Jughead's Time Police (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The concept of Jughead's Time Police debuted in the October, 1988 of Archie's Giant Series   (issue #590.) Created by Rich Margopoulos, Jughead is visited by Time Police Marshall January McAndrews, of which she calls Archie Andrews an ancestor. January tells Jughead that in the next few minutes, he's about to save the life of a Senator who will one day become President. However, a trio of literal time bandits are determined to change the future by stopping Jughead's rescue attempt. After a trip to the 29th Century, McAndrews and Jones stop the criminals and Jughead manages to save the politician in the nick of time.

The idea of Jughead travelling through time was a hot with readers. January would make a trio of reappearances, promoting Jughead into the Time Police and the 20th century team would eventually find a souped up version of his iconic beanie that would send him anywhere in the timeline as long as he thought about it really, really hard. 

In 1990, Jughead's Time Police would become its own self-titled bi-monthly series. Over the course of 6 issues, Jughead along with his fateful pup, Hot Dog would protect the timeline from villains out to change history, such as rogue Time Police officer, Morgan Le Fey, as well as clean up any messes accidentally left by Jughead. Often instead of saving the day by going back in time and causing a time paradox, Jughead would find a way to allow history to remain unchanged by cheating. For example, when Jughead saves Riverdale from a raging flood, he allows the Time Police of the future to think it still occurred by writing up a fake newspaper story about the aborted tragedy. 

Jughead's Time Police was the victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Cancelled after just a half dozen issues, Archie was grouped along with the stars of Harvey Comics and Disney as being 'baby comics.' The early 90s was a time of gritty, violent comic books and the youthful teens of Riverdale didn't fit the popular archetype. This was also the period of 1st issue frenzy among speculators who would drive the comic book industry to near collapse. A Jughead's Time Police #6 couldn't stand up to a Jim Lee illustrated X-Men #1 or the Death of Superman. 

In an editors column from issue #3, editor Scott Fulop bemoans the lack of love the time travelling antics of Jughead was receiving. Fulop mentions that he's yet to receive a single letter praising the new book while the original stories of 'World of Jughead' that appeared in Archie Giant Series had been getting fantastic responses from readers. 

While Jughead's Time Police failed to find an audience, the series did like many failed masterpieces do over time; it became a cult classic! Chip Zdarsky, who grew up reading the short-lived series, revived the concept in the 2nd issue of the 2015 reboot of Jughead; although it's up for interpretation whether Jughead really went forward in time or if he just dreamed of it during a session of detention. In 2019, Jughead's Time Police would officially become a part of Archie's 'New Riverdale' universe; boasting a more modern art style and serious themes for its characters.

Featuring reprinted material from:

• Archie Giant Series #590. #602
• Jughead #14, 18
• Jughead's Time Police #1-6
• Jughead, Volume 2 #2

Completing this review completes Task #15 (An Archie Comic) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Archie Christmas Spectacular 2024 #1

I waited as long as I could to read the Christmas annual I look forward to the most. This year's 2024 Archie Christmas Spectacular did not disappoint in the least. In fact, I feel like Archie Comics might have listened to some of my criticisms, because instead of trying to cram in a brand new magical, they went into a totally different direction.

In order to enjoy the opening story, you had to have read this year's Halloween special. In that issue, a foe of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, threatened revenge upon the blonde pixie. Since that episode, Sabrina gifted her foe, Amber Nightstone, with a holiday present. One that was personal and really well thought out. The story opens with Archie and friends being kidnapped by Amber. But they're not in danger from the events that occurred during All Hallows Eve. Instead, they're being forced to help their kidnapper find an even better present for Sabrina!

There's also 4 other stories in this special. Normally, they're reprints. But not one of them are stories that I've ever read before. So I don't know if they were previously published or if Archie took my advice and crafted more all-new festive fare for their Christmas special. 

The fun begins with Jughead and Big Ethel getting to the bottom of a rumor that Christmas is cancelled. Then Betty and Veronica, as their superhero alter egos Power Teen and Super Teen, help the two Mighty Crusaders who bear the moniker of the Jaguar to recover Santa's stolen sleigh. Betty and Veronica then give a potential new recruit to the Mighty Crusaders a makeover.

Lastly, Archie helps the Shield solve the mystery of a super-weapon that was stolen during a Christmas party at a museum dedicated to America's first patriotic superhero. 

Every story was great fun. But the last story was my favorite. The story is set up where readers are supposed to examine the party-goers for clues to the whereabouts of the missing artifact. But in reality it was a ploy to prevent the readers from missing the countless cameos of iconic and forgotten characters from 85 years of Archie Comics that were hidden in every panel. While I do wish that I could have solved the mystery, I greatly value the deception because I would have missed out on seeing some long lost friends from my childhood, such as L'il Jinx!

This is perhaps my favorite of all the Archie Christmas Spectaculars. It was magical. It was fun. It was nostalgic. It's everything that I've been asking Santa for in an Archie holiday special.

Keep up the good work!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Bite Sized Archie: Going Viral

I was such a fan of the first volume that I eagerly anticipated a follow up. While that first year of Bite Sized Archie was a groundbreaking romp that paid tribute to over 75 years of Archie lore and the entire Archie Comics library, there was something not quite right with the second year of strips. It was almost like Ron Cacace and Vincent Lovallo tried to get too experimental with a concept that in of itself was an experiment. The genius of Bite Sized Archie is how an entire story is told in just 4 square panels. Here, the creators tried to do a drawn out story over several strips and the way they did it just didn't work.

First of all, the concept was too wacky. An anthropomorphic cheeseburger takes revenge on Jughead with the help of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and a leprechaun. Then the story is told sporadically instead of several weeks in a row. That's hard enough to keep up with but the creators end up jumping ahead into the storyline with events that happened off page, like Veronica and Reggie getting kidnapped by the reindeer. Add in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and a Kaiju version of Jughead fighting the Cheeseburger and wrap it all up with a stupid punchline for an ending and I was begging for this volume to be over!

Thankfully, Cacace and Lovallo continue to add their director's cut commentary to their strips. Without it, I would've been lost, thinking that some pages of that continuous story were missing. I appreciate the creators wanting to try something new by having a lengthy story. However, I think they were too indulgent with their efforts. 

As Bite Sized Archie continues on over at Archiecomics.com, there's a good chance for a third volume. I just hope Cacace and Lovallo learn from their sophomore year mistakes and can recapture some of that magic from the inaugural year.

Rating: 6 out of 10 years.

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 Christmas Spectacular 2023 #1( Family Comic Friday)

It took a few extra days, but the holiday comic book that I look forward to the most every year finally arrived! This year's Archie Christmas Spectacular introduces a trio of new characters to the Archie universe. Jangles and Sourplum are the antithesis of the good magical Christmas characters Jingles the Elf and Sugarplum the Fairy. When their boss Grumpus kidnaps the good sprites, he orders Jangles and Sourplum to destroy the Christmas festivities being organized by Archie and the gang at Riverdale High.

I'm actually friends on Facebook with the writer of this all-new holiday story, Tom DeFalco. I actually claim this friendship instead of marking it as just following a celebrity because in the past we've both gifted each prizes on Candy Crush. Recently he shared an early glimpse of the new characters on his FB page. I thought that Jingles and Sugarplum were being redesigned and I hated it. Once I realized that artist Holly G! was creating their polar opposites, I actually began to dig what the artist and DeFalco were attempting to pull off.

That opening story was just too short. At only 5 pages, it's just not enough room to really dive into the motivation of the Grumpus character. He claims to have a past beef with Archie and his pals and I recognize the villain's lair from previous Halloween stories. I feel like the story of the Grumpus is far from over. Sadly, I also feel like I'll have to wait a whole year for next year's Christmas annual for the conclusion.

The artwork was inconsistent if you ask me. The Archie's are drawn in their traditional style with dark thick lines. However, Jingles and Sugarplum are illustrated in very thin lines, lacking definition. Plus the new villains are really pointy to the point of being Gothic Manga and their poses are too stiff. I used to wonder why all the characters in a comic book were always crafted in a similar art style whereas in real life everyone is different. Well, thanks to this story, I understand now that an uneven art style just doesn't look right.

This spectacular has 2 additional stories. Two of them are classics starring Jingles, Sugarplum as well as Santa's only daughter, Noelle. Another tale has Jingles assisting a Riverdale youth with a reputation of being a jinx. The final adventure has Archie and Jughead getting into trouble when they take Jellybean and friends to the mall to see Santa. Not sure why that last story is devoid of one of those magical Christmas characters. It too makes the total read of this special a bit uneven.

For the past dozen or so years, these annuals have been priced at the bargain price of $2.99. Well apparently Scrooge is in charge of marketing and pricing with this edition now priced at $3.99. I understand inflation happens. But for that extra fee, I expect the all-new opener to be longer than it was or for there to be 2 new holiday romps instead of so many reprints. Especially since 2 of those older stories were just featured in the Archie's Christmas Wonderland treasury that dropped earlier this year.

I had a lot of fun with this annual. It just lacked consistency in the art and I was shocked by the new sticker price. Grumpus might be a cranky version of Krampus, but nowhere near as evil. This should be a Christmas present that all ages will enjoy. It just lacks some of the quality and charm of editions past.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The New Archies #20

Only the cover and the first story are Thanksgiving themed. However, considering my recent luck with Thanksgiving comics turning out to either be busts or minimally set during the holiday, if at all, I count this as a win. 

Pop's Chock'lit Shop is holding a raffle for a Thanksgiving turkey. Jughead gets a sneak peak at it and the thing is HUGE! Naturally, Juggie buys a slew of tickets in hopes of winning the thing. But he has a change of heart when he learns about a little girl, whose family is in dire straits, that spends her last 4 bits to buy a single ticket. 

The other two stories were good as well. Boy genius Eugene invents a machine that reveals people's innermost thoughts. Being that the gang is all in junior high school and that means tons of drama, it's not exactly a machine that wins the user of the device any friends. The final story has all of the boys getting jealous of the compliments Jughead gets from wearing his hat. So they all end up wearing lids too in order to look cool. Only Mr. Weatherbee offers some sage advice that has everyone but Jug playing the fool!

I loved The New Archies as a kid and I still love them. They didn't exactly take off with fans when they debuted in 1987. But I actually was a fan. I didn't understand the concept as to why the gang from Riverdale had to change, but I liked them all!

The idea behind them was first to be a new take on a classic property, having the kids de-aged from high school to middle school. White boy genius Dalton was replaced with Eugene, who was black. Eugene was given a black girlfriend named Amani. Neither character has ever returned to Archie books to my knowledge. More modern situations and themes were added to the mix and the focus of the stories was less on the love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica and more on the angst of being a budding teen.

The other reason for the change was a legend I had heard a while back but can't seem to recall where I learned it; nor can I confirm it. Supposedly, NBC wanted to make an Archie cartoon. However, CBS still owned the rights to the ageless teens. Thus, DIC Entertainment Corporation worked to make The New Archies as close to different as possible as to prevent a lawsuit for copyright infringement. Not that really any of that mattered because within 4 months, the cartoon was cancelled. The comic book lasted a little bit longer. It hung around until 1991, with a total of 22 issues and 14 digests being released on a non-regular basis.

Most who remember the series in any format, look at The New Archies with disdain. I have fond memories of getting issues for free at visits to my dentist. At least with the books being so infamous among Archie fans, these books aren't very expensive buy- IF YOU CAN FIND THEM!

There are a total of 3 stories in this issue. That makes my Thanksgiving average with this issue a .333. Maybe a little higher if you count the cover. Heck, Hall of Fame worthy hitters in baseball consider themselves lucky if they can average .333 in a season. Plus that first story was such a home run...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Archie Halloween Spectacular 2023

I saved my favorite for as close to last as I could stand it. For about 5 years now, the comic book devoted to Halloween I look forward to most annually are the Archie specials. Same goes for the Christmas edition. I think it's because of how timeless they are. So full of nostalgia, humor and wonder. Plus they have moments of spookiness without being too scary. 

This year's offering is a love letter to the dark side of Archie Comics. I didn't realize this, but in the 1950s and 60s, Archie and his gang interacted with a bunch of classic monsters and aliens. While the stories might have been tongue in cheek, the artwork of the ghouls and goblins was pretty darn intimidating. In the all-new opening story, Tom DeFalco pens a tribute to those glorious looking frights.

Last year's Halloween annual introduced readers to Trick and Treat; a pair of Halloween imps who like to visit Riverdale every October 31st. While I wasn't as enthusiastic about their debut, these two have become fan favorites. So a return was almost inevitable. In DeFalco's tale, Veronica's father is allowing the students of Riverdale High to use one of his abandoned properties as the site for the annual Halloween party and haunted house. In the minds of Archie and Jughead, this place already is haunted. Trick is inspired by the old comics books that Treat has been reading and uses the creatures from them to scare Archie and Jughead.

At the end of the book is a gallery of all the old Archie Comics issues that inspired this debut story. There's also a great 2-page article about the history of Archie books and why horror has always been an element in them. Did you even know that the Archie sister imprint Red Circle had straight up horror anthology tales? I had always thought that more adult Archie books of terror was more of a modern invention. Gee, was I wrong.

There's 4 reprint stories included in this book. One looks like it's from the 80s. Starring Betty and Veronica, the girls spend the night presumably in this same abandoned mansion in hopes of proving ghosts exist. Then there's a more modern tale involving some newer characters including a goth girl and a young boy of Indian decent. That's got the gang cutting through a graveyard on Halloween night in order to get to a Halloween party quicker. Bad idea there. The last newer looking story has Sabrina having to think fast when a rival witch attacks her at Veronica's Halloween bash- in front of mortals!

The 4th story was from the 50s, I think. Or the very early 60s. It's a classic that I've read before in which Dracula tries to trap Archie and Jughead. Only the two teens are completely oblivious that they're in near mortal danger. Every time the Count tries to prove to the fellas that he's a monster, one of the boys dismisses it as being lame. It was drawn to be very spooky. But it was so funny.

I thought the all-new story was just too short. But I really appreciated the nods to the past. I also don't quite get all the love for imps Trick and Treat. For one thing, Treat has a noose around their neck and I'm very surprised nobody has cried fowl on it and the implications of lynching. Besides, I'm more of a Jingles the Elf fan. Though I would love to see a Trick and Treat meets Jingles crossover! Maybe we could see these two worlds collide in a Thanksgiving Day special. If you ask me, an Archie look at Turkey Day has been sorely missing from my annual holiday comic book reads. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Archie Meets Riverdale #1

I think I write some of my reviews in my sleep. I know for a fact that I read this 2022 one-shot crossover the week it debuted in stores. I enjoyed the Hell out of it. And I could have sworn that I drafted up my praises. Yet, this book was still in my to-review pile with no proof of a post about Archie Meets Riverdale anywhere on this blog. 

In the original Archie Comics universe, teenage egghead Dilton Doiley is working on another one of his experiments which naturally malfunctions. Only this time around, the device latches on to a parallel universe plucking the Riverdale Archie Andrews from his drama heavy universe into the overly cheery world of Riverdale, USA that us readers have been devotees of for over 80 years! As Dilton tinkers with his machine in hopes of fixing it, random teens from both universes pop in and out of their realities. Before you know it, all of your classic Archie characters will be on the PG-13 side of the spectrum and those brooding teens from Riverdale will be existing in a saccharine reality otherwise thought unimaginable.

You know, the only way to fix this might be a joint prom between both Riverdale High student bodies!

I've never seen an episode of Riverdale. But I Wiki-read about it a lot. I HAVE read quite a few Archie team-up books. Archie Meets Riverdale is among the creme de la creme of them! I know that at least in one of my dream reviews in the past, I wished for this crossover to happen. Well, the wish was granted, albeit in my head, and it was a marvelous wish fulfilled. 

I loved that Pat & Tim Kennedy decided to draw the classic Archie gang in a more nostalgic look from the 1940s and 50s. If Archie Comics had gone with Dan Parent's version which is based a lot more on Dan DeCarlo's look established as the playbook for presenting the world's oldest teenagers, the differences between the two universes wouldn't be as striking. I love the Dan Parent/Dan DeCarlo model. It's the definitive look for Archie and the gang. It just would not have been as effective if that version was used for this crossover. 

Good Call, Archie Editors!

A fun ride for Archie and Riverdale fans. Though I think the more established a classic Archie fan you are, the more you'll get out of this book. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The New Archies #11

In 1987, Archie Comics in collaboration with NBC, developed a new animated series based on the Archie gang. As several teenage versions of the Archies were done previously on rival station CBS, producers decided to retool the kids from Riverdale. Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica were de-aged from high schoolers to middler school students. Dilton was absent; replaced by an African-American clone named Eugene. And a completely new student named Amani (Eugene's girlfriend) was added to the roster.

When The New Archies project was announced, I being only 9 years old, didn't understand the need to reboot everything. It confused me even more as educators Mrs. Grundy and Principal Weatherbee looked completely the same. It's only been recently that I learned that concerns over CBS and/or production company Filmation, still having rights to the Archies property was the reason for the adjustments. Thus, my decades-long bias against these guys has abated over time. Having not one but two Thanksgiving themed issues definitely helped.

Only the first of the 3 stories in this book is Thanksgiving themed. But it was a good one. Archie laments that his folks have decided to go the dining out route for their Thanksgiving dinner. So Betty invites Archie and Jughead to dinner with the Coopers. Not to be outdone, Veronica also invites the guys to break bread with her family. Good thing Betty's event is at 1 and Ronnie's is at 5! Too bad Archie doesn't have 2 stomachs...

In the other two stories, a surprise history test prevents Archie from going on a date with Betty and Veronica. So, Reggie takes his place! Then the Girls of Riverdale Jr. High compete for the title of 'Dream Queen' in a delightfully sweet story that highlights Big Ethel!

There was a familiarity with The New Archies and another franchise that was developing at this exact same time. NBC's Saved by the Bell was in its early stages as a Disney property known as Good Morning, Miss Bliss. When the show fizzled after a brief 13-episode season, NBC reclaimed the franchise and it became the classic late 80s-early 90s Saturday morning live action series Saved by the Bell. By having both students and staff transfer from jr. high to high school in both realms, I feel like producers over at Bayside might have been inspired by the people in charge of Riverdale. It's definitely a possibility, this theory of mine!

All 3 tales had that classic Archie charm. A Turkey Day themed word search added to the festive mood. And there were a few other surprises peppered in. Finally (for this season), I had a Thanksgiving read that I enjoyed!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 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.

Jughead's Time Police

After getting to preview the first issue of Jughead's Time Police in 2019, I had every intention of getting the rest of the series. Just for one reason or another, I didn't follow up. COVID had a little bit to do with it. But the majority of this miniseries came out before March of 2020. I guess I just got distracted or forgot about it all together until I saw the trade paperback at my local library. 

When I reviewed the first issue, I gave it 10 stars. Writer Sina Grace (Iceman) had crafted a very intriguing opening segment that blended modern Archie Comics with the original Jughead's Time Police series. The premier issue had Jughead being summoned to the future by a member of the time cops to help save the very fabric of space time. Once in the future, things get kinda wonky. 

There's an evil Jughead who wants to become the ruler of all reality. In order to do this, the evil Juggie has to get rid of the Jughead who features as the main character of this story as he's kinda like 'Jughead Prime'. For about 2 issues, the ultimate enjoyment I had from issue #1 had dwindled. The quantum physics behind this evil Jughead P. Jones was more mind-boggling with its time paradoxes than the plot of Back to the Future, Part II. Plus, I just felt that such a motivated and evil version of Jughead was impossible- even in the multiverse!

As the good Jughead is chased throughout time and space, things start to pick up. Since the editors themselves spoil the big plot twist on with the blurbs on the back cover, along with a couple of images from the story placed at the beginning of this volume, I'm just going to go ahead and say it: we get a Crisis on Infinite Riverdales with dozens of Jugheads through time and space and alternate earths coming together to defeat the evil Jughead. 

Bringing multiple incarnations of characters together has become the most common plot point used by just about every pop culture franchise there is right now. Star Trek. Power Rangers. Ghostbusters. And especially DC and Marvel have been trolling the multiverse for big bucks and ratings. It's starting to get a little boring. But if it can be done well, I'll still stay on the band wagon. While the reboot of Jughead's Time Police took a detour into implausibility, the story got on the right track for the epic grand finale. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Life With Archie #172 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

To complete this task for the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge, 'bought from your favorite LCS', I could have gone hog wild. My favorite comic shop is a hybrid comic book store/used book shop called Books Do Furnish a Room in Durham, NC. I subscribe new releases from them. But I didn't want to review something brand new. As a result, I gave myself a budget of $2, with the parameter of finding something neat that I had never seen before. And this was what I found. 

It's the Summer of 1976 and it seems like everyone has bicentennial fever. The American government sponsored a pair of freedom trains that toured the county with over 500 artifacts as a traveling museum of Americana. The US mail sponsored a patriotic set of stamps. The Treasury Dept. produced commemorative quarters. In entertainment, Elvis put on a series of shows with songs devoted to the founding of America. The NFL had players wear patches on their jerseys. Companies like 7-Up, Kleenex, Duncan Yo-Yo,Snoopy, even a publisher of the King James Bible were among the countless brands that produced special bicentennial products that year. Yes, even the comic book industry got involved. 

Marvel's 1976 calendar was bicentennial themed. Jack Kirby's heralded return to Marvel kicked off with a Captain America treasury devoted to the founding of our country. DC produced a tabloid sized salute to America hosted by the Man of Steel along with a release of specially tagged covers. And Archie Comics released Life With Archie #172.

Titled 'Birth of A Nation', the story involves Archie and the gang travelling to Washington, D.C. on a school field trip. The friends travel to the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and other patriotic places of interest before heading to the National Archives. At that museum, the gang view the Declaration of Independence.

While reading the words of Thomas Jefferson, Archie finds himself transported back in time to 1773. No longer in D.C., Archie is now situated in Boston Harbor, dressed as an Indian and tossing tea into the drink. After taking part of the Boston Tea Party, Archie is chased by British soldiers throughout Beantown only to be saved by Paul Revere. Only Paul looks an awful lot like Jughead!

Soon Archie takes part in Paul Revere's midnight ride. After he completes his run, Archie continues to jump through time witnessing the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the winter at Valley Forge and other key moments during the Revolutionary War, all the while encountering important figures in history; only they're portrayed by members of the Archie gang.

This Archie story is a rare one in that it comprises the entire issue with one exception. There is a L'il Jinx one-pager that greatly satirizes the fervor of bicentennial commercialism. L'il Jinx's observation that all that collectibles and knickknacks being sold in honor of America's 200th birthday should be referred to as 'buy-cenetennial!' I think when it comes to the creators of this book, they definitely practiced what they preached.

Though there aren't any credits attributed to this issue, an online search credits Frank Doyle as the writer with Stan Goldberg and John D'Agostino on art. I'm pretty sure that Up With People and the Bicentennial Feel Good Committee (or whatever it was my mom always referred to) had some input with the script because this story paints an incredibly rosy picture of America. 

Currently, there is great debate in our over the teaching of critical race theory; especially in regards to how our country was formed. So I am not sure how this issue would be presented if it was released new today. Nor am I sure how well this book would be received.  But in 1976, Americans were trying to feel good again what with the aftermath of Watergate, the energy crisis and Vietnam. Thus, the pomp and circumstance surrounding the 200th birthday of the United State of America was promoted as a feel good party for its citizens. 

Life With Archie #172 definitely reflects a lot of that national pride. As a result of the ultra-positivism, some of this story reads kinda corny. Especially the closing part when Archie returns to the present day and is thanked by a National Archives security guard for being a fine teenaged patriot.

If you were looking for a Bicentennial time capsule to add to your comic book collection, this would be the issue to get. It's beauty is surely found in the eye of it's beholder. But there is no doubt that this comic is patriotic.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #34 (Bought From Your Favorite LCS) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

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 Giant Series #579

I had every intention of reading a Thanksgiving themed book for day 7. But if wasn't meant to be. The book I was to read winded up having a major printing error. The first 2-3 pages were missing which also meant that the last 2-3 pages were gone too! 

This kind of thing is a common error. And it's infuriating when you find out that a prized piece of your collection is anything but complete. 

Since I didn't want to throw off my schedule, I didn't read a Thanksgiving book last night. Instead, I am going to review a Christmas book that I read last year but didn't get to reviewing during the holiday season. 

This giant sized Archie from 1988 is full of holiday cheer. That pesky elf Jingles starts off the fun with another trip to Riverdale. Then Archie and Jughead gift their teachers with a free snow shoveling of their driveways. Then Veronica and Betty help a store Santa who gets wrongly fired by staging a boycott of the department store. Finally Archie and his parents butt heads when the fiery redhead teen decides he'd rather spend Christmas with Veronica and Mr. Lodge. It's a case of Christmas growing pains for sure.

This issue was jammed packed with Christmas goodies. Even the Sabrina one-pager seemed to be holiday based. Or maybe it wasn't originally but the artists decided at the last minute to add a Christmas tree in the background. I appreciate every effort to make the whole book Christmas themed. That's a level of devotion to detail and the holiday spirit intended that I miss in a lot of so-called holiday themed comics. 

I look forward to new Archie holiday specials every Halloween and Christmas. Why Archie Comics doesn't publish a Thanksgiving book is beyond me. I'd surely buy it! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 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.

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.

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorers of the Unknown (Family Comic Friday)

The world of Archie and the unexplained meet in this classic collection of stories. Learn more about Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown in this week's Family Comic Friday.

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorers of the Unknown TPWritten by Rich Margopoulos
Art by Pat Kennedy, Bill Yoshida, Various
Published by Archie Comics
Pages: 176
Retail: $8.99

After a brief week off to welcome a new kitten into the Madman household, Family Comic Friday has returned! This week we take a look at Archie's Explorers of the Unknown. This action fantasy storyline originally debuted in the pages of Archie Giant Comics #587, all the way back in 1987! After another popular story a year later in the same title, Archie Comics produced a 6-issue miniseries that ran from 1990-1991. While that was all Archie fans saw of this band of fearless adventurers, Archie's Explorers of the Unknown has remained a cult classic title that has seen chapters reprinted often in the pages of Archie's Double Digest and other similar publications. But now for the very first time ever, all 8 chapters have finally been collected in one volume!

Archie's Explorers of the Unknown was a parody of Jack Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown title. The premise of the series was that Riverdale's original Archie Andrews was reading from his favorite book series, 'The Explorers of the Unknown'. As he read the book, Archie imagined his friends starring as the characters.

Reggie was a demolitions expert. Jughead was a fearless racecar driver with Betty as his brilliant mechanic. Moose was a stunt man. Veronica knew martial arts and Dalton was the team's genius inventor. When the book became a standalone mini, Chuck Clayton was added to the team as a jack of all trades adventurer who could scuba dive, mountain climb and cliff dive with the best of them. Archie himself rounded out the gang as the team leader 'Red', a soldier of fortune who specialized in cryptozoology.

The Explorers of the Unknown tackled the mysteries of the pyramids, the Bermuda Triangle and other elements of the unexplained while battling a group of buffonish villains such as the master of monster blue crabs, Dr. Crustacean. There were some thrilling aspects of Explorers. But this was early 90s Archie. So there was a heavy dose of silliness. A 13 year old me enjoyed this books. But I was also starting to grow out of Archie. Now in my 40s, I love this nostalgic trip back to Riverdale and beyond.

All of the stories were written by Rich Margopoulos. Margopoulos wasn't known for being an Archie scribe. His expertise was in writing horror stories for comics such as The Haunt of Horror and Eerie. But he managed to capture the Archie Comics spirit very well. Featuring artwork by a number of Archie superstars including Apt Kennedy and Bill Yoshida, Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown is illustrated in the classic 80s Archie style that is so timeless.

This is a collection for the whole family. Parents, guardians and even some grandparents will reminisce at a classic series from their youth. Kids will love seeing their favorite Archie characters interacting in new and thrilling ways. For a 176-page book with a cover price of only $8.99, this is a treasury that will bring together generations of Archie Comics fans!

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown TP will debut in print and various digital formats on July 21, 2020.

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Explore the world of technology through the eyes of Archie and the Gang in this week's Family Comic Friday!

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1
Written by: Francis Bonnet
Art by: Pat and Tim Kennedy
Published by Archie Comics
Retail: $2.99

Need a Summer time pick-me-up? Check out Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1. In this hi-tech one-shot, the kids from Riverdale explore the impact technology has had on all out lives in a trio of tales.

First up, Archie and Jughead have developed a fever to the new video game Forknite! As a result, Archie has been ignoring Veronica. Out of spite or revenge (or both), Veronica decides to learn just what this new game is all about. Will Archie and Jughead have meet their match? Knowing the lengths Veronica will go to in order to be the best, the guys probably have.

Then Archie brings home his latest tech project: a robotic dog. But during the test run, things don't go as smoothly as Archie thought it would. Turns out android dogs are as much of a hassle as the real McCoy.

Lastly, Archie has an important report due. But will miss Grundy believe him when the redhead's real dog, Vegas, eats his flash drive homework?

This was a very fun but fast read. The artwork by Archie vets, Pat and Tim Kennedy was spot-on classic style Archie. It might have been a little too classic as I thought Veronica looked a lot like her 1940s counterpart, Veronica Lake. I almost thought I was reading a reprint from the Golden Age of Comics. Then I remembered that they didn't have video games in the post-World War II era!

I really enjoyed the stories by Suburban Fairy Tales author, Francis Bonnet. All three stories were creative and helped me forget about how awful 2020 has been. With Archie being a 75 year old plus property, it's easy for the stories to get repetitive. But all 3 tales felt really fresh. Even the homework story seemed new despite the telegraphed punchline ending.

The only real problem with this comic is the length. At only 24 pages, Geeks and Games is just way too darn short! But the $2.99 cover price is rather nice. It's something the whole family will enjoy!

Archie & Friends: Geeks and Games #1 debuted in print and digital formats on Wednesday June 24th, 2020!

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. 

Jughead's Time Police #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Enjoy a fresh look at a beloved Archie Comic. For this week’s Family Comic Friday, we travel back in time with the reboot of Jughead’s Time Police #1.

Jughead’s Time Police #1
Written by Sina Grace
Art by Derek Charm
Published by Archie Comics
Retail: $3.99

You should never put fish oil in a fruit pie!

Jughead learns this lesson the hard way. As a result, the foodie is forbidden from competing in another cooking contest ever again! Despondent over the lifetime ban, Juggie seeks the help of resident nerd, Dilton.

Together, Jughead and Dilton create a time machine. Jughead hopes to correct his mistake, thus altering the timeline. But when Jughead from the future meets Jughead from the past, the teen’s actions end up fracturing the timeline!

This reboot of Jughead’s Time Police was a welcome flashback to the simpler 90s. Jughead’s dog, Hot Dog, is shown as being able to secretly talk once again. Dilton is creating zany inventions. Plus, you’ll witness the return of a long-lost, but not forgotten, character from the future!

While the tone of this comic was classic Archie, the art was not. Star Wars Adventures’ Derek Charm captures the Riverdale gang as their The CW counterparts. Jughead’s crown is black instead of silver. Archie’s hair is more ragged and less pompadour. And both Betty and Veronica exude that modern allure.

That’s not to say that I didn’t like Charm’s artwork. In fact, I thought it was a smart move to make the characters look like their live action selves. I know that there is going to be those Archie purists who insist on Archie forever having that iconic look. Thus they are going to hate this book. But going for the Riverdale look is sure to really bring in those fans of the series.

I used to be one of those fans. I remember when the publisher came out with The New Archies (1987-90). Man, did I hate the new look of the Archie gang. Nowadays, I don’t mind what the Archie universe looks like as long as it has a timeless quality to it. Let your Afterlife with Archie and Riverdale books be edgy. As long as the main Archie imprint is family friendly, I don’t care what style they are illustrated as. Just let those illustrations be of top quality. And over the years, Derek Charm has proven that his artwork is premium stuff!

I’m not that familiar with this series writer, Sina Grace (Iceman). However, since I remember the original Jughead’s Time Police quite fondly, I can say that Sina Grace did a great job capturing the spirit of that original title very well. My only complaint is that the first issue ended too soon before the real time travelling could begin.

Both older and younger generations of Archie fans should love this book. If waiting another couple of weeks for issue #2 is too long of a wait for any of you, readers can pick up the collected edition of Jughead’s Time Police. It collects all 6 issues of the 1990-91 classic (over 220 pages) for just $10.99! It’s sure to bring a smile and a laugh to any devotee of Jughead Jones. Time Police Deputy Marshall!

Jughead’s Time Police #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on June 12, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.