Archie Andrews has dealt with more than the typical teenage problems over the years. He's survived a zombie apocalypse, been hunted by the Predator, and weathered Sharknado. Now he's going to Hell. In June, Oni Press announced a new wave of Riverdale comics that included Afterlife With Archie's spiritual successor, Archie in Hell. Now, Polygon can share an exclusive first look at the wild new turn.
Archie in Hell will be written by multiple Eisner Award nominee Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees) and Russ Manning Award winner Tyler Crook (Out of Alcatraz, Harrow County). “Getting the opportunity to work on this book has been a series of pleasant surprises,” said writer Patrick Horvath. “When Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn from Oni mentioned the possibility to me, it happened to line up pretty perfectly with my schedule.” Artist Tyler Cook shared similarly shared his excitement for the project, citing the fascinating blend of horror and history it brings to Riverdale.
Oni Press and Archie Comics also shared some insight into just how Archie finds himself six feet under. Here's the official synopsis of Archie in Hell:
They say that every small town has a secret. Well, in the case of Riverdale, it’s one heck of a humdinger: An ancient order of cultists has infiltrated its townspeople, bent on using human sacrifice to usher a demon lord into our mortal plane. And they’ve finally identified the final target they need to bring a century’s worth of planning to fruition: hometown football champion and all-around good guy Archie Andrews. But this secret cabal never dreamed that actual witches walk Riverdale’s streets . . . and when cult and coven clash in the final stages of Archie’s secret ritual sacrifice, the consequences will be cosmic . . . and young Archie Andrews will find himself damned to something far worse than Hell’s inner circle.
As in Afterlife With Archie, the latest horror adventure for Riverdale's most lovable man involves Greendale's teenage witch, Sabrina Spellman. The preview pages show Sabrina discovering the presence of a cult called the Order of A'ldarax in Riverdale. Her aunts inform her that the cult is looking for someone to use in a ritual intended to bring about the apocalypse. The final preview page shows that the cult's ritual sacrifice is none other than Archie Andrews. In the final panels, Tyler Crook's nostalgic art turns into overt body horror. The worst, it seems, is still to come for Archie when Archie in Hell #1 is released on Nov. 4, 2026.
Before Archie goes to Hell, readers can pick up the new flagship Archie title on Sept. 2, 2026. That series will be joined by a new Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic this October. The three new series coincide with Archie's 85th anniversary.