
Archie Comics 2015
Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Annie Wu
Coloured by Andre Szymanowicz & Jen Vaughn
Lettered by Jack Morelli
The New student, rich socialite Veronica Lodge, has managed to wrap Archie around her carefully manicured finger, and he’s helpless to her whims. Jughead’s tired of watching his best friend being led around like a lovesick puppy, but he’s going to need some reinforcements if he’s going to help Archie get over his crush. Betty’s onboard to help out, but first she and Archie need to face their past and address what caused their falling out to begin with…
Mark just blew my mind here! The lipstick incident is something that’s been eluded to since the get go and boy now that it’s finally revealed it’s nothing like I was expecting it to be. This was one of those moments that define a character and it’s done so extremely well here that it truly is a standout moment. I have to say I love the way that Mark has made Archie into this melding of everything Ron Howard, from aw shucks Opie Taylor and adorkable Richie Cunningham with a bit of Dick Van Dyke slapstick thrown in for good measure. It really makes him kind of stay true to who he’s been and evolve into someone new.
I know some folks don’t like the fourth wall thing where Archie talks to the readers but personally I have no problem with it. I see it as an effective tool as if the reader is close personal friend and we’re getting that trust from him in talking to us. It has its own way of keeping the reader involved and feeling important as if they were a part of the story.
I will call Mark out on one thing NEVER use BAE again it’s a horrid new term and shouldn’t be uttered by anyone!
I absolutely adored seeing Archie and Betty’s relationship unfold before our eyes. It’s easy to see what they see in each other. Plus there are more than a few things that well really showcase that as individuals and a couple that the whole lipstick incident was a series of events that both are to blame for. Still their relationship was perfect as it was and while change is inevitable when it comes crashing into your life it’s never an easy to deal with.
The foreshadowing we get from the beginning of the story to its emergence as the incident and the ramifications thereof is told in such a way that the emotional impact is extremely powerful.
Betty not being popular but this tomboy the subject of ridicule and Archie being popular and inadvertantly being the cause of the whole incident when coming to her defense well that’s something as a reader I couldn’t have expected but found thrilling nonetheless. It also goes a long way to showing how Betty got her friends who helped throw her her birthday party and made her up to look all girlie.
I really like the end of the issue as well. Seeing Reggie look like some kind of James Dean wannabe was a hoot! Oh i’ve been waiting to see full on Reggie and now he’s here and it looks like it’s going to get good!
I love Annie’s work, her style and her vision but i’m not sure it fits with this book. It is somewhere in the middle of an updated modern realistic look and the original series. Yeah the clothes are now but I don’t see either a realistic look or the classic look in their faces to distinguish them as the iconic characters they are. Plus is Reggie supposed to Puerto Rican here or an Italian Guido? Part of updating this should be consistency and right now this is just another variation not what we’ve kind of been promised.