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Archie: The Married Life #5
Archie: The Married Life Book 5
Delve deeper into all of the emotion and drama. Last time, shots were fired and political party lines were drawn. This time, with a new threat looming in Riverdale, roles become reversed and relationships are tested! There’s plenty of action, romance and drama in this volume of The Married Life .
Collects chapters 25-30 of both Archie Marries Veronica and Archie Marries Betty , the most critically acclaimed storyline Archie has ever published.
Collects chapters 25-30 of both Archie Marries Veronica and Archie Marries Betty , the most critically acclaimed storyline Archie has ever published.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2014
36 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kupperberg
742 books53 followersPaul Kupperberg is a nearly 50-year veteran of the comic book industry as a writer and editor for DC Comics, Archie Comics, Marvel, Bongo Charlton, and many more. He is also the author of more than three dozen books of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, as well as of short stories, articles, and essays for Crazy 8 Press, Heliosphere, Titan Books, Stone Arch Books, Rosen Publishing, Citadel Press, Pocket Books, TwoMorrows, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 18, 2015
Wow, poor Archie seems to have a problem..... No matter which woman he marries, she is too busy to spend much time with him. Hopefully, that changes.
Meanwhile, Fred Mirth is destroying everyone's lives and running off. I knew he was evil. Could not stand him.
Meanwhile, Fred Mirth is destroying everyone's lives and running off. I knew he was evil. Could not stand him.
November 27, 2021
This is a collective review for Life With Archie: The Married Life, which is collected in six volumes.
I am not an Archie fan. Like most comics readers, I’m familiar with Archie - a brand that has been around for so long that even fi you aren’t a fan, even if you don’t buy the books, somehow, somewhere, you have read enough Archie to be familiar with the basic gist of it all:
Archie Andrews is an all-American teenager from the heartland city of Riverdale, where he runs a gauntlet of harmless misadventures that involve juggling his romances between rivals Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper (each whom own an equal share of Archie’s attentions), and goofing with his friends, rivals and colleagues - Jughead, Reggie, Moose, Ethel, Midge, Chuck, Nancy, Cheryl, Kevin, Sabrina the Witch, Josie the Pussycats, and more. Along the way, he tangles with the adults in his life - mainly Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge; Principal Weatherbee and Miss Grundy, who run Riverdale High; and occasionally Pop, who runs the Chocklit Shoppe, the local diner where everyone hangs out.
For the most part, the stories are nothing too dramatic; dealing with asking each other out on dates, pranking each other, riffs on typical high school rites of passage, etc. And for decades, this was Archie; a comic that aside from superficial updates that reflected the times (such as fashion, technology and slang), the comic remained trapped in amber. There was no character progression or meta plot, just a Groundhog’s Day of eternally repeating, low-stakes, harmless hi-jinks that was meant to be mild, fun, and safe. There’s a reason why so many grandparents buy Archie for their grandkids, even if they disapprove of comics.
In this way, Archie has been an extremely conservative comic. Not politically - it goes out of its way to steer clear of divisive issues, but when it does address them, it reflects the rising tide of the audience it serves, and even then it tries to aim for a middle road that offends no one. This is part of the whole trapped-in-amber thing. Archie and his pals, and Riverdale by extension, are meant to be a safe place where “at least somethings never change,” and where such a place is seen as something wholesome and embracing, rather than stifling and restrictive.
But that all did change in 2009, when a new generation rose to run Archie Comics, and after a brutal office battle (chronicled by an excellent 2012 article in the New York Times) resulted in the brand taking bold new changes with its property. New characters would be introduced (like Kevin Keller) who would reflect a more liberal society. The brand would also take the approach that after 75 years or so of pretty much running the same Archie stories forever, it would declare Archie and Riverdale to be a state of mind, and began running stories that were the Archie equivalent of DC’s Elseworlds - non-canonical, but fun takes on established canon. (Though it is worth noting that perhaps the most infamous of these - and maybe the one that established the idea of taking Archie in weird new directions - was 1994’s Archie Meets The Punisher.)
But supreme among these were a novel, and canonical, decision to finally have Archie propose to one of his girlfriends. As he did, there was a notion of him walking down Memory Lane and seeing how his life might play out if he settled down with Veronica or Betty. What resulted was an extended What If…? story in Life With Archie that became The Married Life, later collected in six massive volumes. The end of it all leads us to a plot point that was so surprising to readers that it made global headlines. The sixth volume tells you up front what it is, but I’ll spare you any spoilers so you can see them for yourself.
But in The Married Life, we get two parallel stories, one where Archie, married to Veronica, pursues a corporate life and one where Archie, married to Betty, returns to Riverdale High as a music teacher. Along the way, we get a lot of the same sort of low-stakes storytelling that makes Archie Archie—entire plot lines seem to magically appear out of thin air and are resolved fairly harmlessly not long after, with good results all around. But there are plot lines that have sticking power. We lose one character to terminal illness, and we see another fight bravely against cancer. We a character shot in cold blood during a robbery. We see one struggle with anger issues. We see couples wed, and have kids. We see them growing up and grown up, in a story that for the first time really shows us what life might be like in Riverdale if there really were consequences to one’s actions. (The Archie Wedding: Ten Years Later also tried this, with a look at life 10 years after Archie’s wedding, but it doesn’t come close to the storytelling we get in The Married Life, nor does it share any of The Married Life’s events.)
The Married Life is almost 2,000 pages, all told, and it is as deep a dive into Archie as one could hope for, slowly pulling you in and involving you in a ton of earned moments that slowly chisel away at your hardened heart, slowly eroding your cynicism so that by the final volume, you’re caring about these characters. You want to see how this all turns out. Notably, the parallel storylines that have run side by side for so long - and remain distinct even though the risk is so high for them to blur into each other - do converge at the end in a way that feels natural and right, offering a kind of resolution to both sides of this twin tale. Whether Archie married Veronica or Betty, the result is ultimately the same. And when this story comes to an end, you appreciate why farewells can be so hard.
There are a lot of folks out there who will never touch an Archie comic because they’re too simple, too square, too hokey. But you know, The Married Life is as earnest an attempt for a comic to reinvent itself not in some cheap ploy to gin up extra sales, but out of an honest effort to radically turn the clock forward on one of the oldest running comics out there so that readers new and old can read something new and relate to it. That’s pretty great. Not a lot of comic publishers have the will to do that, or the integrity to let it be driven by story. And even if The Married Life isn’t for you, it’s something every comic reader should take in, because it represents something that all comics should have, but so often lack: heart.
There are a ton of other Archie Comics to read after these. There is a modern reboot from which the TV show Riverdale was adapted. There are the non-canon riffs, like The Hunger (Jughead is a werewolf) and not one, but two go-rounds of Archie vs. The Predator. If Archie can be anywhere and in anything, well, then I’m here for it. The Married Life certainly disavowed me of the notion that I’m never going to enjoy Archie. And boy, am I glad that it did.
I am not an Archie fan. Like most comics readers, I’m familiar with Archie - a brand that has been around for so long that even fi you aren’t a fan, even if you don’t buy the books, somehow, somewhere, you have read enough Archie to be familiar with the basic gist of it all:
Archie Andrews is an all-American teenager from the heartland city of Riverdale, where he runs a gauntlet of harmless misadventures that involve juggling his romances between rivals Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper (each whom own an equal share of Archie’s attentions), and goofing with his friends, rivals and colleagues - Jughead, Reggie, Moose, Ethel, Midge, Chuck, Nancy, Cheryl, Kevin, Sabrina the Witch, Josie the Pussycats, and more. Along the way, he tangles with the adults in his life - mainly Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge; Principal Weatherbee and Miss Grundy, who run Riverdale High; and occasionally Pop, who runs the Chocklit Shoppe, the local diner where everyone hangs out.
For the most part, the stories are nothing too dramatic; dealing with asking each other out on dates, pranking each other, riffs on typical high school rites of passage, etc. And for decades, this was Archie; a comic that aside from superficial updates that reflected the times (such as fashion, technology and slang), the comic remained trapped in amber. There was no character progression or meta plot, just a Groundhog’s Day of eternally repeating, low-stakes, harmless hi-jinks that was meant to be mild, fun, and safe. There’s a reason why so many grandparents buy Archie for their grandkids, even if they disapprove of comics.
In this way, Archie has been an extremely conservative comic. Not politically - it goes out of its way to steer clear of divisive issues, but when it does address them, it reflects the rising tide of the audience it serves, and even then it tries to aim for a middle road that offends no one. This is part of the whole trapped-in-amber thing. Archie and his pals, and Riverdale by extension, are meant to be a safe place where “at least somethings never change,” and where such a place is seen as something wholesome and embracing, rather than stifling and restrictive.
But that all did change in 2009, when a new generation rose to run Archie Comics, and after a brutal office battle (chronicled by an excellent 2012 article in the New York Times) resulted in the brand taking bold new changes with its property. New characters would be introduced (like Kevin Keller) who would reflect a more liberal society. The brand would also take the approach that after 75 years or so of pretty much running the same Archie stories forever, it would declare Archie and Riverdale to be a state of mind, and began running stories that were the Archie equivalent of DC’s Elseworlds - non-canonical, but fun takes on established canon. (Though it is worth noting that perhaps the most infamous of these - and maybe the one that established the idea of taking Archie in weird new directions - was 1994’s Archie Meets The Punisher.)
But supreme among these were a novel, and canonical, decision to finally have Archie propose to one of his girlfriends. As he did, there was a notion of him walking down Memory Lane and seeing how his life might play out if he settled down with Veronica or Betty. What resulted was an extended What If…? story in Life With Archie that became The Married Life, later collected in six massive volumes. The end of it all leads us to a plot point that was so surprising to readers that it made global headlines. The sixth volume tells you up front what it is, but I’ll spare you any spoilers so you can see them for yourself.
But in The Married Life, we get two parallel stories, one where Archie, married to Veronica, pursues a corporate life and one where Archie, married to Betty, returns to Riverdale High as a music teacher. Along the way, we get a lot of the same sort of low-stakes storytelling that makes Archie Archie—entire plot lines seem to magically appear out of thin air and are resolved fairly harmlessly not long after, with good results all around. But there are plot lines that have sticking power. We lose one character to terminal illness, and we see another fight bravely against cancer. We a character shot in cold blood during a robbery. We see one struggle with anger issues. We see couples wed, and have kids. We see them growing up and grown up, in a story that for the first time really shows us what life might be like in Riverdale if there really were consequences to one’s actions. (The Archie Wedding: Ten Years Later also tried this, with a look at life 10 years after Archie’s wedding, but it doesn’t come close to the storytelling we get in The Married Life, nor does it share any of The Married Life’s events.)
The Married Life is almost 2,000 pages, all told, and it is as deep a dive into Archie as one could hope for, slowly pulling you in and involving you in a ton of earned moments that slowly chisel away at your hardened heart, slowly eroding your cynicism so that by the final volume, you’re caring about these characters. You want to see how this all turns out. Notably, the parallel storylines that have run side by side for so long - and remain distinct even though the risk is so high for them to blur into each other - do converge at the end in a way that feels natural and right, offering a kind of resolution to both sides of this twin tale. Whether Archie married Veronica or Betty, the result is ultimately the same. And when this story comes to an end, you appreciate why farewells can be so hard.
There are a lot of folks out there who will never touch an Archie comic because they’re too simple, too square, too hokey. But you know, The Married Life is as earnest an attempt for a comic to reinvent itself not in some cheap ploy to gin up extra sales, but out of an honest effort to radically turn the clock forward on one of the oldest running comics out there so that readers new and old can read something new and relate to it. That’s pretty great. Not a lot of comic publishers have the will to do that, or the integrity to let it be driven by story. And even if The Married Life isn’t for you, it’s something every comic reader should take in, because it represents something that all comics should have, but so often lack: heart.
There are a ton of other Archie Comics to read after these. There is a modern reboot from which the TV show Riverdale was adapted. There are the non-canon riffs, like The Hunger (Jughead is a werewolf) and not one, but two go-rounds of Archie vs. The Predator. If Archie can be anywhere and in anything, well, then I’m here for it. The Married Life certainly disavowed me of the notion that I’m never going to enjoy Archie. And boy, am I glad that it did.
March 13, 2022
There were some good moments in this book, but it seemed like some of it was stalling/filler to bridge books 4 and 6. The main characters get plenty of time, but some of the others seem forgotten (Chuck, Nancy, Ambrose, Moose in one of the storylines) seem a bit forgotten. It was good to see more of Kevin and Clay, although the "nobody wants Clay as their doctor" thing drifted away. Kevin's entrance into politics is interesting, but he is portrayed as a single-issue candidate, even after numerous concerns that he needs a more detailed platform. There are some big events, but sometimes not as much as the book hints at (each issue within the book begins with an overview, many of which include "But can X be trusted?" questions that aren't answered for several issues. I get that a big conclusion requires quite a bit of setup, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt (but where are Chuck and Nancy?). The book isn't as noteworthy as books 3, 4, or 6, but I still enjoyed it.
May 14, 2017
Oh mi gosh!!
Two different lifes, Betty or Veronica. All the gang of pals having different experiences. Growing together.
Next book it's the last one , I really excited
Two different lifes, Betty or Veronica. All the gang of pals having different experiences. Growing together.
Next book it's the last one , I really excited
June 8, 2018
There are two realities
I can’t believe this exists
I can’t believe this exists
April 15, 2025
A compelling story of Archie and friends as grown-ups. As quoted, "It's like the soap you don't want to miss." Can't wait to read the finale!
February 22, 2015
I love reading the archie comics. I borrowed this book from the library and I didn't even check what book it was so i got really confused. I read both parts of the books. Veronica and Betty. I think that Archie should go with veronica because they have more time together than Betty and Archie eve had. Also Reggie and Betty are exactly alike cause they work so hard and are always busy while Archie and Veronica want to spend time with them.
October 26, 2019
They’ve been hitting all the liberal talking points pretty hard for a while, and they finally fell on the old standby “well-regulated militia, which are the military and the police.” That’s not what that means, you retards!
March 17, 2015
I feel like this series is actually teaching valuable lessons about married life... But I do feel like some things were really drawn out. Like, we can see trouble brewing--get to the point!
September 8, 2015
Archie continues to be ignored by both wives. Mr. Weatherbee becomes Riverdale's resident stud muffin. What's not to love?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews