Ten years after its last issue, the Archie Horror comic is getting a television adaptation, two elaborate hardcover editions, and another promise that the story isn't quite dead yet.

For generations, the worst thing that could happen to Archie Andrews was having Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge discover he'd made a date with both of them for the same Saturday night. There might be some slapstick violence, a few misunderstandings, and an angry Mr. Lodge, but everybody would survive to do it all again next month.

Then Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla came along and decided that Riverdale needed a zombie apocalypse. And not the funny kind.

When Afterlife with Archie debuted in October 2013, it took the wholesome characters of Archie Comics and dropped them into a horror story that had no intention of playing nice. The trouble began when Reggie Mantle ran over Jughead Jones's dog, Hot Dog. A grief-stricken Jughead took the animal to Sabrina Spellman, who performed a resurrection spell she was expressly forbidden to attempt. Hot Dog came back, all right, but he wasn't interested in chasing cars anymore. One bite later, Jughead was infected, and Riverdale was on its way to becoming a town populated by people who wanted to eat their friends.

Sabrina's punishment was no picnic, either. Her involvement would eventually take her into a Lovecraftian nightmare, while Archie and his surviving classmates discovered that the zombie plague wasn't necessarily the worst thing they had to worry about. The living had plenty of terrible things they were capable of doing without supernatural assistance.

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It was, in my opinion, one of the best comics being published at the time. Aguirre-Sacasa understood these characters well enough to make their suffering matter, and Francavilla's artwork made the familiar streets of Riverdale look like places you wouldn't want to visit after dark.

Unfortunately, the series also developed a rather unfortunate habit of disappearing. We'll get to that. First, there's the matter of Disney+ bringing the dead back to life.

Disney+ Is Going to Kill Archie

In July, Disney+ ordered a live-action adaptation of Afterlife with Archie, with a premiere targeted for Halloween 2027. Aguirre-Sacasa, who created the comic with Francavilla, is returning as writer, showrunner, and executive producer.

Warner Bros. Television is producing the series, with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Jimmy Gibbons, and Archie Comics Studios' Jon Goldwater among the executive producers. If those names sound familiar, they should. Aguirre-Sacasa was responsible for bringing Riverdale to The CW and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to Netflix, proving that the Archie characters could be taken into considerably darker territory than their original creators ever envisioned.

Of course, Riverdale didn't start out as a supernatural horror series. It began as a teen mystery and gradually became a show where almost anything could happen, and frequently did. Afterlife with Archie won't need that kind of transition. The comic starts with the dead coming back to life and proceeds downhill from there.

The announced premise follows the original comic: a spell goes wrong, the dead rise, and Archie and his friends have to survive the destruction of their hometown. Whether the adaptation will follow the comic's specific storylines or merely use them as a jumping-off point remains to be seen. Some of the original material is genuinely disturbing. This isn't Archie and the gang putting on zombie costumes for a Halloween party. People die, relationships collapse, and characters we've known for decades do things that would never have been permitted in the traditional comics.

There's also the matter of what sort of audience Disney+ intends to attract. Anyone expecting the cheerful Archie of the old digests is in for a shock, although viewers who followed Aguirre-Sacasa through Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina should have some idea what they're getting into.

The production has begun assembling its creative team. In October, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon was reported as director of the first two episodes, with executive-producing duties on those installments as well. His credits include American Horror Story, Hunters, and the 2014 remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. That last title alone ought to give horror fans some indication that he isn't coming to Riverdale to direct a school dance.

There have also been reports that KJ Apa, who played Archie on Riverdale, would be interested in appearing in the new series. Interest isn't casting, however, and there's no reason yet to assume the new production will be populated by familiar faces from The CW show. This is a separate adaptation of a separate Archie universe. The characters may have the same names, but their problems are going to be considerably worse than anything that happened at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe.

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Oni Press Opens the Mausoleum

As if a Disney+ adaptation weren't enough, Oni Press and Archie Comics have decided Halloween 2026 would be an excellent time to bring Afterlife with Archie back into bookstores. And onto Kickstarter.

On October 29, the publishers launched the Afterlife with Archie: Mausoleum Edition Vol. 1 Kickstarter, offering an oversized hardcover devoted to Francavilla's artwork from the first six issues. When I say oversized, I mean it. This thing measures 11 by 17 inches, putting it in the neighborhood of the dimensions on which many comic-book pages are originally drawn. It's the sort of book that requires you to clear some space on the coffee table before you open it.

But size isn't the only attraction. The Mausoleum Edition presents Francavilla's artwork in black and white, with the artist remastering the original pages for this presentation. The color work in Afterlife with Archie was an important part of its atmosphere, but seeing the illustrations without it offers a different appreciation of what Francavilla was doing.

His work was already steeped in the visual language of classic horror. The heavy shadows, dramatic lighting, and expressions on the characters' faces could make an ordinary conversation feel as though something terrible were about to happen. Often, something terrible was. I praised Francavilla's artwork when reviewing issue #9 for Critical Blast back in May 2016, and looking at what Oni Press is offering now reminds me why. His Riverdale was recognizable, but it was never comfortable.

The black-and-white presentation should give readers an opportunity to examine those pages without the distraction of color. For anyone who appreciates comic-book illustration as an art form, that's a compelling reason to revisit the material.

Naturally, because this is Kickstarter, there's more than one way to spend your money. The campaign includes signed editions featuring Aguirre-Sacasa and Francavilla, specialty reprints, posters, enamel pins, shirts, and other collectibles. There's even a glow-in-the-dark version of Afterlife with Archie #1, which seems entirely appropriate for a comic that refuses to stay buried.

One advertised $150 Halloween Bundle combines the Mausoleum Edition with a separate Deluxe Edition hardcover featuring an exclusive dust jacket and the glow-in-the-dark first issue. If you're a collector, Oni Press has clearly put some thought into how many different ways it can tempt you.

The Other Hardcover

The Mausoleum Edition isn't the only Afterlife with Archie collection arriving this Halloween. On October 27, Oni Press released the Afterlife with Archie Deluxe Edition, a 296-page hardcover priced at $39.99. Unlike the Kickstarter edition, which focuses on the black-and-white artwork from issues #1–6, this book collects all ten issues of the original series.

That includes issues #6–10, which the publisher identifies as previously uncollected material, along with a cover gallery and behind-the-scenes features. For someone who missed the original comics, or who wants the entire published run in one place, this is the edition to buy. The Mausoleum Edition is more of an art collector's item, while the Deluxe Edition lets readers experience the story as it was originally presented.

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There is one interesting detail about the Kickstarter hardcover, though. It's called Volume 1. Since the book contains only the first six issues, that leaves four published issues available for another oversized collection. Oni Press hasn't announced a second Mausoleum volume, so we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but the numbering certainly invites the question. And if the comic itself ever resumes publication, there could be considerably more material to collect.

There'd Better Be Another Issue

On May 27, 2016, I reviewed Afterlife with Archie #9 for Critical Blast. The series had been absent long enough that my local comic shop had told me it was cancelled. I'd accepted that the story might never continue, only to have the comic turn up again as though nothing had happened. I was delighted to see it return, and I gave the issue five stars. I was also annoyed.

The review, appropriately titled “Afterlife With Archie Back from the Grave”, ended with a demand for another issue. I wasn't particularly interested in going through another lengthy wait after the series had finally returned. As it turned out, I did get issue #10.

It arrived on August 31, 2016, and featured Josie and the Pussycats in a story that expanded the supernatural mythology of the Archie Horror universe. It was an interesting detour, but it wasn't the conclusion of the ongoing Betty: R.I.P. storyline. That conclusion was supposed to be coming. In fact, Archie Comics had already advertised it.

The publisher's October 2016 solicitations listed Afterlife with Archie #11, promising the wedding of Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper, with Veronica Lodge attempting to disrupt the proceedings and Reggie Mantle arriving with a particularly unpleasant gift. Anyone who read issue #9 would have had good reason to worry about what Reggie was bringing. His story had taken a very dark turn, and there was every indication that things were about to get worse.

The solicitation described issue #11 as the penultimate chapter of Betty: R.I.P. It never came out.

Archie Comics also advertised issue #12 for December 2016. That one was supposed to conclude the storyline, with Archie arranging burials instead of enjoying a honeymoon. That issue never came out, either. So here we are, ten years later, and the last published installment is still issue #10.

To be fair, the series was never officially presented as finished. Aguirre-Sacasa had discussed plans extending beyond Betty: R.I.P., including another storyline called Archie Is Legend. But plans and solicitations don't put comic books on store shelves, and the reasons for the extended interruption have never been fully explained.

Aguirre-Sacasa became increasingly busy with television, first with Riverdale and then Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Francavilla's distinctive artwork was also an essential part of the comic, and replacing him would have meant changing one of the qualities that made the series special. Whether those factors explain the entire delay is another matter. I won't pretend to know what happened behind the scenes. What I do know is that Archie Comics advertised two more issues, and readers never got them.

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Is the Comic Finally Coming Back?

There was encouraging news in October 2025, when Aguirre-Sacasa said he and Francavilla were returning to the original comic. According to reporting on the creator's update, issues #11 and #12 had been written, he was plotting issue #13, and Francavilla had resumed drawing. That was considerably more encouraging than a vague assurance that the series might return someday.

Of course, we're now a year past that announcement, and issue #11 still hasn't appeared. I'm willing to believe that work is being done. I'd just prefer to see the finished comic before I start celebrating.

Oni Press has now added another intriguing statement. At the end of its October 29 announcement for the Mausoleum Edition, the publisher assures readers that Afterlife with Archie isn't quite dead yet and promises additional news about the series' future in 2027.

That's welcome, although the wording leaves plenty of room for interpretation. It does not announce a publication date for issue #11. It doesn't say when Betty: R.I.P. will conclude, or whether the creators intend to continue beyond the three issues Aguirre-Sacasa discussed last year. It simply tells us there's more news to come. Considering the history of this particular comic, I'll take that as a reason for cautious optimism rather than a guarantee.

But the timing makes sense. Disney+ is preparing a television adaptation, Oni Press is releasing new collections, and the Kickstarter is bringing Francavilla's artwork back into the spotlight. If Archie Comics intends to resume the original series, there probably hasn't been a better opportunity in the past decade.

There is also a question that could become increasingly interesting as the television production moves forward: What happens if Disney+ gets farther into the story than the comic ever did?

Aguirre-Sacasa knows where he intended to take these characters, and he's directly involved in the adaptation. It's possible that ideas from unpublished material could find their way into the television series. That doesn't mean the show will follow the comic's planned storylines, and nobody has announced that it will. Television adaptations frequently take their own paths, particularly when the original material hasn't reached a conclusion.

Still, it would be peculiar if viewers learned the fate of Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the other survivors before the people who bought the original comics had the opportunity to read it. I'd rather have both versions, personally.

The Dead Are Doing Quite Well

Whatever happens with the unfinished comic, Afterlife with Archie is enjoying an impressive resurrection. Disney+ has a live-action series planned for Halloween 2027. Oni Press has released a hardcover collecting the ten existing issues and launched a Kickstarter devoted to Francavilla's original artwork. The creators have said they're working on new material, and the publisher is promising more news next year.

That's quite a lot of activity for a comic that hasn't published a new issue since Barack Obama was president.

And I don't begrudge any of it. I loved this series when it was coming out, and I still think it represents some of the best work Archie Comics has ever published. I'm happy to see new readers discovering it, and I'm especially pleased that Francavilla's artwork is receiving the kind of treatment usually reserved for the industry's most celebrated artists.

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But there is one thing I'd like more than another hardcover, a television adaptation, or a glow-in-the-dark comic. I'd like to know what happens next.

Ten years ago, I was wondering whether I'd live long enough to read issue #10. Now I've read it, watched the publisher announce two issues that never arrived, and seen the property come back with enough merchandise to stock a respectable corner of a comic shop.

So, Archie Comics, I'm going to repeat the request I made back in May 2016: There'd better be another issue.