The Dawn of the Dead Archies

Archie comics have always been known for their child-like content, so in recent years, it's been interesting to see Archie Comics test the waters with more adult-oriented subject matter.  For example, there was the introduction of a new gay teenager at Riverdale High: Kevin Keller. There was also the "Archie Marries Veronica" and "Archie Marries Betty" storylines with adult versions of the popular teen characters.  These storylines in the regular Archie comic were so popular that they were given their own magazine, reviving the Life with Archie title.  

Now Archie is branching out into zombiedom.  That's right, you heard me.  Archie has just launched the new Afterlife with Archie monthly series.  Get it?  I just read the first issue.  This is definitely not your typical Archie comic.  It's not even your Life with Archie magazine.  It's basically a horror movie with the Archie characters substituting for the obligatory chased teens. 

***SPOILER ALERT!!***

Issue #1 opens with a very serious (out of character) Jughead coming to Archie with his dog, Hot Dog, dead in his arms.  Okay, I can take the Archie characters being dead (or undead), but do they have to kill the loveable dog?  It was a pretty jarring way to start the story and I immediately felt uneasy.  Then it takes a Pet Sematary-esque turn.  Archie suggests to Jughead that he bury Hot Dog.  Here, it's a little too much like a rip-off of Stephen King's Pet Sematary.  The writer even goes so far as to take at least two lines from the book/movie and use them word for word in the comic book dialogue between Archie and Jughead!  While its intent may have been reverence, it just feels like plagiarism.  Later, we see a distraught Reggie confess to Archie that he was the one who accidentally hit Hot Dog with his car, while Sabrina (the teenage witch) helps Jughead bury Hot Dog using a reincarnation spell.  

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this strange take on the Archie characters, but this certainly wasn't it.  Coming from the Archie brand, I thought it would be more "fun."  Even Betty and Veronica weren't recognizable as themselves (pre-Zombie), so I don't know why they had to use the Archie characters other than as a marketing tactic.  The art is acceptable for a comic in this genre, but not for Archie characters.  I wouldn't have known who was who if it wasn't for their hair color/style (Archie, Betty, Veronica), head piece (Jughead), or someone using their name while speaking to them (Reggie, Sabrina) or about them (Hot Dog). 

While others may enjoy Archie's foray into the undead, I guess Afterlife with Archie isn't my cup of milkshake.