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COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Archie #1

 
Archie1-666x1024
Archie1-666x1024
Archie1-666x1024

 
Overview
 

Story by: Mark Waid
 
Art by: Fiona Staples
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
4/ 5


User Rating
1 total rating

 


To sum it all up..

OLD IS NEW Sometimes, CHANGE is paramount. This is what the people behind iconic Archie Comics do—starting with issue number one – hence,  ARCHIE #1. To further spice up our expectations here, Eisner-winning duo Mark Waid and Fiona Staples grace this much anticipated premier issue. Before that, it is high time to set aside what […]

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Posted July 9, 2015 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

Archie1-666x1024

OLD IS NEW

Sometimes, CHANGE is paramount. This is what the people behind iconic Archie Comics do—starting with issue number one – hence,  ARCHIE #1. To further spice up our expectations here, Eisner-winning duo Mark Waid and Fiona Staples grace this much anticipated premier issue. Before that, it is high time to set aside what happened in the company’s Kickstarter Archie 1 snafu, and let’s deal with this issue alone.

The setting is still in Riverdale, Archie’s hometown. Archie is naturally the main protagonist and he is doing the fourth wall stuff in introducing some important (but familiar) faces, most particularly his former girlfriend Betty. I say “former” because that’s exactly the story goes around—his well-meaning friends try to have the former lovers reunite once again. To make more engaging, the flow of the story goes so naturally that it reads like a typical high school slice of life, a very straightforward one and in Mark’s mastery of storytelling, it ends with a twist and smoothly transitions to the next chapter that will introduce the main protagonist’s banes—the Lodges.

Essentially, the first new Archie comic reads like most Archie comics then, except this is an Archie story for the newcomers who are familiar with some modern nuisances the oldies may find, well, different. For examples, the utilization of #s that rooted Archie’s separation with his blonde sweetheart is present and considered mainstream to connect with potential new readers, and show once again that Archie is not afraid to go forward or become innovative in storytelling as well. Furthermore, Jughead’s characterization is shifted to a more pragmatic, rationale, and stoic type rather than solely being the king of burger eating, whimsical, and first and foremost Archie’s best friend. Many “best friends” in real life are almost a complete opposite of their counterparts, only they share some common interests and/or respect one’s thoughts/beliefs. I believe Waid nails the modern take of Jughead. And Betty is still the Betty we grow and love but more grounded and believable in terms of taking the consequences of not reaching Archie out to flesh out their differences. And, this “vote-peddling” stuff to achieve the group’s rather pure motive is something more realistic in high school politics (and even in the larger national scale) than simply voting for one’s ideals. Overall, Waid’s narrative is more tuned on realism than the classical humoristic approach we are so familiar all these years, but still, that kind of humor is ingrained particularly the deliveries of the characters themselves. No wonder the publishing house chose Mark Waid to set the tone for this one.

Fiona Staples continues to shine here with her one-of-the-kind artistic takes on the Riverdale community, particularly her interpretations on a homecoming high school event that sets the tone for the main characters’ developments in the upcoming Archie comic issues to come. Her drawings are very clean, quirky, funny and even sober when the moments demand. She applies less ink to illuminate the sense of positivity in the midst of a tumultuous high school rumor mongering that Jughead has to solve for his friend’s sake, and the “Feel-Like-Teen-Spirit” vibe is so omnipresent that is well-suited for this premier issue. My only criticism on her illustrations is that some of her artistic interpretations are strikingly similar to the characters she draws in Saga. No, seriously, compare Archie #1 to all of her Saga issues and you can do the “spot the similarities” contest stuff. Andre Szymanowicz’s colors are probably the true hero in this issue because he knows to apply primary colors that are vibrant, optimistic and most importantly, recaptures what an Archie comics should be, even in the most awkward moments.

Archie #1 also features Mark Waid’s last thoughts and even the original Archie story originally featured in Pep Comics #22 (1941)! You see, naysayers and whiners around, Archie “evolves”, “changes”, “morphs”, “transforms” and “recreates” from time-to-time, depending on the circumstances and relevance of the readers’ tastes, and the demands the character(s) and its company owners must confront. And, it has the complete Archie #1 cover arts in its cover gallery.

 

 

 


Paul Ramos

 


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