Last month, we were introduced to the world of Afterlife with Archie, and man was it disturbing. This month, with the setup out of the way, we get to find out when a zombie Jughead crashes the prom, along with a couple of vignettes that show this is decidedly not the Riverdale you know and love (if the walking undead were not enough of an indicator).
This issue is framed by Veronica telling her father, Mr. Lodge, about the aftermath of Jughead’s rampage at prom. At first, everyone thinks Jug just has an incredible costume, but once he takes a big bite out of Big Ethel, and when Principal Weatherbee and Ms. Grundy arrive as a result of Jughead’s attack last issue, all hell breaks loose.
Last issue, I commented on how the situation feels like a horror movie. That holds even truer this issue, with the teens banding together to protect each other from unspeakable horror. Time will tell if things play out as expected and the gang will be picked off one by one.
It’s not all cliché though. the Archie characters still shine through and their various personalities and interactions make this more than your run of the mill slasher story. Archie takes point, as you might expect, and Reggie seems to be coming to the realization that the outbreak is indirectly his fault. The gang also takes steps to secure their former chow hound of a friend to prevent further carnage.
There is evidence that we may not be dealing with normal zombies here, either. The way zombie Jughead lunges at Veronica for instance, reflects the fact that they weren’t very friendly to begin with pre-outbreak. It remains to be seen if that means Riverdale zombies retain some semblance of intelligence or not, but finding out makes for a comelling read.
In general, the story and art are still amazing, the full page shot of Ethel’s final moments as a human are stunning. I still have a little bit of a problem with the blood splatter effect, but at least this issue they take a bit more care to not interfere with Francavilla’s art.
Another great thing about this issue is the 6-page story The Cat, originally published in the 70’s and previously thopught lost. It’s a nice double dose of horror, and it adds a nice heft to the book without sacrficing the main story or increasing the price. If we continue to get more from Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, I wholeheatedly approve.
Now that I have the praise out of the way, I wanted to talk about the interludes in this issue. At the beginning of the issue, we get a scene between Jason and Cheryl Blossom, which plays up a possible incestuous relationship which has never really been hinted at except in fan circles. Later on, we have Ginger Lopez and Nancy Woods arguing over their closeted lesbian relationship. To me, it comes off as a forced attempt to be “edgy” rather than actual character development.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no porblem with diversity in comics, and Archie has been on the forefront in the past, but this doesn’t seem the same to me. Just because this is a Teen + or “Adult” comic doesn’t mean you have to have this sort of thing tacked on. The argument could be made that this is an alternate vision of the Archie world, but everyone else’s character is consistent with their “normal” counterparts. In the long run, it may not even matter, as they could all end up zombie food in an issue or two!
Regardless, aside from those idetails (and the fact that the next issue won’t be out until January), Afterlife With Archie #2 is still well worth your time, check it out if you’re so inclined.