Posted in: Comics, Opinion, Review | Tagged: archie, archie comics, kids comic books, New Comic Books, The New Archies

The New Archies is a Delightful Blast From the Past

Published Thu, 02 Apr 2020 18:30:31 -0500

Somewhere between Little Archie and Archie is The New Archies. In 1987 we got a 13 episode show by the same name, as well as a comic that went alongside the cartoon.

This graphic novel features several issues from both The New Archies comic series as well as the digests. This is not a complete collection — though you can easily find the full run of single issues inside back issue bins. Yet despite that, this is a great way to get your The New Archie's fix without searching the world for single issues.

There are some excellent stories in this book. The New Archie's was a fun series. While I don't think it had the impact that it should have had, it's still an important part of Archie history. There are some slight changes — Dilton is not a character (instead we have a brainy kid named Eugene), Jughead's iconic beanie is purple, and Veronica is wearing an awful giant bow — but it still captures the heart and imagination that only Archie Comics knows how.

My personal favorite story in this book is Wrestle-Maniac, from The New Archies Digest Magazine #3, October 1988. When Archie and Jughead try to get Reggie involved in a gym class basketball session, Reggie scoffs at them. But when Coach Kleats comes in and recruits Reggie for the school's wrestling team, his tone changes. Reggie has a plan! The plan backfires, but it's a cute and fun story.

Every story in here is imaginative and fun. There's plenty of stories to fully develop each character in this world, including one-page gag stories. We even get introduced to Ms. Grundy's brother, Wally. Will Wally make a comeback in future Archie books? We can only hope.

This is another excellent addition to your Archie Comic library. You can order it from your local comic book store, or from the Archie website.

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