Archie #631
Archie #631 is the opening chapter of the 'Archie Marries Valerie' arc, which extended Archie Comics' first interracial relationship — Archie Andrews and Valerie Smith of Josie and the Pussycats — into an alternate-future format borrowed from the celebrated 'Archie Marries Veronica/Betty' storyline. The issue is also the first appearance of Trevor 'Trev' Smith (also catalogued as Trev Brown), Valerie's younger brother, who became Betty Cooper's most prominent new love interest of the early 2010s and was later adapted into the CW television series Riverdale. By pulling the full Pussycats cast into the main Archie title and establishing a permanent Riverdale address for the Smith family, the issue meaningfully broadened the racial and cultural diversity of Riverdale's recurring cast.
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The issue was written, pencilled, and covered entirely by Dan Parent, the Archie Comics staff creator who had also scripted the initial Archie-and-Valerie courtship in issues #608–609. It arrived directly after the 'Archie Meets Kiss' crossover arc and was solicited in the January 2012 edition of Previews for an on-sale date of March 28, 2012. Parent has described the arc as a deliberate sequel to the best-selling 'Life with Archie' alternate-future formula, retooled to center Valerie's perspective rather than Archie's — an unusual narrative choice for the flagship title at the time.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Trevor 'Trev' Smith (also listed as Trev Brown in some sources), the African-American younger brother of Valerie Smith; he is introduced as a vocalist and quickly becomes a romantic interest for Betty Cooper.
- Story title: 'Another Love Song' (Part 1 of 4 of the 'Archie Marries Valerie' arc, continuing through issues #632–634).
- Written, pencilled, and covered by Dan Parent — the sole credited creator for the entire four-part arc.
- The issue kicks off Archie's Comics' most sustained exploration of its first interracial relationship, building on the Archie-and-Valerie pairing first introduced in Archie #608–609.
- The alternate-future Memory Lane device used in the arc mirrors the structure of the earlier 'Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty' storyline (#600–606), with Valerie envisioning a married life that includes a daughter named Star and a reformed band lineup.
- In the alternate future threaded through the arc, Trev Smith eventually joins a reformed version of The Archies (renamed 'Sugar Sugar') as lead vocalist, replacing Archie.
- The arc was collected in the graphic novel Archie: A Rock 'n' Roll Romance and has been reprinted in Archie & Friends All Stars #22 (February 2014), Archie Jumbo Comics Double Digest #280 (August 2017), and Archie Showcase Digest #12 (April 2023).
- The character of Trev was adapted for the CW television series Riverdale (debuting 2017), portrayed by actor Adain Bradley, where he and Valerie carry the last name Brown.
Cast · 14 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Archie & Friends All Stars #22 (2014), Archie 1000 Page Comics 75th Anniversary Bash #[nn] (2016), Archie (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #278 (2017), Archie Showcase Digest #12 (2023)
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