With the recent announcement that season 7 of Riverdale will be its last, fans of the show will be desperate for more content. Riverdale has shown the characters grow from their teenage years into adulthood. For many fans, it will be hard to let Archie and the gang go after watching them develop from solving murder mysteries to getting involved with witchcraft.
While the unique characters from Riverdale have become well known on screen, there's a whole other world in which Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead reside in comic books. These characters were created under the Archie Comics publishing company. In Archie comics, the cast of Riverdale and even Sabrina Spellman have had plenty of adventures, but there are some specific stories that Riverdale fans would particularly love.
"Archie" - Mark Waid
"Archie" by Mark Waid follows Archie Andrews after a break-up with Betty. When Veronica Lodge moves to town, Archie's new relationship with her helps him move on from Betty, but a love triangle begins to form. There are six volumes in Waid's story and all are worth reading to see Archie deal with relationship drama, school life, and the dangers of the Blossom family.
Archie is perfect for fans of Riverdale because this is the comic book that inspired the show. Riverdale took plenty of details from Waid's story, such as Cheryl and Jason's father being a major antagonists. Waid's comic completely changed Archie comics by having real drama and introducing a continuing storyline that felt like its own TV show in comic form. Even KJ Apa compared Riverdale to Waid's run, stating that the show is most similar to Waid's comics than the older ones.
"Jughead" - Chip Zdarsky
"Jughead" by Chip Zdarsky follows Jughead's adventures in Riverdale and how his wild daydreams can influence his life. In Zdarsky's comics, Jughead is slightly different from the character on Riverdale, as he's asexual and highly imaginative. Like the show, though, he's snarky, interested in investigating crime alongside Betty, and obsessed with burgers.
Even though there are three volumes in Zdarsky's run on Jughead, volume two is the best for Riverdale fans due to the introduction of Sabrina Spellman. This story shows Jughead meeting Sabrina for the first time and even going on a date with her. On Riverdale, fans sort of saw Jughead on a date with Sabrina, except it was Nicholas Scratch in his body. This is the perfect story for fans who want to see what a real Jughead and Sabrina date would look like.
"Betty & Veronica" - Adam Hughes
"Betty & Veronica" by Adam Hughes follows the two girls when Pop's is going to be shut down and replaced with a coffee shop. Considering Betty grew up in Riverdale, she's completely against the idea and wants to save Pop's, while Veronica favors the new coffee shop.
Betty and Veronica have done terrible things to each other on Riverdale, some that boiled down to their interest in Archie or the two of them running for student council. In Hughe's Betty and Veronica, the two have yet another rivalry, as they come to a friendship-destroying disagreement. This story shows the two go head to head, as they have on Riverdale, but just like in the show, their friendship always wins out.
"Afterlife With Archie" - Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
"Afterlife With Archie" follows what happens after Jughead's dog dies, and he asks his witch friend Sabrina Spellman to bring him back to life. When her spell goes wrong, Sabrina accidentally causes a zombie apocalypse that Archie and the gang are left to deal with.
In Riverdale, Sabrina visits Riverdale to help teach Betty, Veronica, and Tabitha witchcraft so the group can revive their loved ones, just like Jughead went to Sabrina for help in the comic. "Afterlife with Archie" is the perfect story for Riverdale fans who love the dark magic in the most recent season. Like the show, the comic introduces Cheryl, Betty, and Veronica to storylines no other series except Riverdale could pull off.
"Archie: The Married Life" - Michael Uslan
"Archie: The Married Life" takes place in the future, with two different storylines in different realities. In one reality, Archie marries Betty, and in the other, he marries Veronica. Readers see how Archie's choice impacts the rest of Riverdale and their friendships.
In season 5 of Riverdale, there was a massive time jump that showed the characters graduating from high school and fast forward to their 20s, returning to Riverdale after years apart. Archie: The Married Life also has a massive time jump, showing how Archie and the gang deal with their adult lives, marriage problems, and grown-up situations. While Archie isn't married on the show yet, fans of Riverdale might want a sneak peek at how Archie's future could end up.
"Archie" - Nick Spencer
Nick Spencer's "Archie" continued the storyline from where Waid left off, with all the students returning to Riverdale high after their summer vacation. But this storyline has a twist, Archie is no longer dating Betty or Veronica. This time, he's dating Sabrina Spellman.
Fans have been eager to see a Riverdale and Sabrina crossover since Chilling Adventures of Sabrina first aired on Netflix. After the series cancellation, Sabrina finally appeared on Riverdale in season 6. Whether she'll continue appearing on Riverdale is a little up in the air. Either way, for fans aching to see more of Sabrina in Riverdale, the comics are probably the best way to go for now.
"Archie: 1941" - Mark Waid
"Archie: 1941" is an Archie story that takes place the year Archie comics were created. While in the original old stories, things were comedic and lighthearted. In this comic, they bring more reality to the story by having the gang at Riverdale face the consequences of World War II.
While taking place in a completely different time from the Riverdale show, the drama aspects of this comic are similar to the series. For example, one plot line on the show had Betty, Veronica, and friends dealing with the death of Archie. In this story, Archie gets sent off to war, and his friends at Riverdale feel lost without him like the show. Riverdale also takes plenty of fashion inspiration from vintage Archie comics, which fans would also recognize here.
"Vampironica" - Greg Smallwood
"Vampironica" follows Veronica after being bitten by a vampire. As a newly turned vampire, she has to tangle with her desire to drink the blood of fellow students at Riverdale High. Instead, she decides to fight the vampires plaguing the town and protect the people of Riverdale.
Some show fans might think Veronica getting involved with witchcraft is one of the most cringeworthy parts of Riverdale, but in the comics, Veronica got very in touch with the supernatural. Vampires might not be on Riverdale yet, but vampire Veronica is equally as exciting as witchy Veronica, and Riverdale fans would certainly enjoy that side of her. For Riverdale fans who also loved other CW shows like The Vampire Diaries, "Vampironica" is a must-read.
"Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina" - Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" follows Sabrina Spellman closing in on her 16th birthday, which means she has to make the massive decision of whether she wants to leave her human life behind, including her boyfriend, to reach her full potential as a witch.
With Sabrina Spellman's appearance on Riverdale and the cancellation of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV series, fans are likely itching for more teenage witch content. Surprisingly, the TV adaptation is very accurate to the comics by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Those who loved the Netflix show will love the comics due to the many similarities.
"The Archies & Josie And The Pussycats" - Dan Parent
"The Archies & Josie and the Pussycats" follows The Archies as they join the Pussycats and start making music together. As the band grows, so does Archie's relationship with Valerie, a member of the Pussycats. Of course, Archie's new romance causes problems for Betty and Veronica.
Like this comic, Archie also dated Valerie for a while on the show. Archie and Valerie were far from being the worst ship on Riverdale, with many fans liking the couple, even though most root for Archie with either Betty or Veronica. Josie and the Pussycats are also prominent on Riverdale, so fans of the show would enjoy seeing what the band was originally like in the comics.