Review: ARCHIE VS SHARKNADO #1

 

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ARCHIE VS SHARKNADO #1
Written by Anthony C. Ferrante
Art by Dan Parent and Rich Koslowski
Published by Archie Comics
Release Date: July 22, 2015

The word that most came to mind when I read Archie vs Sharknado was “juxtaposition.” The iconic and innocent style of Archie’s premiere artist of our time, Dan Parent, in stark contrast with the shocking blood and violence of the over-the-top Syfy channel franchise Sharknado.

On the surface, this comic looks like the Archie of your supermarket checkout line. Open, detail-light art filled with bright colours has always been the house style. But the Double Digest never featured as many sharks or severed limbs as this issue!

Andre Szymanowicz and Casey Silver carry a lot of the weight of the book with their work on colours. The bright red blood never appears gory and the blue sharks look more like flipper than jaws, thanks to their choices of flat colours with toned highlights.

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Writing this sort-of-tie-in to Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! is the director of all three films, Anthony C. Ferrante. Ferrante has a good sense of the voices of the characters and keeps them light and joking even in the face of the dangers of a tornado full of sharks.

Ferrante and Parent fit in numerous references to other films and some great tongue-in-cheek visual gags. We even get a taste of Josie and the Pussycats doing a rendition of the new Sharknado theme song. All of the typical Archie standbys are there: Betty and Veronica competing for Archie’s affections, Jughead seeking a snack, Dilton laying out the science.

And all of the Sharknado elements are touched as well. Chainsaws revving, sharks flying, and cameos galore! Along with a hilarious meta-joke 14 years in the making, Archie vs Sharknado is the most fun you can have outside of the Riverdale Wild Summer Nights Dance!

The Verdict: 9/10 for Sharknado fans
7/10 for Archie fans
(Buy-something-else for fans of neither)

 

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