Afterlife with Archie (Archie Comics)
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (w) Francesco Francavilla (a)
One of the most intriguing and entertaining comic series around at the moment is Afterlife with Archie a radical retooling of the classic all-ages comic into more "Buffy" type fair. The premise of the story is that when Jughead's dog (Hotdog) is run over, Sabrina (the witch) uses black magic to bring him back to life. Not a good idea as her aunts try telling her.....,
Unwittingly she unleashes a plague of zombies of Riverdale.
And no-one is safe.
The latest issue doesn't feature Archie and his pals at all. Instead the writers focus on what has happened to Sabrina since the first issue, where she is and who exactly is behind the plague that has left sunny Riverdale in ruins.
No spoilers, just go and get a copy.
While you are at it, pick up the first volume (covering issues 1 - 5) in trade paperback form. Its money well spent.
Every issue is actually well crafted and a joy to read. I just wish it was monthly.
And watch out for the "companion" title Sabrina, due in comic stores in October. There's a preview of the story in Afterlife with Archie and its a very different take (again) on Sabrina. Set in the 1960s apparently its more Rosemary's Baby/ The Omen from the look of it.
Then there's mutants from the past.....
Essential X-Men (Panini)
Brian Michael Bendis (w) Stuart Immonem (a)
This is the "first" X-men comic I've purchased in a long time and its in the series of British reprints of Marvel Comics titles by Panini which you can easily pick up in WH Smiths and other good newsagents, so this shouldn't be too difficult to find.
What attracted me was the re-appearance of the younger X-men in their incarnation from the sixties in the present day meeting their counterparts. by Hank McCoy aka the Beast, he wants to try and stop Cyclops from continuing a "terrorist" rampage with Magneto.
The young Scott Summers (Cyclops) is shocked to find that in the future he kills Charles Xavier, Professor X during the return of the Pheonix saga.
Marvel Girl of course learns of her death.
How this will pan out is not clear at all, especially since I haven't followed the X-Men for several years. But the premise of the story intrigues and with writing by Bendis and art by Immonen it promises to one hell of a ride!
Being a reprint comic and a "100 page special" to launch the new four-weekly series, you get to read quite a good chunk of the story (issues 1-4 of the US edition of All New X-Men). Normally these are 72 page editions so a good way back into comics if you are rusty.
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