Brian Truitt

USA TODAY

Archie Comics now has its own "Big Three" — and no, it's not Archie, Betty and Veronica.

The classic Red Circle Comics superhero brand and its characters are getting a reboot in early 2015, and a trio of Dark Circle Comics titles kicks off the new line with the continuation of The Fox plus the additions of The Black Hood and The Shield as ongoing series.

With the Black Hood, the Shield and the Fox — a grim vigilante, a new female take on the old-school patriotic hero, and an off-the-wall, heartfelt everyman, respective — Archie aims to showcase three folks who could stand on their own while also maximizing the diversity of the Dark Circle line, according to editor Alex Segura.

"Each book has its own, distinct personality and flavor that gives readers a unique take on the superhero concept, by some of the best writers and artists I've ever had the pleasure to work with," he says. "As these books develop, we'll continue to explore the Dark Circle library and find ways to reintroduce these great concepts — and create some new ones."

Here's an exclusive look at the three Dark Circle launch titles:

The Black Hood

Philadelphia native Duane Swierczynski was given free reign to tell a very noir story in his own hometown. Yet the writer and artist Michael Gaydos (Alias) open their series with a first story arc — "The Bullet's Kiss" — that belies that City of Brotherly Love moniker.

"When I pitched my idea for the series, I intentionally went way dark, figuring they'd either tell me to scale it back, or give me a polite pat on the head and tell me to go away," Swierczynski says. "To my happy surprise, Alex and the gang embraced the darkness."

Featuring covers by such stars as David Mack, The Black Hood features Philly cop Greg Hettinger as a protagonist with an executioner's mask and a lack of superhuman abilities. He's no hero, either, and the story opens with him getting shot in the face.

Things just go downhill from there, and Gaydos says to expect some dark, gritty noir fun.

The Black Hood first came to mind when Segura was looking over the list of existing Red Circle characters they could reintroduce, specifically as "something that felt dangerous to even read," he says, adding that he wanted tales that were as gritty, character-driven and full of surprises as Swierczynski's novels.

"This is a daring reimagining of the character that I think will become what people point to as the best Black Hood story ever."

The Shield

"Daughter of the Revolution" describes both the opening story line of The Shield and a new incarnation of an all-American character that debuted in 1940, predating Captain America by more than a year.

"We've all poured a lot of love into the new Shield — she's a very powerful, very modern female superhero. And that I think is something to celebrate," says Adam Christopher, who's co-writing the book with fellow novelist Chuck Wendig.

By gender-flipping the Shield, it opens the door to creating a compelling version of a hero that has been reincarnated through American history, beginning with the Revolutionary War.

Designed by artist Wilfredo Torres, she gives the writers a way to examine themes like liberty, patriotism and revolution, "with, of course, buckets of high-octane superheroic punching," Wendig says. "We've got one of the scariest bad guys, one of the coolest good guys and a whole host of supporting characters."

And they're not just throwing away 74 years of history. The Shield was the original flag-wearing superhero, Christopher says, and a major aspect of the new Shield's story is "how she comes to understand and fit into the legacy left by previous heroes who have borne the title."

Segura feels The Shield is probably the best example of how willing Dark Circle is to shake up and redefine its storied cast. "She's a hero for today," he says, "brave, tough, not afraid to tell it like it is and representative of the things we all want this nation to be."

The Fox

Artist Dean Haspiel and his co-writer Mark Waid's take on the photojournalist-turned-superhero "freak magnet" was an instant hit when The Fox was launched last fall, and Segura thinks fans can expect more action, adventure and heart than the first miniseries.

"Bottom line: The Fox is pure, unadulterated fun," he says.

Paul Patton Jr. was a guy who couldn't find the story so he donned the Fox costume to make the story come to him.

"Now the story won't stop," editor Paul Kaminski adds. "The Fox is my favorite character in comics because he's an everyman dropped into insane situations — and we're never quite sure if he loves it or not.

"Sure, he says that all he wants is a normal life, but he's out there fighting the strange and unusual without anyone holding a gun to his head to do it."

Someone actually is holding a gun to his head as the "Fox Hunt" story opens, and the stakes overall will be higher a second time around, according to Haspiel.

"The Fox has inadvertently annoyed a wealthy psychopath and a $1 million bounty has been placed on his head," he explains. "A rogues' gallery comes out of the woodwork on the eve of Patton's retiring of his Fox persona for a better quality of life: a pox The Fox cannot escape."

Adds Kaminski: "This is a story about family, trust and what it means to be a 'superhero' in a day and age where real monsters are all around us."

Not only can Haspiel and Waid unleash a truckload of entertainment, Segura says, they're two creators he's admired for over a decade.

The mutual admiration carries over to his dynamic duo. Working with Waid is like collaborating with "The Comics Whisperer," Haspiel says. "He makes artists better writers,"

Similarly, Waid adds, "there is no world in which it makes any sense not to come to the table when Dean Haspiel invites you. As much fun as our first outing on The Fox was, this is even crazier and more adventurous. It's grim without being dark, it's fun without being childish — it's flat-out action-adventure meant purely to entertain."

Kaminski puts it simply: "There never has, nor will there ever be, a comic-book series like The Fox. It's comics at its best, and that's the essence of what Dark Circle is all about."