Archie Comics Review: World of Archie Comics Double Digest #104
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Dan Parent
Art:Â Dan Parent & Bob Smith
Colors:Â Glenn Whitmore
Letters:Â Jack Morelli
Reviewed by:Â Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
It’s Christmas at Pop’s Chok’lit Shoppe…so what’s the real story behind the mysterious Christmas Tree Ornament? Betty? Veronica? Jughead? Chuck?
Positives
It’s great that Archie Comics still produces new material in the classic format. As good as the current Archie is, there will always be a place for the classic approach to these characters. Who doesn’t enjoy a laugh and a smile? Â
It’s a classic case of misremembering in the lead story to World of Archie Comics Double Digest #104. Each member of the gang has a different memory of creating the special ornament for Pop. As the story unfolds, we get a number accounts of the creation of the ornament. Parent channels each character’s perspective masterfully!Â
Even though, this is a short humor feature, Parent understands the importance of focusing on character, be it Betty, Veronica or Chuck. While it’s the ending that makes us laugh, it’s the characters that draw us in. This isn’t the Twin Peaks Riverdale of the current television show, but the jovial town and inhabitants that have populated the Archie feature since 1941.Â
Positives Cont’d
The ending of course is the “surprise” that the ornament is unrecognizable to the gang, but to Pop, it is a wonderful reminder of said gang. It doesn’t really matter to Pop who made it or how it was made. What matters to him is the intent ( it’s the thought that counts) and that it reminds him of the gang, no matter what it looks like or the exact provenance. Parent finds a way to touch on real human emotion and the spirit of Christmas.
Parent, Smith and Whitmore deliver on what you expect from the art in a classic style Archie story. Recognizable characters in the classic style with vibrant colors that entertain kids from 1 to 92. The issue is filled out with numerous stories from the Archie Comics archives that will put the same smile on your face…and probably your kid’s face too…!
Negatives
The only negative is that we don’t get proper floppies in the classic Archie style anymore. It’s great that the digests are still available and at grocery stores and the like, but there’s a special feeling to holding a traditional floppy in your hand.
Verdict
If you want to smile, be entertained and lose yourself in an hour of pure fun, World of Archie Comics Double Digest #104 is going to be for you! Don’t be afraid to let take yourself back to a simpler approach, there’s a real message in there as well. These stories remind you that people are what’s important even in their humorous approach to the World of Archie.
