Archie Comics 2017
Written by Jamie Lee Rotante
Illustrated by Eva Cabrera
Coloured by Elaina Unger
Lettered by Rachel Deering
Well I love the simple fact that the folks at Archie are so open minded enough to expand their titles to include books like these. From the line of darker books to these that diverge off the normal path they all conspire to really make the most of the characters. Seeing them from different points of view acting in ways we could see happening but never expected this is what the power of storytelling was meant for. Also that this is an all female crew on a female focused series well that’s just icing on the cake for me.
We open up the newest ongoing series from Archie with a group of women riding their bikes and making a statement to the Serpents. Then we see them take down this literal male chauvinist pig which is a great way to get the reader instantly involved and wondering what the heck is going on and how did this happen? Which of course is the response being looked for and as the saying goes ask and you shall receive.
I like how this story is structured and after the catchy opening going backward to seeing how we got there is well done. The characterisation here is nice to see and it actually fits with the girls very well. This is kind of like merging both the Riveredale television show with the sixties version of the comics and that is priceless. it’s an interesting take and one that immediately stands out as something that makes us want to read more. The way that Jamie Lee brings us the story, the whys and the call to action well it is so fun to see play out.
So why did I include the sixties in my description? Well that’s easy to explain really but it’s thanks to Eva that I felt that way. There is this heavy throwback feel to the clothes that we see here and the fashions are fantastic. While it is no Sharks vs Jets there’s still a feel to that from her work. Plus I mean c’mon Betty’s outfit at Pop Tate’s that’s something Cheryl would’ve worn when saying “not today Cha Cha I was born for this moment.” Then there’s the use of page layouts with their angles and perspective and it all shows a nice eye for storytelling. That the characters have this all-ages girlie, almost pin-up, feel to them only heightens the experience.
I love the girls of Riverdale High simply because they are brainy and ballsy enough to do what their boyfriends aren’t. I mean the guys come up with ideas that get them in trouble and it’s the girls who have to come to the rescue and it’s been that way for a long time now. So very quietly they’ve been incredibly good role models for a lot of folks and why I firmly believe that they will retain their iconic status in the annuls of history.
Motorcycles and gangs oh my. So the boys think being in a gang is cool and all the rage these days and decide to form their own. However the area already has the Serpents and they aren’t ones you wanna mess with. When dealing with the likes of Archie however, the world’s clumsiest boy, things will escalate in ways that were never intended or wanted. It is like seeing old Happy Day’s reruns where Fonzie has to tell Richie what is and isn’t cool and I can’t past how much that makes me smile. While Principal Weatherbee says gangs won’t be tolerated by Riverdale students you know the boys will cave which then puts the girls on a path that will change the way we see them forever.
Cute, endearing, sexy and empowering this is what is possible when you’ve got a killer premise and the skills and talent to bring it to life, pure simple fun!