Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is a playwright and screenwriter
whose work has been featured on popular TV series such as Glee and Big Love. Having previously written for Marvel Comics,
he has just launched a new ongoing monthly series for Archie Comics that takes
the classic Riverdale gang down some decidedly darker pathways. “Afterlife with
Archie” features some outstanding artwork by co-creator Francesco Francavilla
(he also handles the coloring), who has previously drawn Zorro, Detective
Comics, The Black Panther and his own self-created title, The Black Beetle.
Be prepared for a different kind of Archie reading experience
with this book as the supernatural holds sway at Riverdale High, and a number
of well-known supporting cast members pay the price in the first issue alone.
One alternate cover even teases a dire fate for Hot Dog, the beloved pet of
Jughead Jones. How and why the poor canine falls victim to calamity is less
important than how that tragic event transfigures the lives of the entire cast.
It is a more mature take on Archie and company for sure, and
it wouldn’t be too far off of the mark to say that the success of The Walking
Dead (both in comics and on television) certainly helped inspire this new
series. Archie Comics may not get the perpetual headlines among the normal
media outlets for comics-oriented news that are dominated by Marvel, DC and a few others, but the publisher has not let things
stand static with their product over the past twenty years. They adapted their
stable of characters to attract manga fans during that 1990s fad, then moved to
release versions of the Riverdale gang in a more realistic art style, and recently
issued top-selling runs that featured “what if” scenarios involving Archie
marrying both Betty & Veronica. There was also the introduction of gay
character Kevin Keller that attracted much media attention and wide acclaim; so
kudos to publisher Jon Goldwater and Editor-in-Chief Victor Gorelick for
stepping outside of the box and continuing to make Archie and his pals a
relevant party of today’s comics industry.
“Afterlife with Archie” is highly recommended by the
Catacombs, and it arrives just in time for Halloween. Give it a read ….. if you
dare!
1 comment:
I'm intrigued, not only by the idea for the comic but by the fact that its an official Archie thing. A few years ago it would have had to be an underground rippof.
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