Review: Escape from Riverdale

Escape from Riverdale (Afterlife with Archie, book one)
By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
Published 2014 by Archie Comics

After his dog is killed, Jughead enlists the help of Sabrina (the Teenage Witch) to bring him back. But Hot Dog is not the same and soon, Jughead is leading an infestation of zombies through Riverdale. Will Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the rest escape unharmed?

I've never read an Archie comic before. When I read comics, they were decidedly in the horror vein. That's my main motivation for reading this one - classic comic featuring zombies. It sounded awesome and I wanted to read it even before I signed up for the Hub Challenge. But, of course, it took my deciding to participate to actually spur me to pick it up and read it.

But I devoured it (heh). And I loved it. It's a legit zombie story, one that I quickly became completely invested in. It's creepy and gory and tense and compelling. It's not terribly original but, then again, what zombie story is? The thing is that this one is just so well-executed that it was a delightful read (if you like this sort of story). Not being familiar with the Archie comics didn't matter, because Aguirre-Sacasa introduces all the characters you need to know and provides basic sketches of them in this first volume. I was so caught up in the story that it even made me cry (trust me, I was as surprised as you are). The art is fantastic as well. The whole thing is just plain fun and I can't wait to see where it goes next. Definitely recommended!