Every year, Diamond Comic Distributors puts out a mini-comic book made available to comic shops around Halloween.  Most of these retailers give the comics away for free; some of them sell the comics.  The Crusaders have appeared in two previous editions and once again, they will make an appearance in this year's edition, with art courtesy of Fernando Ruiz.

In the upcoming comic, Archie and his friends are enjoying the premiere of the "Shield Movie."  Dressed in Crusaders costumes to get half-price admission, the teens thrill to the exploits of comics' first patriotic hero.  During the movie, we are treated to a retelling of the Shield origin, an adventure costarring other Crusaders and even an appearance by Dusty!  

Given the framework that this is "only a movie," I took a few liberties (as if having both Dusty and the Crusaders in the movie wasn't liberty enough)!  It gave me an opportunity to spoof how studios make changes in movies based on comics and the fans reactions to those changes.

The best news is, The Shield and other Crusaders take up about 8 of the 12 pages in this story.   I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  Please be sure to tell your local comic shop to get behind this special mini-comic by ordering plenty.