ARCHIE IN HELL #2 Drags Riverdale Into a Puritan Nightmare

Archie Andrews has survived love triangles, high school drama and more than a few weird detours over the decades, but Archie in Hell #2 is pushing Riverdale into territory that makes detention look pretty damn reasonable. Oni Press and Archie Comics have revealed a first look at the second chapter from writer Patrick Horvath and artist Tyler Crook, arriving December 16.

This time Archie is stuck in a twisted version of 1690, hiding under the name “Archibald” Andrews in a Puritan Riverdale where paranoia, fear and accusations of devil worship are already boiling over. The town is being hit by strange supernatural events, and Archie’s bright red hair is not exactly helping him blend into the crowd.

Things get even worse when distorted echoes of Betty, Veronica and Jughead begin appearing around him. Archie may have been the demon A’ldarax’s first sacrifice, but the setup makes it clear he is not necessarily the last. That gives this chapter a nasty little hook, because the familiar Riverdale cast is being dragged into a world where nostalgia is not going to save anybody.

Horvath, the creator behind Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, is writing the series, with Tyler Crook handling the art. Crook’s work on books like Harrow County makes him a very natural fit for this kind of historical horror, especially once the story starts leaning into isolation, superstition and the kind of evil that does not need much help from the locals.

The issue will also come with a healthy stack of covers. Tyler Crook provides Cover A, with additional covers from Dustin Weaver and Jonathan Case. Abigail Harding, Dan Parent and Patricia Martín are also part of the variant lineup, with Weaver providing a black-and-white incentive cover as well.

Archie in Hell #2 is part of Oni Press and Archie Comics’ larger push into horror with some serious creative talent behind it. The premise works because it does not just slap monsters onto Riverdale. Dropping Archie into a Puritan nightmare gives the story a setting where fear, suspicion and moral panic are already doing half the monster’s work.

The issue is scheduled for December 16, 2026, priced at $4.99 for 32 full-color pages. If this series keeps leaning into the uncomfortable side of Archie’s history instead of playing the horror angle safe, Riverdale might have a lot more to worry about than who is dating who.