There are a lot of comics out there but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we look at the reboot that brought Riverdale back to prominence, “Archie.”
Who’s This By?
“Archie” is written by Mark Waid (“Captain America,” “Irredeemable”) with Ian Flynn (“Sonic the Hedgehog”) for the final arc.
The art is provided by a whole host of artists such as Fiona Staples (“Saga”), Veronica Fish (“Blackwood”), Annie Wu (“Black Canary”), Ryan Jampole (“Adventure Time Comics”), Thomas Pitilli (“Riverdale”), Joe Eisma (“Morning Glories”), Pete Woods (“Robin”), and Audrey Mok (“Josie and the Pussycats”).
The colors are by Andre Szymanowicz (“Hell yeah!”) with Jen Vaughn (“Adventure Time”), Pete Woods, and Kelly Fitzpatrick (“Bitch Planet”) and lettered by Jack Morelli (“Afterlife with Archie” “The Infinity Gauntlet”).
What’s This All About?
“Archie” is the story of Archie Andrews, resident of the town of Riverdale and an all-around good guy, as he fumbles his way through high school, learning about love and loss, and creating and evading drama along the way. Just as much about his friends than it is about him, “Archie” taps into the very real drama of high school, while mixing in a few less-than-realistic details to keep things interesting and funny. There are more details, sure, but this is “Archie;” uncomplicated humor and drama is what it does best.
So, Why Should I Read This?
“Archie” managed to do something that hadn’t been done in decades: make Archie Andrews and the whole of Riverdale relevant again. Sure, one could argue that “Afterlife with Archie” did it first. “Afterlife” was a unique twist on the Archie brand and brought the brand back into prominence but it wasn’t “Archie.” It used the same characters and the same setting but with wildly different personalities and placed them a situation that would have never happened to the original characters. What “Archie” does instead is modernize the town without sacrificing the core elements to these characters.
Jughead is still the food obsessed best friend, Betty is still the best friend next door, Veronica is still the rich girl from out of town, Dilton is still the nerd from down the block, Reggie is still an asshole, the Blossoms are still evil . . . I think you get the point. Unlike the digest comics though, the characters are much more than these simplifications. This level of superficiality that Archie Comics had become associated with is dispelled by Waid’s deft writing and characterization, producing a comic that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt.
One would think modernizing the forever-’50s kids would be a challenge but the Archie crew made it look effortless. Much of this has to do with Fiona Staples’ artwork. She inaugurated the title along with Waid, Morelli, and Szymanowicz and imbued the world with charm, wonder, and set the bar for all the other artists when it came to the expressiveness of the characters. The artwork is simple but intense, juxtaposing Archie’s calm demeanor as narrator and the insanity of the problems he causes.
This humor, born from this juxtaposition, is “Archie’s” greatest selling point. It is genuinely funny instead of ironically funny or groan-worthy as many of the Digests can be. While the level of humor fluctuates from arc to arc, the later arcs being less humorous and more dramatic for example, that initial spark is never lost.
There is also the matter of something I mentioned at the start of this article: this is, in fact, a reboot of Archie. Not only is it a modernization, it is a reintroduction and retooling of the characters and their relationships. For example, Veronica moved to Riverdale near the start of the series and Hiram Lodge isn’t a mainstay fixture of the town. She and Betty’s friendship and rivalry blossoms over the course of the series while Archie’s own relationship to the two of shifts and wanders as the series progresses.
There is a status quo but it isn’t a static one. With each major shift in the character’s relationships, what is normal changes. The only constant is Archie’s narration and his utter inability to do anything correctly. Additionally, this power of his can be read as a commentary on the original comics, where everything always works out for Archie despite the buffoonery and calamity that seems to befall him. It can also be read as an extension of his unique fallibility. Of all the characters in the series, he makes the most mistakes, some because of who he is, others because of the decisions he chooses to make. He gets a golf cart stuck in a tree but he also breaks the hearts of Betty and Veronica.
Continued belowReal stakes, intermingled with the lightness of life; what better representation of High School life than that.
How Can You Read It?
“Archie” #32, the final issue of Waid’s run before it relaunches with issue #700, comes out today so pick that up at your local comic shop or digitally on ComiXology/wherever you get your comics.
For trade collectors, Volumes 1-5 are out now and the sixth, and final, volume will be coming out in October. Get them wherever books are sold.
