Archie; $3.99

First Grumpus tries to ruin the holiday party by kidnapping Jingles and Sugerplum, then a Christmas shopping trip to the mall goes awry for Archie and Jughead. Veronica gets a gift wrapping job, but she’s all thumbs, the gang competes to see who has more holiday spirit, and Jinx Malloy gets a boost of confidence with a little Christmas spirit.

The Archie Christmas Spectacular 2023 #1 is a wonderfully festive book. The stories have great holiday themes, they are funny, cheery, and charming. Several of the Riverdale kids are featured throughout the issue, and with five stories, readers get their money’s worth out of this special. It’s a great all-ages read.

-Amanda Sheriff