Afterlife with Archie: Issue #8

This graphic series never ceases to impress me. The writing and artwork are both so outstanding that I’m kind of shocked at just how great it is. It is nothing short of graphic horror at its finest.

In this episode, the survivors from Riverdale are holed up at the Bradbury Hotel in Vermont (a nod to Ray Bradbury?). Much of the installment features Archie sitting at the hotel bar, conversing with the ghost of Jughead. It is a clear allusion to The Shining. In fact, this issue is full of references to classic horror films and books, as well as to psychological novels like Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness which explore the darker realms of the human psyche.

I cannot stress enough just how good the writing is in this graphic novel. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa weaves a tale as masterfully as anyone. I literally found myself hanging on every word. But the real genius is the way the story is structured. We have the beginning, where Archie converses with the “ghost” of Jughead, which in reality is Archie creating a separate entity out of his own psyche with which to talk out his internal conflicts and fears. The story then transitions into reality, where Archie is guided by his mother back into the presence of the others. The episode climaxes with a blending of the psychological and the physical, expressed through actual events interspersed with snippets of thought and memory. It is so well-crafted, I am inspired to read it again as I write these words.

This series is so good and works on so many levels, I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you are not a fan of graphic horror, because the craftsmanship of the writing and artwork are both so strong. If you’ve read any of this series, please feel free to share your thoughts.