Archie #1 will be the first full reboot in the 75 year history of the franchise, and it has Mark Waid and Fiona Staples on board!
Archie Comics is suddenly the comic company that can do no wrong. They've been quietly positioning themselves as a publisher willing to take chances, whether it's with Mark Waid and Dean Haspiel's brilliantly bonkers The Fox (arguably the best superhero comic of last year), or the stunning Afterlife With Archie by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (far less arguably the best horror comic of last year), and now the biggest surprise of all: how do you make a full Archie reboot seem like a good idea?
Well, putting Fiona Staples on art is a big help. Having Mark Waid write sure doesn't hurt, either. Hence, Archie#1, a fresh start for one of the most venerable franchises in comics, coming in 2015. Archie#1"will reenergize the story of Archie and his friends, presenting for the first time ever the origins of everyone’s favorite redheaded teen and his friends while showcasing the beginnings of the historic love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica."
“The Archie characters aren’t in need of a tune-up, ‘shocking change,’ or revision. These characters have stood the test of time and resonate to this day – we’ve proven that over the last six years,” Archie Comics publisher and CEO Jon Goldwater said in a statement. “What Archie #1 will do, though, is bring together two of the most talented creators in comics in Mark Waid and Fiona Staples and create a surprising and definitive take on Archie’s origin – a story that has never been. The book will bring back some of the bite of Archie’s original tales in a modern, forward-looking manner, while still retaining the character’s all-ages appeal. What better way to celebrate 75 years of Archie Andrews?”
As long as this doesn't keep Fiona Staples from her art duties on Saga, then everybody wins.
