The End of Archie As We Know Him or New Beginning We Needed? Collectors Confessions

What began as a teenage comic book character eventually grew into an entire universe featuring Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats and many more. Archie characters have since appeared in comics, television, animation, video games and, of course, the popular Riverdale television series.

But now Archie is changing publishers.

Archie Joins Forces With Oni Press

Archie Comics and Oni Press have announced a major publishing partnership that will bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina and the rest of the Riverdale characters into a new line of monthly comics, graphic novels and collections.

And this isn’t simply a continuation of what we’ve seen before.

The new line promises to take these classic characters in some very different directions while still respecting their nearly nine decades of history.

The first new monthly title will be ARCHIE #1, written by Benjam H. Winters with art by Fábio Moon, scheduled to release this Wednesday, September 2nd. You can view the trailer here https://youtu.be/cT5ieGALnjE.

Following that will be SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #1 in October, written by Corinna Bechko with art by Kano.

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Then, in November, readers will get ARCHIE IN HELL #1, written by Patrick Horvath with art by Tyler Crook.

Yes—you read that correctly. Archie in Hell.

And honestly, that title alone should tell you that this isn’t going to be your grandfather’s Archie Comics.

The new Archie line is being positioned as a celebration of the character’s history while also pushing the franchise into new territory. We recently interviewed Ben H. Winters about how he will be handling Archie and what it meant to him – see full interview here – https://youtu.be/zIu6X9WAEBI

Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn described the goal as re-conceptualizing Riverdale for the modern era while drawing from the many different versions of Archie that have existed throughout the years.

That makes this particularly interesting for longtime collectors.

Archie has always been one of those characters who could evolve without completely losing his identity. The challenge now is figuring out how far these new creators can push the characters while still making them feel like Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica.

And with creators such as Ben H. Winters, Corinna Bechko and Patrick Horvath involved, readers should expect some very different interpretations.

That’s an incredible number and a reminder of just how deeply Archie has been woven into American pop culture.

The partnership also isn’t stopping with monthly comics. In 2027, Oni plans to expand the line with middle-grade and young-adult graphic novels set in their own accessible continuity.

And perhaps the most significant part of this entire announcement is that this represents a major first for Archie Comics: the new partnership marks the first time Archie’s iconic characters have been published in partnership with another publisher.

For a company with a history stretching back to 1939, that’s a pretty remarkable development.

As someone who grew up reading Archie Digest comics, seeing these characters move into such an ambitious new era is fascinating. The Archie I remember represented an uncomplicated version of teenage life—school, friendships, dating, burgers and the occasional ridiculous scheme involving Jughead.

Now we’re getting Archie in Hell.

That’s quite a journey.

The big question for collectors and longtime fans is whether these new books can strike the right balance between nostalgia and innovation.

Personally, that’s what I’m most interested in seeing.

Because the best reinventions don’t erase what came before. They give longtime fans something familiar while giving new readers a reason to discover the characters for the first time.

And with Archie celebrating the legacy of nearly 90 years while simultaneously looking toward the future, we may be about to see one of the most interesting eras in the history of Riverdale.

What do you think? Are you excited about the new Archie books from Oni Press, or do you prefer the classic Riverdale stories? Let us know and keep collecting!