2017 Comic Challenge 314 Jughead #10

TITLE-Jughead #10
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

Yeah I got way behind on this series. After meeting her last issue,when she was dressed as a giant burger,Jughead ends up out on a date with Sabrina.

He of course fucks this all up. And she leaves and is very mad. It is after this we "learn" that Sabrina is a witch.

She tries through out the issue to cast spells on Jughead but they all backfire and work out good for him. Like how Jughead ends up being close friends with Reggie.

And with that the issue ends. Of course the next issue with end this story. I do like how they have re-introduced Sabrina to the new Archie universe.

Jughead #10 gets a buy.

2017 Comic Challenge 308 Archie:Gridiron Glory

TITLE-Archie Gridiron Glory
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

For a few years Archie had been putting out collections of older stories as Digital Exclusive trades. This collection is around 150 pages. With every story in some way connected to football.

What made this so good to me is not only was the price good,IIRC about 5 bucks.But also you get a great selection of some of the best Archie artists over the past what 60 years.

Sadly if rumors are true Archie comics is having money issues. Something to do with a former writer on one of their Sonic the Hedgehog comics,which is a pretty decent series from what I have read of it,suing Archie over ownership of some characters he created. I really haven't read up much on this. Just seen a few blurbs on various comic news sites. So right now is a time where Archie comics needs the fans to buy more product. I just ordered the trade of the first storyline of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series and plan on hitting their website soon and seeing if they still do cheap bundle deals on old issues of their digest sized comics.

So if you ever have read and enjoyed a comic from Archie I ask of you to buy something from them. Even if ya just grab a digest from Walmart. It would be a bad thing for the comic industry if one of the longest lasting companies,and one that still has a pretty big non-direct market presence.

Archie Gridiron Glory gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 267 The Shield #03

TITLE-The Shield #03
PUBLISHER-Dark Circle/Archie

Yeah sadly like most of Archie's titles this one is majorly late. So late that I have pretty much forgotten what happened in the first two issues.

In this one our titular heroine is in Russia to take on what appears to be a biker gang. Plus we get flashbacks to what I must assume is her past. But these seem to be happening back in the Revolutionary War.

The story is ok. The art is nice. But with the lateness my interest in this title has majorly fallen. Maybe Archie should have done this as a series of mini series. And waited until say 4 issues were complete before soliciting them.

The Shield #03 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 262 Archie Meets Ramoes

TITLE-Archie Meets Ramones #01
PUBLISHER-Archie

After producing lots of great comics,even if half of them never come out on time,Archie made a comic that I had to have.One that odds are good I will even buy more than one copy of,mostly cause I love a few of the variant covers.

First off let me get my nitpicking complaints out of the way. The comic is titled Archie meets Ramones,it should be Archie meets THE Ramones. Secondly most of the issue supposedly takes place before their first album came out,a few months before,but there is a few songs and references to songs that came out years later.

The story is pretty simple. Archie and his band bombed at the battle of the bands. They are arguing and all but Archie leaves. Sabrina shows up and gives Archie a copy of The Ramones first album. He plays it and it wisks all of the band back to NYC back in 1976.

Thru a bunch of screwball comedy like antics The Archies meet the Ramones. Get sent on a scavenger hunt. And end up winning a battle of the bands at CBGB's,by playing I don't wanna go down in the basement.

Now  I am biased as fuck. I love Archie and The Ramones are  my favorite bands. So your mileage may vary.

Archie meets Ramones gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 246 Afterlife with Archie #10

TITLE-Afterlife with Archie #10
PUBLISHER-Archie

I knew it would happen,that finally a crappy issue of this series would come out. And what a pile of crap this one is.

Instead of continuing on the main story,the one we are lucky if we get 2 issues of a year,we get what really feels like a fill in issue.

Before the zombie outbreak a reporter is out west interviewing Josie of Josie and the Pussycats. The rest of the issue a 3rd rate hack of the highly over-rated Interview with  the Vampire book from Anne Rice.

The art was great as always,but really there was no need for this issue. Not when we are lucky to get 3 or so a year.

Afterlife with Archie #10 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 224 Jughead #08

TITLE-Jughead #08
PUBLISHER-Archie

So Archie and our titular hero are lost in the woods with a bear right behind them. Thankfully Mr Weatherbee is around and starts leading the guys out of the woods.

But there seems to be someone  in the woods that hates the Bee. And keeps setting traps for him. Finally we find out it is one of the Mantle family. One who use to bully the Bee back in high school.

Finally the 3 guys make it out of the woods. Archie thinks he is at the all teen girls camp. But turns out that camp got changed into a younger kid camp a few years back.

Overall this was a decent little story. Kind of sucks it is Zdarsky's last issue. But at least Derek Charm is staying on handling the art chores.

Jughead #08 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 214 Jughead #07

TITLE-Jughead #07
PUBLISHER-Archie

A new story arch has started. Chip Zdarsky is back writing the issue,but we get a new penciler.Derek Charm handles the pencils. Sure his style is different from Erica Henderson's. It actually looks closer to the modern Archie House Style.

It is summer break,and Jughead's Dad wants him to get out of the house and go do something. So after talking to Archie,who is working at the pool as a life guard,they decide to go up to Dilton's cabin and spend a weekend.

They get up there and it looks great. But then they discover that the Mantle family is having a family reunion near the cabin. So to get away from all of them they go on a hike in the woods.

While in the process of getting lost Jughead discovers Archie came along mostly to go check out some girls at an all girls camp near them. This is enough to take the usually peaceful Jughead and cause him to beat the fuck outta Archie.

After their fight they finally realize they are lost. No reception on their cell phones. Jughead has little to no outdoors skills,and Archie isn't much better.

This is a nice change of pace from the first 6 issues. Hell for a bit I thought this might be a 1 issue long story.

Jughead #07 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 206 Jughead #05

TITLE-Jughead #05
PUBLISHER-Archie

Been awhile since I read some of this really good series. I let a few issues pile up.

After being told by their parents that their belief that the school is being turned into a secret agent school is insane,our 4 teens start trying to figure out a way to get rid of the new principal Mr Stanger.

They find out he was principal of a school a few towns over. The Archie gang head over and see that in this town each of them has a gender swapped twin. After talking to former student that was in school when Stanger took over,they find out that after a year he disappeared. Right after getting a bunch of the teens to sign up for the military. But the worst is they find out Stanger managed to shut down the local teen hangout in this town. So of course Jughead freaks out and they rush back to Riverdale to check on Pop Tate's malt shop.

Jughead passes out in the car and this issues dream has him as Captain Hero. Teaming up with the rest of the Super Teens and facing their gender swapped twins. We find out that Iron Mantle is behind all the chaos and that story ends.

Back in Riverdale Jughead wakes up in time to see that somehow Stanger got Pop's lease on the shop to end sooner than it should. Jughead admits defeat to Stanger and walks off.

Once this gets a trade of the first story out I am gonna have to buy it.

Jughead #05 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 177 Afterlife with Archie #09

TITLE-Afterlife with Archie #09
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

After a long ass delay,7 or so months if not more,the new issue of the Archie zombie comic is out.

Reggie is out scouting with Kevin. And tells Kevin how Reggie is the one that started the zombie outbreak. After telling his story,Reggie decides to leave. And asks Kevin to tell the inner circle of the group why he left.

Back at their newest camp Archie,Betty and Veronica find out about Reggie.After debating they end up telling the rest of the group that Reggie just left.

Cut back to Reggie.He is heading towards the swarm of zombie lead by Jughead. Reggie is expecting to be bit and die. But the herd parts. Reggie looks up and there is Jughead and Hot Dog in front of him. He waits for one of them to kill him. But out of nowhere Sabrina appears. And talks about how the dark lord is pleased with Reggie and if he does something for him,the dark Lord will reward Reggie with the one thing he has always wanted but could never get. Midge Klump,who is a zombie. But Reggie is told if he goes back to Archie and the gang,gains their trust again. Then kills Betty,the dark lord will bring Midge back to life and she will be Reggies. Reggie quickly agrees to the deal.

I really enjoyed the focus on Reggie.And the return of Sabrina was damn good. With this story arc being titled Betty RIP,or some shit like that,I have been waiting on Betty to die. So it looks like Reggie will be her killer.

Yeah I am fed up with the delays on this comic. It has been coming out for at least 2 years and only 9 issues have hit the stands. Hell make it a 4 times a year comic and I am happy. I just want to know  that it will come out regularly. Instead of this annoying wait 10 months for a new issue stuff.

Afterlife with Archie #09 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 154 The Punisher Meets Archie #01

TITLE-The Punisher Meets Archie
PUBLISHER-Marvel Comics/Archie Comics

Nope this is a real comic. One that I wanted to get when it first came out. But I refused to pay the almost $4 cover price. So it wasn't until years later at a con that I found it for 10 cents and grabbed it.

Not sure if you can tell from the above picture but the area around Archie's head is cut out. When you open the cover you get.

This 48 page,with no ads as the cover proclaims,comic is written by Batton Lash. With John Buscema handling the Punisher side of the pencils and Stan Goldberg doing the Archie side. And Tom Palmer is on inks.

The story is simple and actually works fairly well. A crook,Mel Jay AKA Montana Bob AKA Freckles and currently known as Red Fever has managed to escape the Punisher. And is now hiding out in Riverdale. And shocker he looks a lot like Archie Andrews.

So we get a mixture of typical Archie style comedy mixed with Frank Castle chasing down this killer. It sounds like it wouldn't work and would be horrible. But Batton Lash does a great job and makes this one of the best and oddest comic crossovers I have read.

Quickly funny story about this issue. I got it at a con cheap as I said. During the con I end up staying with my cousin. So that night I get back to her house and her 10 year old wanted to see what I bought. He is looking thru the comics sees this issue and asks me "Who is Archie?"

The next day of the con he came with me I mentioned to the dealer I got this from,who I was also buying another 50 bucks worth of comics from,about my cousin's lack of knowledge of Archie.The dealer dug thru his bins pulls out right at 15 issues of various Archie titles.Which the dealer gave to him for free.

The Punisher meets Archie #01 gets a Buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 149 Jughead #04

TITLE-Jughead #04
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

Jughead is back in school,and still suspects something major is going on with all the personal changes at Riverdale High School.

Like with every other issue so far Jughead goes into his fantasy world. This time it is pirate themed. But the lady from the time police in issue 2 shows up near the end of Jughead's fantasy. So I am wondering these dreams are just dreams or are they leading to something in a future issue.

Jughead is sure the new principal is up to something. So he talks Dilton into installing a device on the new Principal's computer. So that they can see everything he does on the computer. Jughead invites the entire gang over to Dilton's to prove the new principal is up to evil. And quickly finds out the principal knows what Jughead did. But this is enough to convince the Riverdale gang that something is strange.

Jughead #04 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 129 The Crusaders #01

TITLE-The Crusaders #01
PUBLISHER-DC comics/!mpact comics

Back in the early 90s when DC licensed out the Archie heroes for the !mpact line I had no interest in it. In 2005 when I got into collecting so called Dead Universes I did grab a few issues from !mpact. And since then thru various random lots of comics I have ended up with a few more issues from this failed subimprint.

Now with Archie doing so well with their Dark Circle stuff I have been wanting to go back and read the previous versions of these heroes. So while digging thru a longbox of comics I grabbed this issue out. No clue when I got it or where.

The issue starts off back in the early 60s. We see the aftermath of the first group of Archie heroes and some big battle at a bunker. The surviving heroes get the government to lock down this bunker. Skip ahead 30 years and The Fly,The Comet and Fireball are investigating this bunker.And over the course of the issue the rest of the main !mpact heroes show up. Then on the final page the menace the original group of heroes locked up in the bunker is loose.

Before reading this comic I had read maybe 4 issues of the Black Hood,1 of the Comet and a few of the Jaguar. So I really knew almost nothing about these heroes. Which is why it is a good thing this issue did a good job introducing me to all the heroes.

What kind of surprised me is this came out during the peak of the Gimmick age. Where any #1 or anniversary comic had some kind of special cover. Which also meant a big price increase. Not The Crusaders #01. Cover price is a buck. Which is what most comics cost back in 92. And the closest thing it comes to a gimmick is some bound in trading cards. And these aren't even perforated for easy removal. Nope ya gotta cut them out yourself.

Looking at the backs of the cards looks like they use the Garbage Pail Kids gimmick of having a puzzle on the backs of the cards.

Honestly this was good enough that now I need to make a list of what !mpact comics I have. So I can track down what I am missing. From what I have seen none of the !mpact stuff is worth more than cover price. So shouldn't be hard to track down a full set.

The Crusaders #01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 116 Archie #06

TITLE-Archie #06
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

Archie is now with Veronica.But one day while on a walk,and trying to figure out how to make it up to Betty and Jughead,he gets hit in the head with a home run softball.Which was of course hit by Betty.

The other major new plot element is Reggie trying his best to get in good with various people at the Lodge Mansion. And him finally offering Mr Lodge something he wanted.

The art is as great as it has always been. The story is great. This is one of the best damn comics coming out currently. If you ever read and enjoyed an Archie story before seriously give this new series a try. Waid keeps what made/makes Archie so fun to read and updates it enough. The art by Veronica Fish is so very different from the normal Archie house style,which seems is only being used on the Double Digest issues,but I can tell who each character is most of the time before you are told their names.

Archie #06 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 104 Archie's Funhouse Comics Double Digest #18

TITLE-Archie's Funhouse Comics Double Digest #18
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

Under this neat cover,by Tito Pena,Fernando Ruiz and Bob Smith,is a fun collection of old and new Archie comics. Archie's Funhouse seems to have replaced Pals N Gals in the Double Digest line up. In that Funhouse takes the focus off Archie and spotlights the other characters in Riverdale.

I am still trying to figure out who the piss yellow dog on the cover is suppose to be. I know it ain't Hotdog,since he is white and looks very different from the cover dog. And I don't think it is Archie's dog,who's name I can't remember right now. But that bright yellow dog stands out.

One difference I noticed with this digest,which is one of the first digests I have gotten in a few years,is that now all the stories except for the 1 page gag strips contain credits. For years the Archie comics had no credits. So fans had to get good and knowing the various artists' styles. A thing I have never been good at.

I love how now Archie's various Double Digests are only a buck more than most comics. When they contain right at 250 pages of comics. And your average comic has maybe 22 pages. Too bad more companies aren't doing digests.Back in the 70s and 80s both Marvel and DC published digests. But since the mid 90s neither company has bothered with this format.

Archie's Funhouse Comics Double Digest #18 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 097 Archie's Pals n Gals Double Digest #121

TITLE-Archie's Pals n Gals Double Digest #121
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

One of the few things better than an Archie digest is an Archie Double Digest. At a bit over two times the size the double digests are great deals. Pretty sure all Archie puts out now is Double Digests.

Since Dilton is on the cover I figured he might get the spotlight in this issue. Pals N Gals tended to focus on people outside Archie's big four,who are Archie,Jughead,Veronica and Betty. This issue has a couple of really good Dilton stories. And a few one page gag strips with Riverdale's resident head nerd.Plus you get a handful of stories where Cheryl Blossom is in the lead. First appearing a long time ago,Cheryl was kind of forgotten. Then Archie did their first big storyline "Love Showdown" and brought her back.Then the last third of the digest is all Lil Archie stories. With lots of Lil Reggie stories in this section.

Back when I was buying lots of Archie digests. I was getting them cause my job at the time gave me 7 to 8 hours of down time each shift. And a double digest would help kill a few of those hours.

Archie's Pals N Gals #121 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 085 Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04

TITLE-Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

Yes Kool-Aid Man not only had his own comic but it got at least 4 issues. I just looked and there is actually 8 issues of this series. Which started in 1983 and the final issue came out in 1991. Issue 4 was released in 1988. I know I had at least the first 2 issues of this series. As a kid all I drank was sugar free Kool-Aid. And of course I saved up my Kool-Aid points. The only things I ever remember getting with these points was the 2 comics and the Kool Aid Man Atari 2600 game.

This issue we get 2 stories.Both of which Michael J Pellowski wrote.The cover and interior pencils are by Dan Decarlo. Yep the same Dan that did so much work for Archie a few decades ago. And a Jim Decarlo handles the inks.

Honestly the comic isn't that good. But it is much more than just a shill for Kool-Aid. Plus it came with a great poster.

Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 076 Archie Digest Magazine #245

TITLE-Archie Digest Magazine #245
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

When I moved back to Mississippi for the longest time the only comics I could find was the various Archie digests.This issue came out in the summer of 2008. Which was during a time when I was buying pretty much all the Archie digests.

Even as a kid I usually bought the Archie digests instead of the normal comic sized stuff from Archie. I think part of it was back then the digests were a around the same price as a normal sized comic. But the digest had so many more pages. What I didn't know back then was the digests were a mixture of old stories and brand new stuff.In the current day the normal Archie digests cost about half of what a normal comic does. And you get almost 8 times the amount of comics.

The cover story in this issue is what stands out to me. Archie is given a liquid by Dilton. Which causes all of Archie's hair to not stop growing. So we end up with a very Sasquatch looking Archie running around Riverdale.Since the cover is credited to John D'Agostino and Fernando Ruiz I am guessing either both of them or one of them did the lead story.

The various reprinted stories in here are fun. And from the clothing styles seems they are from as far back as the 40s. With a bunch of them looking like classic Dan Decarlo 80's stuff.

One little neat thing is while reading the digest I noticed that in one of the ads they are talking about how they are having a huge sale on overstock digests. And I have went and circled all the stuff I wanted to order. Which I ended up doing. Got like 30 or so various Archie digests and double digests for less than 20 bucks including shipping.

Archie Digest Magazine #245 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 046 Archie #05

TITLE-Archie #05
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

While Archie is helping Veronica plan for her big party,Jughead,Betty and Reggie are working on the plan to split the two up.

But after a short while Betty and Jughead realize that in her own kind of strange way Veronica really does care for Archie. And that eventually he will get tired of her crap and end the relationship.

This issue felt a bit padded. In that there was about 10 pages of story and the rest was padding.

Archie #05 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 045 Archie #04

TITLE-Archie #04
PUBLISHER-Archie Comics

After 3 issues of build up we finally learn what the Lipstick incident is. But before we get to that we got a flashback.

Back when Archie and Betty were just two friends. They had been close since early childhood.And everything was going fairly well.

But of course something has to change. Two of the other girls at Riverdale get it into their minds that Betty needs a make over. So they take her to the mall and change Betty's look.

When Archie comes to pick Betty up,they are going to a midnight horror film,he is in shock.Which causes him to treat Ms Cooper very differently.

Of course this leads to an argument. And we get to finally see the much talked about lipstick incident.

Then we jump back to present day. Archie was just wanting to get in some practice time with his band. But Jughead has left. So sitting in his garage alone,Archie discovers Veronica has come over. And he starts playing a song for her.

Cut to Betty's house. Where her and Jughead are formulating a plan to make sure Archie and Veronica do not become a couple. And on the final page we find out they have enlisted the help of Reggie Mantle.

I am really loving this revamping of Archie. Like with Jughead they are keeping the core of the characters. While also updating it to appeal more to modern audiences.

Archie #04 gets a Buy.