The CW continues to broadcast comic book adaptations for the small screen, with Riverdale one of the latest scheduled to debut on the network. Greg Berlanti works as the executive producer on DC Comics superhero shows Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on The CW, and will now put his name to a very different, yet familiar project with the Archie Comics classic. Based on Riverdale’s well-known characters, the series has been developed by the comic book counterpart’s chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and showcased its first episode last summer at Comic-Con International.

Despite the early preview, the show was never set to make its official premiere until the end of January, so The CW have been hard at work releasing promotional materials in a bid to build hype around the series’ debut. Fans have gotten plenty of looks at the cast through the various advertising items, and now a new set of character portraits have hit the web.

CW released the images, which showcase the principal players in-costume. Check them out in the gallery below:

[vn_gallery name="Riverdale Character Portraits" id="872486"]

KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller and Madchen Amick as Alice Cooper are the cast brought to life through the new portrait releases.

For those who are used to seeing comic books come to life on the small screen, the cast here look pretty vanilla in comparison to those we see in The Flash and the like. We’re used to fancy outfits and costumes, but this show looks to be going down a road less traveled on The CW.

Of course, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Riverdale has never been a series that highlights the lives and trials of vigilantes and superheroes, instead bringing regular, every-day folk to the forefront and making heroes out of people just like you and I. It does however look as if The CW’s take on the comic book will be a darker and dramatic one, with some of the promotional pictures and banners released encouraging viewers to ‘Leave Your Innocence Behind’. Whether or not this is a good move remains to be seen.

Riverdale premieres Thursday, January 26 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

Source: CW