The “Red Circle” group of heroes has returned to Archie Comics after a brief run with DC Comics, but they are returning with more than one twist.
Archie announced the return of super hero comics in their line via the New York Times last night. In the announcement, they detailed the return, which features the classic heroes living in retirement in a community called, appropriately enough, “Red Circle.” Most of these retired heroes are killed, and replacements, the New Crusaders are brought in to save the day, led by veteran The Shield. The new stories will be 6-page digital exclusives written by Ian Flynn and drawn by Ben Bates, with no release schedule revealed.
In addition to these shorts however, Archie will be offering an extensive digital archive featuring their superheroes. For a low (not yet determined) monthly fee, only $3 or $4, readers will have access to the new stories plus an archive featuring “thousands and thousands of pages” of older stories. More details as they come, but what do you think of this deal so far?
October 10th, 2011 at 8:20 am
well the marketing-target seems pretty obvious but why not ?
Too bad DC didn’t know what to really do with these characters, but let’s face it, their plates are full now, so that’s better if these characters got their own special corner elsewhere
October 10th, 2011 at 8:30 am
I agree. They seem to stand better on their own. It’s an attractive teaser image with the requisite “team of different types” lineup that’s used all the time for kids shows. I might actually get it – especially since I spend most of my time in front of a computer anyway. This might also be my favorite design for the Comet I’ve seen.
October 10th, 2011 at 9:16 am
I’ve always had a soft-spot for the Red Circle characters. I even bought some of the DC stuff when it was out. I especially liked The Fly with artwork by the late great Mike Parobeck.
I really love the promo image for this. Looks like some great old-school superhero awesomeness that we’re not getting from anywhere else. I’ll definitely check it out.
October 10th, 2011 at 9:45 am
I’m a long time Red Circle fan…I even bought the issues of “Archie’s Weird Mysteries” in the 90s that had these characters guest starring. However, I’m not a digital comics reader…the reason Ben stated above is my reason for NOT wanting to read digital comics. I’m at a computer all day…I try to avoid reading stuff on screens as much as possible, haha. So, hopefully, these new stories will be collected and printed. Sounds like a promising idea and love the promo art!
October 10th, 2011 at 10:26 am
I’m down with this. I enjoyed the Red Circle stuff and was a fan of !mpact Comics back in the day. I already have the Archie Comics app on my phone, so I think this could be really cool.
October 10th, 2011 at 10:38 am
I love the promo art. Hopefully they have printed collections of the digital comics. Looking forward to this project. It’s great they are coming home to Archie Comics.
October 10th, 2011 at 10:48 am
I’m happy for Archie and these characters,but sad for myself. I’d be interested in possibly buying some of these in paper, but I don’t do digital, and don’t plan to start. I hope the Red Circle line is successful this time around, though–though I’m a little miffed to see that The Fly is a female in this version, too, just as she was in her latest, brief, DC existence. The Fly, or Fly-Man, is my favorite of all the Red Circle heroes, and whether I can read his adventures or not, I hope he comes back into the mix sometime.
October 10th, 2011 at 10:55 am
I might check this out if it’s good price for the reading.
October 10th, 2011 at 11:44 am
This is a waste of time. It’s true DC failed twice with these characters mainly because they have never respected the legacy of heroes they bought or rented from other companies ( Charlton, Thunder Agents )enough to build on them rather than create new versions. Exception being the 50′s pick-ups ( Blackhawks GI Combat ) and a great first issue of Plastic Man, and a great series of Captain Action by Gil Kane & Wally Wood in the 60′s). Even Captain Marvel can’t find a place. The Archie heroes have a host of great names and characters that would be a fantastic universe with some caring people. The original Red Circle was great in the beginning but too much too soon and couldn’t pay the big money it threw out so fast. Archie is basically throwing in the towell and this kids version wouldn’t make a decent comic book. By the way juss that wasn’t the Fly but Fly girl at DC and most likely the new one. Another failure as the Fly and the Fly world dimension would have been a perfect crossover beginning.
October 10th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
If it isn’t 8 flats, 32 pages, with 2 staples down the saddle-stitched spine…IT AIN’T COMICS. PERIOD. END of story!
October 10th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
(@Eastern Eagle) Hmm, that’s a bit close-minded.
“GET THESE DANG KIDS OFF MY LAWN!”
October 10th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
I’ve been trying to follow the Republican debates on the radio, but I don’t believe anything they say.
I mean, if it ain’t printed on cheap folded paper with black and white ink that smudges on your fingers, IT AINT NEWS!!
October 10th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Eastern Eagle reminds me of an attitude I used to have. To me, if it didn’t come with the Sunday paper, it wasn’t worth paying attention to. Eight giant pages, full colour, every week. There’s no way comic books could match that. But Sunday comics aren’t what they used to be, and neither are comic books. Nope, the digital stuff will never be up to snuff for us guys, but nobody is asking us guys anymore.
October 10th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
I’m happy about this big fan of the Red Circle Heroes just wish it was in print as well…
October 10th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
While I think a lot of the concerns expressed above are valid, does anyone else just think that the promo image looks really damn fun?
October 10th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Like The Mighty Drew, I think the promo image looks really damn fun as well. Just hope to see it in print. While I have nothing against digital comics, print is my preference. I like an actual comic book that you can hold in your hands and flip the pages. If all comics were to go exclusively digital, I’m out. Not that digital is a bad thing, mind you. I feel there’s room enough for it and it’s another tool to get attention to comics in general. Just my preference is printed comics. Loved DC’s Impact Comics in the early 90s as well as the early 80s stuff from Rich Buckler an that crew.
This new one looks fun and I’d dig some collected stuff eventually.
October 10th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
The Fly is owned by Joe Simon that’s why DC couldn’t use him and now Archie can’t. I like this plan but I also hope they plan on doing a collected print copy somewhere down the line.
October 11th, 2011 at 12:01 am
I like these characters but it seems that no one knows how to make them “work”.
I don’t want them on digital but on the printed page.
They have the characters. They NEED a writer who knows what to do with these heroes, and they need a GREAT artist or artists to bring these guys to life.
Whoever does them can’t seem to understand the basics.!!
And they should be in comicbooks NOT on the computer.
October 11th, 2011 at 6:54 am
Great idea. I don’t think most people GET the fact they’re not trying to preach to the choir. Everyone says they don’t get it. They do. They’re trying to get a new generation interested. They’re trying to get millions of a potential digital audience interested and downloading. Those of which have never or will ever set foot into a comic book store.
This is the funedmental basics of the new era of publishing. Anyone thinking it’s still five years ago, or even last year, doesn’t get how we need to go forward for publishing to survive.
Congratulations to Archie Comics and good luck. I’ll definitely be there for the launch.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:27 am
Why do superheroes at all? Archie’s excelled at being the true mainstream for DECADES. Superheroes without strong preexisting fanbases tend to fail hard.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
The Anti-Digital Crybabies are so precious aren’t they? Come cry on my shoulder, let me taste your sweet, sweet tears…
October 11th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
I like the price. I would try it. These are really underused characters. Jim Shooter or Mark Waid would use these guys right.
COMIC BOOK SHOP of DOOM
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October 11th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Why can’t they just sell these in paperback? I don’t want a digital comic! I’d like a comic which I can hold and touch physically.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
i still like hpow people blame DC on this line… there was nothing inherrantly wrong with the comics… but the timing was wrong and the FANS FAILED to look at what great work was being put out
October 12th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Why not? The characters have potential, even if no one’s figured out what to do with them. Kudos to Archie for trying new things.
October 12th, 2011 at 10:18 am
dinnertop is right. DC’s recent attempt with these characters was good, especially The Web.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Who wants these characters?
October 13th, 2011 at 1:54 am
I want these characters!
It seems to me this relaunch owes A LOT to the JSA – The Legacy Aspect…
…and the JSA showed how to DO IT RIGHT!
(and I can’t beleive they won’t eventually collect the stories into a TPB,either!)
October 27th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
I liked !mpact back in the 90′s and DC’s run was good though they could have tried to advertise it more instead of just sweeping it under the rug.
Though I’d prefer a tpb to a digital comic, I’m highly tempted to make this my first.
December 7th, 2011 at 2:42 am
I think it is a good thing. These are great characters within themselves and they deserve to be published. Of course the cost on a digital comic would allow low sales at first and they would be able to start with a low fan base and a “Word-of-Mouth” type thing to happen. They could then build on that, and perhaps after that they could release some TPB’s to which I would enjoy.
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