Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Archie, Vol. 2 (2016)

I’m still a little mixed on Archie.  There’s some good, fun stuff here, but it’s very triangle-heavy, which gets grating.  For now, it’s still worth reading.  But long-term?  Not sure.

Archie’s relationship with Veronica hits a snag when her father takes a vehement dislike to him.  It’s tough to combat the scheming of an angry millionaire, and as Archie tries to avoid the wrath of Mr. Lodge, Betty struggles to help her friend amid her lingering feelings of jealousy.

A lot of this is very predictable, which I suppose should be within reason for Archie.  The only problem is, my recent reacquaintance with that world has featured the nefarious principal conspiracies of Jughead and the maple-syrup blood feuds (it can never be said enough) of Riverdale, so “standard-issue Archie” doesn’t work quite as well for me.  I’m not all that interested in Archie fretting over whether or not he’s sophisticated enough for Veronica or Betty’s preoccupation with Archie getting in the way of her relationship.  It’s so “typical teen drama,” and while I’ve admittedly watched my share of teen dramas, those kinds of plots aren’t the reason why I watch them.

Which isn’t to say that there’s nothing worthwhile here.  On the contrary, there’s good stuff to like.  I enjoy an early scheme by Archie and Jughead in which they realize that Pops is the real Master of Whispers in Riverdale.  There’s also the continuing story of Veronica having trouble navigating the new middle-class world that’s brushing up against hers; her confusion at the Andrews’ lack of extravagance is fun, but this plot additionally provides some personal drama for Veronica as she struggles to fit in with Archie’s family.  While I prefer the Riverdale version of Veronica above any other, I do like that this one has some shades to her.  Does it all get a bit “poor little rich girl?”  Absolutely, but I appreciate seeing Veronica’s insecurities that come from only having experienced life in such a rarefied atmosphere.

Some of the plots in this volume get a little ridiculous, but not really in a fun way.  Jughead can be awesomely silly, and Riverdale can be balls-to-the-wall insane, but Archie seems to hit more on “implausible, but without the same level of heightened reality that can make it really pop.”  It’s not that I’m setting out to compare this comic unfavorably with other versions of these characters and this world – goodness knows Riverdale has its problems, and Jughead has yet to recapture the magic of its first eight issues.  However, for me, Archie doesn’t quite stand out, not yet.  It feels more standard-fare to me, and I’m still waiting for it to really pull me in.

Warnings

Some teen recklessness.

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