Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 (2020)

[MajorHoy]

Did anybody else get a copy of

Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 (February 2021 cover-date)

It's done old-school style, so of course it could be a bit silly (and not at all edgy).

But you know what? I haven't bought/read a regular Archie comic book in years (at least a decade maybe?), but I use to sometimes get the Christmas issues back in the last century, and this was very good "comfort-read" as far as I was concerned. It wouldn't necessarily cause me to start buying/reading Archie comics (either recent or older) on a regular basis, but I would probably pick up another Christmas issue when they put one out (as long as it's in this older style and NOT a "digest-sized").

[seismic-2]

Almost everything (or maybe in fact everything?) that's put out by Archie right now is reprint material. From the preview of Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 on Comixology I see that the first story is "The Great Tree Spree", written by Bill Golliher with art by Rex Lindsey. According to the Great Comics Database, this story was first published in Archie & Fiends #45, dated Feb. 2001. It was then reprinted in Archie Double Digest #223 (Dec. 2011) and in Archie and Me Comics Digest #12 (Dec. 2018). I don't know what other stories are in this book, but I would expect that they date from that same general turn-of-the-century era.

[MajorHoy]

Almost everything (or maybe in fact everything?) that's put out by Archie right now is reprint material. From the preview of Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 on Comixology I see that the first story is "The Great Tree Spree", written by Bill Golliher with art by Rex Lindsey. According to the Great Comics Database, this story was first published in Archie & Fiends #45, dated Feb. 2001. It was then reprinted in Archie Double Digest #223 (Dec. 2011) and in Archie and Me Comics Digest #12 (Dec. 2018). I don't know what other stories are in this book, but I would expect that they date from that same general turn-of-the-century era.

Hey, that's no problem as far as I'm concerned since I really haven't regularly bought Archie comic books since . . . the 1970s?

[cranger]

I picked up the Halloween one this year and will probably pick this up if it is still on the shelves and I remember too. There is a pile of Christmas digests somewhere I should also remember to pull out and reread too.

[MajorHoy]

I picked up the Halloween one this year and will probably pick this up if it is still on the shelves and I remember too. There is a pile of Christmas digests somewhere I should also remember to pull out and reread too.

Digest aren't as much fun to read these days.
Print size is sometimes a bit too challenging for these old eyes.

[seismic-2]

Digest aren't as much fun to read these days.
Print size is sometimes a bit too challenging for these old eyes.

I'm old, and that's one reason why I buy most of my comics nowadays on Comixology. I appreciate the size of a word balloon when you view a comic panel-by-panel, with a panel being the height of your browser on the screen.

[Robanker]

Hey, that's no problem as far as I'm concerned since I really haven't regularly bought Archie comic books since . . . the 1970s?

Good to see you back, Major.

Have you tried the new Sabrina books by Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish? I thought they were fun. Didn't really feel edgy so much as updated. Worth the price for the art alone in my opinion, though your mileage may vary.

[MajorHoy]

Good to see you back, Major.

Have you tried the new Sabrina books by Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish? I thought they were fun. Didn't really feel edgy so much as updated. Worth the price for the art alone in my opinion, though your mileage may vary.

I originally bought Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1 back in 2014, but after the second issue got delayed six months I didn't bother with any other issues. I was buying a couple of other Dark Circle titles as well, but when those started having erratic schedules (and one just had an issue that never seemed to get published), any interest I had just ended.

[seismic-2]

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a first-rate horror comic by any standard. It's terrible that the series was dropped after 8 issues. This is why we can't have nice things. However, as a true horror comic, it was perhaps out of place in its being published by Archie. The more recent 5-issue mini Sabrina the Teenage Witch and its current follow-up mini Sabrina: Something Wicked are much more nearly typical Archie fare (by current standards, that is, following the relaunch if its titles in 2015), but they're nevertheless worth a read.

[Robanker]

I originally bought Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1 back in 2014, but after the second issue got delayed six months I didn't bother with any other issues. I was buying a couple of other Dark Circle titles as well, but when those started having erratic schedules (and one just had an issue that never seemed to get published), any interest I had just ended.

Oh I don't enjoy Chilling Adventures. I meant the Thompson/Fish run. It's a more traditional take on her that I thought kept the spirit of the character intact. The second series is wrapping up soon, though it got delayed here and there due when the industry had hiccups. Honestly, though, delays is starting to seem like Archie's game plan.

[Hypestyle]

Almost everything (or maybe in fact everything?) that's put out by Archie right now is reprint material. From the preview of Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 on Comixology I see that the first story is "The Great Tree Spree", written by Bill Golliher with art by Rex Lindsey. According to the Great Comics Database, this story was first published in Archie & Fiends #45, dated Feb. 2001. It was then reprinted in Archie Double Digest #223 (Dec. 2011) and in Archie and Me Comics Digest #12 (Dec. 2018). I don't know what other stories are in this book, but I would expect that they date from that same general turn-of-the-century era.

what are the monthly books from Archie publishing? How have they been affected by Covid-19? Maybe they figure it's best to coast on archival material for now. Or maybe going bi-monthly is where it's at. Is the company still fiscally intact? Doesn't seem like they're interested in merging with any media companies.

[seismic-2]

Doesn't seem like they're interested in merging with any media companies.

Or maybe no one is interested in buying them? I believe the last issue of their eopnymous Archie comic was #713, which came out on July 29. Since that's their monthly flagship title, it would seem that they are now solely a reprint house. I too wonder whether that's temporary due to the circumstances of 2020 or whether it's just their new business model.

[SpiderTBliss]

what are the monthly books from Archie publishing?

Archie havent published any monthly comic serie in quite a while now really.

To be honest the Riverdale-ification of Archie has put me off. Too many of the series they have put out over the last few years hasnt been to my tastes. I'd love them to go back to the old style series but that clearly isnt happening.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Archie havent published any monthly comic serie in quite a while now really.

To be honest the Riverdale-ification of Archie has put me off. Too many of the series they have put out over the last few years hasnt been to my tastes. I'd love them to go back to the old style series but that clearly isnt happening.

The current Sabrina comic is the only monthly title being published by Archie, and that's soon to end. The entire reboot of the Archie line had been hit or miss: Archie, the flagship book had been a dumpster fire, especially after Mark Waid wrapped up his story and left. However, Adam Hughes' take on Betty and Veronica was fun, though painfully short at only three issues. Chip Zdarksy's Jughead had all the quirky and goofy charm of the original book. Don't even get me started on Afterlife With Archie which had been terrific but was left to wither on the vine and die after the writer left in midstream to helm Riverdale.

To be honest, I seriously doubt we'll ever see any new Archie books as the company does indeed appear to have gone all reprints.

[MajorHoy]

. . . To be honest, I seriously doubt we'll ever see any new Archie books as the company does indeed appear to have gone all reprints.

I think I've noticed they are sometimes including A new story in some digests with the rest being reprinted material.

And wasn't there a story not too long ago about them letting Rob Liefeld relaunch the Archie superhero line or something? (Maybe it was just a rumor?)