Exclusive: Check in on Archie's marriages on their 10th anniversary

With Archie and the Riverdale crew tackling everything from murders to time travel, it’s a surprise and relief when the comic characters finally settle into something a little bit familiar. Something like marriage, for instance. In fact, Archie’s 2009 wedding (to either Betty or Veronica, depending on the story) back in Archie #600 was a landmark event 10 years ago, and now, in honor of those unions’ 10th anniversary, Archie Comics is checking back in on these relationships.

Archie: The Married Life 10th Anniversary will be a six issue mini-series from original writer Michael Uslan and artist Dan Parent (alongside inker J. Bone, colorist Glenn Whitmore, and letterer Jack Morelli) that looks into the two marriages and the families involved, tracking how they’ve evolved and how they’ve helped shape the changing Riverdale.

“I love drawing the characters a little older, but in the classic style too,” said Parent in a statement. “It's a little different than what I'm used to, which is awesome, because it's nice to work with what's familiar to me, while tweaking the style to keep it fresh and interesting.”

And we’re not just telling you about it. SYFY WIRE can bring you the exclusive cover art for the first issue, as well as a few looks inside at how married life has gone for these fan-favorite characters.

Check it out:

Yep, those are Archie and Veronica’s kids, while the version with Betty seems to have followed a different path entirely.

"The Archie Wedding was a watershed moment for the company, and the first sign that we as a company could push boundaries and keep these iconic characters vibrant and evolving," said Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater. "Now, with iconic Archie artist Dan Parent and legendary Archie editor Victor Gorelick, we return to Michael's story, to see what Archie and his family — in both worlds! — have been up to." The editor teased the multiple paths Archie’s taken in his personal life, asking if either of these relationships are built to last or if there is possibly a “third road.”

Going hard into the love triangle rather than, say, the convoluted plot of The CW show, takes Archie back to basics, but for a new audience. “Now is the right time for new stories taking a look at where the former newlyweds, Archie & Veronica, and Archie & Betty, have wound up ten years later,” Uslan said in a statement. “We’ll see how they’re struggling with, among many current and relevant things, a widening generation gap with their own children and much more.”

These children may be named through a fan contest down the line, so keep an eye out for that as Archie: The Married Life 10th Anniversary approaches this summer.