A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 1: In the Bag

A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong

by Rafer Roberts, David Lafuente (Artist)

GET SMASHED...OR BE SMASHED! Meet Armstrong: Since the ancient city of Ur, this immortal adventurer has spent the last 7,000 years drinking and carousing his way through history alongside some of the greatest merrymakers the world has ever known. Meet Archer: A sheltered teenage martial arts master and expert marksman that was raised for a single purpose - to kill the devil incarnate. Little did he know that this undying evil was actually Armstrong (he's actually a pretty good guy...once you get to know him) and, since hitting the road together, the two have become great friends and even better partners. Now: Archer is about to set off on his most dangerous mission yet - a quest into the mystic reaches of Armstrong's bottomless satchel to liberate his friend and comrade from the clutches of the mad god Bacchus! (Okay, so, Armstrong went into the satchel himself to get a bottle of whiskey that he kinda misplaced and got stuck. It's like the Amazon warehouse of arcane treasures in there...and he doesn't exactly have a maid service.) Imprisoned in Armstrong's satchel for centuries, Bacchus now commands a legion of monsters, goblins and golems bent on escaping back into the world of man and enacting revenge on their captor... Can Archer single-handedly combat the godly embodiment of intoxication himself - and rescue his best buddy - without becoming lost amongst Armstrong's endless repository of bizarre artifacts and historical oddities in the process? From red-hot rising star Rafer Roberts (Plastic Farm) and superstar artist David Lafuente (Ultimate Spider-Man), Valiant's next blockbuster series starts here! Collecting A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1-4.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Superheroes, Adventure

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2016

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh. Ok.
So, this wasn't all that good.



It took me a few days to slog through this. Basically, it's a story that should have worked...but didn't. I mean, you've got Armstrong trying to make amends for past mistakes, Archer doing his Archer stuff, Armstrong's magical sack that has an entire world going on in it, a literal party god, and Mary Maria and her stabby nuns.



But it was in actuality it felt like a really long fart joke about getting drunk and barfing. And how coffee magically makes you sober. <--get the fuck out of here with your nonsense
Ugh.
Felt like it was missing a lot of the charm of the last run. Plus, I don't really like this art style.



I've already got the next volume downloaded, so we'll see how that one goes.
Bleh.

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have enjoyed every one of the previous iterations of these characters. However, this is full of terrible art, terrible coloring, and a nonexistent story. It tries so hard to be irreverent but the dialogue doesn't work, neither does the nonsense story. The worst thing Valiant has put out since its relaunch.

Received an advance copy from Valiant and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πρώτη επαφή με το τρελό δίδυμο, και τολμώ να πω ότι δεν ξετρελάθηκα. Η ιδέα είναι έξοχη και ελπίζω και να πιάσω περισσότερα παρακάτω (ή στο deluxe edition 2012, όπου υποτίθεται ότι γίνεται η "νέα" αρχή) και αγάπησα και την ιδέα της ολοσέλιδης εικόνας που σπάει σε πολλά καρέ. Αλλά ο Άρμστρονγκ είναι λιγότερο τσίφτης απ' όσο περίμενα (και πολύ πιο τραγικά μ@αλάκας).

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 1: In the Bag' was my introduction to the world of Archer & Armstrong, but even though this is a Volume 1, it's probably not the best place to start.

Armstrong is a larger than life character with a very long lifespan. His latest partner is named Archer. We get a glimpse at some of Armstrong's partners. We also learn that Archer's sister is with a group of warrior nuns.

Anyway, in this adventure, Armstrong has remembered he put a bottle of whiskey in his bag, so he goes in after it. The bag is definitely bigger on the inside and holds a lot of really nasty things that want out.

It's a new start for these characters apparently, but I still felt like there was a lot of stuff that I just kind of felt lost with. Still, it's a crazy, fun adventure.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Valiant Entertainment LLC, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Adam Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking forward to delving back into the world of Archer & Armstrong, but the new creative team is bereft of talent and creativity. This reads like Valiant humor fanfic by someone with no writing experience, and the artist's depictions of faces are terrible. Every human nose has a weird, flat spot in the middle where most humans have a bridge, and when they can be bothered to accentuate cheeks or chins, the characters look like marionettes. The fact that this was drawn by David Lafuente, whose work on Ultimate Spider-Man was so refreshing, is a massive disappointment.

So, terrible art, and just the clunkiest, hackiest dialogue make this an unreadable mess. I don't undertand how this book turned out so bad, but I wouldn't wish it on bow-tie twirlingest, hand buzzer wearingest, selter-in-the-faciest, ununny clown.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t really love comics that are meant to be funny. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a humorless old fuck… I just get a little tired of a whole comic of gags. Regardless, this was one of the better ones. It was definitely amusing, and the characters are undeniably likeable. Rafer’s writing voice is very consistent with how Fred Van Lente used to write this title, and Lafuente’s art, while not my preferred style, was serviceable and fit the tone nicely. I think that there’s definitely an audience for this, and if goofy hijinks is your bag, this is definitely for you.

[Borja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pocas cosas salvables en este tomo. Me gustaron muchisimo mas numeros previos que esta aventura por el bolso de Armstrong.

[♛primadonna♛]

Had to let it go.
Mary-Maria kicked ass.
That is all.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my second dip into the Valiant universe (Faith was my first one) and I can't say I'm a fan.

The art is inconsistent, the dialogue is batshit crazy but not in a good way and the characters do not feel interesting to me at all. I feel like I should've read more of A&A, even though this volume is presented as a nr. 1.

And honestly, am I supposed to believe that an immortal being like Armstrong - someone who had traveled the Earth for thousands of years and spoke to many, many creatures, is as dense as this? I'm okay with him being an asshole, but give me at least a good reason for him to be like this.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archer and Armstrong are back in a new ongoing series full of all the usual things you associate with them - drinking, punching, yelling, kicking, and more drinking. When Armstrong disappears into his own bottomless satchel, Archer recruits Mary-Maria to help him rescue his best friend. But Bacchus, the ancient god of wine, escapes out into the world, and only the three of them can put him back where he belongs before the entire world is trapped in one never-ending hangover.

The last A&A series was great, if I remember it right. It balanced all of the Sect nonsense with Archer & Armstrong's antics, and told an epic tale of two friends saving the world from their own mistakes. This new series has a lot to live up to, and the story is off to a good start. New writer Rafer Roberts captures the two lead characters very well, and is able to show that they've grown with each other while still retaining the relationship that propelled the previous series forward.

The threat is a little Quantum & Woody for my tastes, but it's the right kind of humourous (bar a few too many sick jokes), and the dialogue is snappy. Archer's naivety is balanced nicely by Armstrong's complete disregard for everything (at least, on the surface), and there's a very heartfelt ending to the arc as well which is a bit unexpected.

The part where this all falls down is the art. David LaFuente's art style has changed in recent years, and I just don't like it any more. His lines are sloppy and scribbly, and big, sweeping scenes devolve into blobs of colour and squiggly lines. The colouring, speaking of which, isn't great either, but then if this is what you have to work with, I'm not surprised. The proportions are all off, some of the jokes fail to land because the characters don't look right, and I just wish this had been handled by almost anyone else.

Archer & Armstrong's first outing has a strong story, and a good writer who understands the characters he's inherited and what they're about. The artwork on the other hand is sometimes incomprehensible, and sometimes just an outright mess. Hopefully a new partner for Roberts in volume 2 will rectify the series' biggest issue so far, since everything else is working just fine.

[Ryan Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5.0

If you stuck a group of 13 year old boys in a room and said "Write me a comic book," the end result may very well be A&A Volume 1. And I mean that in the most complimentary way possible!

This book is an end-to-end blast. Rafer Roberts' dialogue is sharp, witty, and hilarious. Each character manages to maintain a distinct voice throughout the arc. Roberts is able to effectively weave a complex story against a backdrop of lowbrow, adolescent humor (again, meant as high praise!).

The artwork is captivating with complex, eye catching panel layouts populated by dynamic and expressive characters and creatures. David Lafuente's creates a rich world filled with some of the best action and sight gags I've ever seen.

So drop what you're doing, asshat, and give this one a shot.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice, fun graphic novel. Some good action sequences with some funny one-liners. Solid book overall 3 and a half stars.

[Burgoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big raspberry to grimderp. RIYL: Faith, Waid's Daredevil, Hawkeye, Spiderwoman, etc...

http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/0...

[tony dillard jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of an immortal every-man and a teen-aged fallen acolyte continue in A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong. I was a little bit afraid that I was going to be lost with this series considering that I hadn't read all of the rebooted Archer & Armstrong regular series. But for the most part, writer Rafer Roberts does a great job not hinging the plot too much on that series- as long as you have read the first issue.

This volume's first story arc explores more of Armstrong's past. When a former partner dies, Armstrong goes searching through his bottomless satchel. When some of the immortal's secrets start pouring out of the bag, Archer must trek into it's contents to find his new friend. Leaving his untrustworthy step-sister to guard the bag, Archer and especially Armstrong will learn that some secrets are best not forgotten.

I bought this book along with some other books at a con. Valiant was in attendance and they had a 5 for $20 sale. Well, 3 books in and so far not a dud among them. This book was very funny, had great action and art by David Lafuente and the story was really engrossing. I don't care what that dunderhead from HBO thinks about comic books! Sequential art can have intellectual merit especially when they build upon established tropes of myth and legend.

I was just at another convention that Valiant was at. I should have stopped there to see if there were any further volumes of Archer & Armstrong were in stock on sale. I know from now on; when Valiant is involved, always check for discounts!

[Jaime Guzman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the firs time reading a Archer & Armstrong graphic novel and I was pretty disappointed. I heard great things about this series and I've read that it was nominated for a Harvey Award in 2014 but I guess this wasn't the book to start out with. This is what I got from the book. Armstrong is immortal and has a bag, kind of Felix the Cat and his magic bag, which leads to another dimension where he stashes all of his goodies. Archer is his young martial arts sidekick who is also a bad ass with a bow and arrow. The art by David Fuentes and the writing by Rafer Roberts is just "okay".
In my opinion I say pass this one up.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Bag (#1-4). New author Rafer Roberts offers a somewhat different take on Archer & Armstrong, focusing more on Armstrong and his history than on a raft of silly corporate conspiracists. The historical take is great, with a look at Armstrong and some of his old buddies being the best part of the volume. It's also interesting to have the present-day story focus on the bag. However, a long series of battles with various ugly monsters and lots of vomiting drag the present-day story down. Funny? Maybe a little, but mostly silly. And Archer mainly gets lost in the shuffle. Still, I'll be interested in seeing if Roberts can build on the strengths that do exist in this volume [3+/5].

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archer and Armstrong are back in a new series that didn't work as well for me as the previous one. While still maintaining strong comedic elements, the new version seems a lot more cartoonish and weird than it did before, as Armstrong goes to investigate the lose of something from his deep, magical bag and accidentally releases Bacchus, the God of Parties. A bit too many vomit jokes for my taste.

[Akshay · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a reason this weird, demented yet strangely lovable and highly creative comic remains in my favourites to follow ever since the Valiant relaunch and Rafer Roberts had me concerned at the start as a new unknown writer taking over but he does a bangup job writing one of the strangest adventures I've seen this duo have - and that says a lot!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this not knowing there was a while previous series. The beginning of the volume gave me a brief rundown of the characters so I knew mostly what was going on, and I really enjoyed the character of Archer. He reminds me of Angus from TAZ. I requested all of the other volumes from the library so I'll get better knowledge soon.

[Ezma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven’t really gotten into Archer & Armstrong before. Thought this was a fun time as the duo head into Archer’s bag of holding, an infinite world unto itself. LaFuente’s art is a delight, more appropriately wacky for the duo than we’ve seen in the past and with some fun uses of multiple panels as a single image.

[A Few Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a deeply satisfying introduction to new characters via Comic Bento. Loved the writing and the funny way the caharcters work together. Mary- Maria is such a cool character and I can't wait for her to have her own series!!!

[Michael Giuliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
While not as uproariously funny and emotional as Van Lente's run before, Roberts does a solid job of bringing Archer and Armstrong back to prominence... again.

[Charlie Easterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the art but the writing (and plot) were dismal.

[J Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5/5 stars]

[Bart Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una aventurilla divertida y poco reseñable pero bien contada, con un Lafuente que a veces se emociona, a veces se aburre y a veces está encantado de conocerse a sí mismo.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boys Are Back As Fresh As Ever

So, we first met Archer & Armstrong in 1992. Then Valiant Comics passed through the years of wandering in the desert. Happily, Valiant Entertainment was reborn and, in 2012, we got an all new Archer & Armstrong, written by Fred Van Lente and illustrated by Clayton Henry. That series ran for about 25 issues, and was a triumph.

Now, we get a new story arc, this time written by Rafer Roberts and illustrated by David Lafuente. To me, the writing is funnier, if a bit less elegant, and we jump right into a new story without the need to bring readers up to speed on the A & A backstory, (although hints and bits of conversation will clear things up eventually for new readers). The illustrations are a bit less engaging, (and a bit more cartoony in spots), although perfectly fine. This volume collects issues 1 through 4 , and it looks like another success.

This time we have Archer diving into Armstrong's magic satchel on a quest to rescue the drunk, distracted, and slightly disoriented Armstrong. Mary-Maria eventually follows after both of them. We encounter goblins, garbage monsters, (they prefer the name "trash golems"), a vengeful Bacchus, and all sorts of other creatures. Twist follows twist, and much backstory is revealed. All of the characters have some depth and appeal, and each develops in both predictable and surprising, but always satisfying, ways.

There is everything from very broad humor to sneaky and sly throw-away lines. The narrative is very fast paced, and sometimes unfolds at breakneck speed. Because this is Armstrong versus Bacchus a lot of the action involves drinking, partying and fighting drunk. Needless to say, Archer disapproves but ends up being caught in the undertow. Mary-Marie keeps switching from hard-butt to softie mode, which I find charming and interesting. Armstrong ends up growing up a bit, but not in any way that slows down the one-liners or his slob appeal.

The Bacchus story arc is wrapped up, decisively, but the next episode is teased in the last few panels, and is intriguing. All in all, this was a funny, entertaining and satisfying Archer & Armstrong, and a crisp, high energy treat.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armstrong dived into his "bag of holding" to find a particular bottle of booze. Archer then called in his half-sister to guard the bag while he retrieved Armstrong. The Sisters of Perpetual Darkness joined her when she needed to enter the bag and rescue Archer and Armstrong from Bacchus who had captured the pair. Bacchus got out and started a riot with a bunch of Santas, hippies, bachelorettes, frat boys, and other assorted drunken revelers, so he had to be put down. Plenty of action, drinking , mayhem and rude jokes to entertain the reader. Just wonder what is going to happen with the "Sweet Serenader" that also escaped from the bag?

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Book of Bogan

I don’t read that many graphic novels, but the sheer ludicrousness of the description of this one certainly drew my attention. At first glance the story sounds like a good Saturday night on the town – an ancient being goes on a booze run after he loses his favourite bottle of alcohol, and his mortal buddy has to go after him to rescue him.

Only all of the action takes place inside the Bag of Holding(tm) which holds a whole hell of a lot more than it might appear at first glance. So maybe it’s a combination of a Saturday night on the booze and a rampaging Dungeons and Dragons session. This set of comics had me laughing my arse off from beginning to end – just when you think it can’t get any more ludicrous, the story takes another twist.

As the old saying goes – alcohol is often both the source of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.

Archer and Armstrong are an amazing team, and their snappy dialogue certainly makes the ride that much more interesting. While they are the centre of the action, the supporting cast and villains are a riot in their own right, with just the right amount of fourth wall-breaking to keep the cynical non-graphic-novel-readers among us happy.

Given that I’m not an afficianado of graphic novels, I don’t feel qualified to judge the quality of the artwork, but it seemed to me to be well done, with a simple, yet deep style that just works for the setting. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more books in this range, as this is the kind of funnybone tickling, ripsnorting adventures that appeal to the adult-refusing-to-adult in all of us. It’s been a week or since I read the comics, and they still keep coming back to me like last night’s poor life choices.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fan of comics or no, this is a kickarse story that will appeal to anyone with a fine sense of the ridiculous, looking for a good time.

[Paul Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mismatched pair of adventurers go into inner space.
After a flashback, we see Archer going to Armstrong’s room and finding monsters, which he beats up, ties up, then lets them watch TV so they won’t bother him. He figures out Armstrong has dropped into his magic bag, which is spewing all the monsters and such; it’s much bigger on the inside.
This has the feel of a 50s pulp. Each volume starts with a flashback, but eventually they get to the gist of the plot, where we find the old Greek god Bacchus has forgotten how to be all chill and has instead gone all Wrath of Khan. Armstrong is immortal, having been born in Ur and surviving 6000 years. Archer wanted to kill the Devil as he’d been bred to do since birth, but when he found out that’s Armstrong they somehow became buds instead. With this dynamic, it’s interesting that Archer goes first in the title. . . and it’s amazing how HUGE Armstrong is. There’s also Archer’s sister with a redundant name, several bad guys, demons, and a talking fish dressed very dapper. Archer is incredibly innocent for a trained killer; though overused, Opie is the perfect nickname for him, especially as he swears he no longer has a crush on his almost-sister. His favorite curses are “Son of a lady dog!” and “Ah, noodle buckets!” He thinks he can use that innocence on his sister, but she’s wise to him. “What are you doing? Are you trying to puppy-dog me?”
What really makes this work is the humor. “What in the holy name of Tom Selleck is going on out there?” “Your whimpering pleases me.” In one flashback there’s dinosaurs with boxing gloves. But the best moment is the way Sister Mary-Marie saves them from brainwashed college students by shouting, “Hey, bros! All your frat brothers had sex with all your sisters and girlfriends!” Sounds even better coming from someone dressed as a nun.
That was fun, more fun than I expected.