounty hunter Nack the Weasel makes his grand debut in this adaptation of the popular video game. 
"Submersible Rehearsal": The first appearance of Tails’ submarine, the "Sea Fox!"  Wait until it encounters Octobot! 
"First Contact": Knuckles must decide whether Archimedes is friend or foe as the mysteries of the Floating Island continue to unfold. 
"The Substitute Freedom Fighters": When Robotnik captures the Freedom Fighters, Sally’s trainees team-up with others to save the day! 
PLUS: Original Pin-Ups! 
SCRIPTS: Mike Gallagher, Angelo DeCesare, Mike Kanterovich, Ken Penders. 
ART: Dave Manak, Jon D'Agostino, Harvey Mercadoocasio, Rich Koslowski and Art Mawhinney. 
Super-terrific cover by Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante! 
Shipping Date: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 30th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 13th, 2008 
128- page, full color 6x9 trade paperback collection
$11.95 U.S.
 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #187
"Mister Popular": Sonic’s immortal enemy Mammoth Mogul is back and their battle has taken on a whole new twist.  Can Sonic find out who or what Mogul is going after?  With hordes of villains from today as well as from Sonic’s past emerging to attack the blue blur, does Sonic have a chance of defeating the massive power of Mammoth Mogul?  SCRIPT: Ian Flynn.  ART: Matt Herms  (pencils) & Jim Amash (inks).  Mammoth mayhem cover by Tracy Yardley! & Jason Jensen.
Shipping Date: April 2nd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 9th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 292nd, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 


SONIC X #32
"Title Mismatch": It’s tag-team trauma for Eggman!  When Eggman finds himself an outsider in his own evil Empire, a team-up of unimaginable proportions takes place. El Gran Gordo and El Rapido Azule, the masked wrestling sensation must band together to save all of Station Square! Will this team be a slam or will this all end in a tag out?! Get ready to rumble in this much talked about new issue of Sonic X! 
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn. ART: Tracy Yardley! and Terry Austin. 
Turnbuckle tearin’ cover by  Pat "Spaz" Spaziante! 
Shipping Date: April 16th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 6th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 


TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #28
"The Real Problem": When Mr. Lodge goes to a resort to de-stress, Archie decides to get a job there to "get on his good side."  Yeah, that’ll work!  And in a way, it actually does… but you’ll have to read the story to find out how! 
SCRIPT: George Gladir.  ART: Fernando Ruiz. 
PLUS: Other new and classic tales! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. 
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
Shipping Date: April 23rd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 30th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 13th, 2008 
Full color digest format
$2.49 US. 


VERONICA #188
"Prom Showdown!": Remembering all the lumps he’s taken over the years by choosing one girl over another, Archie decides to cut his losses by asking Betty, Veronica AND Cheryl to the prom all at once!  Of course, with two deviously determined rich girls in the mix, this will be one prom Archie and Betty will never forget! 
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent. 
"That Takes the Cake": Veronica decides to bake her mother a cake for her birthday.  At least the gesture is "sweet!" 
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski.  ART: Dan Parent. 
"Keen Competition": To lure Archie over, Veronica ramps up her home theater with the latest movies (before they hit the theaters) and automated treats… but that just leaves Archie with more of his allowance to spend on Betty! 
SCRIPT: George Gladir.  ART: Dan Parent.   
Shipping Date: April 30th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 7th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: May 20th, 2008 
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US. 

BACKLIST
NOTE: All backlist titles
Shipping Date: April 2nd, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: April 9th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: April 292nd, 2008 

GIMME A BREAK!  IN FACT, MAKE IT A SPRING BREAK!

Archie has decided to give everyone a break yet again, by offering these great SPRING BREAK specials once more!

ARCHIE’S SPRING BREAK #3, 48-page full color comic, $2.25 U.S.
ARCHIE’S SPRING BREAK #4, 48-page full color comic, $2.29 U.S.
ARCHIE’S SPRING BREAK #5, 48-page full color comic, $2.49 U.S.

RELIVE THE EARLY ADVENTURES OF THE SONIC X UNIVERSE!

Don’t miss these early issues of the Sonic X comic book series based on the hit Saturday morning cartoon show! 

SONIC X #1,  32-page, full color comic, $2.25 U.S.
SONIC X #2, 32-page, full color comic, $2.25 U.S.
SONIC X #3, 32-page, full color comic, $2.25 U.S.
SONIC X #4, 32-page, full color comic, $2.25 U.S.

Another great month of titles... looking forward to all of them.

does Archie REALLY think that inviting 3 girls to a prom will solve his problems? He has trouble maintaining one relationship, but 3 What is he thinking?

More importantly, will Tomoko's last name ever be revealed? That glaring ommission is drivingme nuts!!!!

Gregg

Ooh, look at all these goodies coming up soon!

And yes, Veronica is so spoiled rotten she has threatened to run away forever. As usual.

But I looove it when the girls drop their money and belongings while hanging upside down!XD

ARCHIE DIGEST #243
"No Worries": Archie doesn’t have a single worry – he has a double worry, namely whether to choose Betty or Veronica!  The "eternal love triangle" lives up its billing as an ad infinitum entanglement! 

So it's basically just a typical love triangle story like Archie Comics has been printing for over 60 years.

Why is this a lead story?

BETTY & VERONICA #235
A POIGNANT TALE DESTINED TO TURN THE TOWN OF RIVERDALE UPSIDE DOWN! 
"Runaway Ronnie": In serious trouble with her parents for blowing a curfew and other responsibilities, Veronica longs for freedom… and gets it, when she leaves home to live in an apartment and takes on an… egads… part-time job!  Will Veronica’s bid for independence truly give her the "freedom" she seeks, or will she learn that nothing comes free?  Will the love of her parents win out as they miss their only daughter?  How will Veronica’s friends react to the news? 

Having Veronica (or any character) live on her own is a bold move for Archie Comics. If they can make it stick, then it'll truly be a milestone.

That cover is weird, though. It makes it look like Veronica was living with Betty - almost as if they're...sisters!

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #183
"Double Take": Veronica is wearing a brand-new, exlusion, "original" designer dress… wait until she notices Betty is wearing the exact same thing! 

YAWN! Been there, done that.

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #160
"Who is Cheryl Blossom?": Intrepid reporter Tomoko doesn’t know what she’s getting into when she sets out to interview Cheryl Blossom for the school newspaper!  Once Cheryl gets going, it’s apparent to Tomoko that this is one newspaper article that is going to have to appear over the course of several consecutive editions!  Don’t miss the fun in this entertaining recap of Cheryl’s appearances in Archie Comics, including the milestone "Love Showdown" series! 

I'm looking forward to this. I just hope that Cheryl's history isn't dumbed down like in the scrapbooks.

SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent. 

Gah! So much for hope.

Well, maybe Dan Parent will actually impress me this time.

JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #139
Last year’s "Bad Boy Trouble" set the comics world on its ear as the teens were depicted in a realistic style.  Comic book legends Joe Staton and Al Milgrom carry on that look

Um, no. This is a completely different look.

SONIC SELECT VOLUME #1
A NEW SERIES OF SONIC COLLECTIONS
FEATURING CLASSIC TALES FROM SONIC SUPER SPECIALS! 
"The Mirror Zone": Sonic and Tails follow one of Robotnik’s Swatbots into the Mirror Zone, a place where everything (including the very text on the page) is flipped backwards! 

Does anyone know if this story was, by any chance, ripped off from an episode of "Captain N: The Game Master"?

That episode, "In Search of the King", involved the N Team going to the Mirror World (called the Mirror Zone in a casual comment in a later episode), where everything is reversed.

VERONICA #188
"Prom Showdown!": Remembering all the lumps he’s taken over the years by choosing one girl over another, Archie decides to cut his losses by asking Betty, Veronica AND Cheryl to the prom all at once!  Of course, with two deviously determined rich girls in the mix, this will be one prom Archie and Betty will never forget! 

This is new. Usually, Archie accidentally makes dates with all three girls at once. Now, he's doing it deliberately. Can we say "stupid"?

Oh, well. It's more Cheryl, anyway.

But wait. Cheryl's rich again?

The most interesting cover is the one where Veronica runs away. Please, please, please don't be a cliche. Please don't have Veronica realize how hard it is to be on her own and come to her senses and want a pampered life and realize that her parents' rules aren't that bad.

I remember a story just like that. Not sure who the lead character was though. It wasn't Veronica. It might have been Archie or Jughead or the both of them.

Jim

I believe that it was Archie who went to live on his own...I want to say that it was done by Bob Bolling.  I notice that whenever Archie goes all serious with the plot lines, Bob Bolling is the likely illustrator.

nowadays if its serious its most likely Pat Kennedy

Even though I have nothing against you, Dan Parent, I'd like to apologize for the kook who posted that comment about you.^_^

Actually, you draw very cute, especially the girls.=3 And I like your idea of scrapbook design, too! It brings something very unique to Archie comics!

Don't Mind Tuxedo, dan -- he's our resident grouch.

Actually even though Tuxedo doesn't seem to like the books, I think he likes them very much. His reviews are usually favorable. His comments often bring attention to lapses in story or content that most of us gloss over. We're glad to have him here!

I've taken you to task on a few of your stories as well, but overall I've really enjoyed your output for the last year or so. And I think your scrapbook stories have been done very well and as Brunette said are very unique to comics.

Keep up the good work.

Gregg

P.S. I almost bid on a Sabrina drawing of yours on ebay afew months ago and did bid on some of your scrapbook pages recently (but of course got out bid). If you put any other art up for sale, can you let us know? I'd sure appreciate it. (I've bid on Fernando's great work too, but have always been outbid... bummer.) gbw