Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Archie Comics
Like a long draw from a milkshake at Pop’s Diner, Archie #2 is wholly and completely refreshing.
Cut from the same cloth as books like Strangers in Paradise (minus the international intrigue), the titular flagship of the line-wide Archie reboot continues to be one of the most impressive debuts of the year so far. The book just feels genuine and frees itself from the kitschy-Pleasantville-type trappings that a book of this nature could fall into by modernizing all the best aspects of the Archie formula without feeling forced, awkward, or strained. All in all, Mark Waid delivers a fantastic script, depicting the ongoing fiasco of Archie’s break-up with Betty over “the lipstick incident”.
Fiona Staple’s revamped character designs continue to shine throughout this book and are integral to how well all the different pieces fit together. Also of note are her facial expressions, which are always a highlight present in her work but shine throughout this one due to how much the script relies on them.
Jack Morelli’s lettering is also just a work of art. His font choices and placement for the chapter headings are a highlight and section off the separate parts of this story wonderfully. Also Andre Syzmanowics colors are vibrant, fresh, and bright. The multitudes of green present in his palette make Archie’s world come to life.
A great book, through and through.
