Now, together under one cover for the very first time, the complete "Matchmakers" saga! The story caused quite a stir, as it brought back the "new look" of Riverdale's fabled teens, first seen in the landmark Bad Boy Trouble, the epic 2007 tale that gave the flagship characters of Archie Comics an extreme and modern makeover! Add to that the intrigue of Jughead actually showing interest in a girl and you've got a recipe for a tale of combustible proportions! It all starts when Archie, Betty, Reggie, and Veronica agree that Jughead needs a break from his "fifth wheel" status. They hatch a scheme to find a girl who will interest Jughead more than food and sleep - never realizing they would actually succeed! Or have they? Comic book legends Joe Staton and Al Milgrom bring their years of experience to the Archie "new look," handling pencils and inks respectively, and help you relive the most talked-about Jughead story of 2008 in this special collection! [Melanie Morgan, Joe Staton & Al Milgrom]
Running in the Fast Lane: Betty convinces Archie to do a marathon with her, but can Archie keep from "running on empty"?! Then the "yolks" on Archie when Professor Flutesnoot has the students take care of eggs to learn about responsibility in "An Egg-Cellent Assignment!" Finally, Archie's not the paranoid type... he's just absolutely certain that Veronica has chosen "The Replacement!" [Hal Lifson & Bill Golliher & Stan Goldberg]
Big, Big Sleep: Feeling sleep-deprived, Archie turns to the one person who's a model of rest and relaxation - Jughead! Will Archie ever wake up now? "The Past was a Blast": An 80th birthday party for Archie's grandfather makes the kids reconsider their attitude that older folks "missed out" on all their modern-day fun. "On the Spot": Feeling self-conscious over the freckles on his ears, Archie takes to wearing earmuffs... all the time! PLUS: Other new and classic tales and puzzles, games and pin-ups! [George Gladir & Tim Kennedy]
Culture Shock: Another story featuring Riverdale's latest superstar, Kumi! Archie, Betty and Jughead get a crash-course in Japanese culture at Kumi's house... and we do mean crash! "Fizzed": Veronica and her friends are 'bubbling' over with excitement when Mr. Lodge has them taste-test his new Fizzy Fresh soda! PLUS: Other new and classic tales, and bonus puzzles, games and pin-ups! [Misako Rocks & Mike Pellowski, Jeff Schultz & Pat Kennedy]
A Tip of the Hat: Jughead begins to think his trademark crown cap may be too recognizable and decides he'd like a change of pace in his headwear. Will Jughead's look be changed forever, or is this merely a detour for Riverdale's "crown" prince of mirth? Despite advice from the famous snowboarder known as 'the Zooming Carrot,' Archie continues to be 'the Klutzy Carrot!' in "The Fame Game!" In "Problems and Solutions," Jughead offers solutions to some of the problems faced today... but the biggest problem may be getting people to take him seriously! PLUS: Other new and classic tales, and bonus puzzles, games and pin-ups! [George Gladir, Tim Kennedy & Jeff Schultz]
Archie's feeling the gas crisis where it hurts - now taking the girls out on dates is even more expensive! Dilton's solutions to "The High Cost of Gas" aren't cost-effective and Chuck's cartoon gag didn't lift Archie's spirits, so he turns to Jughead to help - and then the fun begins! Then, "Big Bee is watching" when Mr. Weatherbee installs monitors throughout the school, but "Who's Watching Who?" Finally, a local reporter covering the Chocklit Shoppe's 70th anniversary gets an earful from Pop Tate about the town teens' mouthfuls of goodies downed through the years! Plus, other new and classic Archie tales, and more! [George Gladier, Bill Golliher, Fernando Ruiz, Bill Galvin & Pat Kennedy]
Because you demanded it - a thrilling new sonic series that raises the stakes and expands the comic book world of Sonic! This is the comic the fans have waited for - an ever-expanding, all-encompassing series revolving around Sonic's many friends and foes whose continuity aligns with the regular monthly Sonic comic. Along the way, we'll deliver some of the popular supporting cast from the many Sonic video games, including many who have never appeared in the comics before! The first issue of Sonic Universe debuts with a story that's out of this world - literally - as Shadow and Metal Sonic continue their series-spanning fight and wind up in a whole new dimension! And things are bound to heat up when Blaze the Cat and a Chaos Emerald enter the mix! Don't miss the explosive beginning of this universe-spanning series! [Ian Flynn & Tracy Yardley]
The thrilling series that lets fans relive classic Sonic the Hedgehog stories continues with this reprint of issues #37 through #40 of Sonic's ongoing comic book series in a special 5 x 7 1/2" edition! These stories continue the artistic change to a more "dramatic" tone, better aligning the series to the hit Saturday morning animated series then on the air. The emphasis is on the chaos that ensues in the wake of a cataclysmic earthquake, with Robotnik trying to cope with the compromised security of Robotropolis and continue his reign of terror. An even greater threat looms with the rise of Mecha Sonic during the epic "Mecha Madness" story arc, which leads to court martial proceedings for wrongfully accused Sonic! Each story is meticulously restored and printed on high-grade paper, so you can feel like you're zipping right alongside the cobalt champion as he saves Knothole Village! [Various]
The Final Battle, Part 3. This is the issue you can't miss - the exciting conclusion to the Sabrina manga series! The carefully hidden signs and secrets of the past 42 issues are finally explained and revealed in this dramatic issue. Don't miss the suspense as sides are picked in the ultimate battle against Vosblanc when old friends and enemies return to join the fight! In the thick of it all, Sabrina exhibits her most astounding feat of magic yet, finally uncovering the secret of her amazing power. Still, the battle won't be easy-someone on Sabrina's side won't survive - but who will it be? Will Vosblanc be defeated? Will Sabrina end up with Harvey or Shinji? Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain - the Magic Realm will never be the same again! [Tania Del Rio & Jim Amash]
There's a mystery afoot, and it's up to Riverdale's premiere teenage rock band, the Archies, to solve it! Can they solve the mystery of "The Missing Manhole Covers" - and the even bigger mystery of why? Complaining is on the menu when Miss Beazly tells a new café co-worker of the "Lunchroom Lament" of slinging hash for teens! Wait until she gets a load of what's for dessert! Plus, puzzles, games, pin-ups, and other new and classic tales! [George Gladier, Fernando Ruiz & Bob Bolling]
Break out the spandex and hair spray - the Archies are about to go all-out '80s for a special Riverdale High concert and Battle of the Bands contest celebrating the decade! Hopefully Jughead won't get replaced by a drum machine! Then, when Veronica's computer dies, she calls the "Geek Patrol" computer experts to help - which brings on Veronica's cousin Marcy, a double date, and the mortification of being seen in the "geek-mobile!" Can Veronica's ego ever live it down? Finally, Veronica's going green - all because her friend Ethan is the hunkiest environmentalist she's ever seen! [Dan Parent & Bill Golliher]
(W) Arie Kaplan, Craig Boldman, George Gladir (A) Stan Goldberg After robbers break into his safe, Mr. Lodge feels some 'Home Insecurity' and upgrades his security system to protect his property - but who will protect him from the ever-pervasive new system? Realizing how much sympathy accident-prone Archie gets from the ladies, Reggie decides he'll take a few falls of his own, but will the girls 'fall' for his scheme? Finally, the perfect recipe: the annual prom plus the eternal love triangle equals a comedy of errors!
(W) Alex Simmons (A) Fernando Ruiz 'The Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton' concludes! Tony Messina is a troubled kid, always getting into mischief. When he gets caught spreading graffiti in his neighborhood, his mother decides it would be best if Tony learned how to use his artistic abilities in a more positive way and enrolls him in Chuck's class. But there's a reason Tony's painted the walls in his town, and when Chuck finds out why, he decides to take action. What reason could Tony possibly have to deface property? Can Chuck find a solution beneficial to everyone? It's a poignant tale you won't want to miss, brought to you by children's educator Alex Simmons.
(W) George Gladir, Mike Pellowski (A) Tim Kennedy The local paper is sponsoring a contest to see who can go out on the most frugal date; don't they realize that in 'A Cheap Date Contest' that Archie is the certain winner? Then, Archie enters his modified lawn mower in a special race for former clippers - after all, they get great 'grass mileage!' Plus, other new and classic tales, puzzles, n-ups, and more!
(W) Mike Pellowski, Dexter Taylor, Bill Golliher (A) Tim Kennedy, Pat Kennedy For Archie, modern homework is more about text messaging than text books! Then, Little Archie visits his grandparents' farm and meets all their new animals, including a monkey that's just like him! Finally, while waiting for Veronica to get off the phone, Jughead and Archie eat all the appetizers prepared for Mrs. Lodge's fundraiser! Time for the merry munchers to make fast with alternate hors d'oeuvres! Plus, puzzles, games, n-ups, and more!
(W) George Gladir, Bill Golliher, Mike Pellowski (A) Stan Goldberg The kids want to hold a 'green day' ecological event at the school, but Mr. Weatherbee worries about how much 'green' it would cost to hold it! Then, Betty gets a job with perks - literally - when she takes a position as a perky store greeter! Next, Betty offers to chauffeur Archie around until he earns enough money to fix his own car. Hope she has a lot of gas money! Finally, 'Dog Daze' hits Riverdale when Betty agrees to dogsit a neighbor's seemingly well-behaved pooch.
(W/A) Dan Parent Betty and Archie get jobs on the 'Geek Patrol,' a group of computer tech-sperts seen in last month's Veronica #193. To keep Betty from spending so much time with Archie, Veronica joins the squad, too - and it isn't long before she inadvertently unleashes a vicious computer virus! Co-starring computer gurus Dilton and Veronica's cousin, Marcy, this 'geek-tacular' issue also features a 'techie' quiz, internet tips, geek-chic fashions, and more!
(W) Dan Parent, George Galdier, Kathleen Webb (A) Bob Bolling, Tim Kennedy When they find out she's working at the Pembrooke café, Betty and Veronica enlist Marcy to spy on Cheryl and her friends. That includes Archie, who's been spending an awful lot of time in Pembrooke since Cheryl moved back there - and getting quite cozy with Cheryl's friend Becky! Then, it's time for 'Dancing with the Students' when Riverdale High holds a charity dance marathon! Next, when it comes to work clothes, Veronica doesn't have a thing to wear! Finally, Veronica finds Archie's job as a radio DJ impressive - until he promotes a hot female singing act live in the studio!
(W) George Gladir, Mike Pellowski (A) Tim Kennedy Jughead and Archie really kick up a ruckus when they bring goats to the school's 'Pet Day!' Then, Jughead waxes poetic about a few of his favorite things - and they all happen to be edible! Plus, other new and classic tales!
(W) Craig Boldman (A) Rex Lindsey Reluctantly attending the Job Fair at his parents' insistence, Jughead has a plan: he'll scare away potential employers with tall tales about jobs he's botched. Will his ruse succeed, or will Jughead's fears of gainful employment become a reality? Then, Hot Dog tries everything he can to wake Jughead up for the grand opening of the 'Rise and Shine' bakery. But which is stronger: Jughead's desire for sleep, or his massive appetite? Finally, Ethel buys Jug a pair of ergonomic massage sandals which keep our lovable lazy-boy on his toes all day long!
(W/A) Fernando Ruiz Riverdale's resident prankster Reggie takes center stage in this hilarious tale of vanity, camera phones and text messages gone awry! Then, Raj Patel is back! This time, the aspiring filmmaker decides to help his sister Tina with her volcano exhibit at the science fair. Of course, he can't resist spending more time taping the event than Tina. How long before Tina's temper erupts? Plus, puzzles, games, n-ups, and more!
(W) Ian Flynn (A) Chad Thomas 'Young Salem,' Part 1. This reader-requested storyline offers everyone's favorite magical cat Salem in a special 4-issue tale that harkens back to the days when he wasn't an enchanted feline, but an actual boy wizard! In this thrilling tale, you'll journey to Salem's original home on the Saberhagen Farm for the first time! You'll also meet his mother, Felicia, and scruffy Uncle Mort. The tale begins when young Salem finds a talking frog who was once a wizard. The thrills, spills and surprises build from there! Don't miss out on the start of this magical mini-series!
Archie #595 - (Kaplan, Boldman & Gladir/Goldberg) After robbers break into his safe, Mr. Lodge feels some Home Insecurity and upgrades his security system to protect his property - but who will protect him from the ever-pervasive new system? . . . Archie & Friends #129 - (Simmons/Ruiz) The Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton concludes. Tony Messina is a troubled kid, always getting into mischief. When he gets caught spreading graffiti in his neighborhood, his mother decides it would be best if Tony learned how to use his artistic abilities in a more positive way and enrolls him in Chuck's class . . . Betty #179 - (Gladir, Golliher & Pellowski/Goldberg) The kids want to hold a green day ecological event at the school, but Mr. Weatherbee worries about how much green it would cost to hold it . . . Betty & Veronica Spectacular #88 - (Parent) Betty and Archie get jobs on the Geek Patrol, a group of computer tech-sperts. To keep Betty from spending so much time with Archie, Veronica joins the squad, too . . . Jughead #194 - (Boldman/Lindsey) Reluctantly attending the Job Fair at his parents' insistence, Jughead has a plan: he'll scare away potential employers with tall tales about jobs he's botched . . . Sabrina Vol. 2 #101 - (Flynn/Thomas) Young Salem part 1. Everyone's favorite magical cat in the days when he wasn't an enchanted feline, but an actual boy wizard. You'll journey to Salem's original home on the Saberhagen Farm for the first time.
This set contains: Archie Digest #252, Archie Double Digest #197, Betty & Veronica Double Digest #169, Jughead And Friends Digest #32, and Pals-N-Gals Double Digest #130.
