Riverdale Vol. 2

Riverdale #2

by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Joe Eisma (Illustrator)

From Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and the writers of the CW's Riverdale comes the second collection of the comic book set in the universe of the TV series. RIVERDALE VOL. 2 offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, Josie & the Pussycats and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade.

Set in the same universe as the hit CW series, Vol. 2 features stories set in between episodes of the new CW TV series Riverdale:

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Teen

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2018

About the author

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.

In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Nyanbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

La verdad es que este segundo tomo me ha gustado incluso más que el primero. En él podemos encontrar una serie de historias cortas, concretamente tres, sobre los personajes secundarios, Kevin, Reggie y Dilton Doyle, y otras dos sobre los protagonistas de la serie. Me ha gustado mucho poder conocer más detalles sobre los personajes secundarios ya que en la serie no profundizan tanto y ha sido interesante poder conocer estos detalles. Todas estas escenas no aparecen en la serie por lo que son exclusivas.

También me ha gustado conocer más sobre la historia del Pop's, es un lugar muy icónico de la serie y lo que he descubierto me ha impresionado mucho.

Este volumen lo he disfrutado más que el primero porque aunque trae un número menor de historias, estas son más extensas por lo que la trama es algo más profunda e interesante.

Al final de ambos cómics podemos encontrar contenido extra con curiosidades e ilustraciones de la serie. Recomiendo leer este volumen después de ver la segunda temporada de la serie ya que puede contener algún spoiler.

Me ha gustado poder saber más de Riverdale, ya que la serie me tiene bastante enganchada y me ha encantado poder leer sobre ello y además en este formato que disfruto mucho.

En resumen, si eres fan de Riverdale no te puedes perder estos cómics, ya que descubrirás cosas que no verás en la serie.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was better than volume 1, since it had more stories about not the core four, it's between a low or average four stars.

Like I said in my in-progress comment, Kevin's story was really good, about the troubles of being gay in a small town, which has been mentioned a few times in the show, but never in much depth, and then that had Tom Keller and if you know me, you know I LOVE him and how supportive he is of his son - the sweetest thing!!!

The Pops issue was excellent too, you get to learn a bit about the story of the restaurant and Pops, and it's just fun and different, and very mysterious with that ending.

I was not a fan of the Dilton Doiley story, but that was different too and it leads very well to his behavior on the show and where his bunker, now just sex bunker overall, came from...

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I also love that they used Dilton Doiley, Pop Tate, and Reggie more. I loved Pop Tate's story alot, it showed alot more about the city of Riverdale. Dilton Doiley's story was good and it showed what his whole life has been like and what he thinks of it. Also Reggie's story was good and it talked more about his family, friends, and relationships. Especially Kevin's story it talked about all the troubles he has to deal with. This was a great book that somehow found a way to be greater than the first one.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one much better than the first volume, mainly because of an odd shift in storytelling. Most issues were still typical Riverdale fare focusing on the characters and there relationships, but we had two issues that went out of the usual range and right into horror, in once cause supernatural horror. (Issue 6, my favorite issue of the series so far.) And it's not cutesy played for laughs horror, it's very dark and unsettling horror played straight. I'm not sure how Riverdale fans will feel about such an odd shift in storytelling, but I really liked it.

So Pop made a literal deal with the Devil to keep the chocklit shop open? And Satan comes by once a year for a hamburger?? What the what???

The art is good and the storytelling is excellent. It's not typical comic book fare, but really as far as characterization this is some of the best stuff in comics now.

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like getting some stories about characters you don't see as much of on the show. I really liked Pop Tate's story and the connection to Sabrina.

[Itaewon Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado muchísimo el volumen dos, necesito más de Riverdale, el primero me encantó este más aun, teneis que leerlos estos cómics son lo más

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second collection of Riverdale comics were just okay. The stories supposedly take place in between episodes of the TV show, but a few of them just felt unnecessary since it had already been covered; the only one that I really enjoyed was about Pop's. Even though this didn't impress me all that much it was still nice to be back in the universe!

[raluca NYIKORA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Remarc faptul că povestea a fost una foarte simpatica doar ca nu merita nici 3 stele . Nu . Nu e deloc pe cum ma asteptam dar asta e. Pot să spun că nu mi a placut

[Ash Mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Kevin ! He is my favorite in the show and series

[Tay Rom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I love the font, the drawings, just everything about it is great. I really like it!

[Brigid Maguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved getting more background on Reggie and Dilton since he didn’t last past the second season

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still not used to the comic book genre but it is enjoyable

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell yes!! This is what I call some fun storylines. Kevin Keller on Grindr, Betty discovering a Loch Ness Monster type creature beneath Sweetwater Lake, Pop making a deal with the devil. More of this please!!

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riverdale Vol 2 is an enjoyable addition to the popular CW/Netflix series. Each story gives a bit more background to minor characters, from the fairly light exploration of Kevin's sexuality in a small town, to the pretty dark look at Dilton's apocalyptic beliefs. There's even a thread of Lovecraftian horror in this! Definitely a fun addition for fans of the show looking for more of this universe.

[Carrla15 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh no estuvo mal

Una lectura ligera, rapida y entretenida, solo que habian algunas historias que me sobraban.

Estuvieron bien en general, es cierto que alguna me sorprendio y otras me sirvieron para entender mejor pero yo me moria de ganas que aparecieran Archie, Betty, Veronica y Jughead, y cuando porfin salen, no me convencio esa historia.
Si, es cierto que Archie y Veronica superaron sus diferencias (aunque me supo mal por Archie cuando estaba tan incomodo) pero las mini discusiones entre Jughead y Betty que acabaron en ser un problema algo importante... No se, me transmitio tristeza :")

Eso si, mi historia favorita de este libro fue la de Kevin, me parecio muy graciosa y con muy buenas lecciones <3
Eso si, mi historia menos favorita fue la del (Dublin se llamaba?), era muy random y no tenia nada que ver.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to write a review for each issue in this trade seeing as they don’t follow on from each other. Rather they are expansions to each character in Riverdale.

#4 We Need To Talk About Kevin - Michael Grassi
4/5 ⭐️
This issue was an exploration of Kevin Keller and his struggles of finding a partner in Riverdale. Kevin is the only openly gay character and he often wishes he is a bit more of an outcast compared to his friends. He thinks he needs to do more crazy things to meet people but it turns out he just needs time to realise he’ll find the one who’ll understand and love him 💗

#5 Mantle The Magnificent - Tessa Leigh Williams & Brian E. Paterson
3.5/5 ⭐️
This issue was about Reggie Mantle - serious womaniser of Riverdale high - and of course he wants the one girl who doesn’t want him - Josie. Both are strong minded and self loving characters but Josie will never fall for Reggie’s tricks. Instead they discover an unlikely friendship after Josie realises what Reggie has to put up with at home.

#6 Chock’Lit Shoppe Of Horrors - Ross Maxwell & Will Ewing
4.5/5 ⭐️
This was definitely my favourite issue in the trade. It was a history lesson of Pops Diner in Riverdale. It mentions many who visited over the years including one you wouldn’t expect who made a deal to keep the Diner alive. Was really interesting!

#7 Apocalypse Now - Aaron Allen & Will Ewing
3/5 ⭐️
Dillon Doiley appears to be going crazy after he raves about the apocalypse due to a comic hitting earth as indicated to be coming by multiple blood moons. This was a strange issue and i wasn’t really sure what this added other than confirming Dilton is out there with his theories.

#8 Metropolitan - Will Ewing
4/5 ⭐️
Veronica brings Archie, Betty and Jughead to New York to stay with one of her old friends from before she moved to Riverdale. Betty and Jughead decide to go sightseeing and discover some truths they don’t quite know how to accept or talk about while Veronica and Archie find ways of becoming closer together. This issue explores how our differences can make or break our relationships and friendships conveyed through the use of the culture, history and upper east side of New York.

*This trade also contained an issue from Archie (#23) which will appear in Archie vol. 5 but it was a great follow up to the cliffhanger of vol. 4

All in all I really enjoyed this trade...I love the addition to the TV show as it adds more depth to the characters and explores the history of Riverdale and it’s residents. They’re very fun, short and entertaining stories.
Overall Rating: 3.8/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I thought the first three volumes (focusing on Kevin Keller, Reggie Mantle, and Pop's restaurant) were stronger than the last two, which were about Doiley and the core four. After reading "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Mantle the Magificent," I had a better understanding of Kevin, Reggie, and Josie, all of whom are more minor characters on the show, but nonetheless very interesting. To me, very much like Angel and some of the follow-up comics in the BuffyVerse, this volume of comics was about making some of the more questionable characters more likable, or at least more relatable, namely Reggie and Veronica. I've always been more sold on Jughead and Betty's relationship than I have been on Archie and Veronica's. (In other words, I'm a big Bughead fan). The "Metropolitan" issue, while I think it could have been more developed, did beg the question of what could go awry in Betty and Jughead's relationship and what might help Archie and Veronica's survive. It'll be interesting to see, especially since I'm predicting that the CW will want the show to last beyond when the core characters graduate from high school. Will we have Riverdale goes to college, very much like we followed the Dawson's Creek characters to college at the turn of the century? I look forward to seeing how the fanfiction/Omnibus comics help me to learn more about the characters from this show I've grown to love so much more than I thought I would. Honestly, I watched it as a way of relating to my middle school students, and because I love comics and was interested in the Archie characters. But now, I realize that this show is for Generation Z what Dawson's Creek was for me. :) I am officially a Riverdale fangirl. In particular, it's interesting to see how Kevin's narrative is both similar to and different from Jack's story in Dawson's Creek.

[Shelly Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

These graphic novels are so much fun. They sort of fill in the blanks between things that happened in the Riverdale show. Some of them are just independent looks at the characters that give a bit more of a glimpse into who they are.
This book, the second in the series, has stories about Kevin Keller, Reggie and Josie, Dilton Doiley, a bit of Pop’s nostalgia and more. The whole gang is in it and the graphics are very nice. They resemble the TV show characters but also have a little something of the Archie of the past.
All that said, if you were a diehard Archie Comic fan but don’t watch or know much about the show you have a 50/50 chance of liking or hating these. Considering the huge difference between the two this isn’t the Archie comic of days gone by. I love anything to do with it and have watched every resurrection of Archie from reruns of the old 70’s to that weird world one (or whatever it was) all the way up to Riverdale and they have all been different. This particular Archie and gang are way different than any in the past but they are a lot of fun and these comics are pretty cool too.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another so-so Riverdale collection, though I think I liked the stories in this one better than the last. Again, though, I wish there was something tying these stories together, otherwise they're just kind of one-shots. Not that that's terrible, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I also didn't overly love the artwork on these, though the feeling was kind of gritty, which very much matches the tone of the tv show.

I did really enjoy Pops' story, and I love any Kevin Keller. Dilton's was a little weird (especially since he's dead now oop.) and yeah. This was okay, but I'd rather read regular Archie comics.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite story in this comic is Betty cooper with pops, it was interesting and was more realistic to the show which is exactly what i wanted and craved...
i read the comic in one day. i recommend this comic to any one who loves the show as much as i do. i don't have much to say about this comic except that it was amazing and i really liked it... definitely read it :) i didn't read the first volume because i thought road to riverdale was the first volume by the time i found this out i had already read them both it did not make much of a difference though because i understood the second volume without reading the first volume

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading vol 1, I think maybe I expected too much from vol 2. And maybe it’s wrong to compare the two, but when you read things as part of a series, I’m not sure that can be helped. The final three issues in this volume were ultimately what redeemed this collection for me. I especially enjoyed the expansion on Pop’s history, and some of the more supernatural elements they introduced there. I also enjoyed the expansions on Kevin’s and Dilton’s characters, as well as seeing the main 4 take on NYC.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel Volume 2 complements the Riverdale TV series better than Volume 1, which seemed to have conflicting canon (more like the modern Archie comics). I don't think I would enjoy it as a stand-alone without also watching the show, but that's okay with me. I was hoping for something that added depth to the TV universe, and that's what I got from this volume.

I'm very intrigued by the Pop's story and the potential for the show to move into a more speculative genre. I'm looking forward to a Sabrina cross-over!

[Vanesa Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho, aunque por desgracia no ha superado al tercer volúmen, este último es mi favorito de los tres que han sido publicados, ya que me fue más divertido.

Los relatos de este volúmen son entretenidos, me han gustado, sobre todo el de Betty, los demás personajes me daban un poco igual, aunque es interesante saber de ellos, no son mis personajes favoritos, lo cuál, me ha sido menos interesante.

Por si tenéis dudas, se pueden leer independientes ya que no son historias que continúan en los demás volúmenes.

Mi nota real sería, 3'5/5.

[Cristina Padilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si te gusta la serie con el mismo nombre seguramente te gusten esta serie de cómicos sobre los personajes. Entre sus páginas encontramos tanto historias inéditas que no se han contado en la serie sobre las vivencias de los personajes en este pueblo tan peculiar, como ilustraciones de portadas y de los protagonistas hechas por artistas muy conocidos y realmente buenos.

Merece mucho la pena para los fans, pero no tiene mayor profundidad el contenido.

[Katie Kaste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel takes place between seasons two and three of Riverdale. There is some travel and people adventuring. These are much calmer stories than that of the TV show. The characters of Riverdale are fun to travel with. I like seeing the alternate version of the show as well in the One shot comics versions.

[Anna ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn’t really have a firm storyline, it just rotated around the characters lives.
My favourite mini story was Dilton’s because it made me laugh so loud!
I recommend this book if you’re a Riverdale fan like me!

[BookCupid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't as traumatic as the first volume. Surprisingly, it felt quite disconnected. We got to meet new characters, while many old ones never appeared. Not sure if this is a series, or more like the regular Archie comic plot where one volume doesn't lead to the next.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 3 out of 5]

3

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to come