Money manager. Celebrity. Superhero. Jughead takes on each of these roles with amusing and unexpected results in the latest issue of Archie's Pal Jughead.

While "The Money Grab," which has Jughead taking charge of Veronica's money, is fun, has sharp dialog, and sports an amusing twist, it isn't my favorite story of the issue. That honor goes to "All Dressed Up" a new take on the "Jughead as Captain Hero" stories that Archie Comics used to publish. When all his clothes end up in the wash, the only thing Jughead has left to wear is his superhero costume. Of course, as Juggie says, "With great threads comes great responsibility," and soon he's called to duty, though not in the way you might expect. This story has some great give-and-take between Jughead and Archie. Their dialog is crisp, witty, fairly natural sounding, moves the story along, and is pop culturally aware. The plot is also clever. It's what would happen given the circumstances and so manages to be funny, honest, and a subtle lesson all at once.

Sandwiched between "The Money Grab" and "All Dressed Up" is "Rock Star: Or the Great Stone Face." This cute five page story has Jughead becoming a celebrity after a rock bearing a curious resemblance to him is found. You wouldn’t think a story about a teen and a rock could be amusing, but Craig Boldman makes it work. Jughead's reactions to his fans and their reactions to him are smart and funny. This story also has a great throwaway gag in one of the panels. Check out the newspaper headline about the pet store explosion and the resulting weather.

Of course, artists Rex Lindsey and Jim Amash can also take credit for the success of this issue. Their interpretation of the characters and their milieu is cartoony without being overly caricatured. The characters have a weight to them that suggests there's actual muscle beneath their clothes. Lindsey and Amash also do a superb job of suggesting movement by the swing of a character's jacket. Plus they do wholesome cheesecake. The panel in "Rock Star" showing Veronica posing is lovely. The expression on Jughead's face as he takes in Archie's gawking is also worth looking at.

Archie's Pal Jughead #197 is an enjoyable package guaranteed to bring at least one smile to your face.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---