Creative Staff:
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Veronica Fish
Colors: Andre Szymanowicz with Jen Vaughn
Letters: Jack Morelli
What They Say:
IT’S TEAM ARCHIE VS. TEAM BETTY! A civil war has broken out in Riverdale—friends against friends, parents against parents, with the entire town torn down the middle by an event that forces everyone to take sides! No joke—the events of this issue will impact Archie and his pals for some time to come!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Wow. Now that’s how you open a story!
Poor Archie. He never intends to cause trouble—it just seems to happen to him, drawn to him like iron filings to a magnet. This time, the fallout from his screwup will affect the entire town, and not just Archie and his circle of friends.
The story starts—as stories often do—in a Home Ec room full of popcorn popped in a dryer. Mr. Collier, the teacher, yells at Archie, and Veronica, wanting to protect her boyfriend, films the scene. This single moment acts as a catalyst that will explode through the town, as if Bugs Bunny had been going around Riverdale with a huge barrel of gunpowder, laying trails all over the place. Now the match has been lit, and soon the gunpowder will burn.
Waid does such a masterful job of pacing the story and revealing information that I don’t want to get into any further specifics. The joy in seeing the story play out is too great. What I will say, in broad terms, is that this is some of the best character and plot work I’ve seen in quite some time. And, like always, no one is acting mean or stupid or malicious (well, maybe one person, but I’m only counting the main cast), the complications arise out of misunderstandings and misplaced intentions, and that’s what makes the events so compelling and the characters so engaging.
And boy howdy do I love Veronica Fish’s art. Her pacing, panel placement, body language, and facial expressions are excellent and recognizably hers. It’s not just that she’s a competent artist—she has a voice, a unique style that transcends my limited art vocabulary that makes her work a pleasure to look at.
In Summary:
I know I eschewed specifics in this review, but that’s for your benefit. If you’d like to discuss the details, drop me a line on the Twitter or the Facespace and I’ll be happy to talk. Whatever you do, make sure you read this book. It’s a work of art. Dr. Josh gives this an….
Grade: A+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Archie
Release Date: 27 July 2016
MSRP: $3.99