Title: Archie in Hell # 1
Publisher: Archie Coimics/Oni Press
Writer: Patrick Horvath
Artist: Tyler Crook
Colors by: Francesco Segala
Cover: Tyler Crook
Variant Covers: Patrick Horvath, Kano, Mirka Andolfo
Price: $ 4.99 US
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Website: www.archiecomics.com , www.onipress.com
Comments: Archie Andrews is a selfless, caring teenager who loves helping others in need. He is just your average teen, and yes, he has a date with both Betty and Veronica at the movies. Two teen girls on the same night? That could certainly be trouble.
But Archie’s evening is about to become much worse.
A cult needs a sacrifice, and they are looking for someone they consider righteous. Their choice? One teenage boy with red hair. Archie suddenly finds himself facing death, or perhaps something even worse, and it is up to his friends to save him.
From there, the story brings in time travel and dimensional hopping, making things increasingly complicated for Archie and his friends.
Archie’s friends are understandably concerned when he goes missing. Archie himself is also concerned for his life, but unfortunately, the emotions surrounding the situation are largely played down. What should feel frightening and desperate instead comes across as strangely casual.
The story eventually takes a completely different turn, and this is where things really begin to lose me. The cult appears to be heading in one direction, only to suddenly become something completely different. The change feels abrupt and doesn’t really make sense within the story that had been developing.
The artwork doesn’t help much either. The style is very plain, and there isn’t much that stands out visually. The main characters are drawn as ordinary-looking teenagers, which is fine for a traditional Archie story, but here it works against the horror elements. Even Sabrina and her aunts look fairly ordinary. When magic is being used, it doesn’t feel particularly magical or extraordinary. Everything is presented almost as if it is completely normal.
Archie does begin an adventure, or perhaps a nightmare, but it is told with such a matter-of-fact tone that it often feels like he is simply out for a walk rather than facing something terrifying.
And that’s ultimately the biggest problem I had with the story. The premise promises cults, sacrifice, magic, time travel, dimensional hopping, and Archie Andrews facing death. There is plenty here that could have made for a genuinely thrilling and creepy adventure.
Unfortunately, the thrills and chills are mostly missing.
The story has an interesting premise, but the execution never gives the danger the emotional weight it needs. Archie is supposed to be facing a nightmare, yet the story rarely feels like one.
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