Riverdale goes Breakfast Club as the infamous teens are stuck in detention after a massive food fight. I found Riverdale #2 to be a breath of fresh air compared to the hot mess that is Riverdale the tv show. It’s difficult not to compare the two since the writer said themselves that these two (show and comic) are meant to go hand in hand.
I found the story to be original and satisfying. It truly does deliver in terms of bringing more character to the characters in between episodes. There is even several lines hinting that Jughead likes Betty (something that didn’t come into the show when that relationship was forced on us) and I like that these writers are taking the time to get a few things right. It makes me feel as though they have been reading my reviews or listening to my Riverdale podcast (AV CLUB with Lian and Aleece) and taking into account everything I’ve been frustrated about.
I’d also like to take a moment to point out and appreciate the tone of characters being written well to match with their television personas. In this issue we see a lot of Jughead’s dark humor and I could hear it in Cole Sprouse’s voice just like I would on the show.
While minimal, Mr. Weatherbee, Melody, Ginger, and Tina all have lines, and this makes my heart happy. I have even more hope than ever that each of these previously ignored characters will get even larger roles in the future, in both the show, and the comic. Bringing recognition to the people of color in the cast shouldn’t be an issue but it has been and I feel as though the writers here are on the right track.
My only concern was, where is Kevin in this piece? If the writers bring in a solid Kevin/Joaquin storyline, even a simple first date, they will truly win over my heart. If you’ve been watching the show you know he’s only had an implied storyline (meaning they don’t show us the development of his new relationship). So let’s just see if these writers really are reading my reviews and will give me what I’m looking for in future issues.
Script: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Murray, Daniel King
Art: Joe Eisma, Thomas Pitilli, Andre Szymanowicz, John Workman
Story: 10 Art: 6 Recommendation: Buy
Archie Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
