The Riverdale Gang Meet Their TV Counterparts in Archie Meets Riverdale One-Shot

Daniel Kibblesmith will write the first meeting between the traditional Archie Comics characters and their sexy, brooding alter-egos from the world of Riverdale, Archie Comics announced on Wednesday. The publisher announced its new editor-in-chief, 22-year Archie veteran Mike Pellerito, and along with that, revealed that the Archie multiverse was coming, with the Riverdale gang meeting...well..the Riverdale gang. This is not the first time Archie and company have crossed paths with a shocking or unexpected guest, from The Punisher to Sharknado to KISS. Apparently, writer Daniel Kibblesmith didn't know it would be that simple when he first pitched the idea.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pellerito met Kibblesmith at a signing for Black Panther vs. Deadpool at a comic shop in Harrison< New York. That encounter would eventually result in Kibblesmith officially pitching the crossover, which will be released as a one-shot.

"His first draft, he was like, 'I'm having a hard time. I want to make sure I explained it all clearly.' And I'm like, dude, I just edited a story where Archie met Santa Claus, and they know each other,'" Pellerito told THR. "Just go with it."  

Archie Meets Riverdale features art from Pat and Tim Kennedy, Bob Smith, Matt Herms, and Jack Morelli. You can see a first look here, courtesy the THR story.

Archie has consistently published comics in the world of Riverdale since the series premiered in 2017. The series followed Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and the rest of Riverdale through their high school years, then gave the crew a five-year time jump last season, throwing everything they had established in the first few seasons into the air. 

More recently, members of the cast have suggested that Riverdale is likely nearing its conclusion. While it once drew about a million viewers per week and was a massive success on streaming, ratings last season were way down.

As with most Riverdale comics, the cover at right features characters who bear only a passing resemblance to the actors. That isn't a slight to the artist; it's likely to avoid paying for likeness rights. After all, the character designs themselves are Archie's, and if you make them look enough like photorealistic versions of the comic characters, who they are will be immediately recognizable to readers.

Archie Meets Riverdale will be available at comic shops and online on May 11, 2022.