Riverdale is about to face one of its deadliest threats. Dynamite Entertainment, Archie Comics and STUDIOCANAL will launch Archie vs. The Terminator, a five-issue comic book miniseries, this fall.
The crossover begins when a teenage John Connor enrolls at Riverdale High School. His arrival brings chaos to Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the rest of the gang.
The first issue arrives in October. It marks the first meeting between two major pop culture franchises.
John Connor Comes to Riverdale
Archie and his friends have met an array of famous characters during the franchise’s 85-year history. The Terminator has also pursued targets across multiple timelines, stories and media.
Archie vs. The Terminator will bring those worlds together in an action-packed mashup. The story will reveal whether the Riverdale gang can survive an encounter with the relentless killing machine.
Rory McConville Writes the Crossover
Rory McConville will write the five-issue miniseries. The project continues his work with the science fiction franchise following The Terminator: Metal.
McConville has also written Spawn and Red Sonja. He will bring his experience with action and science fiction twists to the unusual crossover.
“Archie crossovers hold a very special place in comics, so I’m thrilled to be writing the gang’s first (maybe last?!) encounter with The Terminator,” McConville said.
“Enrolling John Connor at Riverdale High felt like the perfect way to bring these two iconic franchises together and I can’t wait for readers to see what we have in store.”
Steven and Lily Butler Lead the Art Team
Steven Butler and his daughter Lily Butler will provide the interior artwork. The father-and-daughter team will combine Archie’s familiar house style with the threatening metal appearance of The Terminator.
Longtime comic book readers may know Steven Butler from his work on Spider-Man titles during the 1990s. He also has an extensive history with Archie Comics, including years of work on the publisher’s Sonic the Hedgehog series.
That series announced Lily Butler’s birth in 1999. Years later, she and her father have become frequent artistic collaborators.
“When I got the invite to draw the Archie vs. The Terminator mini-series, I was deeply honored and excited at the same time,” Steven Butler said.
“I’ve always loved most the Archie stories that put the gang into some sort of overwhelming peril that they had to try to get themselves out of and now this mini-series gives us the opportunity to tell that kind of story I love so much!”
“The icing on the cake is the fact that I get to work with my daughter Lily on this project,” he continued. “What more could a proud dad want?”
Lily Butler Takes on Her First Full Miniseries
The crossover marks Lily Butler’s first project for Dynamite Entertainment. It will also be the first full comic book miniseries of her career.
“This story marks my first time working for Dynamite, and working on a full miniseries,” Lily Butler said.
“I’m super excited to be working on characters that I’m very familiar with like the Archie crew and other characters that are new to me. I think we’re working up a really cool project and I’m excited for everyone to see!”
Cover Artists Join the Showdown
Each issue of Archie vs. The Terminator will feature covers from artists familiar to Dynamite and Archie readers. The lineup includes Francesco Francavilla, Robert Hack, Björn Barends and Bill Galvan.
The premiere issue will also be available in a mystery blind bag. Each bag will contain a randomly selected limited edition from a collection of variant covers.
Dynamite and Archie Continue Their Crossover Partnership
Archie vs. The Terminator follows the fan-favorite Archie X Army of Darkness crossover. That series launched a new era of collaborations between Dynamite Entertainment and Archie Comics.
The publishers plan to reveal more details about their upcoming projects soon. Archie vs. The Terminator begins its five-issue run in October.
