Say, when was the last time YOU read an Archie Comic? Maybe you’ve been tempted by those new facsimile editions of Archie. But here’s something fans don’t realize: Archie has countless classic comics already readily available via digital editions.
I get some older fans frown upon reading comics THAT way, but I ditched print copies years ago. One reason is that I can only readily read countless Golden and Silver Age classics, which are affordable in a digital format. Now, newer fans might frown on anything outside of the past few years. However, you are missing out on some reads—they are still fantastic comics to explore.
Over the last several years, Archie has been adding to their archives and has finished EVERY issue of Betty and Veronica—well over 600 issues, and a few of the Big Two runs match those issues.
B&V goes back to the Golden Age, and I’ve read some of those very early issues. Sure, some of it might seem a little dated, but each issue was good fun for all ages.
That’s a common misconception about Archie—their kid’s comics. Not so! Most of what Archie puts out today and through the decades are comics all fans can enjoy. They do make fur fun reads.
You might be curious as to what placed Archie’s favorite gals, and they’ve been adding two titles since then. One title is Laugh Comics Vol.2, which ran for 29 issues back in the Bronze Age. Archie is almost finished archiving it, and maybe they’ll add some from volume one, which started in the Golden Age and ran for 400 fantastic issues. The other is Pep Comics, another long-running series that began in the Golden Age, and Archie has been adding issues from the Bronze Age.
Archie himself, whose first series goes back to the Golden Age, is not to be left out of the fun; all 666 issues are also available to read. You may think the Big Two’s annuals over the decades were some fantastic reads, but Archie himself had them beat! The first of five yearly annuals came out in 1949 and was 100 pages. A pretty good deal back then—and a comic that’s stands the test of time.
And this doesn’t include the tons of digests and Archie trades that are always full from the archives and mixed with newer stuff. Now, again, I’m not suggesting fans dump going to their comic shops. But, services like Hoopla and ComiXology have opportunities to explore comics—like Archie— you might never sample. Again, when was the last time you read some Archie Comics?
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