Tuesday, November 12, 2013

The Only Reason I'll Read Archie Comics

So, I've been an utter failure at keeping up with this blog.  Stupid life, getting in the way of my plans...

Anyway, while I've been gone, I've been busily reading comics and trying to keep up on the latest new releases.  I've spent a lot of time catching up on DC's New 52.  Villains' Month and the 3D covers got my attention again.  Some were great, others were colossally disappointing.  More on that in a later post.

What really caught my eye recently though, was the new miniseries from Archie Comics.  Normally, I wouldn't grab an Archie comic.  There's a distinct lack of superheroes and/or zombies and an overabundance of smug and un-punched annoyances (looking at you there, Reggie).  Archie just doesn't carry the comic book feel that I look for.

Seriously, don't you just want to punch him?
However, something markedly different came along a few weeks ago.  Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla have brought out Afterlife with Archie.  For the first time ever, Archie Comics has brought out a direct market only, not-intended-for-all-ages comic.  As zombies descend on Riverdale, who will survive?

The series opens with the unfortunate death of Jughead's beloved pet, Hot Dog.  Things go from bad to worse when Sabrina, despite warnings from both her aunts, uses necromancy to raise Hot Dog from the dead.  Hot Dog, of course, comes back as a zombified dog, promptly infecting Jughead.

By the end of issue 1, Jughead is our only zombie roaming Riverdale, but his arrival at the high school Halloween dance on the final pages of the issue indicates that he will not be the only undead teen for long.

Issue 2 comes out on November 20.  If you're looking for zombies or just a whole new take on Archie, pick it up.  And be sure to grab the reprinting of the now-sold-out first issue!

Oh, and (minor spoiler alert), just how did Hot Dog die to start this whole thing?  Reggie ran him over while driving drunk.  Just like everything else wrong in Riverdale, it always comes back to Reggie.

C'mon, Archie - You Know You Want To.