Dates with destiny and disaster await in Archie: Love & Heartbreak Special

New Romantic Pairings Bloom At Riverdale’s Carnival Date Night 
in Rom-Com Anthology Hitting Stands February 9

Ride down the tunnel of love with the Riverdale gang in Archie: Love and Heartbreak Special, arriving February 9, 2022 from Archie Comics. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the special one-shot follows Archie and his friends during a romantic night out at the Riverdale carnival as romances burn bright, while others fizzle out and some are just getting started.

PRE-ORDER ARCHIE LOVE & HEARTBREAK SPECIAL NOW!

Cupid has his eye on Riverdale as Archie and his friends find themselves embroiled in the uncertainty of young love. As Archie and Veronica hit a speed bump in their relationship, Jughead explains his unique philosophy on love to Betty, while Kevin finds himself in too deep on a date of his own! As new bonds begin to form, our key characters find themselves relishing in the high-highs and low-lows associated with young love in this rom-com one-shot spearheaded by Archie’s Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante.

The modern-style anthology features a welcomed mix of beloved and unexpected pairings: Veronica and Dilton, Kevin and Devon, and Betty and Jughead. The special one-shot also builds upon the recent Kevin Keller Celebration Kickstarter by placing Kevin right in the midst of his own romantic debacle alongside Devon, his boyfriend from the classic Archie comic series. Brought to life by writer/artist Thomas Pitilli, writers Stephanie Cooke and Sina Grace and artists Lisa Sterle and Iolanda Zanfardino, the all-new romantic one shot is perfect for fans of the modern Archie Comics series.

“The thing I learned and loved about writing Kevin Keller is that once you put him in a place where he’s out of his happy-go-lucky comfort zone, he’s a nervous wreck like the rest of us,” writer Sina Grace explained of his story with artist Iolanda Zanfardino. “I hope people love watching Kevin realize he doesn’t have everything sorted out when it comes to fresh romance!”

“Coming off the heels of our 80th anniversary, we wanted to welcome fans of the modern comics back to the romantic core of Riverdale with this special one-shot,” explains Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. “Capturing the ideals of young love, readers get to experience firsthand the ups-and-downs of new relationships and what it means to discover yourself in a way we haven’t seen before in Archie comics. We hope readers see a little bit of themselves in each of these stories.”

“I’m definitely honored to be one of the first to bring the Betty and Jughead pairing to the traditional comics, outside of the Riverdale universe,” said writer/artist Thomas Pitilli. “With that being said, since I wanted this story to feel like it came out of an old Archie digest, I tried my best to be true to the original characters, setting them apart from their TV show interpretations. There’s a reason why the characters of Archie Comics have had such a long lasting life in comics, it’s because they’re such rich and well rounded characters that any creator would have a blast working with them. I know I certainly did. I think fans of both the comics and the TV show will be able to enjoy my story!”

“Dilton isn’t generally a character we see much of, so I wanted to explore the possibilities there and how a more introverted personality would work with a big, over-the-top character like Veronica,” explained writer Stephanie Cooke on her Dilton/Veronica story with artist Lisa Sterle. “Between the comics and Riverdale, lots of pairings have been explored already but as a Sabrina fan for most of my life, I’d love to see what other characters she could connect with—obviously, Harvey is a staple in her love life but who else in the Archieverse might she connect with? Maybe Sabrina would have better luck with Dilton!”

“I grew up reading Archie Comics, they were in fact one of my first introductions to comics!” said artist Lisa Sterle. “I had quite a Betty & Veronica Digest collection going as a kid. Having the chance to draw a comic with the iconic Veronica Lodge was a treat I didn’t expect, and I loved every second of it!”

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ARCHIE: LOVE & HEARTBREAK SPECIAL ONE-SHOT

Join Archie and his friends on a date night at the Riverdale carnival! First up, Betty wants to know: If Jughead was interested in dating, what would the perfect date look like? Jughead shares his POV on love while Archie and Veronica’s relationship is on the rocks! Can Kevin Keller help Archie save his romance? Maybe not, since Kevin’s caught up in his own romantic dilemma, and is worried about being in over his head on his own date! Who will end up together? What relationships are on the verge of collapse? Who will find true love?

Script: Thomas Pitilli, Stephanie Cooke, Sina Grace
Art: Thomas Pitilli, Lisa Sterle, Iolanda Zanfardino
Colors: Matt Herms
Letters: Jack Morelli
Main Cover: Thomas Pitilli
Variant Cover: Paulina Ganucheau
On Sale Date: 2/9
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.