The demise of comic book icon Archie Andrews is impending. However, fans of the red-headed character acknowledge the fitting end for Archie.
Archie is now 73-years old. His death will occur in the installment of “Life with Archie,” which is set for release on Wednesday, July 16. Although, the announcement of his death surfaced in April, but came with no details about the occurrence.

The end for Archie transpires when he intervenes on an attempted assassination of senator, Kevin Keller. Kevin was Archie Comics’ first openly gay character who pushes for increased gun control in Archie’s hometown of Riverdale.
Kevin was introduced to the series almost 4 years ago in Veronica issue 202. The issue had been so popular that a reprint was necessary, the first one in Archie Comics’ history. Kevin was created by artist, Dan Parent who went on to create a 4 issue miniseries for the character. According to Rolling Stone, the spin off, ‘Kevin Keller,’ earned the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book in 2013.
Archie’s death, and the moments leading up to it, will be detailed in “Life with Archie” issue No. 36. Meanwhile, issue No. 37 will include a year jump and focus on Riverdale honoring Archie’s legacy. Other incarnations of Archie will still appear in various branches of the Archie Comic series.

Chris Cummins, a writer for DenOfGeek.us, wrote about the comic culture stating, “Not to be too grandiose, but this demise is a fitting and tonally perfect tribute to a character who has always put his friends first. This is a publicity stunt for sure, but one with heart that will have permanent ramifications.”
Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO, discussed the end for Archie. He mentioned how it promoted important lessons about gun violence, while including diversity in the new age of Archie Comics. Goldwater stated, “We wanted to not only grab people’s attention but really show the heroic nature of the character. He’s willing to literally die to save his friend, Kevin. Archie would have died to save any of his friends. I think Archie would’ve even died to save a stranger.”
Unlike the superheroes who have died recently, such as Peter Parker or “Spiderman” and Steve Rogers or “Captain America,” Archie’s death has other implications. Goldwater discussed this unique death saying, “Archie is not a superhero like all the rest of the comic book characters.” Adding, “He’s human. He’s a person. When you wound him, he bleeds. He knows that. If anything, I think his death is more impactful because of that. We hope by showing how something so violent can happen to Archie, that we can — in some way — learn from him.”

Recently the Archie comics series has taken a turn in the content of its latest issues. Originally, the comic book was a sweet and innocent look at a group of friends attending Riverdale High School. However, the series, now entitled “Life with Archie,” strives to feature more modern topics.
Archie fans, who have followed the series since they were children, have enjoyed specific issues being targeted within the series that lean towards appealing to them as an audience. Over the past four years the “Life with Archie” plots have involved Kevin’s gay marriage, the death of Ms. Grundy, Archie’s longtime teacher, and Cheryl Blossom, Archie’s romantic interest, dealing with breast cancer and affordable health care.
Goldwater has refrained from revealing the specifics about Archie’s killer. Nonetheless, he has told fans that the man will be a stalker who was intent on taking down Mayor Kevin. The July issue will be the second to last issue of the longtime comic series.
