Archie in Hell #1 First Look: Oni Press Sends Riverdale Straight to Damnation This November
Riverdale is going to Hell. Literally.
Oni Press and Archie Comic Publications are turning up the heat this fall with Archie in Hell #1, a brand-new ongoing horror series launching November 4, 2026, from writer Patrick Horvath and artist Tyler Crook.
Timed to the 85th anniversary of Archie, the series pushes Archie Andrews and the residents of Riverdale into a much darker corner than readers may expect. Ritual sacrifice, secret cults, witches, demonic forces, and centuries-old conspiracies all collide in a story that promises to transform one of comics’ most recognizable small towns into a supernatural nightmare.
Readers who have been following the rollout can revisit our earlier Archie in Hell #1 first-look coverage, while additional information can be found through Oni Press’ official Archie in Hell announcement.
Archie Andrews Has Been Chosen for Something Terrible
Every small town has secrets.
Riverdale apparently has a particularly nasty one.
An ancient order of cultists has infiltrated the community and spent generations preparing a ritual designed to bring a demon lord into the mortal world. After a century of planning, the cabal believes it has finally found the sacrifice needed to complete its work.
Archie Andrews.
That immediately gives the series an effective horror hook.
Archie is the character readers associate with friendship, school, football games, dates, Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, and the endless complications of teenage life.
Now that familiar optimism is being turned against him.
The hometown hero is suddenly the centerpiece of a ritual conspiracy stretching deep into Riverdale’s past.
But the cultists have made one potentially catastrophic mistake.
They are not the only supernatural force operating in town.
Witches, Cultists and a Riverdale Out of Control
According to Oni Press, actual witches are living in Riverdale, setting up a confrontation between the cult attempting to complete Archie’s sacrifice and a coven with its own connection to the supernatural.
That clash appears to be where Archie in Hell #1 truly begins breaking reality apart.
Archie becomes unstuck from normal time and space, caught inside a terrible curse and dragged into a version of Riverdale where centuries of hidden history are beginning to collide.
The concept gives Horvath and Crook enormous freedom.
Instead of simply making Riverdale darker, the creative team can explore its history, reinterpret familiar characters, and play with the contrast between classic Archie imagery and genuine supernatural horror.
One moment Archie can still be worried about school.
The next, he can be standing in the middle of a centuries-old demonic conspiracy.
That tonal collision is exactly what makes the premise so interesting.
Patrick Horvath and Tyler Crook Are a Strong Horror Team
Writer Patrick Horvath, known for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, has already demonstrated an ability to take familiar, comforting imagery and gradually reveal something deeply disturbing beneath it.
That makes him an especially interesting choice for Archie.
Riverdale works because readers recognize it.
The horror works because that familiarity can be corrupted.
Artist Tyler Crook, known for titles including Harrow County and Out of Alcatraz, brings a style capable of balancing expressive character acting with grotesque supernatural imagery.
The first cover and promotional artwork already show how effective that combination can be.
Archie still looks like Archie.
The nightmare surrounding him is something else entirely.
The Covers Turn Up the Heat
Collectors will have no shortage of options when Archie in Hell #1 arrives.
The main cover comes from series artist Tyler Crook, while writer Patrick Horvath contributes Cover B.
The wider variant lineup includes an impressive group of creators:
- Cover A: Tyler Crook
- Cover B: Patrick Horvath
- Cover C: Paul Azaceta
- Cover D: Jesse Lonergan
- Cover E: Blank Sketch Cover
- Foil Variant: Tyler Crook — $8.99
- Foil Variant: Patrick Horvath — $8.99
- 1:10 Teaser Variant: Kano
- 1:20 Legacy Variant: Dan Parent
- 1:50 Variant: Mirka Andolfo
- 1:100 Variant: Mahmud Asrar
- 1:250 Black-and-White Variant: Jesse Lonergan
The covers highlight just how many directions the concept can go.
Some lean heavily into occult horror. Others play with traditional Archie iconography, graveyards, burning Riverdale imagery, or classic characters reacting to Archie’s apparent damnation.
For Archie collectors and horror-comic fans alike, this is shaping up to be a particularly strong #1 issue for variant hunting.
Oni Press Is Building a New Archie Comics Line
Archie in Hell #1 is part of a larger publishing initiative between Oni Press and Archie Comics.
The rollout begins in September with a new Archie #1 from writer Ben H. Winters and artist Fábio Moon, followed in October by Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 from writer Corinna Bechko and artist Kano.
Then November belongs to Hell.
That publishing schedule gives each part of the Archie universe its own identity while still building toward a broader celebration of the franchise’s 85th anniversary.
The horror direction of Archie in Hell is especially notable because it demonstrates just how flexible these characters have become.
Riverdale can support comedy.
Romance.
Mystery.
Supernatural adventure.
And apparently full-blown demonic horror.
Archie in Hell #1 Release Date and Details
Archie in Hell #1 arrives November 4, 2026, from Oni Press and Archie Comics.
Writer: Patrick Horvath
Artist: Tyler Crook
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Format: Full-color comic
Pages: 32
Cover Price: $4.99
On Sale: November 4, 2026
The series is being positioned as a new ongoing, meaning Archie’s trip into the infernal side of Riverdale may only be beginning.
Final Thoughts
Archie in Hell #1 has one of those comic-book concepts that immediately demands attention.
Archie Andrews is one of the most recognizable teenagers in American comics.
Putting him at the center of a centuries-old ritual sacrifice while witches, cultists, and demonic forces battle over Riverdale creates a sharp contrast between the familiar and the horrifying.
Patrick Horvath and Tyler Crook also feel exceptionally well suited to the material.
The question is no longer whether Riverdale has secrets.
It is how many of them are buried beneath the town—and whether Archie can survive long enough to discover them.
Riverdale be damned.
Join the Discussion
Are you picking up Archie in Hell #1 when it launches in November? Which cover is your favorite, and how dark do you want Oni Press to take Riverdale?
Follow Comic Book Addicts for more comic book news, reviews, previews, and collector updates:
Website: https://comicbookaddicts.com/
New Comics: https://comicbookaddicts.com/new-comics/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comicbookaddicts/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheComicBookAddicts/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thecomicbookaddicts
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/comicbookaddt
X/Twitter: https://x.com/comicbookaddt
