Jughead

Welcome to Riverdale, the latest CW show based on a comic; but instead of DC superheroes, this one is all about Archie Andrews and his pals 'n' gals! Archie Comics aficionado Chris Sims and CW teen drama superfan Emma Lawson will be your recappers for our weekly breakdown of what's hot and happening at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. This week, we meet all the characters we know and love, including Archie, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, Cheryl, Reggie, and Jughead --- but none of them are quite what you might expect here in Twink Peaks, and one of them might be covering up a murder. "The River's Edge" was directed by Lee Toland Krieger and written by Archie Comics' own creative director Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

The big news for Archie this week is, of course, the launch of Riverdale as a prime-time TV drama that's already garnering interest by building its first storyline not around a botched double-date or a milkshake with too many straws, but the discovery of a dead body that may or may not have been murdered by one or more members of the cast. Really, though, dead bodies? That's small potatoes compared to the shocking and tragic events that are going to be playing out in the comics next month: There's just so much Reggie Mantle.

The Holidays are upon as, and the year is basically gone. And as you know by now, that mean that here at ComicsAlliance, we're looking back at the best that comics had to offer in 2016. So here, to give you warm feeling as you head into your holiday weekend, are the best Archie Comics covers of the year.

Check out the best comedy comics in 2016, including our critics' picks and the comics you voted the runners up and winner in this category!

Reggie Mantle is a menace. I mean, we've all known that for years --- even Archie's official Twitter account spends most of its time dragging him for being Literally The Worst --- but now, his unchecked terribleness has gotten way worse. Not only is he starring in his own ongoing series with its second issue hitting shelves on January 11, but he's also got a starring role in Jughead #12, out the same day, where he somehow becomes actual, literal King of Riverdale (or at least of Riverdale's Teens) for a day.

Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with decades of comics behind, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite names in comics in our continuing video series. You think you know comics? Well, here’s a few things you might not know! This week we're looking at Archie's best pal, Jughead Jones!

In the solicitation for this week's Archie #14, there's a quick line about Cheryl Blossom and Veronica Lodge that casts their relationship into a new light, for me at least. I mean, I knew Cheryl was a wrecking ball with the kind of vast reach and Byzantine plans that you usually only see James Bond fighting against, but I hadn't considered that when she's around, Veronica suddenly becomes Betty. Well, she becomes sort of like Betty, just without the kind heart. But still, it puts her status as Riverdale's most disruptive force in pretty simple terms. And that disruption is going to be on display this week in Archie #14. Check out a preview --- but keep in mind that Cheryl won't show up until after these pages. Instead, we find out all about Archie trying to get Jughead to buy a phone. Enjoy!

In Ryan North and Derek Charm's Jughead #10, our hero has found himself not just on a date, and not just on a date with a girl that he thought was some kind of gigantic humanoid hamburger, but on a date with a girl that he thought was a gigantic humanoid hamburger who just so happens to be Sabrina, the for-real magical Teenage Witch. But hey, at least the date itself is going well with absolutely no problems that could --- no, wait, it's a complete disaster. Check out a preview!

Q: Why do you think Jughead is such a great character? -- @hurgling A: Every now and then, I'll bring up the idea that I have a definite, immutable, and 100% official list of the five greatest characters in comic book history. When I do, people are usually pretty understanding of the characters you'd expect to be there --- you know, Batman and Scrooge McDuck --- but Forsythe Pendleton Jones III is always the one that throws people off. I stand by it, though: Jughead's great. And the reason why goes far beyond just the hamburgers, the crown, and the sleepy eyes that all come to mind when you think of the character. I'm not gonna lie, though: The crown is a pretty big part of it.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch returns to the rebooted Archie universe in Jughead #9, coming next week by Ryan North and Derek Charm, and she's sharing pages with Grubhead, who might just be the sensational character find of 2016. Trust me, you are not ready for him, but if you want to tempt fate, check out a preview!