This week, The CW will debut Riverdale, a dark re-imagining of the Archie franchise that shares as much in common with shows like Twin Peaks and Gossip Girl as it does the classic Archie Comics stories. Some Archie fans have cried foul over this treatment, but the truth is that Riverdale is just the latest in a surprisingly long line of projects that offered a dark, subversive take on Archie and the gang. The show is really just keeping the tradition alive.
If you don't believe us, check out these seven other times the Archie franchise went dark.
This infamous 1994 crossover offered an early taste of what's possible when the Riverdale crew cross paths with the less savory denizens of the comic book industry. This one-shot special saw Frank Castle strike a deal with the US government to hunt down a ruthless drug dealer named Red. Unfortunately for Archie, Red was practically his doppelganger, and he just so happened to choose Riverdale as his hideout. In grand crossover tradition, Archie is first forced to flee from the bloodthirsty Punisher and then team up with his foe to rescue Veronica from Red. The comic even cleverly balances the two universes by having Marvel artist John Buscema draw the Punisher characters and Archie mainstay Stan Goldberg handling the Archie cast.
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If you don't believe us, check out these seven other times the Archie franchise went dark.
This infamous 1994 crossover offered an early taste of what's possible when the Riverdale crew cross paths with the less savory denizens of the comic book industry. This one-shot special saw Frank Castle strike a deal with the US government to hunt down a ruthless drug dealer named Red. Unfortunately for Archie, Red was practically his doppelganger, and he just so happened to choose Riverdale as his hideout. In grand crossover tradition, Archie is first forced to flee from the bloodthirsty Punisher and then team up with his foe to rescue Veronica from Red. The comic even cleverly balances the two universes by having Marvel artist John Buscema draw the Punisher characters and Archie mainstay Stan Goldberg handling the Archie cast.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...