Archie Andrews is about to die. That might not be too shocking. The first thought might be we'll see his demise in the pages of AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla. It turns out, his upcoming death won't necessarily be in that series. Instead, the 70-year-old character will sacrifice himself heroically while saving the life of a friend in July's LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36.
The good news for Archie fans is LIFE WITH ARCHIE is the series that looks at Archie's life and adventures after high school and college.
“We’ve been building up to this moment since we launched LIFE WITH ARCHIE five years ago, and knew that any book that was telling the story of Archie’s life as an adult had to also show his final moment,” said Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “Archie has and always will represent the best in all of us—he’s a hero, good-hearted, humble and inherently honorable. This story is going to inspire a wide range of reactions because we all feel so close to Archie. Fans will laugh, cry, jump off the edge of their seats and hopefully understand why this comic will go down as one of the most important moments in Archie’s entire history. It’s the biggest story we’ve ever done, and we’re supremely proud of it.”
The story will appear in different formats. There will be an extra-large magazine-size LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, two comic-sized issues (issues #36 and 37), and a trade paperback collecting the entire story, written by Paul Kupperberg with art by Pat and Tim Kennedy and Fernando Ruiz.
While LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 shows readers Archie’s final moments, #37 leaps a year into the future, showcasing how the remaining members of the Riverdale gang—including Jughead, Betty & Veronica and Reggie—have honored the legacy of their dear friend. Both stories will be collected in the double-sized LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 magazine and upcoming trade paperback.
In addition to the acclaimed regular LIFE WITH ARCHIE creative team, the two comic book issues—sold exclusively at comic shops in July—will feature a pantheon of artistic luminaries contributing covers to the historic issue, including Francesco Francavilla, Fiona Staples, Ramon Perez, Walt Simonson, Jill Thompson, Mike Allred, Cliff Chiang, Adam Hughes, Tommy Lee Edwards and Alex Ross.
While this may be a "comic book death" and one set in a future series, this is the first time we'll see the ramifications of Archie's death among the other residents of Riverdale. That's what makes a comic book death story stand out, seeing how the others react and deal with it.
Update
The variant covers can be seen HERE.