Archie: The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.

by Tom DeFalco, Fernando Ruiz (Illustrator)

Get ready for the most explosive adventure ever to hit Riverdale! When the villainous Mad Doctor Doom returns to enslave the people of the town, only one man can stop him, and his name is Andrews... Archie Andrews!

Tasked with defending a formula from an evil spy ring, The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. only has one weakness, and you can be certain C.R.U.S.H. will exploit it!

Can girl-crazy Archie resist the va-va-va-BOOM powers of bombshell vixen Sharry the Spy Girl? Together with his cousin, Andy Andrews, Archie is determined to save the day. But a terror-filled thrill ride awaits them and the entire town of Riverdale! The man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. returns with more cool gadgets, more hot spies and that classic Archie charm!

Also includes for the first time anywhere, a 13-page lost story from the 1950s that introduces the world to Archie's cousin, super-spy Andy Andrews... "The Iron Curtain Caper!" and a sketchbook section showing never-before-seen pencil sketches and studies by master cartoonist Fernando Ruiz and an afterword by author Tom DeFalco.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2011

About the author

Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well-known for his association with Marvel Comics and Spider-Man.

Reviews

[Remy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fernando Ruiz is my favourite modern Archie artist. I love the way he draws, but here it just felt wrong. The motions are uninspired and stiff, and the story is even worse. Of course the predicament of the story is not something wholly serious and all for an Archie comic, but it was just very dry and overdone.

And the covers- oh my gosh, they are so cool! The opening cover of each issue was actually far more action-packed than the actual story. Betty and Veronica themselves even appear on the covers in their awesome P.O.P. gear, but in the actual story they're just reduced to becoming Walking Dazed. And there's Andy, Archie's bad-ass cousin: despite being specifically stated as a certified, trained, spy, we never see him do anything except yell at Archie and beat up two cronies (in a fight that was just sound effects. Oh my god.)

But one thing I did really like was seeing the unpublished Andy comic at the end. The 60s were undoubtedly the best Archie period. Harry Lucey's art is fittingly gorgeous, and that story has more meaning and life than the actual main story. I mean seriously, zombies taking over Riverdale? That's it? If you want zombies taking over Riverdale and you want it done well, then I suggest Afterlife with Archie. Really.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retomando el nombre de una vieja sátira de Archie al filón del agente secreto, el veterano Tom DeFalco vierte su experiencia conformando un buen relato que no se hace predecible ni sacrifica el estilo de la casa.Rescatando viejos personajes (el primo Andy Andrews, el Mad Doctor Doom) e introduciendo nuevos rostros (donde destaca Sharry the Spy Girl), se logra un ameno rescate a los tópicos del espionaje en clave juvenil.

Completa el volumen "The Iron Curtain Caper!", historia inédita de los años 50 que presenta al agente Andy Andrews y establece su relación con Archie en una revisión de la Guerra Fría bastante común a otras publicaciones de su época.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun take on the Riverdale gang doing spy work. Archie's cousin Andy comes to visit and Archie finds out that he is really a spy working for P.O.P. The arch nemesis is an old villian from the young Archie comics so Archie gets involved along with several of his friends. It's basically a fun take although the unpublished Andy comic at the end gives an idea of the state the world was in during the Cold War which is also really interesting.

[Talia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because of Riverdale. Note: It has nothing to do with the show except the setting and characters.

[Arman Waggoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spy story made me want to read more Archie and his Friends back then 10 years ago. It had spies and comedy stuff and an awesome cover.