Reggie Mantle Series Coming to Archie's New Riverdale By Veteran Writer Tom DeFalco

Spider-Girl writer and longtime editor Tom DeFalco will launch the latest "New Riverdale" title at Archie Comics, this one revolving around Reggie Mantle, in December.

Reggie and Me -- its title a possible nod to Michael Moore's freshman film Roger & Me? -- will launch with art by Sandy Jarrell, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Jack Morelli as well as a mountain of variant covers. The first issue will hit the stands on December 7.

"It's a great honor to be paired with a dynamic and fun artist like Sandy on one of my favorite characters," said series writer Tom DeFalco. "Reggie Mantle has been called a self-aggrandizing egotist, a sinister super-villain, a merciless monster and worse, but his dog loves him. Sandy and I intend to show all the doubters and haters exactly why Reggie should be named the true master of this universe…or else!"

"The town of Riverdale has been part of my life as long as I can remember, and there couldn't be a more exciting time to visit," said series artist Sandy Jarrell. "Reg is more than a little salty he had to wait this long for his solo relaunch, so we've to make this count. I, for one, have no intention of getting on Mantle's list."

In case you're not too familiar with Reggie -- he doesn't have quite the same profile with the general public that the other New Riverdale titles like Archie or Josie and the Pussycats do -- you can check out this months-long Twitter exchange, which might just be the best thing on the internet.

This is another instance where the comics will continue to reflect the characters' traditional ethnicity, in spite of Riverdale -- coming to The CW in January -- featuring a more diverse cast than the comics town of Riverdale traditionally has. Asian-American actor Ross Butler will play Reggie in Riverdale. Josie and the Pussycats is an all-black group in the show, and will be depicted in the comics as two white girls and one African-American, as has traditionally been the case.

"we'd finished two scripts before we saw the announcement of the casting and had a terrible 'Wait?! You can do that?! WHY DIDN'T WE DO THAT?' moment, for which I hope you will forgive us," Josie and the Pussycats co-writer Marguerite Bennett told ComicBook.com about that series. "Ultimately, they are different universes with different components at play."

Reggie, meanwhile, had been introduced in the rebooted Archie long before Butler was cast, so the apparent contradiction was unavoidable.

Or you can just tune in with issue #1. It will likely bring you up to speed. Here's the solicitation text:

There is no one more loved, revered, admired and adored in Riverdale than… Reggie Mantle? Well, at least Reggie doesn't think there's anyone as loved and admired as himself. And his best friend can back that idea up—his best friend, of course, being his dog, Vader. The unstoppable duo is known around town for pulling the funniest pranks, getting the hottest dates and throwing the best parties. And if anyone even dares to compete with them, there is going to be hell to pay. Come take a look at the life of your hero, the handsome, hilarious Reggie Mantle.

Script: Tom DeFalco
Art: Sandy Jarrell, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jack Morelli
Cover: Sandy Jarrell, Kelly Fitzpatrick
Variant Covers: Ben Caldwell, Derek Charm, Ron Frenz with Elaina Unger, Robert Hack with Steve Downer, Ryan Jampole, Thomas Pitilli, Wilfredo Torres with Elaina Unger, Michael Walsh
Blank Sketch Cover Also Available
On Sale Date: 12/7
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.