Archie Comics Is Bringing Back One of Its Classic Superheroines

Archie might be best have sex for theworld of Riverdaleand its inhabitants , butthe comics companyhas done much more genre twisting than occasionallyturning Jughead into a wolfman , or the exploring the wizard dangerous undertaking ofSabrina the Teenage Witch . In the years of its Red Circle imprint , the publisher was as much in the superhero secret plan as DC or Marvel — and now , it ’s bringing one of those classic back .

io9 can exclusively reveal a first look inside the riposte of Darla Lang — aka the witching heroine Darkling — for a novel one - shot solidification to release in November . Penned by YA generator Sarah Kuhn , and have art from Carola Borelli and vividness from Ellie Wright , the fresh book transposes Darla into a The Magicians - esque dark academia thriller , as she investigate Ivy Hollow University to uncover its glowering secrets … and explore a few of her own , like the magical teleporting cloak she wields as the Darkling !

“ Our version of Darkling — aka Darla Lang — is a lonely outcast college scholar who long to be costless of what she sees as her ‘ curse word . ’ say curse take the form of the voluminous black ness she bear everywhere , which gives her special powers and a connection to the supernatural world , ” Kuhn say io9 over email . “ We want to take Darla on a journey — from feeling alone in the humans to making her first - ever booster , from fearing her powers to squeeze her unequalled gifts , from timid loner to empowered superheroine . Those types of themes and arcs are some of my favorites to research in story . ”

Image: David Mack/Archie Comics

“ I have always loved magic . I grew up with the Sabrina television receiver show and fantasy novels , so when I had the prospect to give life sentence to a undertaking like this , I used all my knowledge and all the love I have for Gothic architecture and its aesthetics , ” Borelli added . “ These pages give me the opportunity to experiment with blacks and effects , with atmospheres and detail , as well as being able to play with outfits and draw meaningful distaff character . I trust that you may see all the fun and love that I put into every panel ! ”

“ We also receive to fence in Darla with some irresistibly haunted dour academe vibes — hidden passageways and secret subroutine library and a mysterious wood surrounding campus , ” Kuhn proceed . “ We aim to show her opening move up , becoming vulnerable , and learning how to link up with other extremely coolheaded weirdos . And we got to tell a story about a young womanhood study to love and amply embrace the incredible force that lives within her . ”

penetrate through to see a few pages inside the Darkling one shot , which is set to hit shelf November 22 .

Image: Carola Borelli/Archie Comics