Archie Lives: We Review Every Title in Oni Press' Ambitious Archie Comics Reboot

It’s been a portion since we’ve tally a due comic publication reappraisal connected IGN, but that’s thing I’m hoping to alteration successful the months ahead. And what amended clip to get backmost successful the wont than with Oni Press’ impending reboot of the Archie Comics line. In lawsuit you missed the news, Oni is launching a caller question of 3 comics that reinvent Archie and the Riverdale pack for a caller generation. That includes the flagship Archie bid arsenic good arsenic Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Archie successful Hell.

To ringing successful this caller epoch of comic publication reviews connected IGN, we figured the Archie reboot was the cleanable starting point. We’ve been capable to cheque retired the archetypal contented of each 3 series, and we’re present to render a verdict and fto you cognize which, if any, are worthy giving a look this fall.

We’re hoping to marque caller comic publication reviews connected IGN a regular happening again, truthful decidedly caput down to the comments and fto america cognize what books you’d similar to spot america cover.

Archie #1 Review

Creative Team: Writer Ben H. Winters & Artist Fábio Moon

Release Date: September 2, 2026

This bid is the evident jumping-on constituent for astir of the Archie-curious retired there. It’s the classical Archie bid reimagined for a caller era. Though possibly “reimagined” is overselling things a bit. The caller Archie doesn’t fundamentally rework the long-running bid truthful overmuch arsenic it gives it a caller overgarment of paint.

Which, for the astir part, is conscionable fine. The imaginable of Casanova and Daytripper creator Fábio Moon getting the accidental to enactment his magic connected Riverdale was ever the cardinal selling constituent for maine anyway, and successful that respect the reboot doesn’t disappoint. Moon is fundamentally the cleanable creator to enarthrosis the load of giving Archie Andrews a postmodern ocular touch-up. His pages are free-flowing and dynamic and expertly seizure the hectic quality of Archie’s overly engaged day. Moon’s pencils and inks mesh good with Jason Wordie’s colors, which lend conscionable the close consciousness of extent and texture to the art.

The main communicative featured successful this contented offers a elemental but mostly effectual gateway into Archie’s brainsick small world. Riverdale High is holding a movie festival, and Archie soon finds himself stretched bladed arsenic helium tries to lend a helping manus to each of his friends portion besides pursuing his ain large idea. The premise allows Winters and Moon to rapidly rhythm done the book’s large supporting formed and found their assorted relationships with Archie, and it’s each done successful an entertaining way.

The occupation is mostly a deficiency of depth. The communicative is amusive and lighthearted, but that’s astir it. It doesn’t truly strive to bash thing that we wouldn’t person gotten retired of a classical Archie Comics adventure. Give this aforesaid publication to an creator similar Dan Parent and it could conscionable arsenic easy beryllium included successful an Archie Double Digest successful a market store checkout lane. Maybe I’m simply a unfortunate of my ain expectations, but I was hoping for thing a small much experimental, oregon astatine slightest a communicative with much hints of a serialized narrative. For now, the erstwhile “New Riverdale” reboot inactive stands arsenic the much compelling illustration of reinventing Archie for the 21st century.

That said, Winters and Moon’s backup communicative does suggest the bid is susceptible of a spot more. The backup focuses much connected Jughead and digs a small deeper into the science of everyone’s favourite hamburger-scarfing champion friend. Hopefully it’s a motion of much ambitious storytelling to come.

Score - 7

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review

Creative Team: Writer Corinna Bechko & Artist Kano

Release Date: October 7, 2026

If Archie #1 is blameworthy of playing things a small excessively harmless and traditional, that’s not a occupation for this reboot of its sister series. This is easy the astir satisfying debut contented of the trio, 1 that strikes a bully equilibrium betwixt honoring the franchise’s wholesome, all-ages roots and embracing the possibilities of this caller future.

Similar to Archie #1, Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 enters Sabrina Spellman’s beingness astatine a peculiarly chaotic time. She’s conscionable discovered her magical abilities and is trying to equilibrium her newfound responsibilities with her tendency to bent retired with her friends and bask a bully Halloween party. Bechko’s publication wisely skips implicit the root communicative for the astir part, preferring to leap close successful with what comes next.

While this contented besides serves arsenic an businesslike debut for overmuch of the book’s supporting cast, it’s truly the dynamic betwixt Sabrina and her feline Salem that steals the show. Salem is simply a batch of amusive arsenic helium bickers with his befuddled owner, who’s inactive increasing accustomed to the information that her feline talks successful the archetypal place. In general, Sabrina comes crossed arsenic precise likable here, a miss torn betwixt precocious schoolhouse amusive and the much urgent, darker satellite that’s conscionable opened earlier her.

Kano’s creation complements the lighthearted but somewhat sinister vibe of the publication rather well. Here, too, the bid toes that enactment betwixt honoring the past and establishing its ain look and feel. Of peculiar enactment is Kano’s facial work, which is wonderfully expressive and helps springiness each quality a invited burst of personality. This is simply a publication to support an oculus on.

Score - 9

Archie successful Hell #1

Creative Team: Writer Patrick Horvath & Artist Tyler Crook

Release Date: November 4, 2026

It was wide from the opening that anyone who wanted to spot a much subversive instrumentality connected the Archie franchise with this Oni reboot would beryllium champion served with Archie successful Hell. The bid is precise overmuch the spiritual successor to Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla’s Afterlife with Archie, a publication that boasted a fantastic premise but was undone by its unpredictable shipping schedule. Hopefully, that won’t beryllium a occupation this clip around.

Probably the biggest selling constituent of Archie successful Hell, isolated from the basal entreaty of infusing this beingness with supernatural horror, is the information that it’s written by Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ Patrick Horvath. A existent lucifer made successful eden there, adjacent if the extremity effect isn’t rather arsenic beardown retired of the gross arsenic I would person liked. Issue #1 is simply a spot of a dilatory burn, taking its saccharine clip to modulation from the wholesome charm of a modular Archie escapade to thing darker and much grotesque. It’s fun, but there’s not rather capable nutrient connected this peculiar bony conscionable yet.

The bid besides finds a fitting creator successful fearfulness comics seasoned Tyler Crook. Crook and colorist Francesco Segala are adept astatine blending the old-school Archie aesthetic with a darker, much twisted vibe. Early on, you tin astir instrumentality yourself into believing you’re speechmaking different straightforward Archie adventure, lone to beryllium reminded different erstwhile the achromatic magic and ritualistic sacrifices commencement unfolding connected the page.

This bid holds plentifulness of potential, but a batch is riding connected the last leafage twist and wherever things spell from there. It lacks the fast-paced commencement and casual “Night of the Living Dead successful Riverdale” elevator transportation that Afterlife with Archie benefited from.

Score - 6