Archie & Friends: Summer Lovin' #1

This summer time fun special was something I meant to read when it debuted in 2022. Unfortunately it got buried in my ever growing to-read pile, only to see the light of day just recently.

The main story introduces a new love triangle to Riverdale. Veronica's cousin Harper has returned for the summer. This means for Reggie a chance to restart his relationship with the teen. However, there's a new player in the mix, Eliza Han, an African-Korean American with ADHD and is pansexual. At the summer carnival both Reg and Eliza vie for the affections of Harper. But it looks like love will have to wait when everyone gets sick from riding the Gravitron. 

The opening story was written by Tee Harper with artwork provided by my favorite modern Archie artist, Dan Parent. I was surprised that the main feature was only 6 pages in length. Especially since the cover promises an introduction to Eliza Han. Instead, the back-up feature took up the majority of this book, which was 32 pages in total length. It involves Archie trying to win the affections of Veronica by practicing for the Riverdale beach windsurfing championship. Did I mention he's rather bad at it? Written by Tom DeFalco, the story features an often forgotten member of the Archie-Betty-Veronica love affair; one Ms. Cheryl Blossom who decides to train poor Archie just to get revenge on Veronica.

The back up was illustrated by Pat and Tim Kennedy. The brothers artwork looks really new and I know that it's a newer story because Kevin Keller is a main character in the story and he's only been around since 2010. What I want to know is this: was the windsurfing story brand new or like with other specials of the past, a reprint? 

With a Halloween or Valentine's Day spectacular, the reprinted tales look older. Why didn't the editors pick such a more modern story to fill in the gaps? And if it's an all-new story as well, I'm crying FOUL! Why does this one-shot get special treatment of original material but the holiday annual books get stuffed with stuff that I've more than likely already read!?

I've said it before and I will say it now: I'm willing to pay $3.99, up from the standard cover of $2.99 for all my Archie specials to contain more original stories than 1 measly 6-pager. C'mon Archie Comics! You do so well responding to fan demand, let's make this happen!

Before I go... Great cover by Bill Golliher. Love the Easter egg to the birth year of Archie!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 8 out of 10 stars.

World of Archie Jumbo Comics Double Digest #113

This 2021 offering wasn't on my radar. But my favorite comic book shop ordered it for me. They're a small mom & pop and they make great recommendations. Plus, with times being tough for everyone, I just couldn't say no.

As with any Archie digest, the whole thing is full of classic reprints from the Riverdale gangs rich 80 year history. There's an old school L'il Archie fright in which the new mummy at the local history museum comes to life and kidnaps L'il Veronica. A late 80s-era romp has Jughead and Reggie swapping roles at the high school for some Halloween antics. From the 1950s, Archie and Jug run a foul of a real life vampire while in what appears to be the late 90s or 2000s, 

Representing the most recent of eras, there's an Archie parody of 2011's THOR. First giveaway that it's modern is the fact that the story is taken directly from the MCU movie's plot. But this story is also the only one where there's no white paneling. The artwork spills over the page, literally. Plus, the inking has a sheen that really only comic artwork done on computer can only achieve. 

There's even an all-new tale to start things off. Cover illustrator Bill Golliher crafts a Halloween story guest-starring Sabrina along with that pumpkin shaped Boo! Bus. Unfortunately, if you are hoping for more of the Teenage Witch, you're out of luck.

My biggest complaint with digests, especially the themed ones, is that there is very little of the subject matter at hand. In the past, if there was a Halloween issue, the first and last 30 pages would be Halloween themed. The middle would be a hodgepodge of everything else. The book-ending is the same in this issue. But some progress has been made with modest peppering of October set tales throughout. Still, it's not 100% Halloween.

Enjoyable. Affordable. Archie. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: What If... #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Are you the type of reader that wonder 'What If?' Have you ever wondered 'What if George Washington was a cyborg?' or 'What if Billy the Kid ever rode a T-Rex?' Well, then Archie Comics has got a comic book for you. Join Family Comic Friday as we explore Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: What If... #1

Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: What If... #1

Written by Bill Golliher
Art by Dan Parent and Rich Kowslowski
Published by Archie Comics
Pages:
Retail: $2.99

 

I've been a fan of stories that expand the imagination. I grew up reading Marvel's What If... comics that asked epic questions such as 'What If Spider-Man Joined the Fantastic Four?' or 'What If Wolverine Became the Lord of Vampires?' Some of those stories have now since become reality, such as 'What If Jane Foster Found Thor's Hammer?' But then you've got some weird What If's. Like the one that explored what would happen if the planet eater Galactus became an Elvis impersonator. 

 

As i got older, DC Comics upped the imaginary story game with their Elseworlds imprint. With these slightly more mature stories, we learned what comic book lore would be like if Superman did not survive the destruction of his planet Krypton or if Green Lantern lived during the time of Aladdin's lamp. Apparently, DC also has a fascination with vampires as the company has also explored what would happen if Batman too became the lord of vampires!

 

I'm guessing you can tell that I love these imaginary stories. They're a big chunk of my collection! and it's ever growing with publishers like IDW and even Archie producing these fanciful titles! Thus, I think you can tell how excited I am to see Archie jumping back into 'What If' waters with this new comic!

 

Explore what would happen if Betty was the rich one and Veronica was poor! Could Jughead be a better ladies man than Archie? And imagine the extra trouble Archie could get into if he had an identical twin brother! All that and more awaits inside this all-ages approved one-shot by Bill Golliher and my personal favorite Archie artist, Dan Parent. Together, Golliher and Parent bring back the classic Betty and Veronica with a speculative twist!

 

I only wish that the stories did not end how they did. Two tales explore other ideas but they seem to fall back into the established character tropes by the end of the story. The Archie and his twin story had a predictable ending. Only the story about if Betty and Veronica were both witches seemed to have a great surprise ending. But I didn't feel like that how the two forever friends ended up being witches was ever properly explained. Were they born into it? Or did they become practitioners of the dark arts in order to woo Archie Andrews? I guess to further exploration that aspect might damage the all-ages charm of this comic book.

 

This book had a great premise! More please? Don't make this just a one-shot! There's so many other 'What If' scenarios out there. Bring in Moose and Midge and Reggie. Don't just focus on the main 4 characters next time. This book has great art that is perfectly timeless. Let's just see a little more willingness to change things up without feeling like the plot line has to always fall back to the forever love triangle of a redhead, a blonde and a brunette.

 

 

Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: What If... #1 debuted in print and digital formats on January 22nd, 2019.