ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1 (ERIC POWELL VARIANT COVER)
Archie and the gang have been in quite a few adventures, including being turned into zombies, and for this latest romp they crossover to Dark Horse Comics and meet up with Predator. Yeah, Predator, as in “Alien vs. Predator.” As farfetched as this team-up might seem, the Archie magic makes it work as this first issue of a four-issue arc, demonstrates. It’s a mashup, folks, and nothing wrong with that.
Overall, it’s good fun. The script, by Alex de Campi (Grindhouse, My Little Pony), is amusing and keeps up a good pace. The artwork is pretty spot on for Archie fare. In general, over the years, I think the characters have been kept away from mothballs to an impressive degree. In fact, there’s no need for mothballs at all.
I sometimes wonder if, for each new event that is created to stir the pot, if the Archie gang loses something. I mean, after all, they are already iconic, and quite elastic, characters in their own right. Adventures right in Riverdale are playing to their strengths. Well, perhaps that’s why all roads eventually lead back to the gang’s hometown. And speaking of elastic characters, the art team here does keep everything Archie fresh: pencils by Fernando Ruiz; inks by Rich Koslowski; and colors by Jason Millet.
As the promotions to this comic state, Predator is “in Riverdale with a few days to kill!” Yes, and the key thing here is that he’s in Riverdale. Perhaps this meeting of Archie and Predator will be like that Brady Bunch episode when the Brady family goes on an exotic tropical vacation and brings home a voodoo doll. Nothing like a home-court advantage.
ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #1 is available as of April 15. For more details, visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.
