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verns's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
citizenskein's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookdingo's review
5.0
I live for any scenes with Jughead and Jellybean, and even as ghosts, they're the most charming siblings in comics.
angrygreycatreads's review
4.0
Undead with Archie Vol. 8 is part of a series that I am reading based on the Archie comics of my youth. I really appreciate the combination of nostalgia from my youth and zombies. It is very well done and the artwork is compatible with the originals but with an updated feel. In this edition, Archie contemplates the events so far in their escape from Riverdale as the survivors attempt to celebrate Christmas. I am definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Any adult fans of the original Archie comics and The Walking Dead should give these a try.
ryneb's review
4.0
The zombie threat has dissipated in Afterlife with Archie #8, but Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is sticking with the theme of the afterlife in different ways. Now that the Riverdale group has found an abandoned hotel, they’re given a chance to hunker down during the winter; set during Christmastime, this issue brings up the ghosts of the past during a holiday known for its spirits by referencing multiple horror movies with similar themes and taking a cue from The Shining as well. Zombies don’t always have to be the main idea for Afterlife with Archie, and this issue proves that the supernatural leanings of this series can succeed without any undead making an appearance.
Issue #8 picks up after some passage of time from #7, necessitating Archie’s dialogue with a ghost Jughead as a bartender at the hotel. Here are those Shining connections, with subtle changes for the Archie universe – instead of beer or alcohol, it’s root beer that Archie’s drinking. And though the conversation about root beer is really just throwaway dialogue, Aguirre-Sacasa still manages to highlight the stresses of Archie’s life without needing to confront the topic head-on by showing Archie asking for a root beer float; despite all of the struggles that Archie alludes to in the past as he discusses it with Jughead, there’s still that younger boy inside that wants the comfort of a root beer float and the support of his mother.
Afterlife with Archie #8 is more concerned with the past than it is the present, and this requires a bit of exposition to get things across. But Aguirre-Sacasa does it in an ingenious way; by allowing Jughead to come back, whether in the imagination of Archie or as a real ghost (as is hinted at), Afterlife with Archie is given the chance to rekindle the friendship between the two main players of the Archie series, something that the initial arc of this tale never got to have. Archie and Jughead have a comfortable rapport with each other, and their conversation not only delivers past events like Archie’s step up to power over Hiram Lodge during a vote whether to keep Cheryl Blossom or kick her out of the group, it also gives Aguirre-Sacasa room to develop a relationship that the reader technically hasn’t seen between two best friends.
This issue also develops a few of the other characters that we rarely get to see. Hiram becomes the antagonist of the group when he argues against keeping Cheryl Blossom, labeling her a murderer with the only evidence to prove that some blood after she returns without her brother. At the same time, Aguirre-Sacasa shows that the Riverdale group is more divided than ever before – there’s always been opposition and bullying, but in this issue, there’s clear dissent about what to do in this situation. Archie ends up winning out, and becoming the unannounced leader of the group in the process, but the weight of that is definitely taking its toll.
There’s another twist to Afterlife as well, that of a curse that seems to affect every generation of Riverdale residents’ families. Archie’s mother gives him this news, a revelation that indicates maybe Archie was right to move the group from Riverdale elsewhere. It’s supposed to make Archie feel better, and in a way it does; but it also hints at the sinister undercurrent between Riverdale and Greendale (where Sabrina and the witches live) that exposes there was always dark workings underneath the facade of normalcy. Aguirre-Sacasa has been working these grim details into the story for some time now, and Afterlife with Archie #8 again spins a much darker tale in direct opposition to the happy-go-lucky stories Archie is known for.
This is an overstuffed issue of Afterlife, full to the brim with development thanks to both the flashbacks and the final twist where Archie makes a decision. I really want to discuss this because there are all kinds of implications for Archie here, but at the same time I’d rather leave it for another issue where the reveal isn’t so fresh, so that the event isn’t spoiled for readers who aren’t caught up. Even with all of this, though, this is a much slower issue for the series; it doesn’t have the horror events of earlier books, and instead relies on quite a bit of dialogue to get things moving. It’s one of the only flaws in an otherwise excellent read. I can’t forget to talk about Francesco Francavilla’s artwork, which continues to amaze, especially during season changes; this one combines the orangish-red hues of the earlier arcs with a blue tint of winter, another fantastic choice for an eerie Christmas-themed ghost story.
Originally published on TheMoonisaDeadWorld.net
Issue #8 picks up after some passage of time from #7, necessitating Archie’s dialogue with a ghost Jughead as a bartender at the hotel. Here are those Shining connections, with subtle changes for the Archie universe – instead of beer or alcohol, it’s root beer that Archie’s drinking. And though the conversation about root beer is really just throwaway dialogue, Aguirre-Sacasa still manages to highlight the stresses of Archie’s life without needing to confront the topic head-on by showing Archie asking for a root beer float; despite all of the struggles that Archie alludes to in the past as he discusses it with Jughead, there’s still that younger boy inside that wants the comfort of a root beer float and the support of his mother.
Afterlife with Archie #8 is more concerned with the past than it is the present, and this requires a bit of exposition to get things across. But Aguirre-Sacasa does it in an ingenious way; by allowing Jughead to come back, whether in the imagination of Archie or as a real ghost (as is hinted at), Afterlife with Archie is given the chance to rekindle the friendship between the two main players of the Archie series, something that the initial arc of this tale never got to have. Archie and Jughead have a comfortable rapport with each other, and their conversation not only delivers past events like Archie’s step up to power over Hiram Lodge during a vote whether to keep Cheryl Blossom or kick her out of the group, it also gives Aguirre-Sacasa room to develop a relationship that the reader technically hasn’t seen between two best friends.
This issue also develops a few of the other characters that we rarely get to see. Hiram becomes the antagonist of the group when he argues against keeping Cheryl Blossom, labeling her a murderer with the only evidence to prove that some blood after she returns without her brother. At the same time, Aguirre-Sacasa shows that the Riverdale group is more divided than ever before – there’s always been opposition and bullying, but in this issue, there’s clear dissent about what to do in this situation. Archie ends up winning out, and becoming the unannounced leader of the group in the process, but the weight of that is definitely taking its toll.
There’s another twist to Afterlife as well, that of a curse that seems to affect every generation of Riverdale residents’ families. Archie’s mother gives him this news, a revelation that indicates maybe Archie was right to move the group from Riverdale elsewhere. It’s supposed to make Archie feel better, and in a way it does; but it also hints at the sinister undercurrent between Riverdale and Greendale (where Sabrina and the witches live) that exposes there was always dark workings underneath the facade of normalcy. Aguirre-Sacasa has been working these grim details into the story for some time now, and Afterlife with Archie #8 again spins a much darker tale in direct opposition to the happy-go-lucky stories Archie is known for.
This is an overstuffed issue of Afterlife, full to the brim with development thanks to both the flashbacks and the final twist where Archie makes a decision. I really want to discuss this because there are all kinds of implications for Archie here, but at the same time I’d rather leave it for another issue where the reveal isn’t so fresh, so that the event isn’t spoiled for readers who aren’t caught up. Even with all of this, though, this is a much slower issue for the series; it doesn’t have the horror events of earlier books, and instead relies on quite a bit of dialogue to get things moving. It’s one of the only flaws in an otherwise excellent read. I can’t forget to talk about Francesco Francavilla’s artwork, which continues to amaze, especially during season changes; this one combines the orangish-red hues of the earlier arcs with a blue tint of winter, another fantastic choice for an eerie Christmas-themed ghost story.
Originally published on TheMoonisaDeadWorld.net
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