[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Frank Tieri

Artists: Pat and Tim Kennedy and Joe Eisma

Colors: Lee Loughridge

Letters: Jack Morelli

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

Jughead: The Hunger vs Vampironica #5: Jughead Jones from his werewolf timeline and Veronica Lodge from her vampire timeline have met!  And they actually have hit it off pretty well!  That is a good thing as it will take both of them to restore realities balance as the Anti-Christ’s daughter, Jinx Holliday, has set all the timelines out of balance reading from the Book of Lucifer!  However, Sabrina Spellman has tasked Archie and his friends with finding a spell book located at Riverdale High which will aid her in casting a spell to set things right again.  Betty, along with her fellow werewolf hunting cousin, Bo, are in for more action as a pack of vampires are not so keen on all of this mayhem ending.

It’s Archie and his friends as you have never seen them in the conclusion of Jughead the Hunger versus Vampironica!

Positives

This is the conclusion of writer Frank Tieri’s amazing retelling combining of a LOT of Archie timelines to acknowledge the history that Archie writers have provided audiences.  It also turns the corner to acknowledge some old versions of Famous Monster magazines and Vampirella  that older readers may be longing for as DC has been acknowledging the Monster City within Gotham City.  And Archie comics, along with Scooby Doo Apocalypse, has been turning to a darker version of Riverdale.

A battle for Riverdale in Riverdale High…just what a good Stephen King book would order.  And Tieri doesn’t disappoint with Veronica getting to know she was descended from a long line of sadistic vampires.  A spell book for Sabrina and Jughead gets to play the handsome hero.  Archie may not like this timeline, but it works for this reviewer!

I hope Tieri will maintain this combination of a werewolf, vampire and witch story.  I am not sure how Archie really fits in as he seems to be the one who has no powers to rely upon.  Maybe he is the moral compass, but Tieri really turns him into an obnoxious Reggie in this final one.

Negatives

The events in this comic erase some elements to give forth a Marvel feel of when Thanos snapped his fingers.  It’s a good method to give writers and characters a break, and to start a new.  It’s a common writer tool and it might help this franchise even more as Jughead, Betty, and Archie are missing now.  And Pops is not looking so good behind the counter of his soda shop!

Verdict

As I have read Famous Monsters and Vampirella and I have also read Archie in the past, I never thought those worlds would collide.  However, here we are with Jughead: The Hunger vs Vampironica #5 and it’s not a bad taste in the mouth.  At first, I thought it would be ketchup and ice cream – two great things that have no business being together.  But actually, this works really well!  And I hope Tieri keeps pumping these out as its time for Archie to hit more of a mainstream in both mystery and horror!

The post Archie Comics Review: Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #5 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Frank Tieri

Artists: Pat and Tim Kennedy and Joe Eisma

Colors: Lee Loughridge

Letters: Jack Morelli

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

Jughead and Vampironica now know how to set their respective realities right thanks to a most unexpected guest star—and the solution involves the very haunted history of Riverdale itself! The question is, have they bitten off more than they can chew (pun intended) as the newly arrived hordes of vampires try to end them both?

Positives

Writer Frank Tieri does an exemplary job of framing this issue of Jughead:  The Hunger versus Vampironica.  Older fans of Archie will remember classic tales of Archie and his back and forth romances between Veronica and Betty with Jughead, Moose, and Reggie rounding out the “gang”.  Simple stories with moral tales on good behavior.  And with all rebooting, especially given the recent Riverdale series, we now have Jughead as a werewolf and Veronica as Vampironica.  Older fans will remember magazines such as Famous Monster magazine and Vampirella 

We now see that Archie has embraced that genre and has done it surprisingly well!  I like the fact that Sabrina (Spoiler Alert) is there to alert this version of Archie, Jughead, Veronica and Betty that there are “other worlds than these” and artists Pat and Tim Kennedy provide a glimpse of all the old Archie incarnations that readers used to pick up at Drug Store comic racks.  But Sabrina places these four in a combat position of having to battle Satan and Jinx (Satan’s daughter and the Anti-Christ)!

Wow!  Were we not simply attending Riverdale High and deciding what type of milkshake we were going to order at Pop’s Soda Fountain.  This escalated quickly!

However, this format works.  We all love an alternate reality and Tieri doubles down on the memories of the old fans while creating new conundrums for this gang!  It’s not Scooby-Doo.  It’s much richer!

Negatives

As with anything these days, the multiverse story line can be played out!  However, this one should be tried as the writing is strong and the premise looks to reward in further issues.  I did not enjoy switching artists midway in the book.  That is too abrupt!  Give Joe Eisma his own issue, if needed, but stay constant in the pencilling!  It was a distraction to this reviewer!

Bo Cooper…”I’ll pump you full of silver!”  C’mon…not sure where this fits into Betty’s canon, but I guess we will allow the gun toting “Yosimite Sam” zombie killer into the ring!

Verdict

As I have read Famous Monsters and Vampirella and I have also read Archie in the past, I never thought those worlds would collide.  However, here we are and it’s not a bad taste in the mouth.  At first, I thought it would be ketchup and ice cream – two great things that have no business being together.  But actually, this works really well!  So buckle up with a rocky road milk shake…Jughead may need a future flea collar. Definitely put this on your purchase list!  And grab some back issues if you can!

The post Archie Comics Review: Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.