Afterlife with Archie #7

History

The series was conceived by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — then Archie Comics' chief creative officer and an established playwright and TV screenwriter — and artist Francesco Francavilla, whose zombie-themed variant cover for a Life with Archie issue first sparked the concept. Issue #7 arrived in February 2015 as the second chapter of the 'Betty: R.I.P.' arc, part of a run that would eventually stall at ten published issues (the last appearing in 2016), leaving planned issues #11 and #12 unprinted despite completed cover art; as of 2025, Aguirre-Sacasa confirmed he had written both and was plotting a thirteenth as Francavilla resumed art duties, spurred by a Disney+ live-action adaptation entering development.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published February 2015 by Archie Comics; written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, art and colors by Francesco Francavilla, lettered by Jack Morelli.
• Issue title is 'Thanksgiving'; the central plot follows the Riverdale survivors staging a makeshift post-apocalypse Thanksgiving in the Pennsylvania wilderness, during which a hunting party led by Hiram Lodge is ambushed by the zombie horde and not everyone survives.
• Cheryl Blossom formally renames herself 'Blaze' in this issue after emerging bloodied from the woods following a confrontation with twin brother Jason — an alias drawn from her counterpart in the obscure Archie series 'Explorers of the Unknown.'
• Archie Andrews makes his long-deferred romantic choice in this issue, secretly selecting Betty Cooper over Veronica Lodge — a narrative resolution that had been deferred across the character's entire publication history since 1941.
• The issue's primary narrative is delivered largely through Betty's diary entries, with Francesco Francavilla using a deliberately rougher, less-detailed visual style for the flashback sequences that gradually sharpens as the memories approach the present day.
• Josie and the Pussycats make a cameo appearance in issue #7 — foreshadowing the revelation in issue #10 that they are vampires, and planting a visual callback to Betty's earlier flashback of attending one of their concerts.
• The issue includes a backup story reprinted from Mad House (Archie, 1974 series) #96, scripted by Marv Channing and drawn by Doug Wildey — part of the series' recurring 'vault of supernatural horror stories' feature spotlighting vintage Archie horror material.
• Issue #7 was part of the first eight issues of the series, all of which sold out, and received a second printing variant — evidence of sustained direct-market demand for the horror imprint that would formally launch as 'Archie Horror' with issue #8.

Full credits

Key issues in Afterlife with Archie

Variants (2)