Archie #700 Review

 

ARCHIE #700
Written by: Nick Spencer
Art by: Marguerite Sauvage
Colors by: Marguerite Sauvage
Letters by: Jack Morelli
Edited by: Alex Segura and Jamie Lee Rotante
Published by: Archie Comics

What it’s about…

A brand new era of ARCHIE begins in this landmark 700th issue of our flagship series! Join the new creative team of writer Nick Spencer (The Amazing Spider-Man) and artist Marguerite Sauvage (DC’s Bombshells) as they take a trip to Riverdale and bring Archie, Betty & Veronica, Jughead, and the rest of the town along for a wild ride complete with new mysteries, new relationships, and much more!

What I thought about it…

Archie #700 serves as a soft reboot of the classic Archie characters. Maybe its the Riverdale effect, who knows? But this issue sets up a new era for Archie and friends with a more mature tone and central plot. However, it’s important to point out that the heart of these characters is still there. Some things are different, but many things remain the same. The issue even opens with a sarcastic Jughead monologue while he shares a couple of burgers with Archie.

Surprisingly, Archie #700 has its fair share of plot twists. The first of which cames in the opening pages when Jughead reveals he got a job over the summer break, leaving Archie speechless. Some other nice elements in this issue happen as we learn what Betty, Veronica, and Reggie were up to during the summer. It’s in these sequences where we find out none of them have heard from Archie since school got out, and Archie isn’t ready to talk about it.

Writer Nick Spencer surprised me yet again with this comic. He first surprised me with his current run on Amazing Spider-Man, and here I can tell Spencer knows how to write Archie and friends without destroying the core of the character. Too bad he didn’t do that with Captain America. Some of the best moments in Archie #700 are simple conversations like the one between Betty and Ronnie in the car or the slow dance between Betty and Archie. And the ending, it even fooled me.

The “new era” for Archie is brought to life by the art of Marguerite Sauvage. To put it mildly, her art is stunning, with a unique blend of timeless and modern aspects. The various characters of the issue each have their own little visual flairs that make them stand out. The panel layout is also worthy of praise, with every little detail in the backgrounds impeccably drawn. Even if you don’t buy a copy of Archie #700, do yourself a favor and flip through it to check out Sauvage’s amazing artwork.

I bought Archie #700 only because it was 20% off on Black Friday. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise, but I’m very glad I did. I’ve already added Archie to my pull list so I can see these plotlines resolved. At the end of the day, this latest soft reboot is not a completely drastic change I had feared, and so far it shows quite a lot of promise.

Archie #700 score: A

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Archie 1941 #2 Review

 

Archie 1941 #2 Review
Written by: Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn
Art by: Peter Krause
Colors by: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letters by: Jack Morelli
Published by: Archie Comics

What it’s about…

IT’S WAR

As the United States makes its entrance into WWII, the teens and parents in Riverdale are faced with some difficult situations as they reflect on how this will dramatically change their lives as they know it.

What I thought about it…

Archie 1941 #2 is another masterpiece by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn. The two writers perfectly capture the directionless feeling many teenagers are left with after graduating high school. This lost feeling is even more poignant as Archie Andrews deals with the pressure at home from his father, and now America’s entry into World War II.

In this issue, we see how the attack on Pearl Harbor is affecting everyone in Riverdale. But it’s not just the young people who are having a hard time dealing with this new world. The parents aren’t sure how to go on either, and sending their sons to war is easier for some than others.

There are others in Riverdale who pretend as nothing has changed, and are trying to live life as if nothing happened. But even they learn quickly that nothing will be the same again because of the war. And those who want to volunteer for duty, find they aren’t always able to.

The art in Archie 1941 #2 is perfect for this sort of story. The characters are all drawn with very strong distinct outlines, probably based on the style of the 1940s. The colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick give the entire book a sort of newsprint-style look to it, which again works incredibly well for the story being told. It’s also nice to see these characters having to deal with real-world events because they react the way many of us probably would.

All in all, Archie 1941 continues to impress. Now that the United States has entered the war, I expect things will move faster. Time will tell if that’s a good thing or not, because so far I’m really enjoying this take on Riverdale, and would love to see it last longer than five issues. But so far, Archie 1941 is one of my favorite books of the year.

Archie 1941: A

 

Archie 1941 #1 Review

 

ARCHIE 1941 #1
Written by: Mark Waid and Bryan Augustyn
Art by: Peter Krause
Published: Archie Comics

What it’s about:

THE HISTORIC, GROUND-BREAKING MINI-SERIES STARTS HERE!

Archie has been around for over 75 years and has been through many significant moments in time, but never before have we seen the characters take on real-world events as they unfold. WWII is looming and Archie and many young men from Riverdale are close to enlistment age. If you’re a Riverdale teen, how would you cope with a looming world-changing event? Join the writing team of MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN along with artist PETER KRAUSE for the all-new mini-series that is sure to have everyone talking!

What I thought about it…

The new Archie 1941 mini-series from Archie Comics, is a return to form for the characters or Riverdale. However, this is also one of the more serious, somber, and realistic takes on Archie and the gang I have ever seen. But after twice reading Archie 1941 #1, I think that’s what I like best about this book.

Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn write a dark and grounded tale that unlike a certain tv show, feels real. The two writers once again deliver some solid character development that makes the reader sympathize with him or her. If you’ve read any of their previous work, then you know these two writers know how to develop strong characters, and Archie 1941 is no exception. Every character in this book gets a moment to shine, but being an Archie book, he’s the one with the most screen time.

In this issue we see Archie and friends graduate high school as the rest of the world is consumed by the war in Europe and the Pacific. Archie is having trouble dealing with so much change: graduation; choosing a job; home life; girl issues; and the possibility of war. His friends meanwhile, seem more concerned with how they’ll spend their last summer together. But that doesn’t mean they are not concernced about Archie.

Artist Peter Krause depicts the first issue with a solemn, intimate style, somewhat similar to his work on The Power of Shazam in the 1990’s. In Archie 1941. Krause uses excellent facial expressions, and minimalistic details. I particularly enjoyed the scenes at Pop’s. The art made me want to visit and get a burger.

Peter Krause’s subtle approach to Riverdale is perfect for the early 40’s setting of the series. From the clothes they gang wears, to the newsreel scenes at the movies, all of it looks beautiful and I want to see more. Even thought its only one issue in, Archie 1941 might be some of the best stuff Peter Krause has done.

The only thing I didn’t like about Archie 1941 #1, was a snarky comment high school principal Mr. Weatherbee makes to Archie. I get the kid was a pain to deal with for the last few years, but his “I’m rid of you” comment seemed like a low blow. Even in a more grounded and realistic version of this world, I find it hard to believe any teacher would say that to a kid.

With stong dialogue, an interesting premise, and gorgeus art, Archie 1941 turns out to be more than meets the eye. I want to see more of this world, and I hope the upcoming issues are just as intriguing as this one was. This is an awesome book, and one that’s worth checking out whether you read Archie or not.

Archie 1941 #1 score: A-

Book Challenge Review: July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic Book Life of Tony Isabella (Volume One)

Synopsis:

July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic Book Life of Tony Isabella (Volume One)
by Tony Isabella

Lo, There Shall Be a Beginning
For Tony Isabella, that beginning was July 1963, and a brand-new copy of Fantasic Four Annual #1. Over fifty years later, and after a decades-long career in comics during which he created such iconic characters as Black Lightning, Tony returns to where it all started.

Over 130 comic books were released in July 1963, including Marvel’s Avengers and Fantastic Four, DC’s Green Lantern and Justice League of America, and a slew of others, from those featuring well-known characters like Archie, Richie Rich, the Jetsons, and Donald Duck, to such obscure titles as Girls’ Romances, Konga, Stoney Burke, and Space War.

Tony’s reading (or in many cases, re-reading) them all. In this first volume, he’s starting with Action Comics #304 and coming up for air with Bat Man #158. In between there’s lots of Archie, Mighty Mouse, Spider-Man, Alley Oop, and even Jerry Lewis. Tony analyzes each issue in-depth: the stories, the ads, the creators, and the context, with plenty of anecdotes and production details to satisfy comics fans and historians alike.

Mark it on your calendar: July 1963! It’s coming up next.

A Brief History:

If you follow these posts, then you know I’m in in the middle of a reading challenge, and one of the items on the list is to read “A book about books or reading.” Well, I wasn’t sure what to do, but lucky for me, comics legend Tony Isabella came to the rescue!

My Thoughts:

I love learning about the history of comics, there’s just so much there to discover. And there are some good book out there about comics history in general, but when an author is able to add in how comics affected his or her life? Those are the best books to read.

July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic Book Life of Tony Isabella is not only a guide to the comics of that month, but also an inside look at the life of a young Tony Isabella. Why he started buying comic books, which ones he gravitated to, and which comics he stayed away from. Some of the stories in this book had me laughing so hard, that even my wifey wants to read this book now.

Tony Isabella even gives readers some factoids for the year, like the top songs, movies, book, and other stuff from 1963. I found these sidebars a lot of fun, even if I didn’t recognize some stuff.

Like many comic fans, Tony’s life was changed when he discovered comic books. I would even go as far as saying that were it not for July 1963, Tony may not have become the prolific writer he became.

Final word and Score:

I couldn’t put this book down, it’s so damn good! Thanks to this book, I learned more about one of my favorite comic creators, and I learned a ton of stuff about comics I didn’t know before. Did you know there was an Adventures of Fly-Man comic? or that some of the ads in comics back then were crazy? I sure didn’t, but I do now thanks to Mr. Isabella.

July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic Book Life of Tony Isabella gets an A+.

And just like that, another item is crossed off the 2017 reading challenge: