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{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox comic book title <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
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* [[Dark Horse Comics]]
* [[Archie Comics]]}}
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* [[Archie Andrews]]
* [[Betty Cooper]]
* [[Veronica Lodge]]
* [[Predator (alien)|Predator]]}}
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| pencillers
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| TPB = Hard Cover
| ISBN = 1616558059
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▲|sort = Archie vs. Predator
}}
'''''Archie vs. Predator''''' is a [[comic book]] and [[intercompany crossover]], written by [[Alex de Campi]] and drawn by Fernando Ruiz. It was originally published as a four-issue [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] in the United States by [[Dark Horse Comics]] and [[Archie Comics]] in 2015. The single issues were released between April and July, a hardcover collection went on sale in November 2015, and a paperback collection became available in August 2019.
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In ''Archie vs. Predator'', a trophy-hunting alien arrives on Earth and begins stalking high school student Archie Andrews and his classmates. After a number of teenagers have been murdered, the survivors realize they are being hunted and decide to fight back.
The book received positive reviews from critics, who enjoyed the strange [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] matchup and dark humor. The miniseries was the bestselling book for both publishers during its release and won a [[Ghastly Award]] for Best Limited Series. A sequel, ''[[Archie vs. Predator II]]'',
==Publication history==
===Development===
Since Archie Comics partnered with [[Marvel Comics]] for the 1994 [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] comic ''[[Archie Meets the Punisher]]'', the Archie characters have had a tradition of [[team-up]]s with characters from other [[fictional universe]]s.<ref name="announcement">{{cite web
Archie Comics proposed the crossover to [[20th Century Fox]], who owns the Predator character, and [[Dark Horse Comics]], who had licensed the character for comic books.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cbr.com/exclusive-richardson-looks-to-dark-horses-2015-future/ |title= Exclusive: Richardson Looks to Dark Horse's 2015 Future |last= Sunu |first= Steve |date= November 26, 2014 |website= [[Comic Book Resources]] |access-date= February 21, 2017 |archive-date= February 22, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170222195325/http://www.cbr.com/exclusive-richardson-looks-to-dark-horses-2015-future/ |url-status= live }}</ref> Both quickly agreed. Dark Horse approached Alex de Campi to write based on her work on the horror comic book ''Grindhouse'' and the humorous comic book ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (comic book)#Friends Forever|My Little Pony: Friends Forever]]''.<ref name="dailydead"/><ref name="HCafter"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.wickedhorror.com/interviews/alex-de-campi-talks-horror-comics/ |title= Exclusive Interview: Alex de Campi on Horror Comics |last= Emm |first= Fox |date= January 7, 2016 |website= Wicked Horror |access-date= March 4, 2016 |archive-date= March 8, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160308232039/http://www.wickedhorror.com/interviews/alex-de-campi-talks-horror-comics/ |url-status= live }}</ref> Dark Horse editor Brendan Wright, who was already editing the regular ''Predator'' comic book and had previously coordinated with Archie Comics on Dark Horse's ''Archie Archives'' reprints, was chosen as editor. Ruiz was the first and only artist considered to [[Penciller|pencil]] the series, and [[inker]] Rich Koslowski was selected based on his work with Ruiz on a [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]] parody in ''Archie'' #648.<ref name="HCafter"/> The project was originally titled ''Archie meets Predator'', but it was changed to ''vs.'' because the people involved in production kept calling it that unintentionally, and to parody the ''[[Alien vs. Predator]]'' franchise.<ref name="comicbook">{{cite web |url= http://comicbook.com/2015/04/14/archie-vs-predator-writer-alex-de-campi-promises-horribly-gory-v/ |title= Exclusive: Archie Vs. Predator's Alex de Campi Promises "Horribly Gory, Very Wrong, and Funny" Story |last= Siegel |first= Lucas |date= April 14, 2015 |website=
To prepare for the project, de Campi read over 4000 pages of Archie comic books.<ref name="dc int">{{cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/alex-de-campi-archie-vs-predator-interview/ |title=They're all a little unbalanced: Alex de Campi talks 'Archie vs. Predator' |last=Sims |first=Chris |date=April 28, 2015 |website=
Ruiz experimented with drawing the whole series in a more realistic manner, but from the beginning, the plan was to use the traditional Archie design style for the book, which Archie veteran [[Dan DeCarlo]] popularized in the classic comics since the 1960s.<ref name="CA int"/><ref name="HCafter"/><ref name=ddc>{{cite web | url = http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=688 | title = Dan DeCarlo Dead at Age of 82: Artist Defined Archie Comics Style for Decades | publisher= [[Comic Book Resources]] | date= December 20, 2001 | access-date = March 19, 2013 | archive-date = October 10, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121010073114/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=688 | url-status = live}}</ref> The editorial team felt this would make the story feel more "bizarre and unsettling". Although most modern comic art is created using digital tools and scans to accelerate the creation process, the art team for ''Archie vs. Predator'' chose to use traditional methods and used [[FedEx]] to get the physical copy of each page to the person who would complete the next step in the process.<ref name="HCafter"/>
Archie Comics and Dark Horse Comics jointly announced ''Archie vs. Predator'' and its creative team at the 2014 [[New York Comic Con]].<ref name="announcement"/> Soon after, many media outlets carrying the news used a headline indicating the bizarre announcement was not a joke.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsarama.com/22349-archie-vs-predator-no-really.html |title= Archie vs. Predator ... No, Really |last= Arrant |first= Chris |date= October 9, 2014 |website= [[Newsarama]] |access-date= March 2, 2016 |archive-date= November 12, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181112141451/https://www.newsarama.com/22349-archie-vs-predator-no-really.html |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hngn.com/articles/60108/20150114/archie-vs-predator-is-a-real-thing-and-its-coming-soon-see-it.htm |title= 'Archie vs. Predator' Is a Real Thing and It's Coming Soon |last= Bonner |first= Jerry |date= January 14, 2015 |website= Headlines and Global News
===Publication===
A promotional [[ashcan comic]] was released a couple of months before the first issue. It featured eight pages from the first issue and some of Ruiz's character designs, including some of his initial, more lifelike Predator sketches.<ref name="CA int"/> The four issues were published monthly beginning April 15, 2015, and ending July 22, 2015.<ref name=ign1/><ref name=CB4/> Each issue had two [[variant cover]]s, and the first issue had some additional [[Direct market#Comic book specialty shops|store]]-exclusive and [[Comic book convention|convention]]-exclusive covers.<ref>From the Variant Cover Gallery. {{ Cite comic | writer=[[Alex de Campi|de Campi, Alex]] | artist=Fernando Ruiz | title=Archie vs. Predator | date=2015 | publisher=[[Dark Horse Comics]] | ___location=[[Milwaukie, Oregon]] | id={{ISBN|1616558059}} }}</ref> All of the issues also included a one-page, humorous bonus strip written by de Campi featuring crossovers of other Archie and Dark Horse characters: ''[[Sabrina Spellman|Sabrina]] Meets [[Hellboy]]'' (art by [[Robert Hack]]), ''Little [[The Mask (comics)|Mask]] and his Pals'' (art by [[Art Baltazar]]), ''[[Jughead Jones|Jughead]] Meets [[MIND MGMT]]: "S" is for Sleeper'' (art by [[Matt Kindt]]), and ''[[Josie and the Pussycats (comics)|Josie and the Pussycats]] Meet [[Finder (comics)|Finder]]'' (art by [[Carla Speed McNeil]]).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2015/11/05/archie-vs-predator-hc-review/ |title= Is It Good? Archie vs. Predator HC Review |last= Silber |first= Gregory Paul |date= November 5, 2015 |website= Adventures in Poor Taste |access-date= May 25, 2016 |archive-date= May 23, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160523192214/http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2015/11/05/archie-vs-predator-hc-review/ |url-status= live }}</ref> A 128-page hardcover collecting the series and bonus content was released November 4, 2015,<ref>{{cite press release |url= https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/28-168/Archie-vs-Predator-HC |title= Archie vs. Predator HC |publisher= Dark Horse Comics |access-date= February 18, 2016 }}</ref> followed by a 104-page softcover edition on August 21, 2019.<ref>{{cite press release |url= https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3004-388/Archie-vs-Predator-TPB|title= Archie vs. Predator TPB|publisher= Dark Horse Comics |access-date= August 19, 2019 }}</ref>
==Synopsis==
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==Reception==
The first issue was the best-selling issue for both publishers in April 2015, and the 74th best selling comic book among other releases that month.<ref>By units sold. {{cite web |url= http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-04.html |title= Comic Book Sales Figures for April 2015 |last= Miller |first= John Jackson |website= [[The Comics Chronicles]] |access-date= February 17, 2016 |archive-date= July 16, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150716235731/http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-04.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Sales numbers fell just under 30% through the fourth issue, which was the 102nd best selling issue in July.<ref>By units sold. {{cite web |url= http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-07.html |title= Comic Book Sales Figures for July 2015 |last= Miller |first= John Jackson |website= The Comics Chronicles |access-date= February 17, 2016 |archive-date= May 28, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200528025306/https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-07.html |url-status= live }}</ref> When the hardcover was released in November, it was the 36th best-selling comics collection of the month according to [[Diamond Comic Distributors]].<ref>By units sold. {{cite web |url= http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-11.html |title= Comic Book Sales Figures for November 2015 |last= Miller |first= John Jackson |website= The Comics Chronicles |access-date= February 17, 2016 |archive-date= March 2, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160302195553/http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-11.html |url-status= live }}</ref>
The first issue garnered an average review rating of 7.9 out of 10 according to the [[review aggregator]] [[Comic Book Roundup]].<ref>Based on 42 reviews from critics. {{cite web|url=http://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dark-horse-comics/archie-vs-predator/1 |title=Archie vs. Predator #1 Reviews |website=[[Comic Book Roundup]] |access-date=February 16, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308060008/http://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dark-horse-comics/archie-vs-predator/1 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 }}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'', Graeme Virtue said the "appealingly strange" series fit with Archie Comics' reputation for pushing comics forward and praised it for remaining true to both the Archie and Predator properties.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/18/the-month-in-comics |title= Archie Vs Predator, Convergence, The Infinite Loop: the month in comics |last= Virtue |first= Grame |date= April 18, 2015 |website= [[The Guardian]] |access-date= March 2, 2016 |archive-date= June 26, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200626215040/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/18/the-month-in-comics |url-status= live }}</ref> The book's "deeply funny dark humor" was a selling point for Robin Parrish at ''Tech Times'',<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.techtimes.com/articles/46487/20150415/new-comic-book-day-april-15-2015-archie-battles-predator.htm |title= New Comic Book Day April 15, 2015: Archie Battles Predator And DC's 'Convergence' Continues |last= Parrish |first= Robin |date= April 15, 2015 |website= Tech Times |access-date= March 2, 2016 |archive-date= August 11, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180811195735/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/46487/20150415/new-comic-book-day-april-15-2015-archie-battles-predator.htm |url-status= live }}</ref> and ''[[IGN]]'' reviewer Jeff Lake described the first issue as "pretty darn great".<ref name=ign1>{{cite web|last=Lake|first=Jeff|title=Archie vs. Predator #1 Review|url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2015/04/16/archie-vs-predator-1-review|work=[[IGN]]|access-date=November 9, 2015|date=April 15, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811052618/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/16/archie-vs-predator-1-review|url-status=live}}</ref> The use of the traditional cartoon art style to depict gruesome scenes was described as "a visual [[Innocence#Loss of innocence|loss of innocence]]" by ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/04/archie-vs-predator-1-by-alex-de-campi-fernando-rui.html
== References ==
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==External links==
{{portal|Comics}}
* {{gcdb series|id=88414|title=''Archie vs. Predator''}}
{{Archie Comics titles}}
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[[Category:Intercompany crossovers]]
[[Category:Predator (franchise) comics]]
[[Category:Central America in fiction]]
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