America’s Favorite Teenager, Archie Andrews, is reborn in the pages of this must-have graphic novel collecting the first six issues of the comic book series that everyone is talking about. Meet Riverdale High teen Archie, his oddball, food-loving best friend Jughead, girl-next-door Betty and well-to-do snob Veronica Lodge as they embark on a modern reimagining of the beloved Archie world. It’s all here: the love triangle, friendship, humor, charm and lots of fun – but with a decidedly modern twist.

Spoiler – there are none!

Review – Sooo wow. This was a thing. So when I was a young teen I loved Archie. I had subscriptions to all the comics (they came to my mailbox!), but I wasn’t much into the romance so much as how much fun Betty & Veronica had as friends. I read the Betty and Veronica digests like they were going out of style (in between reading Witchblade, Young Justice and Parasyte…my tastes were very eclectic). Yeah Archie was in the middle of their ongoing feud, but when it came down to it, they were there for each other and I loved that.

Maybe because we’re in the early stages – Veronica “Ronnie” Lodge just moved to Riverdale after all – but that friendship was not there yet. Betty and Archie had just broken up, and Veronica had started to cling to “Archikins” incessantly, so while Betty was her usual sweet, helpful self (when Veronica ran into a spot of trouble), Veronica was…well…dismissive, conceited and snobbish. All things that Veronica is in the old comic, but it comes off as obnoxious here since there isn’t that underlying “I tease because I care” affection yet.

Mark Waid, who forever has my regard because of creating Bart Allen/Impulse, was a really good fit here. I like that Archie is basically pulling a Zack Morris by addressing the audience. I liked that Betty was a tomboy but she learned to incorporate being a girlie girl. The #lipstickincident was a typical thing that as usual with teens got blown out of proportion due to miscommunication and misunderstanding. Neither side is right, neither side is wrong – it really is something that they should figure out for themselves, not something others should work out for them.

I just didn’t like Veronica. She comes off as a Mean Girl almost. Reggie is Reggie, I don’t expect much from him, but Veronica I guess I expected more from her.

Jughead is so cool though. He gave such good advice (which he should have followed later on, but that’s not here or there). “You are who you are, not what people think you are.”  I love the update to him, while still retaining that…easy, go with the flow vibe. I want to pick up his title now actually…

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Published by: Archie Comics
Release: March 29, 2016
Series: Vol 1 (issues 1-6)
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Find Out More: New Riverdale | Archie Comics Twitter