Archie Christmas Spectacular 2025 #1

I've said it once and I will say it again: the Archie Christmas Spectacular is the holiday release I look forward to the most. Maybe it's a longing for nostalgia in my getting older. Maybe it's because I love Archie. Maybe it's because I love Christmas. More than likely it's all 3!

This year's offering features Dan Parent, my pick for the definitive modern era Archie creator. Parent has a love of classic Archie while not being afraid to embrace modern norms. Case in point: the fan favorite Kevin Keller, Riverdale's first gay character. While Dan Parent has been quite progressive, his all-new story features a trio of classic Christmas characters from Archies past.

Christmas fairy Sugarplum insults Jingles the Elf when her first pick for her date to the North Pole Christmas Dance- Archie- is snapped up by Santa's daughter Noelle. In response, Santa's helper promises revenge.Jingles snatches up Veronica and he does it by deception, transforming himself into a hunk. Sugarplum ups the ante by turning herself human and bringing Reggie to the North Pole. Soon, it's a love triangle of Yule tide proportions with Archie and the gang smack dab in the middle!

This special also features 4 additional stories which are supposed to be reprints but were all new to me! Dan Parent pens and pencils 3 of them and they all pay tribute to the publisher's rather large and somewhat forgotten cast of supporting characters.

Betty and Veronica flashback to the Little Archie days thanks to being hypnotized. Foes from Sabrina the Teenage Witch's past threaten to disrupt Riverdale's New Year Eve festivities. The last pair of stories star Jughead's cousin Wilbur Wilkins. Wilbur and Archie both go ice skating only to be outdone by Juggie. Then in a story penned by Tom DeFalco, Wilbur has trouble finding the perfect gift for his secret Santa. Featuring dozens of characters from over 80 years of Archie Comics, it was a real Who's Who and it had a great punchline.

I did find that a couple of the stories were a bit clunky; especially the all-new tale. I just don't think 5 pages is enough for an epic level opener. The Halloween special had this problem too. If the high ups at Archie ever read this review, I hope that they might consider devoting more pages for the all-new feature in the holiday specials. I think 8-10 pages would be acceptable and if the cover price had to go up 50 cents to do it, I would be okay with that.

Massive kudos once more to my favorite LCS. They've been managing to get me the classic variant covers for the holiday specials lately. Once again, I got the cover I wanted. It's an all-time Christmas classic by Dan DeCarlo. I must have been really good this year!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Archie's Halloween Spectacular #1

As strange as it may seem, the Archie Halloween Spectacular is the Halloween special that I most look forward to! This annual one-shot is just so fun. Contrary to what you might think, while it is all-ages appropriate reading, it not all sunshine and lollipops.

The all-new opener is from the mind and might of Dan Parent; who in my opinion is the definitive modern day Archie creator. The story involves the South Side Serpents who have been transformed into actual monsters thanks to a defective invention of Dilton's. Transformed, the bullies look pretty terrifying and they seem eager to do some damage against Archie and his pals. 

It's the second story that I thought was the most intense of the bunch. In yet another reputed Riverdale haunted house, the gang seeks to put on a Halloween bash. Archie is on guard, expecting trouble from those Samhain sprites, Trick and Treat. Archie is on the money as the two do indeed cause calamity. Only there's an air of evil in these pranks which lead to teenage witch Sabrina to go into battle versus an old foe.

That story, along with the other 3 or 4 other tales are supposed to be reprints. But Trick and Treat were only introduced to the Archie universe a couple of years ago. And the last Archie Halloween Spectacular I read, which I assumed was last year's special, alluded to a rematch between Sabrina and Amber Nightstone. So did I miss something?! I mean obviously I did. I just don't know when and where I did and is there even more to this saga that I have yet to encounter because I am not reading a monthly Archie title regularly?

As for the other stories, only one sticks out to me as being memorable. It is by Frank Doyle and Harry Lucey and it looks like it's from the 1950s or early 60s. Betty and Veronica plan to meet up with Archie and Jughead at yet another haunted house. (How many violent deaths have occurred in this tiny burg to warrant so many haunted places?) The girls think that the guys are trying to scare them. The boys think that the gals are trying to spook them. It turns out that it's really the ghosts who occupy the dilapidated structure. And yet because each group thought the others were behind the frights, nobody gets scared. 

There was another story that looked like it's from the Silver Age that has Archie being the mark on a prank TV show similar to Candid Camera. Only, Archie has been warned ahead of time of the ruse and doesn't react to the ghost, which turns out to be the real thing! It wasn't a bad story. It just didn't feel as fresh being in the same book with another similar story. 

As for story #5 and #6 I think it involves Reggie. Maybe...? I just can't recall what happened in either. They must not have been all that great.

I enjoyed this special. It feels like Archie Comics is reading my annual reviews and making changes. At 30 pages and no middle ads, this felt like a giant read. Many thanks to my favorite LCS for ordering me the vintage looking variant cover. I like it so much more than the standard cover which looks CGI to me. Also, taking center stage is some random character that I bet most readers don't even know. Heck, I'm still not 100% sure I know who they are. I just with the green face paint, purple and black hair and fangs, whomever it is just is NOT recognizable. 

I loved this special. But it wasn't a perfect read. And it left me wondering if I missed something important.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

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.

Archie Valentine's Day Spectacular 2023 #1

For some reason or another, I didn't get my hands on last year's Archie Valentine's special until after February 14th. That's why I'm reading and reviewing it now.

This special introduces a new student to Riverdale High. Cassie Cloud is a tall, beautiful blonde who could be mistaken for Betty if note for the sky blue highlights in her hair. All the guys seem into Cassie. Archie thinks she's a dancing queen. Moose is enamored by her physical abilities as a girl's football player. Jughead is head-over-heels with Cassie's baking abilities. And all of the girls are jealous with a capital J!

Only the macho guys of Riverdale don't even appear on Cassie's romantic radar. She's into the more nerdier population of Riverdale. Cassie digs comic books, RPG games and sci-fi movies. 

I think Cassie Cloud is fascinating and I hope we see more of her. She kinda reminds me of my wife who is a lady of multiple talents and interests. Only I wouldn't classify Cassie Cloud as a nerd. That's what the green eyed gals of Riverdale High call Cassie's role playing guy pals. And Cassie claims the title of NERD for herself. Only because of her interest in sports and other popular activities, I would seem Cassie to be a geek. That's what I was in high school and if my wife has been a student athlete in high school, so would she.

 Other than the mislabeling, I enjoy this new tale.

There were 4 reprint stories. Two were by the amazing Dan Parent. All of them seemed to be from the past two decades. While I would have appreciated a classic tale from the 50s or 60s, these were all good holiday reads. Sure, that Veronica's new boyfriend story had a predictable ending (maybe I've read it before), but this annual Valentine's Day read was the total package!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie's Valentine's Spectacular 2024 #1

The 2024 Archie Valentine's Day special has arrived. Once again, Archie is introducing us to some all-new characters. But the players are not human but manifestations of the spirit of the holiday. Not only has that idea been used in previous Halloween specials but several Archie Christmas Spectaculars as well. 

At first I was having fatigue in what I thought was the overuse of the plot trope. Yet the characters of Flowers, Hearts and Candies were really well written by Ian Flynn and they were so funny. It also helped that Archie editor Mike Pellerito admits that the idea of the trio of characters was based on those previous holiday annuals. If the Archie talents understand that they might be dipping a little too frequently into the same idea well, I guess I can let things slide for another year. But I expect the next couple of years to give these characters a rest. I like tradition. But there's such a thing as taking a break from time to time to keep things fresh as well.

One tradition that I hope never stops is the new larger amount of material. My biggest gripe with all of the Archie spectaculars are that they are too darn short. It feels like the editing staff listened to me as there was 2 all-new stories (though a repeat of you bought this year's Valentine's Day themed Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #347) along with 3 classic tales and a Bite-Sized Archie short.

The second new feature has Sabrina the Teenage Witch trying to summon Cupid in hopes of persuading Jughead to finally ask Big Ethel out. Instead, she conjures a demon that ends up being the antithesis of everything Cupid stands for. It was a good story. Though that evil creature wasn't my type of thing. Plus, I never knew that Jughead knew that Sabrina is a witch!

I liked 2 of the 3 classic stories. Sadly, the Dan Parent yarn about love triangles in the Archie Universe was the weakest of the three. I say unfortunately because I feel that Dan Parent is the best modern Archie creator out there but this experimental piece was in need of more data gathering before going to press. Plus I didn't understand that Bite-Sized Archie web comic preview. 

I enjoyed this Valentine's special. It's just in danger of getting stale if the creators keep relying on magical representations of the embodiment of the holiday of the month in future editions. In terms of the reprints, it's not feasible to expect every selection to be something everyone likes. So I'm not taking away points for that Dan Parent piece. But there was a real chance that I could of deducted more points if Hearts, Flowers and Candies hadn't been as funny as they were. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Meets Batman '66

The combined forces of the Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman descend on Riverdale in their bid to take over the world. Figuring that Batman is the reason they can't conquer Gotham City, the villains of the United Underworld embark in their most devious caper yet in Archie Andrews' backyard! Aided by the enchanting songs of the Siren, the fiends manage to enslave the adults of Riverdale. But for some reason, the lyrics just don't affect the teenage population. 

With the Bookworm on the loose in Gotham, Batman can't afford to leave the big city. So the Caped Crusader sends Robin and Batgirl in his place. Meet Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, the newest students of Riverdale High School. Along with Archie and his gang, these young heroes may be the last line of defense between 4 of Batman's most deadliest enemies and the fate of the free world!

Regular Batman '66 writer Jeff Parker pens this swinging 60s era crossover. There's a lot of the magic of that monthly series in this book. But of the Batman '66 crossovers, this is probably my least favorite. The other team-ups made by the Dynamic Duo involved other live action characters like the Green Hornet and the Man from UNCLE. Those stories felt like natural progressions of the TV show. Having Batman, Robin and the rest interact with the Archie gang felt more like those Scooby-Doo cartoon crossovers from the 70s. 

The artwork by Dan Parent was superior as ever. The definitive modern era Archie artist proves that he's got the chops to tackle the Batman '66 universe. And then there's the covers! A half-dozen regular cover masterpieces from Michael Allred (Madman). Plus, there are literally dozens of variant covers by many amazing artists such as Joe Giella, Jerry Ordway and Art Baltazar. 

I must make one giant complaint. There's a great Batman '66/Archie connection that would have made a great capper to this story. Unfortunately, Jeff Parker ruined the moment by having Bruce Wayne flippantly ruin things with an off-the-cuff but it all makes sense sort of observation a couple of issues prior to the ending.

Plus- isn't Barbara Gordon an adult on the Batman '66 series? So why isn't she susceptible to the Siren's call like the other adults? Okay- so I had 2 complaints!

I had read issue #1 a long time ago when it first came out in 2018. And then I had forgotten all about it until just recently. Worth the wait. Just not as perfect as I had built things up to be in my head.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Archie Christmas Spectacular 2022

This is the holiday special I look forward to the most every year. DC Comics does a fairly good 80-page giant every year. But they usually have more on the side of quantity as opposed to quality. With the Archie Christmas Spectacular- it's quality all the way. I just wish these guys were longer. 

These annual Christmas presents are typically 32 pages long and only the first story is brand new. In this one, Jughead has stolen his last holiday pie if lunch lady Ms. Beazley has anything to say about things. The all-new story was written by Facebook friend and Candy Crush pal Tom DeFalco (Spider-Girl). The story was great and very festive. But at only 8 pages, it was just too gosh darn short!

The other 24 pages are always filled with classic holiday Archie stories. One of those tales is by quintessential modern Archie creator Dan Parent and it stars Santa's platinum blonde daughter Noelle taking a much needed break from the North Pole. Story #3 is a Betty and Veronica adventure set at the annual Lodge Christmas party. The last story is one titled 'Santa Con Carne'. It's got a great classic 1950s Archie look to it, thanks to the Fab K-Bros. Unfortunately, I've read this one before. 

Having been an avid Archie read for 4 and a half decades, I guess I got lucky with only 1 of the 3 reprints having been something I've read previously. But I just gotta ask (once again) why can't this special have more original content?! I understand that by having so many reprints in these that the publisher is able to make more money on a $2.99 holiday special since you don't have to pay as much for an already published work as opposed to all-new material. But couldn't Archie Comics either make the all-new story twice as long (16-pages) or have 2 debut 8-pagers in these annuals? Or dip a toe into the Sabrina pool or Josie and the Pussycats? Or my personal favs- Little Archie or L'il Jinx. Heck, I'll take something starring that Wilkins Boy. I just want more material that I've never read before!

A great read. Worth waiting until almost the last minute to read. But I really want more new-to-me material in forthcoming Christmas Spectaculars.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Archie Halloween Spectacular 2022 (Family Comic Friday)

I look forward to this annual offering of Halloween frights and delights from Archie Comics. For the most part, this year's release didn't disappoint. 

As with previous years, there is only 1 new story. Readers are introduced to Trick and Treat, two spirits that embody All Hallows. Treat is all about the costumes, candy and fun of the holiday. Trick is about the horror, mischief and mayhem of the fall event. In their debut, Trick and Treat have a bet to see who can have the better Halloween evening: poor Archie who spent all his costume money on a date with Veronica the week prior or Reggie, whose costume hasn't really scared anybody.

I was hesitant about these new characters. But they really were charming. (Though, is that a noose around Treat's neck???) I had such an enjoyable time with these Halloween sprites that I wonder if there might ever be a crossover with them and Christmas time fan fav, Jingles the Elf?

There were 4 reprinted stories included with the Trick and Treat original debut. The first trio of stories were part of a trilogy. Betty and Veronica become owners of a pair of cursed pieces of costume jewelry. After a number of mishaps, they finally are able to get rid of the baubles only for Archie to claim them. That ended part one. In part two, Archie and Jughead wear the accessories for their costumes. While at a costume party, everything goes wrong to the point that Archie tosses his necklace away. Juggie however, decides to give his bracelet to his baby sister, Jellybean. This ends part two. Part 3 sees Jellybean, now wearing the trinket, being babysat by Betty and Veronica. Realizing that the tot has one of the cursed items, the girls summon Sabrina, the Teenage Witch to help dispose of it!

I didn't know that the previous story had 3 parts! I had read the first two segments before and liked them. So the third chapter was all new to me. That volume was written and illustrated by in my opinion, the quintessential modern Archie creator, Dan Parent. For 95% of that section, I was in love. But then a huge gaff occurred in the plot and it ruined the whole story. 

Before Sabrina casts the bracelet into limbo, she comments that she'll make Betty, Veronica and Jellybean forget that she can do magic. Yet, when the regalia disappears, not only does everybody know Sabrina is a witch, Sabrina herself mentions not being able to descern where the cursed necklace went.

I read that section of the story 3 times trying to make sense of things. Did I miss something? Did the spell not work? Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe someone else was supposed to forget. The only thing I can think of is that the amnesia spell takes affect after everybody falls asleep. Only, I'm not really sure. Though a very funny Bite-Sized Archie one-pager was included in this issue and it might explain why nobody forgets at story's end.

Our last reprint story has Archie and Jughead having to ride out a storm in a mansion with a creepy inventor and his even creepier butler. It was a fun story that involves mishearing things for comedic effect with a plausible ending that has a great twist to things. A really great misdirect to bring about closure. Too bad I've read this one before, too.

One thing I got to say about the 2022 spectacular is that the editors should have chosen 3 stories that didn't appear in one of last year's Halloween-themed digests. I know that I've read enough Archie that I'm going to stumble across a story here and there that I have read previously. But come on Archie Comics, spread things out a little bit! There's tons of other Halloween themed stories out there that weren't printed in other Archie publications just last year that you could have used instead,... weren't there? 

The all-new story was great. The thrill of learning that a two-parter I really enjoyed had a third entry was really cool. Too bad that finale had a confusing ending. And the other story was good. But really, lets get a little bit of variety here, folks!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Archie's Valentine's Spectacular (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It seems only natural that Archie Comics has decided to issue an Archie Valentine's Day special this year. Since his very first appearance in the pages of Pep #22 (Dec. 1941), love has always been on Archie's mind. 

The first love interest for Archie was Betty; as she was moving into the redhead teens' Riverdale neighborhood in that first story. 4 issues later, Archie's love life was forever complicated when the wealthy Veronica Lodge moved into town. 

For decades, the eternal question was 'Betty or Veronica?' In 1982, the love life of Archie Andrews got even more complicated with the arrival of the spicy redhead, Cheryl Blossom. In recent years, Archie has even developed a relationship with Josie and the Pussycats bassist Valerie Smith. 

In this Valentine's Day special, a new love of Archie's is introduced. A songstress named Taylor Sweet, has become the latest pop sensation thanks to a love song based on a failed relationship with Archie. If you figured out that Taylor Sweet is a play on Taylor Swift- give yourself a cookie. Now if you can figure out if Archie is supposed to be Harry Styles, John Mayer, Jake Gyllenhaal- you win the game. Though with Archie's red hair and penchant for the guitar, the safe money would be on Ed Sheeran!

There are 3 classic Archie love-stories added to this special. Betty and Veronica take readers on a history of romance from the prehistoric age up through the Elizabethan era. Then Midge suspects that their might be some pent-up romance behind the practical joke war between Jughead and Veronica. Obviously, the real meaning behind it all is much sillier than that. Lastly, Betty and Veronica become fans of the works of a new romance novelist. Nobody knows who the writer really is. But when Ronnie finds an unpublished manuscript on Mr. Weatherbee's computer, surely the Bee can't be the hot new writer! Can he?

This was an endearing V-Day special. But it was far from perfect. For one thing, the artwork in the opening story was uneven. Taylor Sweet wasn't drawn in the Archie way. It looked like somebody drew a character from the Jonny Quest universe in with the Archie Gang. Things just didn't gel properly.

Then there is the romance novel story. It's definitely a product of times gone by. Nowadays, if a school official was revealed to be the brains behind a fiery romance novel, there would be hell to pay. Have said official share their sexy works with their students, A) the employee would be terminated and B) parents would file a lawsuit to have such works scrubbed from library shelves. I'm not being political with this statement.As a public school teacher, I'm just stating fact. 

Despite how controversial that last story could be, it was also the best of the bunch! That's because it was the work of Dan Parent, the definitive modern Archie creator! Again, just stating fact!

Dan Parent also crafted the cover. It features several of the many loves of Archie Andrews. But the truest romance on the cover doesn't even involve the world's oldest redheaded teen. It's Jughead and his affection for a properly cooked Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe cheeseburger!

Ah. Young love at it's most innocent.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #14 (Published This Year) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Archie Christmas Spectacular 2021 #1

Sure, I've read my share of holiday Archie books this year. But this one-shot has become my annual must-read. Dan Parent, even though for some reason he's blocked me from making comments on his FB page, has become my all-time fav Archie writer/artist. Parent not only co-creates the cover image, he contributes to 3 of the 4 stories included within. 

In the all-new story, Dan Parent brings back a holiday favorite- Jingles the Elf. Jingles feelings are hurt when Archie and Betty are seemingly more interested in the Winter Dance rather than be entertained by one of Santa's helpers. So Jingles decides to tag along. Using some Christmas magic, the Elf masquerades as Archie and decides to dance with everyone and anyone willing to cut a rug. It's a festive twist on the Archie with 2 dates at the same time storyline!

In the 3 repeat stories, Veronica goes all out to win a gingerbread contest against Betty. Then the gang debate over just who made Pop's favorite Christmas ornament. Lastly, when the heating and air goes out in the Lodge estate, Veronica goes overboard making an igloo for her annual holiday sleepover. 

As I've read my share of Christmas Archie stories, the gingerbread tale and the ornament story were not new to me. That's okay! I enjoyed the re-reads.

That igloo story was great. But as I reflect over my read, I noticed a big plot hole. Mr. Lodge said it would be a week before things could get fixed. Later, as Veronica's friends marvel on how quick things get done building the igloo, the rich girl says that money can be a great motivator. So why didn't Ronnie motivate the HVAC guy with some cash to get the heat fixed in the first place?

This annual toast to the holidays didn't disappoint. I would have liked to not have read any of the older stories. I probably would have gotten away with it if I hadn't read Archie: 80 Years of Christmas. That's where those 2 tales I had read previously from before. Still, it was worth the wait!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Archie: 80 Years of Comics

Archie Comics is celebrating it's 80th anniversary. Throughout 2021 and some of 2022, the publisher is releasing a number of 80th birthday specials. Of course, the one I went gaga for was the Christmas Special.

This extensive volume features work from greats such as Dan Parent (my favorite Archie artist!), Dan DeCarlo, and Frank Doyle. Plus tons more!

There's great stories starring favs such as Moose & Midge, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and elven pal Jingles. We even got a couple of L'il Archie stories! But where's Josie and the Pussycats? L'il Jinx? Katy Keene? Okay, I can understand maybe why Katy Keene isn't here. But the other omissions? What's up with that?

Another aspect that I wasn't a fan of is how this book is set up. The editors decided to start with the 2020s and then work their way backwards to the 1940s. Personally, I feel it's more appropriate to go from the early days and show the progression of the characters. Especially as how Archie and Co. looked in those very first issues. Archie has buck teeth. Betty and Veronica look like they need a little meat on their bones. And Jughead looks truly terrifying. 

Lastly, what is up with the print? Many pages seemed to have some serious print issues. Things like Veronica's jet black hair were muddled and instead appeared graying and mottled. Thankfully, you can still read the stories without issue. Just the coloring for the black ink was off. 

Overall, I enjoyed this thick holiday time capsule. Most of the stories were ones I've never encountered before. Yes, a couple of stories were winter themed and had nothing to do with Christmas. Instead of include them, Archie Comics could have given some love to those missing characters I mentioned. But then again, maybe a supporting cast collection is on the way. I'd be okay with that!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Archie Halloween Spectacular #1 (2021)

I wrapped up my 2021 Halloween reads with the title I look forward to the most. It's the 2021 edition of the Archie Halloween Spectacular!

My favorite Archie artist, Dan Parent, is the natural choice for the cover! It's not one of my favorites of the Spectacular covers. But it got the proper mood set for my Halloween night read!

The opening all-new story has Archie accidentally pissing off a witch. The next day, he awakes with a pumpkin for a head. Thankfully, it's October 31st. So everybody thinks Arch is just wearing a costume. Can juvenile sorceress Sabrina find a cure to this Halloween hex?

There's 3 more stories that fill out this 32-pager. All are reprints. But I don't think I've read any of them before. First up is a Dan Parent thriller in which Veronica purchases a cursed locket. Jughead's research convinces Ronnie to give up the ghost on the jewelry, least she become possessed by the original owner. But what will Betty and Veronica do when Juggie's baby sister comes in 'possession' of the necklace?

Then Archie swears off season foods when Reggie compares him to the pumpkin Pop has been using in his milkshakes and cheesecake. Hopefully, Betty can cheer Archie up with some fresh baked goodies. 

Lastly, we've got a story that stars Chuck Clayton. Of all the stories, I think I might have read this one before. But I am not sure. The aspiring illustrator thinks he's jinxed when his big shot to get published in a horror comic busts. Chuck is really sure he's cursed when girlfriend Nancy loses her part-time costumer job due to a big box store. Meanwhile, the local haunted house charity will have to be cancelled due to supply chain issues. It'll take a little Halloween magic, Riverdale style, to wrap everything up in a real nice package!

Of the repeats, the Dan Parent story was my favorite. It had a more mature tone and yet still whimsical. And Parent's rendering of Betty as Supergirl. Wow! I've seen several of Dan Parent's sketches of Betty as Supergirl. He does a fantastic job! It's one of my holy grails to get an original sketch from the artist doing Superbetty. Fingers crossed!

I saved the best for last. I loved every page. I know it's early. But only 365 more days until another Halloween special! 

I can't wait!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever Halloween Spooktacular #1 (Family Comic Friday)

With Halloween Comic Fest 2021 cancelled, the amount of Halloween themed books available for kids of all ages is pretty thin. But fret not, the return of Family Comic Friday has got it's hands on the brand spanking new ghostly read from Archie Comics! Prepare for the fun-filled frights of Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever Halloween Spooktacular #1!

I guess it's not fair to call this a completely new Halloween special. Only the opening tale is a first run story. It has Dan Parent penciled Betty and Veronica going to a thrift store to shop for their Halloween costumes. At the shop, the girls find a wicked pointy hat which just happens to have magical powers. The fun had at the expense of the residents of Riverdale all seems like a treat until one of their tricks backfires and Betty & Veronica accidentally summon a frightening ghost that steals their supernatural chapeau!

There's 3 reprinted stories that round out this special. First up: a scary movie viewing at the Lodge estate prompts Veronica's cousin to have a wild encounter with a supposed UFO invader! 

Then in a classic story that I've read somewhere before, teenage witch Sabrina refuses to spend All Hallow's Eve with her folks. So she's cursed until midnight to creep around as an ugly troll creature. Never one to let a good opportunity pass, Sabrina decides to go to a Halloween party in hopes of winning the best costume award!

Lastly, Archie and Veronica run afoul of the mysterious Dr. Katt in a two-part thriller. I too remember this story. Just not as well as the Sabrina farce. This feline-centric story is rather creepy and a perfect read for those Riverdale and Afterlife With Archie fans out there.

I've been looking forward to diving into my cache of horror themed books to start my annual 10 days of Halloween readings. But I wanted to start with an honest-to-goodness Halloween special to kick things off first! Anything holiday related from Archie is a good way to dip your toe into the frights. The stories have an eerie tone to them; but they're wholesome enough to not keep you up at nights!

Fun for the whole fam!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 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. 

Archie's Christmas Spectacular #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Family Comic Friday closes out the 2019 holiday season with the long-anticipated Archie's Christmas Spectacular #1!

Archie's Christmas Spectacular #1

Written by Dan Parent, Various
Art by Harry Lucey, Various
Published by Archie Comics
Retail: #2.99

When it comes to comic books, I look forward every year to anything and everything holiday related. It could be an Arbor Day special and I'm going to want it for my collection. And the publisher whose specials I go ga-ga for the most are crafted by Archie Comics! 

Their Halloween stuff is spooky without being overly terrifying. And their Christmas stuff is timeless and festive without being too preachy or syrupy. above all, it's just good, clean fun with a group of high school buddies! 

I used not be so enthralled by the world's oldest teenager and his friends. After I turned 12 or so, I moved on from Archie Comics.. But a couple of things have happened in the past 5 years or so to change my opinion on the wacky redhead. 

For one thing, the company upped it's game. Archie Comics was known for producing kids stuff that seemed stuck in a loop when it came to ideas. But with the Afterlife with Archie horror titles for mature readers as well as insanely nostalgic team-ups such as KISS and Sharknado, The Archies took a quantum leap into being relevant again.

 Another element that has greatly helped Archie Comics become an industry leader again has been it's TV programming. 10 years ago, the idea of an edgy teen drama about the residents of Riverdale would have been unthinkable. But when you have Jughead raising his dog Hot Dog, from the grave only to become a ghoulish zombie in the pages of a comic for teens and older, anything is possible in your live action mediums!

While Archie Comics has matured, they've done something that other publishers (I'm looking at you DC and Marvel) have failed to do: they've embraced their past! A special like Archie's Christmas Spectacular still maintains that innocence of the style of Archie Comics one read when they were kids. Nostalgia is a big money maker. With shows like The Goldbergs and Mixed-ish and a rebooted He-Man on the way, nostalgia might be bigger than ever! 

What Archie Comics does right with it's classic Archie fare is maintain a sort of timelessness to it's stories. Dan Parent sprinkles in some forgotten Archie characters such as Noelle, the daughter of Santa Claus in these yarns. (I'm still waiting for the return of L'il jinx, by the way!!!) Then you have artists such as Rosario 'Tito' Pena, who draws each character in a different style from the past 70 years or so of Archie Comics. 

Veronica, with her Veronica Lake hair-style, looks primed for the 1940s silver screen while Betty sports a spiky 80s fitness enthusiast's hair style and similar array of outfits. By illustrating the stories in such a way, you see elements of the past in these charming Christmas themed tales. But you can't quite put your finger on just which time periods these adventures were set.

Fans of Archie, young and old will delight in the four stories comprised in this holiday comic. The girls in this comic are certainly alluring. But there's nothing overtly or covertly sexual that should prevent young Archie fans from enjoying this Christmas read with their parents and guardians who too grew up on everything Archie. 

Production delays kept me from enjoying this special earlier than I got to. But that's okay as i enjoyed every panel and page. Though, I really think that the third story about a cookie competition between Betty and Veronica was reedited for the holidays. The outfits worn especially by Betty aren't appropriate for cold weather. Yes- this oddity peaked my interest in wondering if that story really was a non-Christmas reprint reboot. But with that curiosity aside, my only regret about this book was that it ended way too soon! 

For future reference, Archie editors, I'd gladly pay an extra dollar for 2 additional stories; just so I can keep the fun times going! 

With less than a week until Christmas, Archie Comics saved the best for last, making this issue filled with fun, pratfalls and Santa, certainly a holiday delight!

Archie's Christmas Spectacular #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on December 18th, 2019!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Die Kitty Die: I Love You To Death! (Free Comic Book Day 2018)

It finally happened. The creators of Kitty Ravencraft's comic book finally killed her off in order to cash in on the tremendous sales that those 'death of' issues rake in! But you can't keep a good character down for good as Kitty's ex Derek, The Warlock will fight heaven and hell to get his beloved back!

Featuring a couple of L'il Kitty adventures that flashback to when Derek and Kitty first met, this Free Comic Book Day release is the jumping point to the new Die Kitty Die mini 'Heaven and Hell'.

Die Kitty Die is yet another example of why I am such a fan of Dan Parent. He kills it every time in his classic Archie tales. Then when he comes over to Chapterhouse to do Die Kitty Die, he skewers the Archie books like nobody else can or should. I love how he parodies a fan favorite of mine, L'il Jinx, in this book! Now if only Parent would bring her back for an Archie special in the near future. 

Co-creator Fernando Ruiz works seamlessly with Dan Parent. I can't tell where Parent ends and Ruiz begins. Though I feel that Ruiz was entirely behind the artwork of the flashback pages and the Kitty splash page on pages 5-6. But still, it's pretty consistent to Dan Parent. 
(I really hope that's considered a compliment as that's what I am intending and probably failing at...)

I loved this FCBD freebie. I am anxious to find the 'Heaven and Hell' storyline either as back issues or in a trade paperback. Fans of Archie and comic book parody really should check this book out!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 (Family Comic Friday)

It's the final Family Comic Friday before Christmas and we've got one last holiday comic to review for the season. The delays from last week's winter storm have ended and the book I was to review finally showed at my LCS. So let's take a long awaited look at the Archie Christmas Spectacular #1

Written by Dan Parent
Art by Dan Golliher, Bill Galvan, Jeff Schultz
Published by Archie Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

The festive front cover by Bob White shows the Archie gang as they looked in the 1950s. From the December solicitations, I wasn't sure if this was a book of reprints or all new material. Thankfully this special is filled with 4 new holiday tales all written by master Archie scribe, Dan Parent!

However, there's a very good reason for the classic looking cover as Parent reintroduces a couple of holiday characters not seen in the Archie universe in at least 3 decades! Noelle Claus, the platinum blonde daughter of Santa and the mischievous elf Jangles return to Riverdale to visit their teenaged pals for Christmas. Their return made me so happy that I couldn't stop smiling. And Dan Parent made the right decision to give both characters their own story instead of cramming them into one caper.

In Noelle's story, she comes to Riverdale to spend Christmas with Betty and Veronica. It's not easy being the only teen at the North Pole. But with the holidays being the busiest time of the year, Santa isn't happy with his daughter's teen angst. So Old Saint Nick gives his daughter an ultimatum: return to the toy shop or Betty and Veronica end up on the naughty list!

In Jangles’ episode, the elf has lost his powers. Embarrassed by the event, there's just no way Jangles can face the other elves at the North Pole. So he decides to spend Christmas with Archie and Jughead and that seems okay with the guys. Only this pint sized house guest has managed to wear out his welcome pretty quick and will only return to Santa’s workshop if his powers are returned.

The other two yarns were also very good. But it was a mixed bag of goodies. In one, Archie and Jughead make some dough selling the discarded items of Veronica’s neighbors. If it wasn’t for the opening and closing panels of this story, you wouldn’t even know it was set during the holidays. The second story has Archie on the hunt for a rare toy train for his father’s Christmas village. It felt like a continuation of the story before but at least it was set during Christmas and had holiday decorations throughout.

I would have liked for this special to have focused entirely on old school Archie characters. If you are going to have half of your book be devoted to forgotten characters, why not just go all the way? Lil Jinx, Archie 3000 or sad sack Ambrose should have had Christmas stories in the book! Why I can’t even remember when there’s been a Sabrina: The Teenage Witch story published in the classic Archie style! Maybe next year, huh guys?

This was a great Christmas comic. Unfortunately, it’s really only about 80% Christmas. If the Archie and Jughead repurposing story was at least set during winter, it would be forgivable. But the guys don’t look the least bit cold! But for a fun holiday themed read, it’s timeless Archie and it was a lot better than some of the other holiday annuals being released this year from Marvel and DC.

Great for the entire family this holiday season! Hurry before issues and time to enjoy it before New Year's runs out!

Archie Christmas Spectacular #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on Wednesday, December 12th, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

(Update: The cover is in fact a remastering of the cover to 1955's Archie's Christmas Stocking #2.)

World of Archie Double Digest #53

What a fun way to start off my holiday 2018 comic book readings! Starring Archie and the gang in a number of Christmas and winter themed stories. Featuring works by Dan Parent (the Master of Archie Holiday stories), Dan DeCarlo, Pat Kennedy and many more. 

The only issue I have with the Christmas annual is the middle content. It's very funny, classic Archie material. But it's not Christmas! With over 75 years of stories, you'd think that a holiday themed double digest would be filled with 100% holiday material. If you were afraid of running out of Christmas stories, then at least have all of the non-holiday stories be set during the Winter. I am sure there's plenty of those types of tales. 

A very fun read. A great thrift story bargain for only a buck. I just wish their was more seasonally appropriate material contained within.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Die Kitty Die Christmas Special #1

Kitty is a witch and the star of a popular comic book. But when her publisher wants to increase sales by killing her off, Kitty must use her extensive bag of tricks or she's going to find herself the latest publicity stunt of the comic book industry.

The Die Kitty Die Christmas Special is divided into two stories. The first story takes place before Kitty's scheduled 'execution.' Set in the early 60s, it's a parody on Archie and other teen comics. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are fighting over the fate of some not so great quality toys. Enter Kitty and some called in favors to save the day.

The second story takes place after Kitty's planned demise. She's still alive and kicking but her publisher would like nothing more to still cash in on her death. A pair of Santa's elves are planning on taking out Kitty in hopes of seriously earning some street cred and maybe some cash. But it's not going to be easy as elves aren't as powerful as witches. So, enter Jack Frost to be Kitty's judge, jury, and executioner.

This special was created, written and illustrated by Archie contributors Dan Parent and Fernando Ruiz. As I mentioned early, Die Kitty Die is a parody on Archie Comics. (Most of the characters look like residents of Riverdale!) It was quite funny and a little saucy. This isn't a title I would consider needing to be rated mature. But it's definitely not the all-ages material that one might be used of from this creative team.

A major shout-out needs to go to the crew over at Books Do Furnish A Room. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have know about this book and I would have missed out on 32-pages of holiday fun! (At least until years from now when I'd come across it in a bargain bin.) Great work guys!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Meets Ramones #1

 

  In perhaps the most unusual team-up ever, the Archies of Riverdale High Meet legendary punk group, the Ramones. Considering that all of the original line-up is sadly deceased, you might be asking just how in the heck is this possible. It’s what I asked myself when I saw this at my favorite LCS, Books Do Furnish a Room.

    The book starts in the modern day, where the Archies are struggling as a band. They can’t stay on key. They bicker and fight amongst themselves. And poppy tunes like Sugar, Sugar are just too outdated for today’s youth. Now a really bad set has the group in danger of losing the Battle of the Bands unless they can pull things together in Round 2.

  To boost morale, Riverdale schoolmate Sabrina presents Archie with a copy of the Ramones debut album as a sort of good luck charm. But when the ginger-haired teen plays the record it transports the Archies to New York City 1977! In the Big Apple, the teens meet the pioneering punk rockers who teach the time-warped teens how to dress, act, and play rock n’ roll! (Lesson #1: Play Loud!)

    This was actually pretty funny. Joey and Dee Dee Ramone have some great lines and I loved the nostalgia of it all. I was born in 1977 and I just adore about anything from that year. Punk rock, especially that of the Ramones, is part of that adoration of mine. (Be on the lookout for a great cameo from another pioneering band from that era as well as a very young and grungy looking Mr. Weatherbee!)

    It’s been a while since I read something published in this year that was just plain fun. I had a blast reading this- so much that I re-read many of my favorite parts over and over. And the variant covers- I had trouble choosing which one to get as many pay tribute to classic Ramones albums such as Rock n’ Rock High School. But I finally went with Dan Parent’s homage to the group’s debut album, Ramones.

    Archie Meets Ramones dropped yesterday and until I saw it at my comics shop, I didn’t know anything about it. Though Archie, Jughead, and the gang are presented in that rebooted Archie style of Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, this one-shot captured the fun of the classic Archie books quite well. If you are looking for a totally strange read that relives some of the good things of the 70s, then this is the book for you.

 

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.