Archie: Love and Heartbreak Valentine’s Day One-Shot Announced by Archie Comics

Love and heartbreak are in the air for Archie and his friends. On Thursday, Archie Comics announced a new one-shot, Archie: Love & Heartbreak, set to arrive on February 9, 2022, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The comic will see Archie Andrews and his friends on a romantic night out at the Riverdale carnival with romances burning bright for some, fizzling out for others, and even a few that are just getting started.

In the issue, Cupid has his eye on Riverdale as Archie and his friends find themselves embroiled in the uncertainty of young love. As Archie and Veronica hit a speed bump in their relationship, Jughead explains his unique philosophy on love to Betty, while Kevin finds himself in too deep on a date of his own. The modern-style anthology one-shot will feature a mix of beloved and unexpected pairings, including Veronica and Dilton, Kevin and Devon, and Betty and Jughead. The book will also build on the recent Kevin Keller Celebration Kickstarter with Kevin being placed right in the midst of his own romantic debacle alongside Devon, his boyfriend from the classic Archie comic series. The one-shot comes from writer/artist Thomas Pitilli, writers Stephanie Cooke and Sina Grace, and artists Lisa Sterle and Iolanda Zanfardino.

“Coming off the heels of our 80th anniversary, we wanted to welcome fans of the modern comics back to the romantic core of Riverdale with this special one-shot,” Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante said in a statement. “Capturing the ideals of young love, readers get to experience firsthand the ups-and-downs of new relationships and what it means to discover yourself in a way we haven’t seen before in Archie comics. We hope readers see a little bit of themselves in each of these stories.”

You can check out the one-shot’s official description, as well as images from the upcoming special, below.

“Join Archie and his friends on a date night at the Riverdale carnival! First up, Betty wants to know: If Jughead was interested in dating, what would the perfect date look like? Jughead shares his POV on love while Archie and Veronica’s relationship is on the rocks! Can Kevin Keller help Archie save his romance? Maybe not, since Kevin’s caught up in his own romantic dilemma, and is worried about being in over his head on his own date! Who will end up together? What relationships are on the verge of collapse? Who will find true love?”

Script: Thomas Pitilli, Stephanie Cooke, Sina Grace

Art: Thomas Pitilli, Lisa Sterle, Iolanda Zanfardino

Colors: Matt Herms

Letters: Jack Morelli

Main Cover: Thomas Pitilli

Variant Cover: Paulina Ganucheau

Archie: Love & Heartbreak goes on sale February 9, 2022.