When was the last time you read an Archie Comic? I often begin an Archie column with that sentence. Unfortunately, many fans’ answers will be “not lately”! Now, that same question can be applied to a lot of comics. Because, let’s face it: there’s too much being put out for any fan to stay current.
But Archie should be treated differently. This year, Archie celebrates its 85th Anniversary and is one of the three publishers still going since comics all began. Archie isn’t trying to grab your attention with “hot titles” or one to jump onto the latest comic book craze. What they do with every comic is put out high-quality, all-ages comics that hold up over time.
Archie isn’t one to shy away from trying new things, like Archie Jumbo Comic Magazine #1: 85th Anniversary Celebration. At first glance, one could mistake this issue for one of those Archie Digests. What makes it unique is that it’s a full-size comic that clocks in at over 100 pages.
Starting this new quarterly magazine is a fantastic Dan DeCarlo cover. One point I tend to make about Archie Comics is that they hold up over time. A Golden Age story still reads well—all these years later. Archie even proves my point by starting the issue off with some Golden Age stories.
Okay, I have one small sticking point with Archie, and it’s that they don’t ever tell you where and when a particular story first appeared. They always include creator credits, but as a die-hard fan, I wish they included the rest. I’m into my comic book history and like to know those things, because it helps with context.
Hands down, my favorite story is the ten-page “Crisis on the Riverdale Earths”. Jughead of the Time Police (Yes, in Archie lore, there really is such a thing!) goes to visit “our” Archie Andrews. Mad Doctor Doom (Not THAT one! The OTHER one!) teams up with Evilheart to hatch a plan to collapse all the Archie-verses into one. It’s up to Archie (with a little help from some other Archies) to put things right.
Sure, you can get these and all Archie at your comic shop, but you can also go to the website to order comics and other Archie merchandise. And, depending on when you visit the website, Archie often runs some sort of sale or promo code. If you haven’t checked out an Archie in a long time, now’s the perfect time to sample some Archie. Hopefully, Archie won’t buy one of those comics you pass up the next time you visit your comic shop.
About Author
