Although the recently rebooted line of Archie Comics have found quite a bit of success and helped immensely with rejuvenating interest in the publisher, longtime fans expressed some concern with the fact that the classic art style the brand has become known for had been jettisoned, and that a more dramatic tone was beginning to be favored over that of a more comedic one. Well, worry no more because Your Pal Archie is on its way and may very well be the book for you.
Aside from having that familiar taste, readers will no doubt be delighted to learn who the creative team is for this all ages title: artist Dan Parent and writer/inker Ty Templeton. Truth be told, the looks and fashion styles of the characters will be heavily influenced by that of those seen on the hit TV series Riverdale, but one glimpse at the artwork thus far released in the gallery at the top affirms the return to the classic look as opposed to, say, what someone like Fiona Staples brought to the table in recent memory.
Templeton had this to say about the new endeavor:
“This made me a hero to my children. I consider it an honor to write Archie’s latest adventures and a big responsibility that I take very seriously until I remember that it’s my job to dump Archie in a bucket of squid now and then or it won’t be fun.
“Speaking of fun, I get to work with the legendary Dan Parent! He’s given the characters a new updated look, but they still feel like group we’ve all grown up with. I could not be happier for this opportunity and I hope the fans are as happy with the result.”
Although the word “classic” is being continually thrown around today, it hasn’t been made completely clear if this is a return to decades old continuity or if this is something entirely new that simply channels that spirit, but all signs point toward the latter. If it is something new, I’m bracing myself for “Crisis on Infinite Archies” with this crew, the originals now seen only in digests, as well as the ones featured in Riverdale and Afterlife with Archie.
Your Pal Archie arrives in comic shops on July 26, with the first five issues’ variant covers forming a connecting image of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe by way of Les McClaine.