Archie Comics 2016
On Sale 12-07-16
Written by Tom DeFalco
Illustrated by Sandy Jarrell
Coloured by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lettered by Jack Morelli
It’s time for Reggie to get the Archie makeover treatment. With his faithful companion Vader we are introduced to Reggie and his life. What Tom does here is really establish Reggie as the town villain. There’s a reason he’s this way and reading this you’ll understand why but suffice it to say it doesn’t cover or make up for this kind of behaviour.
I think what struck me the most about this was that it takes the whole rivalry between Archie and Reggie and pretty much wipes that away and replaces it instead with a new dynamic. Yes as kids the two were friends but no longer and Reggie is the guy you need to be wary of crossing, and it’s impossible not to cross him because he has his own sense of what’s an affront to him. It’s like having a hairpin trigger you never know what’s going to set it off.
I love the point of view this being told by. It’s got that classic kind of Archie sensibility to it while keeping the new look and feel of the book. His romantic interest hasn’t changed he’s got that crush on the one person he can never have and that’s probably the only constant there is. Otherwise this is a new more dangerous and decidedly vengeful Reggie. He’s decidedly handsome and as nasty as they come. It’s a nice contradiction really looking so good and being such a piece of work. Then again from what Tom does here you can’t help but kind of feel sorry for him and even like him more than you’ll care to admit.
I like the interiors here too. The flow of the book through the page layouts with angles, perspective and even the backgrounds really help to tell the story beautifully. I really am kind of impressed and this feels like it suits the writing to a T. The attention to detail here is great and the way you really get a sense of emotion and feeling from the facial expressions and body language is impressive.
Don’t count Reggie out in this new landscape his new life may surprise you. While he isn’t one of the gang he’s definitely someone you need to keep your eye on. Ah the days he was there as part of the group are gone and in their place we’re getting a look at typical high school where the bully used to be the richest kid in school.
Tom’s characterisation and storytelling here are phenomenally well done. The interiors match the words beautifully and this is one that you need to make sure is on your pull list or at least have ordered from you local shoppe or subscription service. As the Archie world keeps expanding they really are turning it more into a real world kind of place with complex and diverse kids who are much deeper than their appearances.