Archie Comics 2017
Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Pat & Tim Kennedy
Ink Assists by Bob Smith & Jim Amash
Coloured by Matt Herms
Lettered by Jack Morelli
A vicious killer was ravaging the quiet streets of Riverdale, leaving his victims not only dead, but maimed and beheaded. Little did anyone know, that murderer was local teen Jughead Jones. As it turns out, Jughead descends from a lycanthropic lineage, meaning that the unassuming teen has always harbored a deep, dark secret: he is a werewolf. His family’s dark legacy came to light... and it was up to werewolf hunter Betty Cooper to put a stop to him! With the help of Archie Andrews, the two were able to find the cure for Jughead’s monstrous ways… or so they thought. Jughead skipped town, but not before leaving behind the bloodied corpse of Reggie Mantle.
The fact that this picks up right where the one-shot ended is perfect timing to me. It is the most logical place to start and no “X” amount of time has passed and we have to have too many flashbacks to catch reader’s up. Also that at the same time this is new reader friendly doesn’t hurt matters any. I think Archie Comics has such a killer line of horror books based on their characters that actually eclipse everything else they put out says a lot about what readers are craving these days. They want to see those familiar characters in ways that are shocking and full of stuff that nightmares are made of. Thankfully they listened and we’ve got a brand new ongoing series, that hopefully will be out on a regular schedule unlike Afterlife or Sabrina which need to be on stands regularly.
Frank opens up with what happened to Reggie as they struggle to save his life and then pronounce him deceased. Though “the reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated” aptly applies here as well. After all Jughead didn’t take Reggie’s head off now did he? So what we see in the hospital is only the beginning because with Betty the Werewolf Hunter out of town on Jughead’s trail with Archie, there’s no one in town who knows what’s going on and how to deal with it. Oh My God am I already hyper excited to see what Frank has in store!
So what is the most cliché thing a high school student on the run do? Honestly are there even any to run too any more? The Circus that is. Well Jughead found one and that’s where he’s at and he’s desperately trying to hold it together. The characterisation here is phenomenal and not just with Jughead but all around with this new more confident and bossy Betty through the gang that’s still alive. All of it has this great feel about it that keeps them rooted in what we knew but also makes things fresh, new and exciting.
The interiors are great. Yeah they could be more realistic but then again this is a horror book now. I love that Archie still looks like the adorable kid next door, Jughead and his signature hat has this little boy lost, alone and afraid persona wrapped in the artwork. The way page layouts are used with their angles and perspective show a confident eye for storytelling. My biggest pet peeve is when folks don’t utilise backgrounds but here they are done smartly and expand the story beautifully. When not used it’s strategic, not to mention few and far between. The impact the work has on the reader is immeasurable.
With the introduction of new characters, new settings and a whole slew of new problems and a mystery to solve Frank manages to take the Werewolf legend and flip it on it’s ear. Horror, humour, mystery and the way these characters behave should mean this is high up in your reading pecking order! Smashing first issue debut for a new ongoing series a real must have! Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meet Bitten!