Jughead #15 Review: New Arc, New Writers!

This arc marks the beginning of the title's latest shift to an altered creative team. Derek Charm is still signed on as the artist, but instead of Ryan North helming the title, Archie's Mark Waid and Sonic The Hedgehog's Ian Flynn will take over scripting duties. Fortunately, they're still going to keep the same status quo, such as it is. For example, Sabrina will continue to be a recurring character, as you can see on the cover. Despite the inclusion of Josie and the Pussycats, this isn't a crossover with that title, but they still play a substantial role in the story.

I should mention something right off the bat. Even before the issue came out, the comic drew criticisms when the May solicitations were released. As the description reports, '"Sabrina the Teenage Witch tries to do something nice for Jughead, but it ends up creating a comedy of errors in which he’s the most desired bachelor in town.'" It drew concerns that the story might do something negative to Chip Zdarsky's initial portrayal of Jughead as being asexual, ranging from mild worries on Twitter to outright insulting the writers and going to far as to call them 'trash.'

I admit, I had a mild concern, but overreacting and jumping to insult the writers went too far. A staple of the "classic" Archie universe involved many teenage girls trying to get Jughead to go out with them, only for him to either be completely and utterly oblivious or simply weasel out of it and continue eating burgers. This is simply an adaptation of that particular plot point, just with a magical twist. Even when the solicitations for the next issue came out, it flat-out showed Jughead trying to dodge the amorous intentions of various characters.

"Pop, I need you to shield me with a wall of delicious burger meat! I MUST GET AN EDIBLE SHELTER!" 

And as it turns out, there was no reason to worry. All of it really does come about through a mistake of Sabrina's. She tried to make a magic spell to help Jughead get backstage passes to Josie's concert, but upping the intensity of the spell makes them fall in love with him. The power of music (comic book science!) makes things worse, as the infection spreads to most of the teenage women at the concert. It's all just an outside force causing the romantic events, not Jughead actively seeking it out.

It's a perfectly fine issue of the comic. Mark Waid and Ian Flynn do a great job of continuing to write for the characters, in part, I suspect, due to a series of successes with Archie. Really, the only difference is that with the style of the Jughead title, you're allowed to get goofier. This is the same comic that had Grubhead and increasingly surreal dream sequences about Jughead going on fantastic adventures.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have a driving race with Reggie. I'm sure absolutely nothing at all will go wrong." ...I'm sorry, in case it's still too soon to make that kind of morbid joke. 

Jughead #15 is written by Mark Waid and Ian Flynn, drawn by Derek Charm, lettered by Jack Morelli, and colored by Matt Herms. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #14 Review: Ryan North's Final Issue Has Great Character Moments, Awkward Slang

This issue concludes the "King For A Day" storyline, as well as Ryan North's run on the title. It features Jughead's attempts to win over his friends after accidentally making a stupid video go viral. Said video features The Reggies singing a song, but with Jughead's face crudely pasted over everyone. For some reason, it becomes an online sensation. Normally, I would question why, but A) It's necessary for the story and B) much dumber things have become incredibly popular.

For the most part, I did enjoy the issue. My one major qualm would be the awkwardly-written Internet portions of the story. Some of it is perfectly fine, but other portions just feel off. The scene involving Jughead trying to create a new video to help out his friends relies too heavily on modern slang, in a way that will definitely feel dated to readers in the future. This also applies to a few later segments in the story.

That might be the point of the scene, and this could just be my personal taste speaking, but it really bothered me. In a way, it almost feels like it's talking down to the reader. Teens read the story, so why not shove in as much teen slang as possible? That's an exaggeration and most likely not the case, but it's one of my pet peeves. Fortunately, the character moments that featured Jughead talking and making amends were much better. Also, we get a picture of Mr. Lodge delivering the world's creepiest smile.

I WILL DRAIN THE SOUL FROM YOUR BODY

I'll miss seeing Ryan North's work on Jughead, but I'm sure that Mark Waid and Ian Flynn will do a great job.

Jughead #14 is written by Ryan North, drawn by Derek Charm and lettered by Jack Morelli. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #13 Review: Burgers And Internet Humiliation, The Perfect Match!

It's unlucky issue number thirteen for Jughead Jones and friends as Reggie Mantle takes over! Well, unlucky for them, but very lucky for me, as Chuck Clayton finally appears in the "New Riverdale" 'verse. Sure, Dilton outright describes the recap page as "questionably canon", but I'll take what I can get. It's better than the villainous version of the character in Riverdale.

I genuinely hope Archie Comics, Inc. makes a Chuck Clayton series with Derek Charm as the artist.

The entire issue is a laugh riot, from the subtle background jokes ("Melody And Her Literal Cats Who Plat Cat-Sized Instruments", anyone?) to the jokes at the expense of the original comics. The "Sugar, Sugar" joke and how quickly Archie shuts it down is gold. Also, Jughead's song isn't that bad, for the first song he's ever written. It reads like a Weird Al song, maybe a hybrid between one of his polka medleys and "Eat It." Ryan North, if you're reading this, it's great and I would definitely listen to it if it was real.

Unfortunately, some edits to the video make it extremely embarrassing and Jughead accidentally uploads it to the web, where it immediately goes viral. People across the world laugh at it, from Sabrina the Teenage Witch to an astronaut to two teens who might be Jason and Cheryl Blossom, I'm not sure. Unfortunately, this storyline won't be concluded until April, and it'll be Ryan North's final issue, to boot. I'm sure that it'll be great, given the previous stories.

Jughead #13 is written by Ryan North, drawn by Derek Charm, and lettered by Jack Morelli. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #12 Review: That's Why Slytherins All Sing, Mantle Is Our King

In Jughead #12, Reggie becomes the boss of everyone in the gang after beating them all in a video game competition. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with any of them, especially Jughead. He prides himself on being brilliant at video games. Still, Reggie won, so they have to find a way to get out of it somehow.

Ewww, he's going to get Reggie germs all over it!

His first act is to get everyone to carry him around on a throne. Everywhere. For a whole day. Yup, that's going to stink. Fortunately, Veronica has a secret weapon for thwarting at least that portion of Reggie's plan. She has been sponsoring Riverdale's men's bodybuilding club, possibly for this very eventuality, and they are only too happy to comply. Naturally, Jughead wants to take a picture of it for giggles, but Reggie disagrees. Surprisingly, Betty is on his side, asking how Jughead would feel if a picture was taken of him without his consent.

Out of frustration, Jughead challenges Reggie to another video game contest, this time to see who the supreme winner of all time would be, with everyone challenging Reggie. One thing leads to another, and Reggie wins again, making him their boss for an entire month. Nice going, Jughead. Surprisingly, his first decree isn't anything necessarily cruel, just fuel for his ever-hungry ego. Surprisingly, Reggie does look slightly embarrassed as he makes his first decree under the new reign. They'll form a band.

I love that Ryan North and Derek Charm keep finding excuses to work in the original Archie drawing style.

Jughead #12 is a great issue, promising to be the start to an interesting new story arc. It could use a little more Jughead, but seeing everyone interact wasn't bad. The comic is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #11 Review: Sabrina Is The Superhero We Need

Looking at the cover, is that a Yu-Gi-Oh! reference? I’m pretty sure that it is, but I’ve only seen parodies of it. I’ll have to ask my sister later. In any case, I definitely approve. It has a really neat style, almost like Jughead and Sabrina are about to duel against some burger-despising fiend. “You don’t like burgers? Feel the fury of our coupons!”

Right off the bat, the final story in the trilogy hooked me. Reggie acts like a creep when he meets Sabrina, because of course he does, he’s Reggie, and Sabrina’s fantasies are drawn in the style of Fred Hembeck and the classic Archie comics.

No, sadly, our current real-world political climate is the darkest timeline, but I can see why you're upset. Also, I love the goofy look on Reggie's face. Even Sabrinat thinks he's dumb and she barely knows him.

Sabrina’s magical accident from the last issue turns out to have caused a donkey-headed horse demon to appear, so she has to cast a spell to make Jughead and Reggie see it as something boring. Why? Well, if mortals find out that magic exists, she’ll go to ‘magic jail.’ It could be worse, because the Afterlife With Archie version had her mouth physically removed and, long story short, she’s in magic teen juvie and married to Cthulhu. To avoid the consequences, this version of Sabrina makes them see the beast as Mr. Weatherbee.

I think that part of the spell also had a calming effect on Reggie. I don't see him as being polite to authority figures, unless he's trying to take credit for something or weaseling out of a punishment.

After the creature is defeated, the rest of the issue is devoted to a glimpse of Sabrina’s rather lackluster personal life and a resolution to her argument with Jughead. I’m very happy that Ryan North handled the misunderstanding between Jughead and Sabrina carefully, as well as the issues that Sabrina is facing. Apart from having to handle balancing magic and reality, Sabrina also has to deal with a new wrinkle that many teens can relate to.

In fact, Ryan’s interpretation of the character is especially awesome. After reading the final part in this arc, I would have to say that Sabrina is the closest thing to a superhero in the current “New Riverdale” lineup. (Salem is her sidekick.)

I hope that the ‘Sabrina’ arc leads to a spinoff, preferably helmed by Ryan North and Derek Charm. It’s that good. Apart from being a generally entertaining character and universe to play around it, it’s also just nice to have a bit of magic in the world. Some of my favorite stories revolve around modern-day characters having to deal with the supernatural and paranormal, either as guides or as hunters. With the right plot, it could turn out to be a fun hybrid of Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid book series and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Send nice messages to the Archie social media feeds, as well as Ryan and Derek. You never know, it might happen.

Jughead #11 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #10 Review: Pick It Up For A Halloween Treat

In the last issue of Jughead, our protagonist met Sabrina the Teenage Witch as she struggled to enjoy her new job as the resident “Burger Lady” at Pop’s Choklit Shoppe. They soon struck up a wonderful friendship, at least on Jughead’s side. Unbeknownst to him, Sabrina develops a little bit of a crush and asks him out on a date. This issue starts off at the date, with Jughead having mixed emotions.

Third wheel? More like third chair! Hahaha, please don't fire me...

On one hand, he genuinely enjoys talking about burgers with Sabrina and he feels extremely guilty for unintentionally leading her on, so to speak. On the other hand, he is most certainly not comfortable with being on a date and wants to get out of it. His solution? Enlist his friends to help him get out of it. There is absolutely no way this can go wrong.

I don't know how Archie got that costume, but he's probably going to jail. Remember, kids, acting like you're in a sitcom may be fun, but it can also lead to a criminal record.

Even before I get into the results, I have to talk about the characters. Is there a way that Ryan North can make an official Sabrina The Teenage Witch spinoff for Archie Comics? His take on Sabrina gets even better with each page. He portrays her as a fairly normal teenager, but with a darker side, which fits because of her powers. On the more subtle side, I like the fact that on her date with Jughead, Sabrina uses the names of famous occultists as exclamations. “Great Marie Laveau”, indeed. His version of Salem is also great. He doesn’t have a lot of dialogue in the comic, but I burst out laughing whenever he spoke.

I read that in the voice of the tv show's version of Salem.

And when she does end up using her magic, Jughead is barely fazed, only giving a major reaction to some nachos. No matter what weirdness erupts, he either doesn’t notice or doesn’t really care, and it just amps up the humor. Seagulls with rose petals? Goes on his phone. Spell to make him raise his hand in class? It just reinforces his friendship with Archie. Snakes and frogs in his backpack? Party in Biology! Even when she makes him hang out with Reggie for an entire day, they just become friends. I’m not sure if the character development will be expanded on or not in the upcoming Reggie And Me series from Tom DeFalco, but even if it’s not, the ensuing scenes are comedy gold.

I promise you, I didn't make that. It actually appears in the comic.

Jughead #10 is a fantastic issue and it only proves that Ryan North is a brilliant writer. Derek Charm’s art is equally great, making the magic (both literal and figurative) explode off each page. Sabrina’s new design is cool, the coloring is spectacular, and everything just works. It’s been one year since since the new series launched and I’m happy to say that every issue has succeeded in being entertaining. Pick it up or get a subscription, more wacky antics are coming!

Jughead #10 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #9 Review: Meet Grubhead And Sabrina The Teenage Burger Lady!

In all honesty, the "brand new #1" joke isn’t that off the mark: while the continuity has not been changed again, the story feels like a reintroduction of sorts. Most of the issue has Jughead interacting with the main Riverdale gang and it establishes how they see each other. Archie is Jughead’s best friend, while Betty sometimes acts as his confidante in times of trouble. Jughead will tolerate Veronica for Archie’s sake, despite some uncomfortable feelings. As for Reggie, that’s a mystery, but it most likely revolves around pranks.

I love Ryan North’s interpretation of the characters. It feels just like reading the original series, only with a slightly more contemporary tone. Betty is still a geeky crusader for justice, Archie is a wannabe Casanova, Veronica is haughty, and Reggie acts like someone out of the seedier parts of Reddit.

Inwardly, Jughead's making an eye roll that Liz Lemon would be jealous of.

Still not as creepy as his Afterlife With Archie incarnation.

Derek Charm’s art for the series has gotten even better, adding in subtle touches and gags to already well-written scenes. This turns already delightful concepts like Jughead submitting a statue of himself made out of food to a school event into a comedic tour de force.

Forget Night Vale's glow cloud, forget the Hypnotoad, this is what people should be concerning themselves with! Well, at least until dinner time.

As for the plot, it’s engaging and hilarious. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but Sabrina the Teenage Witch is guest-staring for the next few issues. Basically, she has a job at Pop Tate’s, dressing up as a burger and handing out coupons. She and Jughead strike up a friendship, and he accidentally ends up accepting her offer of going out for a date.

Now Jughead has to somehow retain his friendship with her while also apologizing for unintentionally leading her on. Everyone, especially Betty, mistakenly assumes that Jughead has a crush on her, but the truth is much more simple than that. He just took it for granted that someone who would put up with wearing a burger costume had a love of them that rivals his own. He just wants to wax nostalgic about food with her, not go out on dates to watch Sonic the Hedgehog movies.

I am more than satisfied with Jughead #9. I would even go so far as to say that it’s the best issue yet. I do wish that the comic had more scenes of Sabrina out of her burger uniform and doing magic, but I’m sure that we’ll get plenty of that in the next two issues. Five burgers out of five!

Jughead #9 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. You can pick it up at your local comic book store.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jughead #9 Review: In Which Jughead And Archie Encounter Bears And Bees

Is it just me, or does this cover make you really hungry? I’m not much of a hamburger fan, but those waffles, french fries, potato chips, and hot dogs look pretty good. I wonder if this is how Jughead sees the world. Everyone and everything just amounts to a pile of pork chops, popcorn, and other assorted culinary products. Derek Charm does a good job of representing Jughead’s personality. He likes video games, slacking off, and being an oddball, but food will remain his one, true passion.

The issue starts off immediately where the last one ended, with Jughead and Archie presumably about to be viciously mauled and eaten by a bear. Thankfully, Mr. Weatherbee arrives and saves them from a grisly fate with some mysterious circus-skills. Who knew that he had hidden layers?

A modern-day Teddy Roosevelt. Well, assuming Ron Swanson doesn't exist in this universe. Now I want to see Parks And Recreation.

Eventually, after a long trek, Jughead, Archie, and “The Bee” discover that someone’s been messing with them. Some dastardly fiend has been removing the signs, planting booby traps for them, and being a major nuisance. The teens bring up the Mantle family reunion, leading Mr. Weatherbee to realize who the culprit must be. With the help of a wedgie (yes, seriously), the trio quickly exposes Ted Mantle!

Uhh...Chip, without the proper context, this might belong in one of your other comics about criminals. Also, you're not the only uncomfortable one, Arch. I'm pretty sure that Ted Mantle might be a runaway from Community.

Meanwhile, Jughead and Archie have to resolve their feud. Not only are they still angry at each other over Archie’s deception in the previous issue, but they’ve grown tired of each other’s little quirks. On Archie’s side, he’s tired of Jughead constantly being obsessed with food and mooching money off him for said food. As for Jughead, he’s just plain sick of Archie running out on him every time he gets an insta-crush on a random girl. The problem has only gotten worse with Veronica, because it seems to be making Archie stupid(er). Adding to the conflict, well…

I have no quip for this. You crossed a line, Archie.

To say that this situation is awkward is a massive understatement. For those of you who don’t know, an earlier issue of Jughead officially revealed that Jughead identifies as ‘asexual.’ To put it simply, this means that he is not personally interested in pursuing sexual relationships. Having Archie say something as hurtful as this to his closest friend causes Jughead to feel as if his sexual identity is worthless. Even though Archie believes having sexual relations is normal, he invalidates Jughead’s sexual identity. Archie's implications that Jughead is abnormal causes Jughead to feel as if he is not accepted by his best friend, who had accepted him prior to learning of his asexuality. To Jughead, this act of being called abnormal hurts him deeply and offends him so much that he is forced to think that he doesn't fit in. It reinforces the concept of heteronormativity. Of course, their friendship eventually patches itself up, but I wish that Jughead had explained why he was hurt to Archie. They both apologize for being insulting, but part of it feels too neat. Maybe it’s just relief at finally being able to go home. At any rate, it feels good to have a happy ending, especially when you consider that this is Chip’s final issue. Jughead #8 is a fantastic finale to Chip Zdarsky’s work on the series. The writing encapsulates all of his strengths; drama, character interactions, and delightfully madcap antics. Derek Charm’s manga-style artwork adds some extra humor, carefully exaggerating facial expressions as needed. In terms of continuity jokes, Mr. Weatherbee’s friend can be seen wearing a Super Duck shirt and one of the campers uses a Cosmo the Martian toy to beat up Archie. Finally, you can see a Josie And The Pussycats sticker on Jughead's backpack. I don't know if it's a good thing that I understood the first two references or incredibly sad. Additionally, I have changed my mind about Mr. Weatherbee. I think he’s more of a Jerry Gergich type, but definitely more efficient. They just look similar. I dearly hope that Mr. Zdarsky can return to the comic in the future, but I trust Ryan North with the future of the character, especially with Sabrina the Teenage Witch coming in the future. September looks like it's going to be fun! Now to end this review on a stellar note, here's one of Chip's best panels from the series.

Crownie is wise.

If you want some context, buy the first Jughead volume, on sale now! It includes issues one through six of the series.

Jughead #9 is out now. It can be found at your local comic book shop. Chip Zdarsky is the scribe and Derek Charm is the artist.


Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.

Jughead #7 Review

Soul-crushing reality and summer fun collide in the new issue of Jughead! And if that’s not enough to get you interested, then maybe the MANTLE FAMILY REUNION will!

Video games are so much fun, right? (As I type this, my Nintendo DS is somewhere in a drawer, feeling lonely.) Even if I’m don’t know a lot about them, Jughead definitely does. Continuing a small pattern, the issue opens with Jughead playing a video game, only for his father to interrupt and demand that he get out and do something.

Ha, ha, soul-crushing reality....I need to go get a box of tissues and rethink my life.

Jughead chooses to interpret this advice as 'go pester Archie at his new job.' Indeed, he does do so, gleefully interrupting Archie's attempts to use his new status as a lifeguard to hit on girls at the pool. Ah, Archie, you're a class act.

The rise of Jugpool, a product of Weapon Burger. Hey, it explains how he can eat so much food.

Eventually, Jughead gets Archie to leave the pool and go visit Dilon's cottage with him. Uh, Jug, I know you're desperate for something to do, but shouldn't Archie call his boss before he leaves? Seriously, the panel just skips from Archie thinking about Jughead's proposal to the two in a car going to the cottage. I kid, Archie's shift probably ended right around that time.

In any case, the scene does reaffirm two main staples in the Archie canon. Firstly, Ginger Lopez, one of the few Spanish-American characters, is shown at the pool, being annoyed by Archie's girl-crazy behavior. Secondly, Jughead claims that he got the fake moles from his Uncle Herman's joke shop. Uncle Herman is a prankster, as well as a recurring character in a similar series of stories published by Archie Comics, That Wilkin Boy. The series was in no way an attempt to recreate the standard Archie formula, including the Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle and The Archies. Perish the thought!

See? It's just a band made out of teenagers that happen to be named after the main character!

Of course, this can't be a proper story without some kind of conflict. It turns out that the suspiciously empty cottage is right next to the lake, where Reggie is attending the Mantle family reunion.

You have entered a world full of narcissism, self-delusion, and all-around jerkiness. Welcome to...The Reggie Zone.

Oh, you don't think it's bad? Trust me, it's bad. An entire montage ensues of Archie and Jughead trying to relax while literally every member of the Mantle clan bullies them.

I hereby dub this strange Popeye lookalike "Old MANtle."

The duo eventually give up trying to ignore the Mantle's shenanigans and go off into the woods to get to Camp Lucey. Unfortunately, they promptly get lost. In a surprisingly dramatic turn, Jughead finally takes a good look at the map and discovers that Camp Lucey is, in fact, an all-girls camp. Archie was manipulating him in order to creepily spy on girls.

The following argument over Archie's actions has a surprising amount of depth to it. Along with referencing Betty's crusade to save the forest (as mentioned in the very first issue), it also has Jughead deconstructing Archie Comics.

It's a strong moment, one that unfortunately won't be resolved until the next issue. They were so busy hiking and arguing that they lost track of time. Jughead has no cell reception; they're completely lost, and both injured from a small scuffle. To make matters worse, the final page reveals that a bear is standing right behind them. 'To be continued', indeed.

Jughead #7 is a great issue. Chip Zdarsky's writing skills continue to be strong, while new artist Derek Charm does a good job of capturing Riverdale's quirky characters. His depiction of the bear at the end is chilling, especially with the gloomy backdrop. I'll miss Erica Henderson's artwork, but he is a worthy successor. What are you waiting for? Go, go, go! Get the issue!

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.

Jughead #6 Review

Previously on...Jughead!

-Riverdale High has a new principal, Mr. Stanger, who immediately takes a dislike to Jughead and his lackadaisical ways. He even frames him by planting a knife in his locker. With some help from his pop, Jughead gets back into school, but it’s still dangerous.

-Principal Stanger’s other actions include hiring outrageously strict teachers, establishing a new athletics policy, drastically changing the school’s menu, and instituting some disconcerting new teaching practices.

-Said practices include building drones and hacking. This makes Jughead come to the conclusion that the principal is a spy. He gets Dilton to implement some spying technology on Stanger’s computer, but Stanger figures it out and sends a message to the gang, saying “HELLO, MR. JONES.”

-After doing some on-location research with a key witness, Jughead believes that after the school year’s Halloween dance, every single student will end up in a mysterious military division.

-The previous development also included a homage to a classic Betty & Veronica story where the gang met gender-flipped versions of themselves in Sunnydale. The modern version is even more hysterical, especially when they actually acknowledge the contrived weirdness. Well, some of them. Reggie just makes out with his alternate counterpart, Regina. I hope it wasn't an alternate version of his cousin.

-Despite being more lighthearted than the previous issues, it ends with the biggest cliffhanger yet. Somehow, Principal Stanger manages to shut down Pop’s Choklit Shoppe. This leads to a positively heartbreaking moment. Jughead, fully defeated by Stanger’s nefarious actions, starts crying and walks away, somberly declaring that Stanger wins.

-In every issue, Jughead falls asleep or gets knocked out, leading to dream sequences that either parody modern pop culture (i.e. Game of Thrones) or update classic Jughead series from the past. Yeah, for some reason, Archie Comics Publications really liked making Jughead go on wacky adventures. He ran a diner, became a member of the ‘Time Police’, and even turned into a computer program. Maybe. I can’t find any panels, but “Snax Headjug” does exist. If they don’t show weird Jughead tales from the past, then they parody old Archie stories, such as the universe where they’re all superheroes or agents of R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.

And now...the shocking conclusion!

Jughead #6 serves as the finale to the Principal Stranger storyline, as well as the final issue drawn by Erica Henderson. I’m going to miss her artistic style; it really helped to accentuate Chip’s humor with bizarre facial expressions and background gags. As for the finale, it wraps everything up nicely. The plan to expose Stranger’s machinations is fairly clever, if slightly implausible.

If I had to come up with any flaws in the comic, it would be the foreshadowing and characterization. Certain parts of the brainwashing gradually get less and less subtle, such as a party banner outright revealing Stanger’s ultimate plan. I realize that it was meant to be a joke, but I feel that in this case, less is more. Secondly, Moose Mason seems to be even less intelligent in this issue, even speaking in the third person at several points. The brainwashing serves as an in-universe explanation, but it still didn’t feel right.

Moose is meant to be a slightly more self-aware and evolved version of the ‘dumb jock’ stereotype. At the best of times, he knows that he’s not the brightest, but he does his best. At the worst of times, how he’s in the same year as the other characters boggles the mind. Several memorable storylines have revolved around him having dyslexia and doing his best to succeed. Continuity in the Archie universe is lax, to put it charitably, but several writers have been trying to do a better job of portraying him in recent years. I do know that this is a reboot and that it’s a partial parody of the Archie universe, but I feel that the character deserves better.

Despite my concerns, Jughead #6 is a fantastic comic. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next issue. Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson are a superb team. Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.

'Jughead' Will Be Getting A Magical Change

Today, Archie Comics announced that beginning with the ninth issue Jughead, the series will undergo a creative change. Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson will be leaving the comic in favor of Ryan North and Derek Charm. I suppose this makes sense, as Chip Zdarsky has a lot on his plate, but it still comes as a blow to me. However, I trust that Ryan will do a good job with writing solo stories about Jughead, seeing as he’s been so competent with the main Archie title.

You might recognize Ryan North from, obviously, the main Archie reboot, but also Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and certain Adventure Time comics. As for Derek Charm, he has worked on Powerpuff Girls, Regular Show, Uncle Scrooge, and a host of other nostalgic and contemporary properties. I am still learning about what I find to be good and bad in comic book art but, judging from some preview art on his Tumblr, I have no worries about his artistic prowess.

In terms of the actual storyline, classic character Sabrina Spellman, formerly of the ‘Sabrina The Teenage Witch’ comic, will be guest-starring in the issue. As far as I know, it will be unrelated to The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, a different reboot in the line of “Archie Horror” comics. I am pretty excited for this new change, with only one worry. In a statement last February, Chip Zdarsky officially put in the comic that Jughead identifies as being ‘asexual.’ I have a nagging worry in the back of my head that there will be a romantic plot involving Jughead and Sabrina. I would not enjoy that if it comes to pass. Firstly, it would feel disrespectful to both the character and the asexual fans of the character who are happy to have representation in an outright manner. Secondly, and this is more personal, I have always felt that the best Jughead stories are the ones that deal with his personality quirks and hobbies. Having Sabrina, a magic user, interact with him has a wealth of potential for comical situations.

According to a Twitter post, he has no plans to ‘retcon’ the character, instead opting to tell ‘magical burger stories.’ Most likely, I have nothing to worry about, but I still feel anxious. This can be attributed to the change. When I see a preview of the official story, my worries will be assuaged. For now, I’ll enjoy the remaining issues of Chip’s run.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or the Harry Potter books.