Lots more coming in July including a couple of new TRs, a nice book showcasing Francesco Francavelli's artwork and more! What does everyone plan on picking up?


Blossoms 666 #5 (of 5)
This is it! Who will reign as the true Anti-Christ—Cheryl, Jason or their mysterious brother Julian? And what will become of Riverdale once darkness takes over? Find out in this shocking and jaw-dropping finale of Blossoms 666!

Script: Cullen Bunn
Art: Laura Braga, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
BLOSSOMS 666 #5 CVR A Reg: Laura Braga
BLOSSOMS 666 #5 CVR B Var: Adam Gorham
BLOSSOMS 666 #5 CVR C Var: Pat Zircher, Matt Herms
On Sale Date: 7/10
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.



Jughead The Hunger Vol. 3
Archie's Madhouse brings the third collection of the terrifying horror series that tears through Riverdale's cast of characters. Marmaduke "Moose" Mason is dead, having been executed by the Cooper clan after turning into a werewolf. Then who... or what... is FrankenMoose? Find out as Jughead the Hunger goes classic movie monster with "FrankenMoose Meets the Wolf Jug!" Collects issues #9 – #13 of the ongoing series.

Script: Frank Tieri
Art: Joe Eisma, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
Cover: Adam Gorham
ISBN-13: 978-1-68255-827-0
$17.99 US/$19.99 CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16" TR
144 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/17



Archie #706: Archie and Sabrina #2 (of 5)
Archie and Sabrina are the hottest couple in Riverdale—but how did their whirlwind romance come to be? This issue introduces readers to the history of their magical love story, as we welcome special co-writer Mariko Tamaki to the Archie universe!

Script: Nick Spencer, Mariko Tamaki
Art: Jenn St. Onge, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
ARCHIE #706 CVR A Reg: Veronica Fish
ARCHIE #706 CVR B Var: Rebekah Isaacs, Kelly Fitzpatrick
ARCHIE #706 CVR C Var: Stephen Mooney
On Sale Date: 7/24
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.



Archie Vs Predator II #1 (of 5)
Betty, Veronica, and Predator-Archie have been left in the wreckage of their town, all their friends dead. Normally, they'd just go down Memory Lane and get home again where everything's okay, but that's no longer an option. It isn't until they find an undamaged car and drive it down a different road where they can finally return to Riverdale—but their hometown feels different. And it's made even more bizarre when they come face-to-face with a few people they'd never expect: themselves. Only different, newer versions. Little do they know, Predators on Mars are watching them—planning their next attack.

Script: Alex DeCampi
Art: Robert Hack, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jack Morelli
AVP 2 #1 CVR A Reg: Robert Hack, Kelly Fitzpatrick
AVP 2 #1 CVR B Var: Rick Burchett, Rosario "Tito" Peña
AVP 2 #1 CVR C Var: Derek Charm
AVP 2 #1 CVR D Var: Francesco Francavilla
AVP 2 #1 CVR E Var: Dan Parent
AVP 2 #1 CVR F Var: Billy Tucci, Wes Hartman
On Sale Date: 7/24
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.


The Archie Art of Francesco Francavilla Vol. 1 (HC)
Archie's new hardcover art book is a beautifully-designed celebration of Francesco Francavilla's time at Archie. This art book is a gorgeously designed oversize hardcover edition featuring the complete collection of his comic book covers and more. This title goes behind-the-scenes on Francavilla's work and its place in Archie's history, with an insider's look at the creation and ongoing legacy with the company.

Script/Art/Cover: Francesco Francavilla
ISBN-13: 978-1-68255-936-9
$24.99 US/$27.99 CAN
9 x 12" HC
104 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/31


Jughead's Time Police #2 (of 5)
Journey with Jughead to the 29th Century! January McAndrews, head of the Time Police, explains the rules of time travel, and how Jughead's already created alternate timelines they now have to police. But all the praise in the world isn't fixing Jughead's pie problem, and he's realizing that everyone seems to be intentionally keeping him from time traveling. He's getting angry, and things haven't even gotten weird yet!

Script: Sina Grace
Art: Derek Charm, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
JUGHEAD'S TIME POLICE #2 CVR A Reg: Derek Charm
JUGHEAD'S TIME POLICE #2 CVR B Reg: Erica Henderson
JUGHEAD'S TIME POLICE #2 CVR C Reg: Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/17
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.


Riverdale Season 3 #5
The comic based on the hit CW series is back! These two stories set between episodes of season 3 of Riverdale are filled with adventure, including a musical road trip and a gals' weekend!

Script: Micol Ostow
Art: Thomas Pitilli, Joe Eisma, Janice Chiang, John Workman, Andre Szymanowicz
RIVERDALE S3 #5 CVR A Reg: Thomas Pitilli
RIVERDALE S3 #5 CVR B Var: Joe Eisma
On Sale Date: 7/31
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.


Sabrina the Teenage Witch #4 (of 5)
Sabrina's worlds collide as the town of Greendale becomes engulfed in a literal witch hunt—putting Sabrina's family and her secrets right in the crosshairs. But the monsters plaguing the town are not exactly what they seem and it's up to Sabrina to save the town from itself, while clearing the name of witches everywhere. But what will be the price? Sabrina's got everything riding on her "fresh start" in Greendale but doing the right thing might mean losing all she's come to hold most dear.

Script: Kelly Thompson
Art: Veronica Fish, Andy Fish, Jack Morelli
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #4 CVR A Reg: Veronica Fish
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #4 CVR B Var: Victor Ibanez
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #4 CVR C Var: Audrey Mok
On Sale Date: 7/31
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.


Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #301
BRAND NEW STORY: "Hook, Line and Stinker!" Mr. Lodge, horrified that his daughter Veronica is going fishing with Archie, insists that they join him on his new state-of-the-art sport fishing mega-yacht. Hiram hooks the world-record sized Marlin that he's been dreaming of for years, but thanks to Archie, all manner of disastrous mayhem ensues! Just wait until they return to Lodge Mansion, where Hiram exacts his revenge!

Script: Jack Morelli
Art: Jeff Shultz, Jim Amash, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli
Cover: Bill Galvan, Ben Galvan, Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/31
192-page, full color comic
$6.99 U.S.


Archie and Me Jumbo Comics Digest #19
BRAND NEW STORY: "One Mow Time!" Archie and Jughead have a stacked summer planned with various odd jobs to make money to enjoy some fun in the sun—but they're in for some unexpected competition when Dilton creates new technology to get those jobs done faster and more efficiently!

Script: Bill Golliher
Art: Bill Golliher, Bob Smith, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli
Cover: Bill Golliher, Jim Amash, Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/10
192-page, full color comic
$6.99 U.S.


B&V Friends Forever: Back to Storybook Land #1
Betty and Veronica make their triumphant return to storybook land in this collection of tales that feature the two BFFs encountering a witch and a headless horsewoman!

Script: Dan Parent,
Art: Dan Parent, Bob Smith, Jim Amash, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli
B&V FRIENDS FOREVER: STORYBOOK #1 CVR A Reg: Dan Parent
On Sale Date: 7/3
24-page, full color comic
$2.99 U.S.


Archie and Me Vol. 2 (TR)
For 161 issues, Archie's craziest interactions with Riverdale High principal Mr. Weatherbee were showcased in this classic series. This second collection continues the adventures (and misadventures) of the red-headed teen and his long-suffering principal!

Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Dan DeCarlo, Rudy Lapick, Vincent DeCarlo
ISBN-13: 978-1-68255-829-4
$10.99 US/$11.99 CAN
5¼ x 8" TR
224 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/24


Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #275
BRAND NEW STORY: "What If?" This story explores an unusual scenario... What if Jughead was the guy both girls were after?!

Script: Bill Golliher
Art: Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, Jack Morelli, Glenn Whitmore
Cover: Jeff Shultz, Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/24
192-page, full color comic
$6.99 U.S.


Betty and Veronica Spectacular #2 (TR)
This is the second in a chronological collection featuring the magazine-format series spotlighting Riverdale's iconic duo. Betty & Veronica take on the world in this series of once-quarterly stories! See how B&V tackle the world of fashion, prep for the red carpets of Hollywood and still have time to finish their homework!

Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Dan DeCarlo
ISBN-13: 978-1-68255-825-6
$10.99 US/$11.99 CAN
5 ¼ x 8" TR
224 pp, Full Color
Direct Market On-Sale Date: 7/3


B&V Friends Jumbo Comics Digest #272
BRAND NEW STORY: "Gimme Some Space!" Betty and Veronica are in for an out-of-this-world surprise when Betty's GPS leads the two of them to a desolate area—where Veronica's car is lifted to a new planet! Could this really be happening?!

Script: Bill Golliher
Art: Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, Jack Morelli, Glenn Whitmore
Cover: Pat and Tim Kennedy, Bob Smith, Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/17
192-page, full color comic
$6.99 U.S.


World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #90
BRAND NEW STORY: "Unamusement Park" Archie's skills are put to the test when Reggie challenges him at the amusement park—which one will win Veronica more prizes?

Script: Francis Bonnet
Art: Jeff Shultz, Jim Amash, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli
Cover: Jeff Shultz, Rosario "Tito" Peña
On Sale Date: 7/3
192-page, full color comic
$6.99 U.S.

Archie vs. Predator II? Ugh. The only thing worthwhile about the first one was Fernando's art, so this is kind of like a backhanded slap to him from ACP. Alex DeCampi's story for the first one was absolutely the worst thing that ACP had ever published up to that point, so it looks like they'll be hitting a new low again.

At this point it looks like they're trying just about everything to see what sticks. I wish they'd just go back to their roots and publish good Archie comics instead of tying up so many resources in generating publicity for comics that many of us don't want (I have no interest in the horror comics and have hardly watched any of Riverdale because it's so much different than the classic Archie I grew up reading)

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I always thought the art in the new digest covers and stories was 'below par' at best. 

Below par compared to what? I admit they're not much when compared to some of the longer stories from the 1995-2015 era of classic Archie. As the number of classic Archie titles dwindled due to cancellation, the overall quality of the stories in the remaining floppy titles (basically just ARCHIE and BETTY & VERONICA, for the last 7 years or so of that period) got very good. They were trying new things, and upping their game. On the other hand, there were tons of mediocre shorts (the standard 5-6 pagers) published during that period, and in the couple of decades preceding that as well. It's easy to forget the bad ones... they're forgettable by definition. I can't forget about those, because they continue to show up as digest reprints, even though they've reprinted the better ones more often (but they can only reprint the same good stories so many times). And I hate to speak ill of the dead, since he gave ACP so much great work in his many years with the company, but Stan Goldberg's work (and there was a LOT of it) started deteriorating badly after the turn of the century, becoming rushed and sloppy-looking -- it made me sad to see it looking so tedious and dull, robbed of its former liveliness and vitality.

As for covers of the digests, the only time they were more interesting (at least in the post-Dan DeCarlo era) was during a brief period when they were spotlighting new lead stories in the digests, and the covers actually reflected a new story in that issue. No Dan Parent covers on any digest this month, even though he's got interior artwork in both B&V digests. He must be too busy working on that new "Archie Marries" sequel. The Golliher and Galvan covers are merely average, but Jeff Shultz' two covers are as good as anything he's ever done. I've already weighed in with my thoughts on the Kennedy brothers' work on another thread recently, so I'll let it go. A mixed bag as far as digestcovers go, but when was it ever otherwise? I'm going to guess that the going rate for cover art on the digests just doesn't compare with the rate that can be gotten for a floppy comic cover, and that's why we're seeing far fewer Dan Parent covers on the digests in the last year or so. It's even possible that ACP cut the rate they were formerly paying for cover art on the digests, due to slipping sales, but that's purely speculation.

Classic Archie is on the wane, and will never make any sort of serious comeback. Not for the floppy comic marketplace, for which the kid audience makes up a fractional percentage, and the nostalgia audience another small fraction. It will continue to dwindle into a niche-market nostalgia product, similar to the Disney reprints (still popular enough in Europe, but not here) and EC reprints. The regular digests will be gone (except maybe for 1 or 2) probably within 5 years, 10 at most, anyway -- taking the last of the new classic Archie shorts with them. The Giant and 1000 Page format may go on a little longer, if it's feasible for them to skip the earlier publication of reprints in the Jumbo digests and just print them in the larger compilations. Digital could continue on for quite some time, without the limitations of break-even economics which print comics are bound to, and distribution is no longer a factor.

Kids today don't seem to want the cartoony stuff, unless a love for this stuff is actively inculcated in them from their parents being fans of the old stuff, so that leaves a consumer base of graying nostalgists.

Are Trula Twyst (and boy am I surprised to see HER on a new cover) and Toni Topaz THAT GOOD at volleyball that they can challenge the 4-girl team of Betty, Veronica, Nancy, and Midge?    Although on further reflection, Veronica's just standing there (a little too close if she's not actually in the game), and Betty's not even paying attention, just talking to Archie. So maybe it's just Nancy and Midge versus Trula and Toni, after all.

What's next, Jughead the Hunger & Vampironica vs. Predator vs. Red Sonja & Vampirella vs. Harley & Ivy?

So they've covered crossovers with Dark Horse, DC, and Dynamite... what about IDW?
ARCHIE ON THE PLANET OF THE APES ?
ARCHIE MEETS DICK TRACY ?
ARCHIE / TRANSFORMERS ?
ARCHIE / STAR TREK ?
BETTY & VERONICA MEET JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS ?

Or what the heck, an Archie crossover with SONIC or TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES... just to be super-ironic.

Don't give them any ideas. The ones they have are bad enough for now.  

Also that's not Trula Twyst on the above cover. I've seen so many like her but not actually her. I know because I have a thing for her.  

Also my opinion on the artwork lately is just my own and I know not many will agree and I'm okay with that. 

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on April 23, 2019, 05:54:38 AMArchie vs. Predator II? Ugh. The only thing worthwhile about the first one was Fernando's art, so this is kind of like a backhanded slap to him from ACP.

Thanks... and yes. It is. But that's Archie Comics for you.

...Crossover with Robert and Aline Ctumb or S. Clay Wilson or the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers!-!!!!!!!!! !

Piss off you spamming faggot................

Piss off you spamming faggot................