On February 9th, 2022, just in advance of Valentine’s Day, the next brand-new seasonal Archie Comics anthology will arrive: Archie: Love & Heartbreak! While the rom-com one-shot may be taking Archie back to his relationship-based roots, the anthology promises a mix of familiar and unexpected pairings alike – and all from an all-star creative team!
Archie: Love & Heartbreak
The anthology promises three stories, each set in a frame that sees the teens of Riverdale heading out to the carnival, where love is soon kindled (and, in some instances, perhaps swiftly extinguished).
Earlier today, The Beat released our interview with some of the Holiday Season Specialists behind Archie’s Holiday Magic Special, and Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante told us to expect some “unexpected” pairings… well, let’s just say that Archie: Love & Heartbreak delivers on that promise!
Who’s Your Baby?
The three stories will featuring some pairings that may at first give some readers pause: Kevin and Devon, Betty and Jughead, and Veronica and Dilton (yes, you read that last one correctly). According to the press release from Archie Comics, Kevin’s story will build upon the recent Kevin Keller Celebration Kickstarter, meaning those who backed that collection can look forward to lots of Kevin in the upcoming months!
The creators working on the book will include Pitilli, who will be both writing and illustrating a story, writers Stephanie Cooke and Sina Grace, and artists Lisa Sterle and Iolanda Zanfardino, with colors by Matt Herms and lettering by Jack Morelli. In addition to the main cover by Pitilli, there will also be a variant cover by Paulina Gancheau.
“Coming off the heels of our 80th anniversary, we wanted to welcome fans of the modern comics back to the romantic core of Riverdale with this special one-shot,” said Rotante in a statement included with the press release. “Capturing the ideals of young love, readers get to experience firsthand the ups-and-downs of new relationships and what it means to discover yourself in a way we haven’t seen before in Archie comics. We hope readers see a little bit of themselves in each of these stories.”
Get on the Line for Love!
The 32-page full color Archie: Love & Heartbreak anthology will be available at your local comic shop beginning on February 9th, 2022. It’s the latest one-shot from Archie, following the Chilling Adventures in Sorcery anthology released in October and the upcoming Archie’s Holiday Magic Special, arriving at your LCS on December 8th, 2021.
Have you had a chance to pick up the Chilling Adventures in Sorcery one-shot? Have you reserved your copy of Archie’s Holiday Magic Special? Which one of the three romantic pairings that headline Archie: Love & Heartbreak are you most excited to read?
The Beat is waiting to hear from you! Let us know what you’re thinking, either here in the comment section or over on social media @comicsbeat.
