Pep Comics #287 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

With a cover teasing the most one-sided snowball fight of all time, winter fun is the theme to this 1974 issue of Pep Comics. The opening story virtually has no dialogue, except for an exclamation from Archie that closes everything with a punchline. In 'Archie Says "It's Always the Same Old Story on a Weekend Ski Trip", Archie and Reggie head to the slopes. The tale is narrated like one of those Disney mockumentaries starring Goofy, as it's explained what to expect when you make an impromptu trip to the mountains. The unseen voice regales the reader with narration of a magical weekend ski trip while in reality we see everything go wrong for Archie and Reggie.

Follow up stories include Li'l Jinx engaged in a good ol' fashioned 1970s battle of the sexes. The task at hand: who makes a better pilot; men or women? But since Jinx and her pal are way too young to fly a commercial airliner, they'll have to settle for figuring out who can fly the better paper airplane. 

Archie bemoans a sudden snow storm in one yarn while Reggie and Moose struggle to get Archie up in time for a big game. Rounding out the issue are one-page gags starring Coach Kleats and Big Ethel as well as prize winning reports from members of 'Archie's Club News'. There's also a pin-up in which Archie gets Jughead to wrap him inside a giant gift wrapped box as Veronica's Christmas present. It's the only holiday themed part of this issue.

There are no creative credits anywhere to be found in this issue. But according to MyComicShop.com, Dan DeCarlo penciled the cover, Bob Bolling was the artist behind the ski trip opener and the Li'l Jinx story was written and illustrated by character creator Joe Edwards.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (An Archie Comics release from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Archie #1 (2015)

Archie #1 came out with over 20 variant covers.
This is the cover to issue #1U, art by T-Rex.

    

 74 years after his debut in issue #22 of Pep Comics, the powers that be decided to reboot Archie Andrews and his gang. Tackling that momentous task are Mark Waid (writer) and Fiona Staples (art.) Now Archie is a character that's going through many incarnations- Little Archie, a caveman, a rocker, a zombie, and countless other roles. But at the heart of each story, the Riverdale gang was wholesome and innocent.

   Archie couldn't decide between Betty or Veronica. Jughead was lazy and addicted to food. Reggie was also trying to one up Arch and Moose and Midge were the perfect couple. That was the Archie gang in it's very essence; whether they were living in colonial times or performing a parody of MASH (as the Archie Players.)

    It's not like Archie didn't adapt with the times either. Moose wasn't stupid, turns out he was dyslexic. Archie entered a bi-racial relationship with Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats. Even a gay character moved into town in the form of Kevin Keller.

   So why did Archie have to be completely remade? Don't get me wrong, I love Mark Waid. If you've read my blog much, you'll know how much I am a fan of his recent work on Daredevil. Waid is a great writer and when I met him a few years back, at a mass signing he was only 1 of 2 who actually talked to the fans and not just grunted 'hey' before passing the book to the next guy to sign.

   In Archie #1 Archie and Betty have just broken up but neither is sure if that was the right thing to do or not. Complicating matters is that Betty decides to go to a school dance with another guy as Archie keeps avoiding her. But thankfully, the day is saved when Archie fills in for the lead guitarist who is a no-show. However, things are not all hunky dory as at the very end of the book, Arch walks past a giant billboard proclaiming that Lodge Industries are moving into town.

    That's right folks, Veronica doesn't even appear in this book. Along with that, Jughead is more of a slacker than ever before as he doesn't even have food as a motivator for him to do anything and Reggie is virtually a non-entity.

From what I can tell about the future of this book is that when the Lodge's move to Riverdale, the love triangle between Archie/ Betty/ and Veronica will begin and I am assuming so will the Archie/ Veronica/ Reggie one as well. Why did we have to reboot Archie for that? Presumably, Mr. Lodge's company moving to town will impact someone, probably Mr. Andrews, into losing their job and Veronica's dad will probably be more cunning in trying to remove Archie from the picture altogether. But, you don't need a reboot to do that stuff either.

   Making Archie black or gay, or even a woman would be a true reboot. All Mark Waid does is take a beloved childhood icon and make him unrecognizable with new art and designs by Fiona Staples. But again, why do that at all? It was just announced this weekend at Comic-Con that Archie and the Ramones will be teaming up for a special issue. The artwork is to be in the classic Archie Comics style that have thrived for over 40 years.

   This issue also reprints the very first appearance of Archie in that issue of Pep I mentioned earlier. It's supposed to show the reader that times change. Yes- the Archie of 1941 looks very different from the Archie of 1970,96, or 2014. But so did Superman, Batman, and Captain America when they first arrived in the Golden Age of Comics. But with all of these characters, their iconic looks evolved while maintaining a timeless style that any child could point out of a line-up. (Don't believe me- take a picture of Batman from 1938 and a picture of Archie from this issue. The child will instant point out Batman but be clueless as to who this red-headed guy is.)

My point is: the Archie gang of 2015 looks more like kids you would see at the mall- not Pop's Chok'lit Shoppe.

   If this was a book made up of completely new characters, I would be singing it's praises. For a contemporary look at teen life in the New Millennium, it's flawless. But as the next generation's Archie- it lacks depth, nostalgia, and recognizability.

    Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.