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Ritorna il rosso più popolare di Riverdale e del fumetto USA! La storia tra l'ereditiera Veronica Lodge e Archie sembra procedere bene... se non fosse per il padre di lei, disposto a usare ogni mezzo che la sua sconfinata fortuna gli mette a disposizione per tenerlo lontano dalla sua unica figlia. E, come se non bastasse, il signor Lodge si lancia in una campagna elettorale che minaccia di spaccare in due la città e distruggere l'amicizia tra Archie e Betty!
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2016
81 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read
About the author
Mark Waid
3,213 books1,297 followersMark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
October 19, 2017
I didn't think it was quite as awesome as volume 1, but it was still really good.
Like everyone else, I miss Fiona Staples art. But, even so, it's not like the panels are hard to look at. And it does have the same feel to it as Welcome to Riverdale, which makes me happy. I'm not a big fan of those comics that change the art style every other issue.
Alright. So, this one is mostly about Archie and Veronica dealing with the differences in their backgrounds and trying to make things work. Of course, this proves to be harder than it looks but love conquers all, right?
At the same time, Reggie had weaseled his way into Mr. Lodge's cold, dead, Archie-hating heart with the proof that his red-headed nemesis had been the one to (accidentally) destroy Lodge's construction site.
I thought the Betty n Archie exes who still love each other drama is well done in this. I mean, it's obvious that BETTY is The One, but it's gonna take our loveable ginger a while to figure that out. Because..Duh.
What's an Archie comic without the back-and-forth between those three?!
Another biggie is Mr. Lodge running for mayor against Betty's uncle - who also happens to be a (somewhat beloved, somewhat hated) teacher at Riverdale High. Thanks to a bunch of convoluted mishaps and misunderstandings, everything about the election goes tits-up.
Hurt feeling abound! And everything changes FOREVER!
No, not really. This is Riverdale, silly! These guys will be perpetually chasing this same basic storyline until the end of time.
But that doesn't make me like it less. In fact, it's nice to know that these characters will still be in high school when I'm old(er) and grey(er).
Recommended for fans of Archie Comics.
Like everyone else, I miss Fiona Staples art. But, even so, it's not like the panels are hard to look at. And it does have the same feel to it as Welcome to Riverdale, which makes me happy. I'm not a big fan of those comics that change the art style every other issue.
Alright. So, this one is mostly about Archie and Veronica dealing with the differences in their backgrounds and trying to make things work. Of course, this proves to be harder than it looks but love conquers all, right?
At the same time, Reggie had weaseled his way into Mr. Lodge's cold, dead, Archie-hating heart with the proof that his red-headed nemesis had been the one to (accidentally) destroy Lodge's construction site.
I thought the Betty n Archie exes who still love each other drama is well done in this. I mean, it's obvious that BETTY is The One, but it's gonna take our loveable ginger a while to figure that out. Because..Duh.
What's an Archie comic without the back-and-forth between those three?!
Another biggie is Mr. Lodge running for mayor against Betty's uncle - who also happens to be a (somewhat beloved, somewhat hated) teacher at Riverdale High. Thanks to a bunch of convoluted mishaps and misunderstandings, everything about the election goes tits-up.
Hurt feeling abound! And everything changes FOREVER!
No, not really. This is Riverdale, silly! These guys will be perpetually chasing this same basic storyline until the end of time.
But that doesn't make me like it less. In fact, it's nice to know that these characters will still be in high school when I'm old(er) and grey(er).
Recommended for fans of Archie Comics.
May 18, 2018
Loved this issues SO MUCH. Archie and Veronica are too cute to boot.
September 11, 2018
The first volume was great and this makes a great follow-up. This second Volume is not quite as good as the first, but it's still entertaining. Betty and Archie find it hard to put their past behind them. Jughead continues to eat more hamburgers. We get less dynamics from other characters at school and this focuses on the main 4 characters.
I love the vibrant colorful artwork still. I can see this getting old soon and it's kinda binge worthy.
I love the vibrant colorful artwork still. I can see this getting old soon and it's kinda binge worthy.
May 31, 2017
Archie volvió a hacerme feliz por el tiempo que me tuvo frente a su historia. Veronica al fin logró agradarme un poco más, pero aún no del todo. Betty sigue siendo mi favorita de las dos, pero vamos, el mejor siempre será Jughead —habla el shipper dentro de mí en estos momentos—.
En este compendio de issues nos encontramos con el desarrollo de nuevos problemas, la resolución de algunos y la inevitable aceptación de otros. Sin embargo, y a pesar de sus constantes cambios de arte, la historia prosigue con su inocente trivialidad.
Lo mejor de este tomo:
1.- La tensión que permanece entre Betty y Archie.
2.- La campaña política del señor Lodge.
3.- El giro en la personalidad y el desenvolvimiento de Veronica.
4.- El último issue.
Otras canciones para escuchar mientras se lee:
a) The xx - Dangerous.
b) Stereophonics - I Wanna Get Lost With You/Indian Summer.
c) Nothing But Thieves - Last Orders.
d) Cage The Elephant - Come A Little Closer.
En este compendio de issues nos encontramos con el desarrollo de nuevos problemas, la resolución de algunos y la inevitable aceptación de otros. Sin embargo, y a pesar de sus constantes cambios de arte, la historia prosigue con su inocente trivialidad.
Lo mejor de este tomo:
1.- La tensión que permanece entre Betty y Archie.
2.- La campaña política del señor Lodge.
3.- El giro en la personalidad y el desenvolvimiento de Veronica.
4.- El último issue.
Otras canciones para escuchar mientras se lee:
a) The xx - Dangerous.
b) Stereophonics - I Wanna Get Lost With You/Indian Summer.
c) Nothing But Thieves - Last Orders.
d) Cage The Elephant - Come A Little Closer.
December 28, 2016
My son Archie's review: he found it could because Archie is too fond Ronnie and needs to slow down and Mr Lodge's mayoral campaign was funny, and he thought Ronnie was taking too much space and is happy that Betty is back in the spotlight.
My review: beautiful art, funny stories, great story arc - this reboot is fantastic!
My review: beautiful art, funny stories, great story arc - this reboot is fantastic!
April 10, 2022
2022 Update: I still loved the characters as much as the first time. It's always interesting watching Veronica develop as character. She's not necessarily my favorite character, but Riverdale wouldn't be the same without her.
This was a good solid comic and I really enjoyed the artwork. I still think that it could have given me a little more but I would be lying if I said it didn't push me to read more Archie comics because I really love the characters.
This was a good solid comic and I really enjoyed the artwork. I still think that it could have given me a little more but I would be lying if I said it didn't push me to read more Archie comics because I really love the characters.
September 17, 2020
I absolutely am loving these comics.
I love how Veronica is trying so hard to be loved and accepted by Archie and his parents. Even though she is just buying really expensive things.
But you really see that she doesn't know the basic things that middle-class people like Archie grow up with. Like setting the table.
Betty seems to be regretting the lip-stick incident as well... it is getting very interesting...
Also I am really excited about that red head on the next volume's cover. Like I am so pumped. #TeamCheryl
I love how Veronica is trying so hard to be loved and accepted by Archie and his parents. Even though she is just buying really expensive things.
But you really see that she doesn't know the basic things that middle-class people like Archie grow up with. Like setting the table.
Betty seems to be regretting the lip-stick incident as well... it is getting very interesting...
Also I am really excited about that red head on the next volume's cover. Like I am so pumped. #TeamCheryl
December 19, 2016
I’ve been waiting for this one ever since I finished reading volume 1! Archie has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. I would read the comics all the time as my mom would bring the digests home for me every once in a while. This second volume picks up right where the first left off. Archie (as always) is bouncing back and forth between Betty & Veronica while obtaining important advice from his best friend Jughead. I’m not sure if I enjoyed this volume as much as I enjoyed the first one, but I did really love reading it!
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Initial post reading thoughts:
Good ol' Archie. I don't think I'll ever get tired of Archie comics. This volume was full of poor Archie getting mixed up in many different scenarios...as per usual!
February 9, 2018
Damn you Mark Waid for making me read an Archie comic! And actually liking it! Not quite as good as volume 1. I missed the single arc throughout the book. This reverts to the structure of the Archie days of old in that each issue has multiple chapters.
The overall story is Archie and Veronica dealing with how they come from very different backgrounds. Betty is still trying to come to term with the fact that Archie is now with Veronica. Meanwhile, Veronica's dad is running for mayor and divides the town with Archie caught in the middle.
The overall story is Archie and Veronica dealing with how they come from very different backgrounds. Betty is still trying to come to term with the fact that Archie is now with Veronica. Meanwhile, Veronica's dad is running for mayor and divides the town with Archie caught in the middle.
April 18, 2017
Pop quiz: what's more unrealistic, this book or Riverdale? In these issues, Veronica "moves in" to Archie's household by bringing a full-screen TV, French chef, and lawn-style laser-tag game, and I would still pick Riverdale.
Regardless, most of the stories in here are turned up to 11 and have too much slapstick. I do love Veronica Fish's art in issues 6-10, and thought the mishap with the pictures of the governor in the newspaper was genuinely funny. I really like that the updated Archie includes so many cell phone fiascos. The art in issues 11-12 is not great, particularly in contrast to previous issues. My favorite piece in the whole book is the cover with Veronica and Archie in the Lodge for Mayor shirts - it's gorgeous.
Regardless, most of the stories in here are turned up to 11 and have too much slapstick. I do love Veronica Fish's art in issues 6-10, and thought the mishap with the pictures of the governor in the newspaper was genuinely funny. I really like that the updated Archie includes so many cell phone fiascos. The art in issues 11-12 is not great, particularly in contrast to previous issues. My favorite piece in the whole book is the cover with Veronica and Archie in the Lodge for Mayor shirts - it's gorgeous.
October 12, 2017
Archie Archie Archie. I can't believe I'm really reading a Archie book but here I am.
So Archie is now with Veronica. Things are just getting...well...kind of not great. See Ronnie (nickname) is very rich. Archie? Not so much. So Archie is dealing with that. His feelings for Betty are still there. Betty feels the same. However Archie is also dealing with Ronnie's father who's a rich piece of shit who hates Archie cause he destroyed his business. So around and around we go in the next few days of Archie's life!
Good: The chemistry between the characters is all really playful and fun. i love the style in which each issue is broken into chapters. When Archie speaks to the audience it's always fun. I also think they way they resolve issues is nice as it's not always so proper and clean.
Bad: Sometimes the art looks really off. I mean it's still not nearly as amazing as when Fiona Staples was doing it. I want her back <3 I also think the book jumps a lot and sometimes leaves issues unresolved or like "Well that's good enough" and some slang feels outdated here.
Overall Archie remains a fun read. I think I enjoyed the first volume more but this is still enjoyable. I really hope Archie gets with Betty. You all know he loves her so much, don't be a fool man! Even though Ronnie is hot as hell too. Okay that's enough.
So Archie is now with Veronica. Things are just getting...well...kind of not great. See Ronnie (nickname) is very rich. Archie? Not so much. So Archie is dealing with that. His feelings for Betty are still there. Betty feels the same. However Archie is also dealing with Ronnie's father who's a rich piece of shit who hates Archie cause he destroyed his business. So around and around we go in the next few days of Archie's life!
Good: The chemistry between the characters is all really playful and fun. i love the style in which each issue is broken into chapters. When Archie speaks to the audience it's always fun. I also think they way they resolve issues is nice as it's not always so proper and clean.
Bad: Sometimes the art looks really off. I mean it's still not nearly as amazing as when Fiona Staples was doing it. I want her back <3 I also think the book jumps a lot and sometimes leaves issues unresolved or like "Well that's good enough" and some slang feels outdated here.
Overall Archie remains a fun read. I think I enjoyed the first volume more but this is still enjoyable. I really hope Archie gets with Betty. You all know he loves her so much, don't be a fool man! Even though Ronnie is hot as hell too. Okay that's enough.
March 27, 2017
Mark Waid is continuing to do an excellent job with this Archie reboot. I was never all that interested in the classic comics, but in Waid's capable hands I'm found myself drawn to these characters stories more than ever before. Plus, I've been enjoying The CW's take on the characters in Riverdale as well - admittedly, it's altogether different, but it it's thoroughly hooked me. Waid's new graphic novel series, like the tv adaptation, has made 75 year old characters fresh and engaging again in new ways. This particular volume takes up right after volume one left off as Archie goes back and forth between Betty and Veronica. Along the way he gets some much need advice from Jughead. We don't get to see as much of Betty in this one and there's a great fish out of water style storyline for Veronica as well. I only wish that Fiona Staples worked on the art in this volume - I really miss her touch. Otherwise, Veronica Fish has my second favorite art style of all of the artists working on this volume. Finally, I'd say that this volume could have done with a little more Jughead, too.
January 30, 2022
A very well-written follow up to Archie, Vol. 1. It had some excellent art and appropriately vibrant colours to backup the compelling high school drama with an enthusiastic amount of humour.
The plot perfectly captured the small town and high school affairs and featured a wide variety of dynamic and diverse characters. The main characters all had intertwined and interesting storylines that became more exciting the messier they got.
Unfortunately, the flaw in this vol and in Archie’s characterisation was his goofy personality. It was played up for laughs which was very much intentional as it added to the humorous tone well, however, I found it often didn’t make sense or worse, made it hard to take Archie seriously or root for him as a protagonist. Almost every plot point relied heavily on Archie’s clumsiness and it got to a point where it became almost tiring to see him fail constantly. In the end it was hard to feel pity or sadness for a guy who was the walking talking definition of hopeless and didn’t seem to deserve any of the girls that were pining for him.
Despite that, this was still a very enjoyable vol and given the surprise twist at the end, I’d love to see what happens next in Archie, Vol. 3!
The plot perfectly captured the small town and high school affairs and featured a wide variety of dynamic and diverse characters. The main characters all had intertwined and interesting storylines that became more exciting the messier they got.
Unfortunately, the flaw in this vol and in Archie’s characterisation was his goofy personality. It was played up for laughs which was very much intentional as it added to the humorous tone well, however, I found it often didn’t make sense or worse, made it hard to take Archie seriously or root for him as a protagonist. Almost every plot point relied heavily on Archie’s clumsiness and it got to a point where it became almost tiring to see him fail constantly. In the end it was hard to feel pity or sadness for a guy who was the walking talking definition of hopeless and didn’t seem to deserve any of the girls that were pining for him.
Despite that, this was still a very enjoyable vol and given the surprise twist at the end, I’d love to see what happens next in Archie, Vol. 3!
February 3, 2017
I think it's even more impressive that Mark Waid has managed the balancing act of the new Archive series through this second volume. Everything here is good - each issue is a done-in-one story that builds on the overall arc, leading to an exciting climactic car chase. And it's all done with a keen balance of humor, pathos, teen angst and humanity. This is your classic Archie, as filtered through modern culture, and it just works. The art varies by issue but it never gets in the way of the story, and there are some great visual moments too. The central pillar of the Archie/Veronica/Betty relationships makes more sense here than it has before, and the ramifications and repercussions of it make sense too. It's what we want the world to really look like, but it never gets too preachy, and it always maintains that classic humor in effective ways. I laughed out loud at this collections multiple times; that's about as ringing an endorsement as I can give. Even the extra issue, introducing the Betty & Veronica series, is strong. The Archie house has really managed to figure their reinvention out, and anyone who was ever fond of Archie should definitely take another look at it now.
March 8, 2017
Archie is still a lot of fun to read, and you get what you're looking for. Archie causes a lot of accidents. Jughead eats a lot of burger. Betty helps people when it's not in her best interest. And, Veronica doesn't understand the little people. There's a plot in which Mr. Lodge runs for political office, which explains why the Lodges are in Riverdale and why Veronica is going to a public school. I really liked that story because it drives a real wedge between the members of the Riverdale gang. Unfortunately, it resolves pretty quickly. I thought they could have continued that story a little longer. One thing for sure is that Mark Said likes Betty more than Veronica. He writes her as a much more sympathetic character. Hopefully that will balance out in future volumes.
February 6, 2017
Every bit as good as the first volume. It's funny, the art is great, and the drama may not be entirely realistic, but it's believable and entertaining.
November 12, 2017
I'm sort of surprised at how quickly I'm over the novelty of the updated, continuing soap-opera version of Archie. It's not bad, I just cannot find it in me to care.
January 10, 2017
This is about as good as the last volume. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
They did a lot more to make Veronica less stereotypical awful for a rich girl. There's a Fish Out of Water storyline where she tries to adjust to Archie's lifestyle. Eventually she buys a lot of really expensive things and brings a butler and a chef to his house and really inconveniences his mother. They overhear his parents talking about it, she feels bad and tries to fix it. The scene with her in the grocery store was really cute.
Archie is adorable as always. Also, clumsy and naive as always. Love him!
Betty. There's less of her in this book than the last one. So, she's doing things and you can infer why but I don't want to infer. I want more of her explaining why she's doing them. Anyway, she goes through a lot by association with Archie because Archie is inadvertently ruining Mr. Collier's (Betty's uncle) life. Sayid is mad at her for hugging Archie (big whoop, dude. get over it) and giving her ultimatums. I mean, I also have a crush on Betty but not cool, dude. She can hang out with Archie if she wants. Him being an ass is partly why I think she says "screw it" and helps Archie when he needs her.
The band storyline did kind of nothing for me. It was mainly there to explain how Betty and Archie reunite.
Jughead was really adorable here.
There's a sneak peek at the Betty and Veronica series and I would hope that would delve into them being friends and not just more of them fighting each other. It seems that way in the beginning. Although, I did not like the dog narration. That was incredibly unappealing to me, actually. I would've taken off a star because the whole of that issue was pretty bland but that's not what this book is about.
It's about Archie being Archie and just trying to keep everyone in his life happy. This poor, dude. Anyway, I'll definitely check out the next volume. The art was gorgeous as ever!
They did a lot more to make Veronica less stereotypical awful for a rich girl. There's a Fish Out of Water storyline where she tries to adjust to Archie's lifestyle. Eventually she buys a lot of really expensive things and brings a butler and a chef to his house and really inconveniences his mother. They overhear his parents talking about it, she feels bad and tries to fix it. The scene with her in the grocery store was really cute.
Archie is adorable as always. Also, clumsy and naive as always. Love him!
Betty. There's less of her in this book than the last one. So, she's doing things and you can infer why but I don't want to infer. I want more of her explaining why she's doing them. Anyway, she goes through a lot by association with Archie because Archie is inadvertently ruining Mr. Collier's (Betty's uncle) life. Sayid is mad at her for hugging Archie (big whoop, dude. get over it) and giving her ultimatums. I mean, I also have a crush on Betty but not cool, dude. She can hang out with Archie if she wants. Him being an ass is partly why I think she says "screw it" and helps Archie when he needs her.
The band storyline did kind of nothing for me. It was mainly there to explain how Betty and Archie reunite.
Jughead was really adorable here.
There's a sneak peek at the Betty and Veronica series and I would hope that would delve into them being friends and not just more of them fighting each other. It seems that way in the beginning. Although, I did not like the dog narration. That was incredibly unappealing to me, actually. I would've taken off a star because the whole of that issue was pretty bland but that's not what this book is about.
It's about Archie being Archie and just trying to keep everyone in his life happy. This poor, dude. Anyway, I'll definitely check out the next volume. The art was gorgeous as ever!
May 9, 2019
Archie Series Ratings:
Archie, Vol. 1: ★★★★
Archie, Vol. 2: ★★★
Archie, Vol. 3: Lost interest in series/b>
—
I read the first volume because I loved the T.V. show Riverdalethe show has gone so downhill though and used to love the original Archie comics.
I enjoyed the first one, I found myself a bit bored with this one. I'm going to try Vol 3, since that when my girl Cheryl Blossom comes in, and I'll see how I feel about continuing from there.
—
I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network before I move interstate!
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Archie, Vol. 1: ★★★★
Archie, Vol. 2: ★★★
Archie, Vol. 3: Lost interest in series/b>
—
I read the first volume because I loved the T.V. show Riverdale
I enjoyed the first one, I found myself a bit bored with this one. I'm going to try Vol 3, since that when my girl Cheryl Blossom comes in, and I'll see how I feel about continuing from there.
—
I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network before I move interstate!
___
│Blog│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│
March 6, 2017
I like this volume very much. Waid continues to keep the story fresh and interesting. I will say that I feel really sorry for Betty in this volume. Archie does not deserve her, that putz.
September 26, 2017
Continuing to enjoy this reboot. Waid does a terrific job of blending nostalgia with modern times to produce a delightful read.
June 20, 2017
My heart actually ached for Archie and Betty. Ached! How does Mark Waid do it?!
Any book that makes me feel what its characters are feeling gets a huge 5 stars from me.
Art is great and story is moving along. The only thing I want from this series is more.
(Also, I'm a Archie/Betty shipper all the way. Isn't everyone??)
Any book that makes me feel what its characters are feeling gets a huge 5 stars from me.
Art is great and story is moving along. The only thing I want from this series is more.
(Also, I'm a Archie/Betty shipper all the way. Isn't everyone??)
January 11, 2017
Better than the first set of comics. I wasn't a huge fan of the new ariverdale, but this redeemed itself. I still love the original more but this is slowly improving
September 19, 2017
I'm not sure how to explain why this is decently fun and pretty well done. It just is.
March 19, 2018
3.5 stars
August 11, 2019
Não sei muito bem o que pensar sobre esses quadrinhos do Archie feitos pelo Mark Waid. Se por um lado eu adoro a dinâmica que é estabelecida pelos personagens, por outro lado não estou bem certo se gosto do tom adotado para a série. Como eu nunca li as histórias originais do Archie - e toda uma geração aqui no Brasil passou alheia ao personagem - eu não tenho como saber se está estabelecendo o mesmo tom delas ou não. Sei que não tem muito a ver com a série de televisão Riverdale que adapta esse universo. As histórias me parecem exageradas demais e um pouco desnecessárias. Nesse segundo volume, em que não temos mais mesmo os desenhos da virtuose Fiona Staples. Com os desenhos de Veronica Fish e companhia, o ritmo, a narrativa e o desenhos acabam por ficar mais caricatos, dando uma impressão mais boba e mais efêmera para as histórias, quando um desenho um pouco mais trabalhado poderia dar uma outra sensação para a história. A divisão entre quatro parte de uma revista só também me incomoda bastante. O resultado é que não estou muto empolgado para comprar uma continuação a não ser pelo baita cliffhanger que fica ao final.
March 5, 2019
Super feelgood komiks, bohužel tu chybí Fiona Staples z minulýho dílu :(
November 18, 2025
2025:
What sticks out to me in this years-later reread is not so much the evil-villain-is-evil sense (though, yeah, that's there) but rather the subplot in which Veronica starts hanging out all the time at Archie's because Mr. Lodge doesn't want Archie around. Veronica, who has never set foot in something so plebeian as a working-class home, cannot cope and immediately turns everything upside-down in a quest to make things more comfortable for herself.
All of this is fine (standard Archie); what interests me is that I remember a similar plot in one of the Archie comics I read as a kid...in that one, I believe Veronica temporarily moved in with Betty when she was fighting with her parents (and then, much as in this volume, couldn't understand that Betty's house was the real house rather than the guest house, and expected that she'd be waited on hand and foot, and so on). It makes a ton of sense that plots would be recycled for this reboot (seriously, what hasn't happen in the Archie universe...? They stay squeaky-clean, no alcohol or drugs or anything beyond kissing—and they don't do a lot of jetting off to other countries or even towns—but beyond that they've hit every comic-possible event in the...book, so to speak), but if I'd had to guess, that particular plot would not have made the cut. I suppose it does very well illustrate Veronica's (and her father's) out-of-touchness with the common people...
2017:
Continuing what Volume 1 started...here Mr. Lodge is running for mayor and turning the town upside-down in the process.
I'm still not really sure what to think of this reimagining. Again, I really like seeing a long-term storyline for these characters, although so far really only the key players have been given any space. It's odd—some of the characters have been smoothed out a bit to be more realistic, but others have been kept wildly over the top, or have gone even further over the top. Take Mr. Lodge: he sweeps into town, stirs up huge amounts of trouble, runs for mayor, tries to destroy everything in his path... Both of the losing candidates in the mayoral race pack up and leave town. Says great things about their capabilities when the going gets tough, doesn't it? I wish Mr. Lodge weren't quite so evil-villain-is-evil here.
But there's something else, too, that stuck with me. Betty and Archie broke up before this new series began, basically because she tried, once, to be a traditional 'girly-girl'. In Volume 2 they're trying to find a new normal, but when they fight about Veronica, Archie accuses Betty of not knowing who she is. And, oh gosh. It's just...it's hard to see that as anything other than wildly unfair. And it's treated as unfair, to a degree, but then never returned to, while I spent quite a while considering it. Who is Archie to say that Betty can't try new things or, god forbid, have layers? I love the Betty-as-tomboy characterisation, and maybe I'm expecting too much out of a comic book...but yup. I'm still looking for more here.
What sticks out to me in this years-later reread is not so much the evil-villain-is-evil sense (though, yeah, that's there) but rather the subplot in which Veronica starts hanging out all the time at Archie's because Mr. Lodge doesn't want Archie around. Veronica, who has never set foot in something so plebeian as a working-class home, cannot cope and immediately turns everything upside-down in a quest to make things more comfortable for herself.
All of this is fine (standard Archie); what interests me is that I remember a similar plot in one of the Archie comics I read as a kid...in that one, I believe Veronica temporarily moved in with Betty when she was fighting with her parents (and then, much as in this volume, couldn't understand that Betty's house was the real house rather than the guest house, and expected that she'd be waited on hand and foot, and so on). It makes a ton of sense that plots would be recycled for this reboot (seriously, what hasn't happen in the Archie universe...? They stay squeaky-clean, no alcohol or drugs or anything beyond kissing—and they don't do a lot of jetting off to other countries or even towns—but beyond that they've hit every comic-possible event in the...book, so to speak), but if I'd had to guess, that particular plot would not have made the cut. I suppose it does very well illustrate Veronica's (and her father's) out-of-touchness with the common people...
2017:
Continuing what Volume 1 started...here Mr. Lodge is running for mayor and turning the town upside-down in the process.
I'm still not really sure what to think of this reimagining. Again, I really like seeing a long-term storyline for these characters, although so far really only the key players have been given any space. It's odd—some of the characters have been smoothed out a bit to be more realistic, but others have been kept wildly over the top, or have gone even further over the top. Take Mr. Lodge: he sweeps into town, stirs up huge amounts of trouble, runs for mayor, tries to destroy everything in his path... Both of the losing candidates in the mayoral race pack up and leave town. Says great things about their capabilities when the going gets tough, doesn't it? I wish Mr. Lodge weren't quite so evil-villain-is-evil here.
But there's something else, too, that stuck with me. Betty and Archie broke up before this new series began, basically because she tried, once, to be a traditional 'girly-girl'. In Volume 2 they're trying to find a new normal, but when they fight about Veronica, Archie accuses Betty of not knowing who she is. And, oh gosh. It's just...it's hard to see that as anything other than wildly unfair. And it's treated as unfair, to a degree, but then never returned to, while I spent quite a while considering it. Who is Archie to say that Betty can't try new things or, god forbid, have layers? I love the Betty-as-tomboy characterisation, and maybe I'm expecting too much out of a comic book...but yup. I'm still looking for more here.
September 22, 2016
This is Archie as Archie should be. It has everything that was ever great about Archie comics without any of the flaws. The characterizations of Archie, Betty and Veronica are unbelievably layered and complex. The stories are consistently funny and have the manic pace associated with the series, and yet a couple of issues left me emotionally drained.
On the art side of things, the art this time is consistent because most of the issues are drawn by Veronica Fish. Nothing will ever match the beauty of the Fiona Staples issues, but consistency is more important to me.
It feels weird to say this, but one of the best comics coming out right now is Archie.
EDIT: Even if you have never read Archie before, it will still be fun as long as you're fine with YA antics.
On the art side of things, the art this time is consistent because most of the issues are drawn by Veronica Fish. Nothing will ever match the beauty of the Fiona Staples issues, but consistency is more important to me.
It feels weird to say this, but one of the best comics coming out right now is Archie.
EDIT: Even if you have never read Archie before, it will still be fun as long as you're fine with YA antics.
February 7, 2017
Archie annoyed the hell out of me in this volume. Seriously, dude? Can't you do anything for yourself? He seriously needs to stay single for a long time so he can figure himself out. I'll continue to read this for Betty, Veronica, and Jughead because I love them.
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