Our (Late) Archie #1 Review
Reading time: 1 minute
Alright, another Archie #1 -- the first one in a longtime. Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, the hotshots of comic books team-up for a first issue of the brand new Archie cannon. Instead of the usual horror/niche offerings from the publisher, Archie is now populating the the airwaves of comics with a more honest and subtle approach to the series. However, can older comics fans really appreciate Archie played straight?
It's a great question that merits further analysis, but I would offer this argument for Waid's approach to this serene version of Archie: if it's good who cares? This first issue is teaming with lovely confidence peppered by the smile wiped across Archie's face. The hero is a beacon of happiness in this tale, willing to continue life and treat even his folks with good will -- you won't find much angst in this first issue.
The various characters all make appearances as introduced in the official Archie established world, but this issue also very cleverly decides to hold off on utilizing a lot of the different characters. Also, this comic book shows Archie in maybe a slightly more serious state then he would have been seen in those supermarket digests. Yes, this series is a soap opera, and because of that, the sharpness of the writing accounts for a lot about this comic.
I have never seen an Archie Andrews more likable...possibly in any other form of fiction. He's got great Fiona Staples hair and a lovely sense of wit ready to be employed at any moment. It's a wonder why this guy is having any girl trouble at all (I digress.) Picking the pieces of the comic apart almost don't seem genuine, as the story is a focused look at the high school life of Andrews.
What did you think of Archie #1, and will you keep reading after this?
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