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I've finally got the time to start reading comics again.
Archie's Double Digest no. 8
by various
Like any anthology, you've got to take the bad with the good in this 256 page giant. In this case, we start off with the mediocre, and a story called Ear Today and Gone Tomorrow. Not much to recommend this one, with its stock poses and cluttered composition. It especially suffers in comparison, as the next story, Cover Up, is by my favourite Archie artist, Harry Lucey. It may come as a shock that I don't rank Dan Decarlo in this position, considering his reknown as the greatest of the Archie bullpen, but not only do I prefer Lucey, but I also favour Bob Montana and Samm Scwartz over Decarlo.
Anyway, Cover Up concerns Betty and Veronica's plot to turn Archie off from fishing so that he can lavish more attention on them. Never big on subtlety, their plan involves getting Veronica naked. The posing is fantastic, Lucey's hand gestures especially. He uses alot of great negative space and sense of depth, and, like Noel Sickles, he isn't afraid to make the figures really small because they already read so well. Also, that big, thick line he uses to give the cast a slick, chunky look makes him my favourite of the bunch.
This is followed up by a decent Gag Bag starring Jughead, by Bob Montana, I think. Then yet another Harry Lucey outing, called Captain Kidder. The story, about the search for buried treasure, doesn't have the panache of his previous entry, but he more than makes up for it with his art.
Heat Rave, about the kids horsing around with a hose and accidentally fooling Mr. Lodge into believing it's raining outside, falls somewhere between the first and second stories, not embarrassing itself, but not raising the bar, either. The second Gag Bag is one of the best I've ever read, with a four-panel battle of wits between Jughead, a lifeguard and a balloon. Two more gags after that which are nothing to write home about, though I liked Veronica's hair. Very Lois Lane.
Going Steady is the first Decarlo piece. It's always nice to see a story that takes two characters that don't normally interact that often by themselves and see what kind of conflict starts up. In this case, it's the unlikely duo of Veronica and Jughead. Mr. Lodge has decided that in order to improve her grades, his daughter can only date one, non-disruptive boy. Enter Jughead, who agrees to be Veronica's boyfriend on condition of full access to the Lodge pantry. It's gluttony vs. misogyny, and a sharp outfit worn by Veronica, in five concise pages.
One of the worst of many horrible features in the Archie series is the inclusion of lame illustrated puns based on themes, usually sports. Bowling Tips for Girl Bowlers is embarassing.
The Gag Bags are better than usual in this digest. Too bad my enjoyment has to be ruined by a Lil' Jinx story, Sell Me, Pretty Maiden. What a travesty. I've tried dozens of times to make it through even one of these lame ass filler pieces. Where Archie stories tend to run at breakneck speed, Lil' Jinx makes time stand still.
Old Tricks continues the time-honoured Archie/Reggie rivalry, but like the title says, it doesn't really add anything new. What this story needs is for the two characters to tie pizza boxes to their heads. By mentioning that Reggie laid a trap for Archie that would have permanently crippled him, I hope I don't give the impression that this is better than it is.
The next Gag Bag is another winner, ending on a deeply philosophical crossroad in Jughead's life. Smack! Smack! is another Decarlo selection, and at this rate, I may have to place him higher on my list. All the action takes place on one piece of sidewalk, yet Decarlo manages on making it packed with action, with the second most forceful kiss I've ever seen in an Archie comic, as well as three of Archie's best friends giving him a shitkicking. Classic intro, and a wonderful mod dress on Veronica.
I think you've all suffered enough for now. |
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