Archie #2 Preview

 

Cover A By Stuart Immonen

Archie Andrews and Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III enjoy their lives in Riverdale. Even if he often falls short, Archie tries hard at his studies. He sings and plays guitar. He's even got a closet full of varsity jackets. Jughead has a voracious appetite and loves hanging out at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. He's even prone to the occasional transcendental experience.

 

Lately, Archie has been struggling to fit everything he wants to do into each day. And Jughead has begun to contemplate a future when he doesn’t attend Riverdale High, hang out with his friends, and order everything on Pop’s menu (twice). How might meeting their predecessors at a school reunion affect them? And who are all the other people in Archie and Jughead's lives?

 

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

 

Archie #2 Preview

Writer: Ben H Winters

Artist: Fábio Moon

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Cover Artists: Stuart Immonen, Fábio Moon, Rachael Stott, David López, Dan Parent & Matt Kindt

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color 

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 28, 2026

 

 

It’s A Riverdale High Reunion. 

And Josie And The Pussycats are about to 

Bring The House Down!

 

 

 

The groundbreaking return of the most joyous comic book icon of all continues as New York Times bestselling writer and Eisner Award nominee Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman Trilogy) and multiple Eisner Award–winning artist Fábio Moon (Daytripper, Casanova) reveal the interlocking past lives of Riverdale’s elder generation—and just what they might mean for Archie Andrews’s future—in a party for the ages!

 

It’s reunion weekend at Riverdale High, and Archie is playing waiter—all while gathering wisdom from returning alumni about how to lead a life well lived. “You always have to make sure you’re living in the moment and having fun. You don’t want to look back on what you missed! But also! Don’t forget, you need to work hard or you’ll never get anywhere.” Thanks for delivering the ultimate contradiction! With a looming date night and a crushing academic deadline, Archie’s newfound ideals will soon be put to the test. Does he have what it takes to make the next step toward adulthood? Will Jughead eat all the hamburgers before they make it to the guests? Will Josie and the Pussycats play an encore?!

 

These are the pressing questions of our generation . . . and all will be answered as the year’s must-read new ongoing series greets a new day!

 

  

Here are more collectible covers:

 

 

Cover B By Fábio Moon

 

 

 

Cover C By Rachael Stott

 

 

Variant Cover (1:10) By David López

 

 

Legacy Variant (1:20) By Dan Parent

Variant Cover (1:50) By Matt Kindt

B&W Variant (1:100) By Stuart Immonen

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

For how this series started, see Archie #1 Review. 

Amazing Spider-Man #31 Review Part 2

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Pencilers: John Romita Jr, Emilio Laiso & Zé Carlos;

Inkers: Scott Hanna, Emilio Laiso & Zé Carlos

Colorist: Marcio Menyz & Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Elena Cassagrande & Jordie Bellaire; Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos; John Tyler Christopher; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; George Pérez & Alex Sinclair

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $9.99

Release Date: August 9, 2023

 

What else did Marvel include in this oversized special issue celebrating 925 issues of Amazing Spider-Man? Let's fwip into Amazing Spider-Man #31 and find out!

 

Ms. Marvel Story

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: David López

Colorist: K. J. Diáz

 

Soft colors accompany Peter and Kamala's heartfelt reunion in Amazing Spider-Man #31. It's one of those If Only stories where a person gets more precious time with a late friend. I'm unsure how story events gel with the spell Emma Frost casts on Ms. Marvel's behalf in X-Men #25, but I enjoyed it.

 

“The Man With All The Answers”

Writer: Dan Slott

Penciler: Mark Bagley

Inker: John Dell

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

 

Rich coloring and sharp, detailed art breathe atmosphere and charm into Doctor Octopus’ night out. Yet instead of dancing the night away or enjoying his favorite beverage, Ock’s desperately trying to reclaim lost knowledge in a villain’s bar. His integrated ocktoids try to help, but Octavius knows they can’t pull the secrets from his mind. Still, maybe there’s a way he can make himself whole—and superior--again. This one's a perfect follow-up to the Ock's recent tussle with Spidey and Golden Norman.

 

 

 

Mary Jane Story

Writer: Celeste Bronfman

Penciler: Alba Glez

Inkers: Elisabetta D’Amico & Craig Yeung

Colorist: Jim Campbell

 

Mary Jane and Paul tread the dark road of grief as Celeste Bronfman follows up her story in the Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. The couple grapples with their children's disappearance as they meet with a therapist and the authorities while trying to pick up the threads of ripped-and-torn lives. It doesn’t help that memories haunt their home, and the owner of their new abode inhabits an asylum. It's a penetrating look at how grief isolates and unites. While nothing can take grief away, the story reminds us that friends can help us find a way through. It’s hard not to love the second half, but the first part—which unspools with narrative but little dialogue—is achingly real.

 

Spider-Woman Story

Farewell, Doc Ock! The Bar With No Name has filled with other supervillains. Of all those, Spider-Woman picks a fight with Taskmaster. This story follows the End Of The Spiderverse story in Dan Slott’s Spider-Man series. Confrontational and atmospheric, it makes me eager to follow her desperate search in Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Woman series.

 

“The Mother Of Invention”

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Paco Medina

Colorist Erick Arciniega

 

This story in Amazing Spider-Man #31 starts with a chicken farmer. Or a rooster who's also a farmer? Sadly, he can't cock-a-doodle-do because something's stuck in his craw. You'll also meet a Tabby Cat maid, the suit-wearing parrot Polly, and the porcine butler Hogsworth. These Humanimals attend Madame Monstrosity, an elegant villainess unafraid of feeding anyone a poisoned apple if they steal her technology. This whimsical romp presages another Spidey series spinning out of the End Of The Spiderverse story. Might it feature a team-up with Squirrel Girl? Wait and see!

 

 

“The Case Of Perry Thomas”

Writer, Artist & Colorist: Albert Monteys

 

Carefree art sucks you into a typical creator's dilemma. How do you deal with fandom? In this case, it's Peter navigating the difficulties of hero worship. I like how Peter consults a fellow superhero on his dilemma but arrives at his solution.

 

“Spider-Man Loosey Goosey”

Writer, Artist & Colorist: Cale Atkinson

 

Atkinson’s delightful cartoon pays homage to Marvel's brightest luminary. This too-short two-pager is something to honk about.

 

Huntress

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

 

This teaser for the next issue is arresting, mesmerizing, and visually stunning. Told from Kraven The Hunter's viewpoint, it sucks you into a nightmare world where life is death, love is hate, and violence is passion. Tell me more!

 

Dystopian Future Story

Writer & Artist: Kaare Andrews

 

This Blade Runner-like sequel to the miniseries Reign showcases a monstrous Wilson Fisk. Glittering, magical, and terrifying!

 

 

Final Thoughts

Stories in Amazing Spider-Man #31 ask if love can conquer all barriers and tease upcoming Spidey titles, making this issue a must-read for all Spider-fans.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art for the main story, and the Ms. Marvel and Mary Jane shorts, see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 Review

 

Cover Artists: Corin Howell & Brian Reber; George Pérez & Alex Sinclair; Clarice “Saowee’ Menguito

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 2, 2023

 

First Story

Writer: Erica Schultz

Artist: Julian Shaw

Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

 

Second Story

Writer: Celeste Bronfman

Artist: David López

Colorist: KJ Díaz

 

A transplant from Milwaukee discovers why, as she tells her mother, New York City has a superhero on every corner. Not even birthday parties are safe in the Big Apple! What can Spidey do to protect people on the streets and in their homes? Let’s fwip into Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 and find out!

 

First Story

Peter’s flying through the streets when he notices a demon harassing a woman from Milwaukee. After the fight, Spider-Man tracks the miscreant back to Limbo Embassy. His attempt to capture Demon Daddy sends both crashing inside. Naturally, this initiates more fighting as the miscreant's fellows take umbrage at Peter's intrusion. Amid the chaos, Hallows' Eve slips into Chasm's cell and tries to free him.

 

At first glance, Spider-Man seems incidental to Erica Schultz’s story. But the careful reader will notice the links I missed on my first read-through. I should have been reading Marvel's Hallow’s Eve series (and perhaps the X-Men), as Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 made me realize how much I've missed Janine, Ben Reilly, and Madelyne Pryor since Dark Web Finale #1. The ill-fated lovers' saga continues while the Goblin Queen discovers that ruling a kingdom is less fun than chicanery. Madelyne's weariness over the tedium—and her solution to Spider-Man's intrusion—is understandable. One can only imagine her pain for her fellow mutants' suffering after the events of X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1.

 

Art

Julian Shaw kicks panels into high gear in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Characters show spark and individuality, and he captures motion well. Sometimes the demons' features look fuzzy. That's a shame, as they've got a spunky appearance. I especially liked Peter's Spider-Glider. While I've been reading this series for ten months, Julian's take on Bug made me sit up and take notice. I also loved the way the Limbo Embassy rose above NYC's crowded skyline and the architectural design of its halls and rooms.

 

After enjoying his coloring on Valiant titles like Bloodshot, Ninjak, and Rai, Andrew Dalhouse’s contribution to Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 was a pleasant surprise. Intense, bright colors gave ample contrast to outside scenes. The way he gradually faded the background colors was a nice touch. Characters usually stand out inside the embassy, and he makes Hallows' Eve and Chasm pop. I wish he could have made the walls, columns, and spiky ceilings brighter and less gray.

 

 

Second Story

After Erica Schultz’s twenty-page story, Celeste Bronfman's ten-pager gets off to a rocky start in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. At least it did for me, as I missed the Spider symbol that stood in for The End. The lack of titles for either story and editor Nick Lowe's decision to leave the second story credits for the final page tricked me into thinking this constituted a continuation of Spider-Man’s Limbo Embassy chicanery. Still, after a page or two, I remembered that annuals often include multiple stories. The difference in art styles also helped.

 

Mary Jane and her beau Paul throw a birthday party for her aunt Anna Watson. Sadly, chaos erupts due to events spinning out of X-Men Hellfire Gala #1, which editor Nick Lowe insists, "I’m telling you, stuff went down!" While Spider-Man plays the hero, the story doesn't show Peter at his best. Or how about the peeps at the bakery who wrote "Happy Earth Day, Anna" on the cake? Peter suggests it was a misunderstanding, but Earth Day only happens once a year. Or do people celebrate personal Earth Days? Is that a thing? In any case, I can't imagine it taking more than a few minutes for the decorators to fix the mistake. Also, Mary Jane's solution works so rapidly that I had trouble believing this tale.

 

David López’s characters are appealing and convey motion believably in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. I had trouble interpreting emotions in a few scenes, and most panels could have benefitted from more background elements. Perhaps a bolder palette would have enriched the party scenes. Still, those set at Ravencroft, when the characters are outside in the rain, and the final panel, will thrust a dagger into your heart.

 

 

Joe Caramagna’s lettering is beyond impressive. Ample-size uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read, even when scenes burst with dialogue. Sound effects and heightened dialogue are expressive and energetic. Small moments—such as Madelyne thumping her staff and Spidey hitting the pavement—are only two highlights of his word mastery.

 

Final Thoughts

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 gives readers a peek inside New York City's exclusive Limbo Embassy, an invitation to Anna Watson's B-Earth Day party, and a haunting look at Ravencroft Institute. While Spider-Man seems more incidental than central, the stories explore the edges of his world and hint at possible future events.

 

Rating 8.9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.