May 14

Archie Comics scream queens Jinx, Danni and Madam Satan Team-up in 'The Cursed Library'

The Cursed Library: Alpha #1 - Featured Image

The Dark Worlds of Archie Comics converge in 'The Cursed Library: Alpha'

Dark worlds converge in August when Archie Comics opens the doors to The Cursed Library, an all-new premium-printed limited series that unites Archie's three main horror heroines — and its various one-shot comics — in one explosive storyline by writers Magdalene Visaggio (Eternity Girl) and Eliot Rahal (Bleed Them Dry) with art by Craig Cermak (Red Team).

This is it... this is the moment our horror one-shots have led to… THE CURSED LIBRARY! When we last left off in MADAM SATAN: HELL ON EARTH, Jinx has the former Queen of the Underworld trapped in the mysterious library, as her father-bestowed demon powers have intensified. To stop Jinx from becoming like her father, her best friend Danni Malloy must rescue and convince Madam Satan to guide her through Hell itself to find the one thing that can possibly save her friend’s soul––Jinx’s mom. Along the way, they’ll also discover a number of faces they’ve seen before, though only in the pages of the terrifying tomes within the cursed library. This three-issue limited series horror event tells a story about the bonds that tie us together and how the only thing that can save the world from evil is radical love. It’s Riverdale’s Return of the Jedi meets Dante’s Inferno. A three-part event that will close the door on the Cursed Library and usher in a whole new chapter of horror stories.

“The Cursed Library event that Mags and I have been asked to helm is unlike any other moment in Archie Comics history," Rahal said. "It’s both a throughline and nexus point that weaves together everything in the Archie Horror universe that’s happened so far. Its goal is to provide shape to the world that has been created. The Cursed Library is essentially saying: ‘All of this matters. There is a fabric.’"

Archie Horror readers have been treated to a series of standalone one-shot comics in recent years that can be enjoyed as chilling ghost stories and campfire tales, but eagle-eyed fans will have noticed hints of connection, which came to a head in last fall's Madam Satan: Hell On Earth. That story ended with Madam Satan, the escaped Queen of Hell, captured by Jinx Holliday, a teenager interested in magic and rock 'n' roll who is rumored to be Satan's daughter.

Jinx is often aided by her loyal best friend Danni, who made global headlines last summer when she was revealed to be Archie's first transgender character. While all three protagonists have charted their own course thus far, their worlds collide in The Cursed Library when each will be tested as Danni descends into the depths of Hell to save her friend's soul — and the world.

“This is an ambitious project led by two of the best writers we've had the pleasure of working with on our horror titles, and, honestly, two of the best writers in comics, period," said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. "I have the ultimate trust in them to craft a story that is layered, poignant, and still metal AF. This feels like the culmination of almost everything I've personally worked on as an editor, and I'm thrilled that I get to watch Eliot and Mags create a world (or rather, convergence of worlds) that I'm, frankly, in awe of. This is not just a love letter to our fans, but to the art of storytelling as a whole, complemented by the stunning artwork of Craig Cermak.”

Cermak has made a big impact on the Archie Horror line, having illustrated Jinx's horror adventures and the initial appearances of The Cursed Library itself, a mysterious collection of books that seem to chronicle the events depicted in recent one-shot comics like Camp Pickens and Betty: The Final Girl.

“It's been exciting to go on this journey with Jinx and see it develop into something much grander," Cermak said. "Building on top of all the various horror tales featuring so many great Archie characters is providing such a gratifying opportunity as an artist, with so much great material from which to pull.”

Rahal has written all of Madam Satan's modern adventures, relating the anti-hero's struggle against Satan and her efforts to chart her own destiny. Madam Satan is one of Archie Comics' oldest characters, debuting in PEP COMICS #16 in 1941. She was reintroduced as Sabrina's antagonist in the horror series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which was adapted as a Netflix streaming series in 2018. Visaggio is the architect of Jinx's modern resurgence, where she is an older and more macabre version of the classic Archie humor character known as Li'l Jinx, who first appeared in PEP COMICS #62 in 1947.

Visaggio scripted Danni's return alongside Jinx and her solo star turn in last year's Strange Science one-shot. Danni first appeared in DILTON'S STRANGE SCIENCE in 1989 as an equally brilliant friend and foil to Dilton, Riverdale's resident genius. The talents of, and more importantly, the bonds between all three women will be the focus of The Cursed Library.

"I think what I love and am most proud of is that this connectivity is secondary to the story," Rahal added. "The Cursed Library can stand alone because, at its heart, this is the culmination of two stories: Madam Satan’s and Jinx’s. These two characters have had painful journeys of self-discovery and are finally meeting their climax –– but it’s all wrapped up in the Apocalypse. It’s both the end and a new beginning. And by the time we’ve closed the chapter on the Cursed Library, the Archie Horror line will be diving into a very new and exciting future.”

The Cursed Library: Alpha releases August 21 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Matt Herms, lettering by Jack Morelli, and open-to-order variant covers by Robert Hack, Soo Lee, and Reiko Murakami. It will be available for pre-order on May 24. The first issue will be followed by Omega in September and the final chapter, Unbound, in October.