The new Archie series begins with Betty and Archie breaking up after the lipstick incident. The gang uses Jughead to bring them together by voting them the King and Queen of the upcoming dance. Jughead makes sure Archie plays guitar at the dance by crazy gluing the original guitarist hands to the steering wheel. However Jughead believes the absence of their relationship will make their hearts grow fonder. The second issue sees Archie getting a job at a construction site and accidentally bulldozes a mansion as Betty fixes Archie’s car. The third issue sees Veronica Lodge attend Riverdale High with Archie while forcing him to be her servant in exchange for keeping her mouth shut about the destruction of the mansion. Eventually Betty decides to help Jughead stop Veronica from using Archie. We finally discover the lipstick incident which broke up Archie and Betty. Betty gets all dolled up for Archie which makes him uncomfortable.
Betty and Jughead enlist Reggie Mantle to question dating Veronica. Reggie makes Veronica jealous using Sheila’s photos of Archie to decorate her locker. However it backfires as Sheila was taking pictures for a class project to design clothes and Veronica helps her. Archie suspects something was happening between Betty, Jughead, and Reggie.
Betty sends Archie to the hospital after he is hit by a softball. Betty meets Sayid while Reggie attempts to hit on Veronica and fails. Reggie’s father is writing an expose on Veronica’s father questioning whether he is greedy or cold-hearted. He gives Veronica’s father a preview so he could get closer to Veronica but it backfires. Reggie later discovers in Veronica’s diary that Archie was the one who destroyed Veronica’s father’s mansion while it was under construction. Veronica finds out Archie’s in the hospital and visits him. Writer Mark Waid brings the story full circle while setting up the next arc. The new Archie series is enjoyable with all the gossip and manipulations going in the background.
RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT
OF 5
