A little over a year after his introduction to Riverdale, Kevin Keller, the first gay character in Archie Comics history, is getting ready to tie the knot.
Having been introduced in April, 2010 in "Veronica" #202, the character has gone on to become one of the franchise's most popular, with his own miniseries this summer and a subsequent regular series planned for February of next year. With nuptials mentioned back in July, the series' publisher announced on Wednesday that Keller will wed in an issue out January 4th.
A press release from Archie Comics announced:
The amazingly popular Kevin Keller is featured in the twenty-something world of 'Life With Archie.' Kevin followed in his father's foot steps and is returning to Riverdale as a war hero, but that's not all - It's Kevin's wedding day! The whole gang turns out for Kevin Keller's wedding as we discover how Kevin met "Mr. Right." It's not all hearts and flowers, however. Unfortunately, this all occurs during the separation of Archie and Veronica. Archie Comics presents the wedding event of the year ... again!
Back when the mini-series was announced, its author, Dan Parent, told the AP, "The world of Riverdale has to reflect contemporary culture and to show it is an accepting, diverse place. And that's why Kevin is important, to show that everybody is welcome in this all-American town we've embraced for over 70 years."
The announcement comes months after the series "brought" President Obama and Sarah Palin to Riverdale to bring together a fierce student council election, injecting politics into the generally non-controversial series. Back in December, HuffPost blogger Bryan Young interviewed John Goldwater, the publisher's Co-CEO, who said, "Even people on different ends of the political spectrum have some common ground. At their core, their values, Both Obama and Palin want the same thing: what's best for America. What better place to find it than Riverdale?"