Today’s Comic> Archie’s Comics Spectacular (Free Comic Book Day)

Now this is what the characters are supposed to look like!

Archie’s Comic Spectacular, FCBD Edition

Archie Comic Publications (May, 2025)

WRITERS: Goldie Chan, Ian Flynn, Timmy Heague, Dan Parent, Adrian Ropp, & Jamie Lee Rotante

PENCILERS: Steven Butler, Holly G!, Bill Galvan, & Dan Parent

INKERS: Jim Amash, Lily Butler, Ben Galvan, & Bob Smith

COVER ART: Steven Butler, Lily Butler, Holly G!, Bll Galvan, Ben Galvan, Dan Parent, & Rosario “Tito” Peña

COLORIST: Glenn Whitmore

LETTERER: Jack Morelli

EDITORS: Jaime Lee Rotante, Vincent Lovallo, & Stephen Oswald

Nice to see the Archie characters looking like the Archie characters again, though clearly they’re a bit rusty on this art style over at Archie, having done a more realistic style for the re-imagine starting some years ago. I haven’t been following, but I hope this is Archie returning to form rather than a tease before sticking back to the CW look. The various stories in this comic credits which writers and artists worked on that particular story, with Whitmore and Morelli in their roles throughout the book. I just didn’t want to go through the trouble with six stories to review.

“Riverdale Jones & The Burger Of Destiny”

Our first story has Jughead in a food coma thanks to Pop’s latest and hugest hamburger. Dreaming he’s a knockoff Indiana Jones, Jug and Hot Dog are looking for a burger rumored to cure hunger…but must deal with his nemesis to get it. Which is bad news for Reggie as he’s cast in the dream as the bad guy. It’s a fun little story to start off the comic.

“Blockbuster Blowout”

Another dream story seems a bit much but this is the last one of the comic. This time it’s Archie in a spoof of Deadpool & Wolverine as the family friend Wilson, Dade, aka Poolnoodle, decided crossing over with Pureheart The Powerful isn’t enough and drags in numerous original characters from Archie’s past, with or without a tie to Riverdale. I don’t some of these characters (only Sabrina, Josie & The Pussycats, and the Mighty Crusaders), but it’s a fun way to honor the company’s past.

“Babbi’s Riverdale Beach Party”

A Betty & Veronica story. I think this was supposed to come out when the Barbie movie did, or maybe Archie was back to do classic Archie somewhere and this is a reprint. Veronica is throwing a party themed around the Babbie dolls (complete with lifesize playset). Not everybody is happy about it, but then one guest has to defend her brother’s honor, aided by Babbie herself showing up. Whether that’s part of the nod to the movie or just one of those things in a town that includes secret teenage witches I couldn’t tell you. I also couldn’t tell you who most of these new characters are either, though Trent seems to just be there to rain on everybody’s parade. I don’t like him. The only other characters of interest besides the usual gang are Cassie and her brother Casey since they get an arc somehow I think maybe?????? I guess every anthology needs at least one story that required a higher page count to tell their story fully, but I’ve seen worse.

“All About Meme!”

Another new character and he’ll be back again…and for some reason he’s still drawn like a simplified version of the new style while everyone else in the comic is drawn in the classic style. (It’s the eyes mostly.) There’s a school dance coming up and Young Doctor/David Masters (YMD for short) is livestreaming everybody’s quirks about the dance. Things like Archie having two dates, Reggie not helping Moose ask Midge to the dance, and rickrolling everyone that Josie & The Pussycats were performing. It’s basically a parody of online memes, and if you haven’t noticed the trend in this comic by now you really aren’t paying attention.

“Do You Believe In Magic?!”

Sabrina at least breaks the parody for trope subversion. Archie and Sabrina find a cursed tiki idol, which she knows was made by a witch friend of hers. She buried it on the beach because it was supposed to bring bad luck…only it does the opposite and the main gang actually benefits from the idol. So it’s a blunder, but one with positive rewards. I can go for that.

“The Doctor Does Dating”

Young Dr. Masters is back to end the comic. Yay. In both comics the blurb says that he’s “constantly putting himself in danger to help others, braving the most alarming situations to ensure that injured people make it to the hospital in time”, but all we keep getting are internet culture parodies…unless there’s a joke I’m missing. This time the gag surrounds a new dating app the doc is promoting. It’s cute but easily the weakest story, so not the best one to end the comic on.

overall

I’m not a huge Archie and company fan but it is nice to check out every now and then. So seeing this comic at least return to form was nice. This is what Archie feels like to me so at least it isn’t completely gone, and I’m glad their Free Comic Book Day offering went totally in this direction and gave us complete stories.