Archie Becomes Mr. Justice in New Miniseries

Archie Andrews, the star of Archie comics and the glue that keeps the Riverdale gang together, is trading in his jeans and t-shirts for a superhero costume. Archie will be introduced as the superhero Mr. Justice who had a big impact on Riverdale then left his home behind. The four-issue miniseries will debut in November 2024.

“This isn’t just another superhero story,” Archie Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante said. “This is a story about hope in a world that feels increasingly hopeless. And in this timeline, Archie is our beacon of hope.”

Each issue will follow the point of view of different characters from Riverdale as they reflect on the impact Mr. Justice has had on Riverdale. Writer Tim Seeley (Local Man) and artist Mike Norton (Battlepug) kick things off with Jughead reminiscing about the time when Archie discovered his abilities, created a costume, and became a superhero who wanted to protect Riverdale and the rest of the world. All four issues will feature a different creative team that also includes Amanda Diebert, Blake Howard, Kenny Porter, Maria Laura Sanapo, and Brent Schoonover.

“Mr. Justice plays with the absolute sincerity of the Archie cast of characters, through the filter of a much more cynical superhero world,” Seeley said. “I think, understandably, we’ve spent years being jaded by the idea that someone with power would be good, but that’s totally who Archie Andrews is. However, his world is full of people who care a lot more about money and power than he does.”

Mr. Justice has been part of Archie’s Mighty Crusaders superhero line, going back as far as the Golden Age under MLJ Comics. “This is a nod to Archie’s long history; in an interesting bit of meta play, these MLJ era comics exist within the fictional universe of Archie Is Mr. Justice and inspire Archie and Jughead to act when discovering Archie’s powers,” per the press release.

“This is a much more modern take on the ‘Archie as a superhero’ idea. It’s an examination of an incorruptible soul in a corrupt world,” Norton said. “Archie is the perfect character to put in that environment because he’s the original ‘good guy.’ It’s been fun to read and even more fun to draw!” 

Archie Is Mr. Justice will be in comic shops on November 20. The first issue features colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Jack Morelli, and covers by Reiko Murakami, Francesco Francavilla, and Matt Talbot.