The fate of the freckle-faced comic hero Archie Andrews has been public knowledge for months, with Riverdale's beloved redhead slated to take a bullet protecting his gay friend, Senator Kevin Keller.

Archie Comics' publisher confirmed the grim circumstances earlier this week. But it's in a Life With Archie issue released Wednesday, where the beloved character will finally meet his demise.

News of Archie's death triggered a frenzy of fan reaction and discussion over the comic's use of a childhood icon to tackle some very adult issues. It also generated a lot of free publicity for the publishers.