Jughead #3 mixes a little bit of sad and little bit of surreal pop culture homage/parody/tribute/however the hell you want to read it with a whole lot of funny as Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson put the whole town of Riverdale to work as the series’ plot gets just a tad weirder. Also, Jonesy should get his own spinoff one-shot or miniseries.
Jughead #2 is yet another silly, sarcastic entry in writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Erica Henderson’s surreal, slice of life series starring the Riverdale’s most non-conforming conforming teenager. This issue shows Jughead’s basically superpower of being able to skirt by the rules without breaking from getting free milkshakes from Pop’s to even avoiding detention for the most part under the draconian rule of Principal Stanger. He even has a cheat code that hacks P.E. class, but Zdarsky and Henderson bring an end to his good luck with a dark and compelling cliffhanger.
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 is shining example of visual comedy through facial reactions and beat panels from Erica Henderson, and she continues to draw the cast of the book with real human proportions even if they live in essentially a cartoon physics world where Dorreen tucking her tail in her pants to give herself a “rad badonk” is enough to conceal her secret identity. She and Ryan North continues to make jokes at the expense of the Marvel Universe while developing and expanding Squirrel Girl’s supporting cast while continuing to make Unbeatable Squirrel Girl the bright center of fun in the Marvel Universe.
Erica Henderson and Chip Zdarsky’s incarnation of this classic Archie book launches the titular sidekick as the most unlikely of heroes. Zdarsky revives Archie’s sarcastic, egocentric best friend with his distinct brand of petulant humor. Though it may be classified as a ‘kids’ comic, Jughead potentially offers the most enjoyment for a different demographic. That is not to say Jughead lacks the intrinsic, whimsical joy found in other Archie books. Rather, Zdarsky’s not-so-subtle allusions are simply more likely to be appreciated by an audience familiar with mature pop-culture content.
As comic book readership becomes ever more aware of problems within popular media, it’s been harder and harder to find a book that isn’t problematic. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s ongoing independent book,Bitch Planet, is a gem in the slowly improving realm of comic books and geek culture.
Bravest Warriors: Paralyzed Horse Giant “Jellyfish Beach”: Written by James Tynion IV and Illustrated by Erica Henderson “Flies”: Written and Illustrated by Kat Leyh “Got Your Back”: Written and Illustrated by Tessa Stone “Paralyzed With Hunger”: Written and Illustrated by Pranas T. Naujokaitis “Outside the Realm of Time”: Written by Mairghread Scott and Illustrated by …