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ARCHIE #4
Archie comics
Story by: Mark Waid
Art by: Annie Wu
Colors by: Andre Szymanowicz & Jen Vaughn
Lettering by: Jack Morelli
Archie #4 is a landmark issue in a couple of ways; for one thing, it’s the first issue in the title not drawn by Fiona Staples, and it’s also where we finally get to see the facts behind the anticipated “lipstick incident.” It can’t be easy being the first new artist on the line, but Annie Wu creates magic with her art – her work is warm and inspiring and at the same time full of fluid motion, capturing Fiona’s picture of Riverdale beautifully without at all being derivative; Wu keeps it faithful while still very much making it her own.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Mark Waid’s Archie is incredible, there’s no arguing that. The way the #lipstickincident has been woven into the fabric of the story already means this issue was one to anticipate, because though a name like that makes it sound like something petty or, perhaps, like Archie was caught with some on his collar – would we be too surprised? – we also know it had to be something important enough to break up a relationship that has lasted for years as they’ve grown up together. What could do that? I want to say I was pleasantly surprised, but that isn’t quite right; I expected it to be good, I have faith in Waid’s Riverdale and I knew under Annie Wu’s pen it would be incredible no matter what. But I still wasn’t expecting it to be all that it was.
The entire date scene is an incredible example of storytelling through silences; Archie and Betty go to a movie and barely talk at all. The layouts are split between the two of them, their individual discomforts, the movie on the screen (a Jekyll and Hyde-esque horror film), and flashbacks of them together during happier moments. When the awkwardness is finally confronted, Betty questions why Archie should have any issue with how she looks, given that he looks at girls dressed like her all the time; Archie counters that lipstick doesn’t belong on the “Betty he knows,” which brings us to strongest (in my opinon) visual sequences of the issue: Betty, swiping her lipstick across Archie’s face with a cold “Funny. You’re still you,” before running off in tears, and Archie, trying ineffectually to get her to text him back as he
The circumstances of the break-up are pitch perfect; I only wish we could have seen a little more into Betty’s brain (yes, yes, I know the book is called Archie). She’s clearly not into a “high femme” sort of look for herself based on her regular fashion choices, but that doesn’t mean she’s opposed to experimenting with it, or wearing a dress now and then – but is her current look based on her own preferences alone, or has Archie dissuaded her from dressier indulgences before as well? Hard to say, but maybe these questions will be answered in future issues; I look forward to seeing Betty’s perspective, past and present, though it’s also clear we’ll be seeing more development into the Archie/Veronica relationship (!) next, as well Betty, Jughead, and Reggie (!!) scheming to derail it. I could not be more sold.