Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of May! I’m Lisa, reporting from a corner booth at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, and here’s this month’s news! In this month’s Archie Comics Pubwatch, Archie introduces two new characters, Big Ethel Energy gets a trade release, and more!!
Archie Comics To Introduce Two New Characters To Its Comics Line
In June and July, two new characters will be introduced to the Archie Comics universe. Per a press release, fans will meet the brainy, pansexual, biracial teen mogul Eliza Han in June’s Archie & Friends: Summer Lovin’ one-shot. Eliza is dating Veronica’s cousin, Harper — who is also being pursued by Reggie Mantle!
Stacy Banks, teen coder extraordinaire, will enter the fray in July’s Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Summer Surf Party one-shot.
Both characters will recur in the universe after their introductions. Archie & Friends: Summer Lovin’ drops on June 8 and Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Summer Surf Party will be released on July 17. You can spy Dan Parent concept art of the two characters with color work by Rosario “Tito” Peña above.
Big Ethel Energy to get a TPG Release
You can pre-order the collection for $14.99 at the official Archie store. The issue is expected to street in August.
Riverdale gets a new cast member for Season 6
Per Deadline, Caroline Day will join the cast as Heather, a librarian with unexplored ties to Cheryl. “After tracking down Heather on social media, Cheryl gets in touch with her, much to Nana Rose’s disapproval. Then, when Heather re-enters Cheryl’s life, she does so with secret knowledge that may help Cheryl understand her emerging powers better,” Dateline explains.
Dan Parent offers custom Archie-themed Halloween drawings
You can request any Archie-verse character and any kind of Halloween costume for the $49.99 at the Archie web store.
New Exclusive Variant Cover Available from Peg City Comics
This Peg City Comics exclusive cover is $24.99. There’s no word as to how limited it is. It ships in June.
Archie Comics Tweets of the Month
Well, @TheRock may have his own birthday wish, but we have one too…
The world needs this. Think about it, Mr. Johnson.
(And happy birthday!)#TheRock #ArchieComics #Archie pic.twitter.com/R7GOkWTHpc— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) May 2, 2022
Yes. Yes, it does. https://t.co/ONKXeRO993
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) May 3, 2022
Can you smell what the Arch is cooking?
Sugar Sugar of the Month
World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #119
Jim Amash (Art); Francis Bonnet (Cover); Bill Galvan (Art); Ian Flynn (Writing); Dan Parent (Writing, Cover and Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
May 4, 2022
This one is just plain good-old fashioned silly fun. Are you ready for the Archieverse to take on Elon M — I mean Eli Peppercorn? “Eli” gets Jughead into cryptocurrency. Jughead makes a mint in the stuff, but can’t remember his own password and has to guess his way in. With the number of timed tries running out, will he manage to get back into his account? Will the timing of the release of this story break your humble reporter’s brain? Thanks to Jughead’s wonderful reaction to the events of this main story, thankfully not!
Elsewhere, Archie’s cooking nearly gets him killed, forcing superhero Fireball to call on Pureheart the Powerful to get them all out of a jam before Pops goes up in flames.
Hotdogs and Hotshots
Archie Meets Riverdale One-Shot (#1)
Ben Caldwell (Cover); Derek Charm (Cover); Matt Herms (Colors); Pat and Tim Kennedy (Art); Daniel Kibblesmith (Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Bob Smith (Inks)
May 11, 2022
So it’s come to this; the wholesome Riverdale gang meets the…well, slightly-less wholesome Riverdale gang. Conflict and some good old-fashioned tongue-in-cheek humor collide in this fun and fast-paced crossover.
Archie Showcase Digest #8: New Kids Off the Wall
Digikore Studios (Colors and Cover); Rich Koslowski (Inks); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Alex Simmons (Writing)
May 11, 2022
Things in Riverdale will never be the same when a nearby school shutters, causing a group of 50 students and four teachers to merge with the folks matriculating at Riverdale High. The gang soon finds themselves clashing with these fashionable, talented folks. Will they learn to get along or is a rumble afoot? The answer lurks between the cover of this collected issue, which covers this 2010 arc!
Picks From The Timecops
The Best Archie Comic Ever (#1)
Jed Dougherty (Art); Matt Herms (Colors and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Ruben Najera (Writing); Aubrey Sitterson (Writing); Giorgia Sposito (Art); Tim Seeley (Art and Cover); Fred Van Lente (Writing); Tom Whalen (Variant Cover)
June 15, 2022
Take a wild spin through the Archieverse as a plethora of talented artists and writers give us a series of alternate universe stories! Superheroes (yes, more Pureheart the Powerful), cavepeople and spies all collide in this rondelay.
Archie And Friends: Summer Lovin’ #1
Tee Franklin (Writing); Bill Golliher (Cover); Matt Herms (Colors); Bob Smith (Inks); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover)
June 8, 2022
The return of Harper Lodge and the introduction of brand-new character Eliza Han highlight this new one-shot which spotlights the Archieverse’s best summer adventures.
Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #331
Craig Boldman (Writing); Francis Bonnet (Cover); Ben Galvan (Cover); Bill Galvan (Cover); Rex Lindsey (art); Dan Parent (Writing, Cover and Art); Jack Morelli (Letters and Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Jeff Shultz (art); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
June 29, 2022
In what sounds like a frankly terrifying story, Jughead starts feeling sympathy pain for a volleyball with his face painted on it gifted to him by Chuck, who’s opened a business drawing portraits on said balls. It’s not even October yet, Archie! Plus a bonus Bingo Wilkin (Cousin of Jughead) tale!
Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest #15: 1970s
Jim Amash (Inks); Tom DeFalco (Writing); Pat and Tim Kennedy (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters and Cover); Samm Schwartz (Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
June 15, 2022
Aside from collecting a primo selection of 1970s-era Archie content, the issue has a brand-new ’70s set story, “Watch and Roll,” which is all about Jughead teaching Archie how to boogie down at the roller disco!
Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #304
Jim Amash (Inks); Francis Bonnet (Cover); Tania Del Rio (Writing); Bill Golliher (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
June 1, 2022
Sabrina Spellman races against the clock to right some major wrongs when Veronica and Betty pick up what they think is a custom-mixed vial of perfume – but is actually a spell custom-made by Sabrina that, among other things, repels boys!
Betty and Veronica: Beach Bash (TR)
Dan DeCarlo (Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Various (Art and Writing)
June 22, 2022
A fresh TR of Betty and Veronica-centric summer antics!
World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #15
Bill Galvan (Writing); Bill Golliher (Art and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Writing); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
June 22, 2022
Betty and Veronica’s unwitting good deed – releasing a genie from her bottle – backfires big time when she develops an interest in Archie.
Elsewhere, Jughead’s cousin Bingo Wilkin becomes an anonymous critic at his school newspaper, but when his scathing review of Samantha’s movie hits the broadsheets he finds himself in hot water.
