Warning: this review contains spoilers
Archie finally picks between Betty and Veronica once and for all in Archie: The Decision. (Or am I lying for clout/clickbait?) Tom King, Dan Parent, Bob Smith, and Rosario Peña turn in a perfectly okay classic, standalone Archie story where Archie flips a coin to choose between Betty and Veronica once and for all, and he, Jughead, and virtually every character to appear in an Archie comic run after it to see what it lands on. Basically, this love triangle is what’s keeping this fictional universe together, and if the redhead with cross hatching on his hairline was ever to decide, it would cease to exist along with the Peanuts universe where Charlie Brown nails a 50 yard field goal to win the game of comics.
King doing an Archie comic might be the draw for most folks, but Parent is the true star of this issue. He’s not new to this kind of story having worked on the “Love Showdown” back in 1994 when Archie chose Cheryl Blossom over Betty and Veronica. Dan Parent is also the creator of Kevin Keller, the first gay Archie Comics character, and he’s kept the iconic Archie house style alive well into the 21st century. Him getting to draw basically every Archie character ever reacting to their universe’s protagonist’s shenanigans is like the slice of life romance equivalent of George Perez on JLA/Avengers. Parent and Tom King bring out folks that will have you scouring the Wikis or scratching your brain to remember what Riverdale Season 4 episode they appeared on. Visually, Dan Parent draw them in a unique yet consistent way with Smith and Peña nailing the little details like the Blossoms’ hair being just a shade different from Archie’s, or the disdain, yet curiosity that the adults in this universe have for what’s going on.
Except for a reference to Soren Kierkegaard towards the end of the comic, Archie: The Decision doesn’t even seem like a comic written by Tom King, but just basically a stadium rock style version of any Archie/Betty/Veronica/Jughead-centric comic you’d read in a digest from the supermarket. (Hence, Dan Parent doing the art instead of someone like Mitch Gerads.) It’s like the Arctic Monkeys taking a break from their slowed down piano shite to do an album of standards, which would actually be a cool thing. I love the little grace notes he gives the tertiary characters like Melody (In full-throated Tara Reid form.) from Josie eagerly wanted to see the result of the coin toss, or the sassy dialogue for Salem in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch phase. He doesn’t do anything new with the Archie characters, but basically does the comic book equivalent of following the instructions to build the Lego kit.
Archie: The Decision is a love letter to the most enduring love triangle ever. Betty and Veronica are brilliant, but Archie is just Archie. He’s the archetype of mediocre white guy who gets pushed on us decade after decade like Mario or Glen Powell. At least, Jughead has that freak factor. For the most part, King and Parent eschew any kind of modern elements like contemporary references or psychological depth and tell a straightforward Archie yarn for better or worse. Probably better because Dan Parent’s modernization of the Dan DeCarlo Archie art style is pop storytelling at its finest hitting like a hand-drawn Disney film or an upbeat, synth-driven New wave single. I definitely prefer “Love Showdown” to “The Decision” though.
Story: Tom King Pencils: Dan Parent
Inks: Bob Smith Colors: Rosario Peña Letters: Jack Morelli
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.5 Verdict: Read
Archie Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
