ARCHIE COMICS FOR JUNE

ARCHIE & FRIENDS ALL-STARS #4: BETTY & VERONICA BEACH PARTY

By various.

Blondes, brunettes, beach balls and bikinis... it can only mean one thing: it's summertime in Riverdale! Leading the charge are those leading ladies of comics, Betty and Veronica. Now you can relive some of the best Betty & Veronica beach stories of the decade in this special collection. Whether chasing after hunky new lifeguards, modeling the latest swimwear, competing in a volleyball tournament, collecting seashells or holding a tiki party, Betty and Veronica are truly the queens of summer! This fun-filled, sun-drenched edition also includes fun features like fashion pages, party tips, memory collages and more! Grab a beach towel, some sunscreen and your sunglasses and enjoy some fun in the sun with this cool collection of sizzling summer fun!

96 pages, $9.95, in stores on June 30.

ARCHIE #610

Written by Tom DeFalco, art by Fernando Ruiz.

"The Blackest (and Bluest) Day!": In the annals of Archie Comics history, it doesn't get more explosive than this, as Archie presents the return of the MAN FROM R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., the return of writer Tom DeFalco and the unveiling of an exciting character who has been kept under wraps for decades! Evil spy ring C.R.U.S.H. is out to obtain Formula Z, but first they must get past the defenses of the Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. as he vigorously guards the secret formula! Fortunately for C.R.U.S.H., the Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. is none other than Archie Andrews, and he's as girl crazy as ever! C.R.U.S.H. dispatches the beautiful Sharry the Spy Girl, who is determined to use all of her feminine wiles to obtain that formula! Can Archie resist the paralyzing pull of pulchritude or will he lose the formula to crafty C.R.U.S.H.? Adding to the excitement is Andy Andrews, star of a never-published tale of intrigue from the 1950s wherein the intrepid foreign correspondent went undercover behind the Iron Curtain! All this is just the beginning of a four-issue story arc! Tom DeFalco, who got his start at Archie and later became a writer/editor at Marvel, returns to Riverdale for the first time since overseeing 1994's epic Archie Meets The Punisher Archie/Marvel crossover.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 23.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #144

Written by Batton Lash, art by Bill Galvan.

"Freshman Year -- the Missing Chapters: Pencilneck G": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie's friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of Archie #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale's fabled cast of characters. But that wasn't the whole story! In this follow-up series of stories, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this story, we examine Pencilneck's circle of friends as they adjust to their own move from middle school to high school. Along the way, Pencilneck's obsessive nature drives the school's librarian crazy, his pal Zane develops a crush on Veronica, Penelope considers Betty her new "BFF," and Connie tries to make Zane jealous by goingÊafter Reggie! All this, plus... skateboarding on school grounds? Not if the "Bee" can help it!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 22.

ARCHIE DIGEST #265

Written by Mike Pellowski, John Rose and various, art by Jeff Shultz, Tim Kennedy and various.

"Splash Down!": Archie and his friends learn that sometimes "old school" can be "way cool" -- literally! "Super Summer": With the latest superhero flick hitting the multiplex, Archie and Jughead imagine what their friends would be like if they had super powers. Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $2.69, in stores on June 23.

ARCHIE'S DOUBLE DIGEST #210

Written by Bob Bolling and Barbara Slate, art by Bolling and Pat Kennedy.

"Yes You Can": An all-new Little Archie adventure, written and drawn by Little Archie creator, Bob Bolling! Little Archie's alien allies Abercrombie and Stitch return to retrieve a fuel cell they've buried... right in the middle of the football field! Their timely arrival has ramifications of "super" proportions for Ambrose, who is feeling left out because he's too puny to play football. "Country Club Material": When Archie overhears Mr. Lodge fretting about Archie joining his family for dinner at the country club, Archie decides to spiff up... even if it costs him his last penny! Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $3.99, in stores on July 7.

BETTY & VERONICA #248

Written by Dan Parent, Craig Boldman and various, art by Jeff Shultz and various.

"Beach Blanket Babysitters": A day at the beach is no picnic for Veronica -- literally -- when Betty brings along Jughead's sister Jellybean! "Members Only": Tired of hearing about Veronica's exclusive clubs, Betty and Nancy tout an elite (and totally fictitious) club of their own... which Veronica promptly insists on joining! "Who's Sorry Now?": Veronica never accepts the first apology... not when the second apology comes with so many gifts attached!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 16.

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #205

Written by Dan Parent, Mike Pellowski and various, art by Parent, Bolling and various.

"Life's a Ball": Veronica plans to become famous on ViewTube by filming her beauty regimen on the beach, but when Jughead intervenes, she becomes infamous instead! "Recycled": The gang has a "wheelie" good time when they uncover Veronica's childhood unicycle! Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $2.69, in stores on June 16.

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #182

Written by Melanie J. Morgan and various, art by Rod Whigman and various.

"No Baseball for Betty Part 3": Continued from last issue. Betty has decided to play hard ball instead of softball, and in the process she's thrown a curve ball to Archie and the other boys on the team! Now the all-out debate between the boys and girls is being taken to a higher level, with a special school board meeting called to decide Betty's fate. Will Betty keep swinging the bat, or be banned from baseball forever? This is only the seventh inning stretch! Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $3.99, in stores on June 30.

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #38

Written by George Gladir, Mike Pellowski and various, art by Fernando Ruiz and various.

"The Big Job Hunt": When it comes to work, Jughead only wants jobs that work for him! "Toe the Line": Is Jughead as interested in ballet as he is in buffets? Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $2.69, in stores on June 30.

JUGHEAD'S DOUBLE DIGEST #161

Written by Tim Kennedy, Mike Pellowski and various, art by Pat Kennedy, Tim Kennedy and various.

"Decree Degree": Veronica declares that it's "Romance Week" and has Jughead deliver the news to Archie in full "town crier" attire. Can Archie meet Ronnie's exacting demands? Perhaps with some help from Betty... "Bump & Run": A beach volleyball team is all that stands between Jughead and the ice cream man... and the volleyballers never see Jug coming! Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $3.99, in stores on June 16.

PALS 'N' GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #142

Written by George Gladir, Mike Pellowski and various, art by Fernando Ruiz, Tim Kennedy, Bill Galvan and various.

"Car Crazy": Archie's infamous clunker becomes famous when the town newspaper photographs it for a gag shot. "It's the Pits": Stand back... Archie and Reggie are entering a watermelon seed spitting contest! "Fashion Sense": Archie loves summer fashions... as long as they're being worn by girls! Plus: Other new and classic tales! Bonus: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Digest format, $3.99, in stores on June 9.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #214

Written by Ian Flynn, art by Steve Butler.

"Reigning Cats and Dogs Part Two": Sonic, Sally and Big find themselves in the middle of all-out WAR! It's mass hysteria as the clash of the Cats and Wolves begins, but what new threat could be pulling their strings? Get ready for old friends, new faces and much, much more in the cataclysmic conclusion of "Reigning Cats and Dogs"!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 30.

SONIC UNIVERSE #17

"Trouble in Paradise Part One": Tails takes the spotlight in this brand new adventure! The twin-tailed fox treats his friends Bunnie and Antoine to a long over-due honeymoon on the remote and idyllic Cocoa Island... but not remote enough to keep a brand new villainous force from spoiling the party! Who are these foul fowl? What do they want? And more importantly, will our heroes survive their first encounter with the fine-feathered fiends?

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 29.

VERONICA #201

Written and art by Dan Parent.

"This and Tat": A tattoo artist named Arnie falls hard for Veronica, and even gets a tattoo in her image... but just wait until Veronica gets an "inkling" of his other tattoos!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on June 30.