Never mess with a man’s hamburgers.
Creative Staff:
Story: Chip Zdarsky
Art and Colors: Erica Henderson
Letters: Jack Morelli
What They Say:
IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF COMIC BOOK REBOOTS LIKE ARCHIE #1, ARCHIE COMICS PROUDLY PRESENTS… JUGHEAD #1—FROM THE COMICS DREAM TEAM OF CHIP ZDARSKY (Howard the Duck) AND ERICA HENDERSON (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl)!
Riverdale High provides a quality education and quality hot lunches, but when one of those is tampered with, JUGHEAD JONES swears vengeance! Well, I mean, he doesn’t “swear.” This is still Archie Comics after all.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
If you’ve been keeping up with Archie comics, then you know that everyone’s favorite teenager and his pals have been rebooted. Under the guiding hand of Mark Waid, Fiona Staples, and Annie Wu, Archie fits a more contemporary sensibility while retaining the classic characters and themes that have made it such a classic.
One of the more pleasant surprises to come out of this reboot is the revitalization of the character Jughead. While the character remains the same lovable, hamburger-loving slacker, he now possesses a certain swagger, a certain attitude that I’ve found quite appealing. Although the attitude comes out clearer in Waid’s scripts, Chip Zdarsky does a fine job of scripting the new adventures of the best friend of everyone’s favorite teen.
The story starts with the news that Principal Weatherbee has been forced into retirement, replaced by the strict Principal Stanger. Jughead doesn’t really care until the new principal changes the cafeteria menu to only serve a nutritionally-perfect, but disgusting, gruel.
At first, Jughead panics and faints, but after a Game of Thrones inspired fever dream, he figures out how to beat Stanger. I won’t spoil what he does, but it’s rather clever and highlights the entire point of the issue (and the character): that Jughead can do just about anything if he’s motivated. The problem lies in the fact that the only thing that motivates him is food. Betty tries to get him to sign a petition to save Fox Forest, and Jughead just pontificates on the pointlessness of trying to change the world. Archie tries to get Jughead to care about Weatherbee leaving, but once again, he takes a philosophical point of view. Touch the man’s food, though, and he goes into full-on battle mode.
Chip Zdarsky possesses a real knack for dialogue and character, and he makes this comic fun, funny, and engaging. Zdarsky’s sense of humor seems particularly suited to Jughead, and I laughed more than once while reading this. It’s not the same as Mark Waid’s style, but that’s a good thing, as every comic should offer something new and unique, and not stand as a clone of other successful titles. I only bring it up because I don’t want people to be surprised when they pick this up.
Similarly, Erica Henderson seems particularly appropriate for this story. I’ve been a huge fan of her work on Squirrel Girl and she brings the same sense of humor and energy to this comic.
In Summary:
If you like the new Archie, then you’ll enjoy the new Jughead. Although the humor and writing are different, the series starts off just as fun as the flagship title. If you haven’t picked up Jughead yet, then give it a shot. Dr. Josh gives this a…
Grade: B+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Archie Comics
Release Date: 7 October 2015
MSRP: $3.99
