Archie

We've already rounded up the best events for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and we've highlighted some of the best exclusive art prints to pick up, but there's so much more at SDCC. As the biggest convention of the year, it's a great way to interact with creators and this year's event has an amazing line-up of spotlight panels on some of the best writers and artists in the business.

The question most often asked of the ComicsAlliance staff is a variation of, “Which comic books should I be reading?” or, “I’m new to comics, what’s a good place to start?” The Wednesday deluge of new comic books, graphic novels and collected editions can be daunting even for the longtime reader, much less for those totally unfamiliar with creators, characters and publishers, and the dark mysteries of comic book shopping like variants, pre-ordering, and formats. It’s with these challenges in mind that we’ve created Best Comic Books Ever (This Week), an ongoing guide curated by the ComicsAlliance staff. This is where new comics readers and seasoned Wednesday shoppers alike can find our picks of the best books the medium has to offer.

San Diego Comic Con is without a doubt the biggest event on the industry’s calendar, and people will be flying from around the world to attend panels, watch trailers, meet creators, and make friends. This year’s event is bigger than ever, with so much going on every single day that it can be difficult to sift through all that information and decide how to spend your time. Yesterday we gave a rundown on what to expect on Thursday and Friday, but things heat up as the weekend kicks in and the major studios make their presence known. Expect big reveals from Marvel Studios, DC's TV offerings and more, plus great panels featuring your favorite creators in comics.

When you get right down to it, it was inevitable. When the Archie comics rebooted, there was a sort of stripped-down approach to rebuilding the universe, an approach that went all the way back to reintroducing Veronica Lodge as an outsider to Riverdale's teens, and while there were a few modern characters who made their reappearances over the course of that first year --- like Kevin Keller, for instance --- there were a handful that were notable for their absence. Now, though, as we move into the second year of the All New Archie, those missing pieces are starting to make their return. Sabrina's showing up in Jughead, and Josie and the Pussycats have a new series in the works. And in Archie #13, Cheryl Blossom is finally back.

For something that's nominally built for quck gags about lovestruck teenagers getting into magical hijinx, the world of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a surprisingly complex one. Even before Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack started weaving in Lovecraftian horrors and witchity destinies, there was a lot of weird stuff going on. Like, you know, the fact that a mad sorcerer who attempted a bloody conquest of the world can wind up imprisoned as a wisecracking housecat. That cat is, of course, Salem Saberhagen, and while he's mostly known for being the sardonic counterpart to Sabrina Spellman, there's a lot more going on underneath the coat of fur that serves as his prison --- and in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #6, he's stepping into the spotlight (and talking to a couple of cobras while he's at it). Check out a preview!

Courtesy of Archie Comics, ComicsAlliance brings you an advance look at new periodical comic books, collected editions, and graphic novels going on sale in October 2016 from the publisher’s Archie Action line featuring Sonic the Hedgehog. This fall Sonic is taking things to the Next Level, and not just metaphorically. It's the name of this November's extra-sized one-shot picking up right where Mega Drive left off. You can say a lot of things about the Blue Blur, but you can't ever say the dude slows down for one second.

As much as they might've been modernized over the past few years, I think it's still safe to say that Archie comics are rooted in a series of classic elements. The eternal war between Betty and Veronica for Archie's affections, for instance, or Archie's well-meaning clumsiness, or even Jughead constantly mooching off Archie to get money for burgers. Those are all long-standing traditions in the Archie Universe, but none are so well-regarded as the gang having to fight a bear. What's that? Y'all don't think that's a traditional Archie story? Well, I can assure you that it happened in 1974's Life With Archie #143, and that's enough of a tradition for me --- especially since Chip Zdarsky and Derek Charm are bringing it back for the next issue of Jughead. Check out a preview!

I am what you could charitably call very skeptical of Sonic the Hedgehog in all of his various forms. I wasn't a Sega kid, so I never got into the games when I was young, and despite the fact that he's been a constant presence in the world of comics since 1993, that's a vast swath of storytelling that I've never engaged with. Now, however, it might finally be time to take the plunge. For the past two weeks, there's been a massive collection of Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics available at Humble Bundle, allowing readers to pay what they want for a new starting point and support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It might be the tipping point, but while I remain a little reluctant, I've given Sonic editor Vincent Lovallo the chance to convince me once and for all to read these comics.

The Nominees for the 2016 Harvey Awards have been announced, and Valiant Entertainment is definitely well-represented this year. The publisher dominates the fields with 50 total nominations. In the categories of Special Award for Humor, Best Graphic Album Previous Published, Special Award for Excellence in Presentation, and Best Domestic Reprint Project, all of the nominees save one are from Valiant. There are of course books from other publishers also doing well, with Marvel's The Vision and Boom's Giant Days both receiving multiple nominations. Standbys like Saga and Lumberjanes are also represented.

Ever since Archie opened its updated relaunch with the news that Archie and Betty had broken up, tensions have been running high in the otherwise idyllic small town of Riverdale, and now, it seems like they're finally hitting a fever pitch. When Archie #10 hits on July 27, it's finally time... for the Riverdale Civil War.