Holiday Comics Review Part 2 Archie Comics

 Continued from Part 1.

 

The Best of Archie Christmas Comics

I guess I’ll do the reviews in the more-or-less order that I read them.  This 250-page digest-sized trade that my dad gave me for Christmas was actually the first of the holiday comics that I read, though I nearly finished it last.  It was printed on white newsprint and was $10. 

Dad had a gotten it for me because he’d seen me reading it when we were at Barnes & Noble shopping together earlier in the month.  I wish he’d instead noticed me reading that treasury-sized $40 Prince Valiant reprint book.  I noticed the Archie book on his shopping list that he’d left lying out the week after.  I hadn’t asked for anything for Christmas.  I broke down and asked for a Chase Elliot die cast car, hoping he’d drop the Archie book.  (Suddenly, I remember it’s been months since I’ve written a sports report.  I’ll probably do something in the near future.  Congrats on that championship, Chase!)  I ended up getting both gifts for Christmas, so thanks, pop.  That was generous.

Really, I didn’t need another Archie Christmas book and this one didn’t look like anything special.  I used to have an album-sized book with material mostly from the 40’s and 50’s.  I’ve still got a Christmas digest and several individual Christmas issues.  This book starts with material from the 50’s.  I’d say most of the stories in the volume come from the 70’s and 80’s and feature Betty and Veronica.  There was a small 90’s and 2000’s section.  The 2010’s only had two entries, one of which was the only one story that I’d read elsewhere.  I even reviewed it in 2019.         

I started reading the book while was waiting to eat lunch on Christmas Day.  I didn’t get back to reading it until after I’d finished most of the other comics that I’d gotten on Christmas Eve.  It wasn’t that what I’d read was bad, but I was more interested in the other stuff.  Having finished it, I’ll say that it is pretty decent Archie material.  There were only one or two clunkers out of a large number of stories.  However, nothing stands out.  There’s some off-and-on good house-style Archie artwork, but nothing spectacular.  Given that all but one story inside was new to me, this book was a pretty good deal at the price.  It also gives a good idea of how much Christmas material they’ve produced over the years, because I’ve read quite a bit.

 

It’s a recommend for a Christmas stocking stuffer for an Archie fan or a kid.  It’s not “essential” otherwise.  I will point out two stories that got an honest chuckle out of me.  The two pages above are from a Moose-centric story.  I’m surprised there wasn’t a current day disclaimer for this one.  I love old stories that couldn’t be published today.

The punch line for this story probably speaks for itself.

 

There are no words.

Archie #11

I didn’t actually read these next Archie comics next, but we’ll stay with the theme.  These next five comics came from the batch of bargain bin comics I picked up on Christmas Eve.  I haven’t read much of the modern Archie comics since they restarted the line.  This one was an easy grab with this great cover.  This new series does call back to the original Archie/Betty/Veronica triangle (and actually I can't find my review of it, maybe it was on an site) with Betty wanting Archie and Archie wanting Veronica.  However, it misses the critical comedic aspect of the triangle: Veronica wants to play the field and is stringing Archie along.  (Not to mention the other elements: Betty is crazy in going after Archie and Archie is clueless.) 

Modern Archie is more of a dramedy, so they don’t care about making the premise funny.  They’re going for romance in the premise.  The comedy comes from the characters and the situations.  Archie is also borrowing from Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell in directly addressing the audience.  (Sabrina star, Melissa Joan Hart, also did this in her previous show, Clarissa Explains it All.) 

 

You can see that the internal artwork is expressive, but not entirely appealing.  The story is okay for a teen drama with a little wacky comedy.  What there isn’t, is a lot of story.  It takes up half of the issue plus four pages.  Since this is a story about Archie and music, there’s a text piece about The Archies and a short 60’s reprint featuring the group. 

 

Jughead #15

Continuing the music theme, this issue of Modern Jughead is about him getting into a Josie and the Pussycats concert.  This version of Jughead hasn’t gotten great reviews.  I’ve read at least one story and I thought it was okay (Jughead’sTime Police).  Sept 2018.  The character is at least definitively Jughead and basically unchanged.  At some point, he was paired up with Sabrina for some reason.  I think they wanted her in the main Archie comics, but reserved her solo books for continuities without the Archie gang. 

 

The team up somehow oddly works.  Weird things happening to Jughead isn’t unprecedented.  In continuity, Juggy does know that Sabrina is a witch.  Them being friends works, even if it’s a bit forced.  (Sabrina goes on to date Archie in other Archie issues.  Who could blame Archie for going for the darling witch girl?  However, this relationship is definitely forced.  Who has he not dated?  Josie might be Archie’s cousin, so she’s off limits.  Why isn’t he going after Melody?  Why isn’t every guy in Archie Comics going after Melody?)

 

The inside artwork is aimed at kids for sure.  The story is cute with the magical element and Jughead caught up in the unintended consequences.  It’s also continued as it is in the decompressed style, so I don’t know how it resolves.  Like the Archie comic above, it’s half the issue, then there’s a Big Moose one-shot preview.  Both comics are also ephemeral quick-reads for $4 comics. 

 

Archie Meets Batman ’66 1-3

It’s a six-issue mini-series if you’re wondering.  I was lucky to find three consecutive issues in those 12 long boxes I was rummaging through.  Maybe the other three issues were in there somewhere, or maybe the store adjusted their orders and sold out of the rest of the series. 

Certainly this team up makes more sense than Archie meeting the Punisher or the Predator.  The characters’ universes share certain sensibilities that make them easily compatible.  Dan Parent’s artwork is fun and well-done for this event.  The first issue alone is worth getting just for seeing Veronica and her fabulous changes in hairstyle and wardrobe.  (Not to mention, Cheryl Blossom is looking good.)  The story respects all of the characters and works with them.  It’s fun.

Here’s the downside.  Just like those other two Archie Comics reviewed, there’s only content for a bit more than half of the issue.  There’s no backup feature.  So, these are even quicker reads.  While the story carefully works out the characters’ stories, three issues in, Archie still hasn’t met Batman!  What the hell!  Reggie is working for the bad guys, and the Joker is trying to tempt Jughead into changing sides.  Betty is after Dick Grayson, and Archie has latched on to Barbara Gordon.  (Robin and Batgirl have infiltrated Riverdale in their civilian identities.)  But, Batman is still in freaking Gotham City! 

 

I wouldn’t get the individual issues of this, unless you can get them at a deep discount like I did.  The trade may be worthwhile, but I haven’t read the whole story.  Frankly, it seems a bit dragged out so that they could get six issues out of it.  Honestly from what I’ve seen here, these Modern Archie comics are mostly not worth it.  I can still recommend the new Sabrina trade paperback (December2019) and the Classic Archie stuff like the Christmas Comics. 

 

Part 3