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Archie: The Married Life #1
Archie: The Married Life Book 1
Find out what happens after the “I do”s!
Delve deeper into all of the emotion and drama surrounding two different choices: Archie’s decision to marry sultry debutante Veronica Lodge versus his decision to marry sexy girl next door Betty Cooper. How do his choices affect not only Riverdale, but the world and everyone around him? Is it a match made in heaven? Will he find that he can’t put a price on love?
Collects the first six chapters of both Archie Marries Veronica and Archie Marries Betty, the most critically acclaimed storyline Archie has ever published, as originally seen in the newsstand magazine Life with Archie.
Delve deeper into all of the emotion and drama surrounding two different choices: Archie’s decision to marry sultry debutante Veronica Lodge versus his decision to marry sexy girl next door Betty Cooper. How do his choices affect not only Riverdale, but the world and everyone around him? Is it a match made in heaven? Will he find that he can’t put a price on love?
Collects the first six chapters of both Archie Marries Veronica and Archie Marries Betty, the most critically acclaimed storyline Archie has ever published, as originally seen in the newsstand magazine Life with Archie.
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2011
86 people are currently reading
1,167 people want to read
About the author
Michael E. Uslan
121books25followersMichael E. Uslan (born June 2, 1952) is a producer of the Batman movies and was the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university.
Uslan is best known as a producer of all of the modern Batman films to date, starting with Tim Burton's 1989 film, and continuing to 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and also including various feature-length films based on the Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman.
Uslan is best known as a producer of all of the modern Batman films to date, starting with Tim Burton's 1989 film, and continuing to 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and also including various feature-length films based on the Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
January 22, 2012
Archie Is Married. Now The Real Story Begins. Twice.
I have always been a Betty person. Every Archie story I have ever enjoyed has me cheering for them to finally get together and leave Veronica pouting. My long standing wish has been partially granted in the past few years with the newest incarnation of these beloved characters. And I am totally and completely hooked.
The drama all started when the new CEO of Archie came into the 70 plus year old company and wanted to shake the universe up. This desire led to a six part storyline wherein Archie took a walk one night down Memory Lane in Riverdale and saw visions of two different futures. In one, he wed Veronica, in the other, Betty.
Fans lapped up this idea en masse, and Archie launched a new magazine to continue the saga. Life With Archie: The Married Life premiered just over a year ago and in the first half of each issue the Veronica storyline is told, while in the second half the Betty journey is explored. This new magazine take place between parts two and three of the original series, before the babies came along.
To say this is a riveting reinvention and realization of the Archie mythos is an understatement. In each reality our favourite perpetual teenagers are now adults who have to find love, keep love, pay bills, get jobs, keep jobs, discover who they really are, and survive the wrath of Mr. Lodge. You will be shocked and surprised to discover the possible destinies of the Riverdale gang. Some of the ideas played with include couples breaking up, someone running for public office, another going on trial, a fortune being made, an old friend located, several weddings occur, and a death torments everyone. Whew! And that is only in the first year of this fascinating series.
Mixed amidst all this excitement and turmoil is the constant thread of friendship Archie and his gang still treasure and cherish. Even if arguments happen, the true life long love they have for each other wins out. Throughout the series, get togethers and reunions are featured prominently, and talking their individual problems out with each other is the norm here. And I find this story element quite touching and natural.
Propelling the dramatic thrust throughout all this is the evil (?), rich, and manipulate Mr. Lodge. But is his erratic driven behavior the result of some secret plan masterminded by the now mysterious Dilton Doiley? A scheme that harkens back to the original Memory Lane story that our hero Archie experienced? The tension is building with a conclusion promised soon to this development.
Dilton's involvement highlights the destiny versus chance theme Archie The Married Life plays with quite effectively. Each reality has similarities, constants, which reinforce the notion of an idea being meant to happen. The recent Kevin Keller wedding story illustrates this perfectly, with the backstory of the meeting with his future husband being the same in each universe. It was meant to be this way. You will get a kick out of noticing fate converging in both timelines. I may need a scorecard soon to keep up. Is their an App for that?
All this greatness is brought to us by veteran comics scribe Paul Kupperberg, whom, with the artist on the first year, Norm Breyfogle, make each issue flow and sing. Page by page, thought by thought, these two created an entirely new world for Archie and Riverdale, with the new artists continuing and enhancing this wonderful experience. This success allowed Archie Comics to re-imagine another classic character which I would be remiss for not mentioning. Li'l Jinx is now a teenager called, well, Jinx, and she is simply wonderful. Previews of Jinx was featured in three issues of Life With Archie and the new series is now only available digitally. My Luddite ways must stop so I can catch up with her adventures and misadventures.
You can start dipping into the lives of Archie and his friends at your local comic shop (mine is Excalibur Comics, plug, plug) and you will not be disappointed. My anticipation of each new issue puts it on the top of my reading stack. Where it rightly belongs. Because, as the old saying goes:
People will change. People will not change. And the Archie Universes will never be the same.
And I am still a Betty person.
Scoopriches
I have always been a Betty person. Every Archie story I have ever enjoyed has me cheering for them to finally get together and leave Veronica pouting. My long standing wish has been partially granted in the past few years with the newest incarnation of these beloved characters. And I am totally and completely hooked.
The drama all started when the new CEO of Archie came into the 70 plus year old company and wanted to shake the universe up. This desire led to a six part storyline wherein Archie took a walk one night down Memory Lane in Riverdale and saw visions of two different futures. In one, he wed Veronica, in the other, Betty.
Fans lapped up this idea en masse, and Archie launched a new magazine to continue the saga. Life With Archie: The Married Life premiered just over a year ago and in the first half of each issue the Veronica storyline is told, while in the second half the Betty journey is explored. This new magazine take place between parts two and three of the original series, before the babies came along.
To say this is a riveting reinvention and realization of the Archie mythos is an understatement. In each reality our favourite perpetual teenagers are now adults who have to find love, keep love, pay bills, get jobs, keep jobs, discover who they really are, and survive the wrath of Mr. Lodge. You will be shocked and surprised to discover the possible destinies of the Riverdale gang. Some of the ideas played with include couples breaking up, someone running for public office, another going on trial, a fortune being made, an old friend located, several weddings occur, and a death torments everyone. Whew! And that is only in the first year of this fascinating series.
Mixed amidst all this excitement and turmoil is the constant thread of friendship Archie and his gang still treasure and cherish. Even if arguments happen, the true life long love they have for each other wins out. Throughout the series, get togethers and reunions are featured prominently, and talking their individual problems out with each other is the norm here. And I find this story element quite touching and natural.
Propelling the dramatic thrust throughout all this is the evil (?), rich, and manipulate Mr. Lodge. But is his erratic driven behavior the result of some secret plan masterminded by the now mysterious Dilton Doiley? A scheme that harkens back to the original Memory Lane story that our hero Archie experienced? The tension is building with a conclusion promised soon to this development.
Dilton's involvement highlights the destiny versus chance theme Archie The Married Life plays with quite effectively. Each reality has similarities, constants, which reinforce the notion of an idea being meant to happen. The recent Kevin Keller wedding story illustrates this perfectly, with the backstory of the meeting with his future husband being the same in each universe. It was meant to be this way. You will get a kick out of noticing fate converging in both timelines. I may need a scorecard soon to keep up. Is their an App for that?
All this greatness is brought to us by veteran comics scribe Paul Kupperberg, whom, with the artist on the first year, Norm Breyfogle, make each issue flow and sing. Page by page, thought by thought, these two created an entirely new world for Archie and Riverdale, with the new artists continuing and enhancing this wonderful experience. This success allowed Archie Comics to re-imagine another classic character which I would be remiss for not mentioning. Li'l Jinx is now a teenager called, well, Jinx, and she is simply wonderful. Previews of Jinx was featured in three issues of Life With Archie and the new series is now only available digitally. My Luddite ways must stop so I can catch up with her adventures and misadventures.
You can start dipping into the lives of Archie and his friends at your local comic shop (mine is Excalibur Comics, plug, plug) and you will not be disappointed. My anticipation of each new issue puts it on the top of my reading stack. Where it rightly belongs. Because, as the old saying goes:
People will change. People will not change. And the Archie Universes will never be the same.
And I am still a Betty person.
Scoopriches
October 26, 2014
When I was young tween, the only real reading I did was Archie comics. We had them in our house all the time; my parents must have thought they were safe enough because no one ever gets any action. There has been news recently about Archie being shot to death in the graphic novel Death of Archie which is the last book in The Married Life series. This news got me curious so I had to pick up the first trade paperback which covers the first six issues of this series.
I have always been on the side of Betty and never could understand why Archie would choose Veronica over her. Archie: The Married Life is split into two different timelines; almost like a Sliding Doors scenario, or, if you are a fan of Broadway, If/Then. This series follows the life of Archie married to Veronica and then Betty. There are some situations that are different in each timeline but mostly follow the same events. Unfortunately nothing much has changed since they were in high school.
Archie: The Married Life does try to look at the normal day-to-day issue facing adults but it holds back too much. For example, Midge finally breaks up with Moose because she is scared of his violent outbursts. This story arch could have gone into some interesting themes of emotional and physical abuse but it treads lightly around the topic. Moose does try and work on his anger issues but there is just so much more they could have done.
My favourite character was always Jughead and I enjoyed it when he hard a love life, luckily this is inserted into this series but not very well. He is getting married. I won’t tell you to who, but the only romance I saw between them was when they shared a milkshake at Pop’s Treat. This brings me to my next issue; why are they still hanging out at Pop’s Treat? I am sure it would be nice to have a place to hang but they could go to a bar or something different every now and then. They are working adults now, but they all still act like teenagers.
I think my biggest problem is the fact that this series is a sugar coated interpretation of what adult and married life would be like. No one has sex; although there was some alluding to an affair between Veronica and Reggie, but nothing happened. The series is still marketed to young tweens and this disappoints me, I thought Archie: The Married Life would have been a more adult look at the Archie world, I was wrong. I don’t even know if I want to continue, I might just read Afterlife with Archie instead.
This review originally appeared on my blog:
I have always been on the side of Betty and never could understand why Archie would choose Veronica over her. Archie: The Married Life is split into two different timelines; almost like a Sliding Doors scenario, or, if you are a fan of Broadway, If/Then. This series follows the life of Archie married to Veronica and then Betty. There are some situations that are different in each timeline but mostly follow the same events. Unfortunately nothing much has changed since they were in high school.
Archie: The Married Life does try to look at the normal day-to-day issue facing adults but it holds back too much. For example, Midge finally breaks up with Moose because she is scared of his violent outbursts. This story arch could have gone into some interesting themes of emotional and physical abuse but it treads lightly around the topic. Moose does try and work on his anger issues but there is just so much more they could have done.
My favourite character was always Jughead and I enjoyed it when he hard a love life, luckily this is inserted into this series but not very well. He is getting married. I won’t tell you to who, but the only romance I saw between them was when they shared a milkshake at Pop’s Treat. This brings me to my next issue; why are they still hanging out at Pop’s Treat? I am sure it would be nice to have a place to hang but they could go to a bar or something different every now and then. They are working adults now, but they all still act like teenagers.
I think my biggest problem is the fact that this series is a sugar coated interpretation of what adult and married life would be like. No one has sex; although there was some alluding to an affair between Veronica and Reggie, but nothing happened. The series is still marketed to young tweens and this disappoints me, I thought Archie: The Married Life would have been a more adult look at the Archie world, I was wrong. I don’t even know if I want to continue, I might just read Afterlife with Archie instead.
This review originally appeared on my blog:
September 10, 2013
This series is crazy!
If you want to read about Archie and the gang having real adult problems, this is your stop. Moose is in anger management, Archie and Veronica have marriage problems, Chuck is jealous of Nancy's comic book success, Reggie can't hold a job, and Midge is dating... Jughead?
These are just some of the bizarre real life situations in either the Archie Marries Veronica OR the Archie Marries Betty alternate realities.
This comic book took me much longer to read than I expected because it is an actual continuous graphic novel and not just Archie shorts, and I really enjoyed it.
If you want to read about Archie and the gang having real adult problems, this is your stop. Moose is in anger management, Archie and Veronica have marriage problems, Chuck is jealous of Nancy's comic book success, Reggie can't hold a job, and Midge is dating... Jughead?
These are just some of the bizarre real life situations in either the Archie Marries Veronica OR the Archie Marries Betty alternate realities.
This comic book took me much longer to read than I expected because it is an actual continuous graphic novel and not just Archie shorts, and I really enjoyed it.
November 6, 2011
I was disappointed with the Archie wedding series, which used a plot of alternate futures to depict the dual fates awaiting Archie Andrews that hinged on his choice between his life-long loves Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. The plot fell flat, the characters were one-dimensional and the entire premise was too simple to accept. In other words, it was just like all of the other modern Archie comics that I’ve read and just another example of why I spend my money on buying old Archie digests and magazines rather than subscribe to the new editions coming out today. Needless to say, I was reluctant to invest in this book, but when I got a sneak peak at the first chapter in another comic, I was so entranced that I had to buy it. This book takes the superficial and bland Wedding storyline and transforms it into something so much more. It reminded me of some of the best stories in the old comics that I’ve read: those with beautiful artwork that told stories peopled with believable characters caught in realistic and emotionally charged (for a comic, at least!) plots.
As the alternate stories unfold, the book reads more like a novel than a comic book and focuses not only on the fate of the love triangle between Archie and his gals but on the future of the entire community of Riverdale as well. The reader gets a glimpse into the alternate futures of Jughead, Reggie, Moose and other favorite characters, each involved in their own dilemmas and uncertainties. The storylines are complex and differ widely enough to remain separate but retain similarities that keep them true to the characters and history behind the entire Archie universe. Many of the future events are surprising but completely believable based on the characters' long-standing attributes. I was drawn into their lives and felt, for the first time in a long while, that I had finally found Archie and his gang again, this time as mature adults dealing with many of the same issues as I do. My only complaint is the way in which Mr. Lodge is portrayed as the bad guy of both futures, plotting his way to take over Riverdale and transform it from a small town driven by local business to another Micky-D’s and Walmart infested supercity. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Mr. Lodge and I just can’t accept this horrible reincarnation. However, despite that fact, I still loved this book and the way it reveals how much of our lives depend on the simplest of choices. Its plot is emotionally charged, its characters are full-bodied and the storylines are absorbing. Add to that the beautiful artwork and I can honestly say that the money I spent on this book (and on pre-ordering its sequel) was money well spent!
As the alternate stories unfold, the book reads more like a novel than a comic book and focuses not only on the fate of the love triangle between Archie and his gals but on the future of the entire community of Riverdale as well. The reader gets a glimpse into the alternate futures of Jughead, Reggie, Moose and other favorite characters, each involved in their own dilemmas and uncertainties. The storylines are complex and differ widely enough to remain separate but retain similarities that keep them true to the characters and history behind the entire Archie universe. Many of the future events are surprising but completely believable based on the characters' long-standing attributes. I was drawn into their lives and felt, for the first time in a long while, that I had finally found Archie and his gang again, this time as mature adults dealing with many of the same issues as I do. My only complaint is the way in which Mr. Lodge is portrayed as the bad guy of both futures, plotting his way to take over Riverdale and transform it from a small town driven by local business to another Micky-D’s and Walmart infested supercity. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Mr. Lodge and I just can’t accept this horrible reincarnation. However, despite that fact, I still loved this book and the way it reveals how much of our lives depend on the simplest of choices. Its plot is emotionally charged, its characters are full-bodied and the storylines are absorbing. Add to that the beautiful artwork and I can honestly say that the money I spent on this book (and on pre-ordering its sequel) was money well spent!
June 17, 2014
I was completely addicted to Archies as a kid. When we went on road trips, a treat would be to get one of the Archie digests at the stores where we stopped. I have a somewhat impressive collection at home.
Anyway, something inspired me to check out the first three volumes of the updated The Married Life series, which plays with multidimensional space travel and fates and destinies, and the choices we make as adults. Corporate espionage, romantic entanglement, big city vs. small town lifestyles, marital strife, small business theory, and politics all come into play.
Which makes me wonder how interesting this would be to a teen who didn't grow up reading about Archie and the gang. The plots are fairly complex (though the fact that you're alternating reading two different plotlines might have something to do with that), the art is familiar (to someone who read a lot of these), and the dialog is pretty terrible.
One major weird thing to me was the fact that a lot of the plot revolves around keeping major chains out of Riverdale, in order to save Jughead's place. But then Jughead ends up pursuing making his place a chain. I mean, this ultimately goes away as an issue, but it doesn't make sense that anyone would consider it a reasonable idea in the first place.
Honestly, I'm not sure why I powered through a thousand pages or so of this in a day, and I'm pretty sure I won't attempt anything past volume 3. But it was a fun trip down Memory Lane.
Anyway, something inspired me to check out the first three volumes of the updated The Married Life series, which plays with multidimensional space travel and fates and destinies, and the choices we make as adults. Corporate espionage, romantic entanglement, big city vs. small town lifestyles, marital strife, small business theory, and politics all come into play.
Which makes me wonder how interesting this would be to a teen who didn't grow up reading about Archie and the gang. The plots are fairly complex (though the fact that you're alternating reading two different plotlines might have something to do with that), the art is familiar (to someone who read a lot of these), and the dialog is pretty terrible.
One major weird thing to me was the fact that a lot of the plot revolves around keeping major chains out of Riverdale, in order to save Jughead's place. But then Jughead ends up pursuing making his place a chain. I mean, this ultimately goes away as an issue, but it doesn't make sense that anyone would consider it a reasonable idea in the first place.
Honestly, I'm not sure why I powered through a thousand pages or so of this in a day, and I'm pretty sure I won't attempt anything past volume 3. But it was a fun trip down Memory Lane.
November 26, 2011
After 68 years of dating both Betty and Veronica, Archie finally makes a choice. In issues #600-606, we see their futures if both roads are taken. It is basically multi-universe: Archie marries Betty in one universe, and Archie marries Veronica in the other. Readers see how Archie's choice affects the rest of the Riverdale Gang.
I grew up reading Archie comics. It was different to read about Archie experiencing the real world. Real-life issues in this graphic novel include happiness, struggle, unemployment, trust, business and unfortunately death. I'm a fan all over again.
Literary Marie
I grew up reading Archie comics. It was different to read about Archie experiencing the real world. Real-life issues in this graphic novel include happiness, struggle, unemployment, trust, business and unfortunately death. I'm a fan all over again.
Literary Marie
August 26, 2013
Although I think Archie and Betty make a more believable couple than do Archie and Veronica, I found the Veronica storyline to be of much better quality. The Archie Marries Betty storyline read like bad fan fiction to me (i.e. Mr. Lodge as a super villain out for absurd revenge, the pairing off of the key Riverdale High staff members, and the whole triple marriage...really?)
I would've given 4 stars to the Archie Marries Veronica storyline and 2 stars to the Archie Marries Betty storyline, if I could. So 3 stars seems like an obvious choice.
I would've given 4 stars to the Archie Marries Veronica storyline and 2 stars to the Archie Marries Betty storyline, if I could. So 3 stars seems like an obvious choice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2012
Archie Is Married. Now The Real Story Begins. Twice.
I have always been a Betty person. Every Archie story I have ever enjoyed has me cheering for them to finally get together and leave Veronica pouting. My long standing wish has been partially granted in the past few years with the newest incarnation of these beloved characters. And I am totally and completely hooked.
The drama all started when the new CEO of Archie came into the 70 plus year old company and wanted to shake the universe up. This desire led to a six part storyline wherein Archie took a walk one night down Memory Lane in Riverdale and saw visions of two different futures. In one, he wed Veronica, in the other, Betty.
Fans lapped up this idea en masse, and Archie launched a new magazine to continue the saga. Life With Archie: The Married Life premiered just over a year ago and in the first half of each issue the Veronica storyline is told, while in the second half the Betty journey is explored. This new magazine take place between parts two and three of the original series, before the babies came along.
To say this is a riveting reinvention and realization of the Archie mythos is an understatement. In each reality our favourite perpetual teenagers are now adults who have to find love, keep love, pay bills, get jobs, keep jobs, discover who they really are, and survive the wrath of Mr. Lodge. You will be shocked and surprised to discover the possible destinies of the Riverdale gang. Some of the ideas played with include couples breaking up, someone running for public office, another going on trial, a fortune being made, an old friend located, several weddings occur, and a death torments everyone. Whew! And that is only in the first year of this fascinating series.
Mixed amidst all this excitement and turmoil is the constant thread of friendship Archie and his gang still treasure and cherish. Even if arguments happen, the true life long love they have for each other wins out. Throughout the series, get togethers and reunions are featured prominently, and talking their individual problems out with each other is the norm here. And I find this story element quite touching and natural.
Propelling the dramatic thrust throughout all this is the evil (?), rich, and manipulate Mr. Lodge. But is his erratic driven behavior the result of some secret plan masterminded by the now mysterious Dilton Doiley? A scheme that harkens back to the original Memory Lane story that our hero Archie experienced? The tension is building with a conclusion promised soon to this development.
Dilton's involvement highlights the destiny versus chance theme Archie The Married Life plays with quite effectively. Each reality has similarities, constants, which reinforce the notion of an idea being meant to happen. The recent Kevin Keller wedding story illustrates this perfectly, with the backstory of the meeting with his future husband being the same in each universe. It was meant to be this way. You will get a kick out of noticing fate converging in both timelines. I may need a scorecard soon to keep up. Is their an App for that?
All this greatness is brought to us by veteran comics scribe Paul Kupperberg, whom, with the artist on the first year, Norm Breyfogle, make each issue flow and sing. Page by page, thought by thought, these two created an entirely new world for Archie and Riverdale, with the new artists continuing and enhancing this wonderful experience. This success allowed Archie Comics to re-imagine another classic character which I would be remiss for not mentioning. Li'l Jinx is now a teenager called, well, Jinx, and she is simply wonderful. Previews of Jinx was featured in three issues of Life With Archie and the new series is now only available digitally. My Luddite ways must stop so I can catch up with her adventures and misadventures.
You can start dipping into the lives of Archie and his friends at your local comic shop (mine is Excalibur Comics, plug, plug) and you will not be disappointed. My anticipation of each new issue puts it on the top of my reading stack. Where it rightly belongs. Because, as the old saying goes:
People will change. People will not change. And the Archie Universes will never be the same.
And I am still a Betty person.
Scoopriches
I have always been a Betty person. Every Archie story I have ever enjoyed has me cheering for them to finally get together and leave Veronica pouting. My long standing wish has been partially granted in the past few years with the newest incarnation of these beloved characters. And I am totally and completely hooked.
The drama all started when the new CEO of Archie came into the 70 plus year old company and wanted to shake the universe up. This desire led to a six part storyline wherein Archie took a walk one night down Memory Lane in Riverdale and saw visions of two different futures. In one, he wed Veronica, in the other, Betty.
Fans lapped up this idea en masse, and Archie launched a new magazine to continue the saga. Life With Archie: The Married Life premiered just over a year ago and in the first half of each issue the Veronica storyline is told, while in the second half the Betty journey is explored. This new magazine take place between parts two and three of the original series, before the babies came along.
To say this is a riveting reinvention and realization of the Archie mythos is an understatement. In each reality our favourite perpetual teenagers are now adults who have to find love, keep love, pay bills, get jobs, keep jobs, discover who they really are, and survive the wrath of Mr. Lodge. You will be shocked and surprised to discover the possible destinies of the Riverdale gang. Some of the ideas played with include couples breaking up, someone running for public office, another going on trial, a fortune being made, an old friend located, several weddings occur, and a death torments everyone. Whew! And that is only in the first year of this fascinating series.
Mixed amidst all this excitement and turmoil is the constant thread of friendship Archie and his gang still treasure and cherish. Even if arguments happen, the true life long love they have for each other wins out. Throughout the series, get togethers and reunions are featured prominently, and talking their individual problems out with each other is the norm here. And I find this story element quite touching and natural.
Propelling the dramatic thrust throughout all this is the evil (?), rich, and manipulate Mr. Lodge. But is his erratic driven behavior the result of some secret plan masterminded by the now mysterious Dilton Doiley? A scheme that harkens back to the original Memory Lane story that our hero Archie experienced? The tension is building with a conclusion promised soon to this development.
Dilton's involvement highlights the destiny versus chance theme Archie The Married Life plays with quite effectively. Each reality has similarities, constants, which reinforce the notion of an idea being meant to happen. The recent Kevin Keller wedding story illustrates this perfectly, with the backstory of the meeting with his future husband being the same in each universe. It was meant to be this way. You will get a kick out of noticing fate converging in both timelines. I may need a scorecard soon to keep up. Is their an App for that?
All this greatness is brought to us by veteran comics scribe Paul Kupperberg, whom, with the artist on the first year, Norm Breyfogle, make each issue flow and sing. Page by page, thought by thought, these two created an entirely new world for Archie and Riverdale, with the new artists continuing and enhancing this wonderful experience. This success allowed Archie Comics to re-imagine another classic character which I would be remiss for not mentioning. Li'l Jinx is now a teenager called, well, Jinx, and she is simply wonderful. Previews of Jinx was featured in three issues of Life With Archie and the new series is now only available digitally. My Luddite ways must stop so I can catch up with her adventures and misadventures.
You can start dipping into the lives of Archie and his friends at your local comic shop (mine is Excalibur Comics, plug, plug) and you will not be disappointed. My anticipation of each new issue puts it on the top of my reading stack. Where it rightly belongs. Because, as the old saying goes:
People will change. People will not change. And the Archie Universes will never be the same.
And I am still a Betty person.
Scoopriches
January 28, 2013
When I was nine years old I used to hole up in this small library that had a huge collection of Archie comics. I was allowed to read them once I finished my homework. Archie was this vivid, but completely safe world, where any setback would soon be righted, any good deed duly rewarded. It was a safe place to hide from the world.
That was nearly twenty years ago. Just this past year I almost bought Archie comics in the supermarket check-out line, but didn't (I've been feeling waves of childhood nostalgia ever since my father died). But when I heard about this Married Life series � the Archie gang, all grown up, with Real Life Choices and genuine disappointments � I had to read it.
And, for the most part, it's everything I hoped it would be. The gang's all there, and life is tough, but it's Riverdale tough � that is, the reader feels secure that everything will come right in the end. I was surprised by how familiar the characters were, how seamlessly I slipped back into that world. Of course there's the weird, anachronistic feel of Archie world � at once point Midge refers to a "mohawk haircut" (who says that?!) � but that's part of Archie's charm. This is also a world where cheerfulness and friendship wash away the harsh realities (class and race and gender and the general confusions of being alive). But that's also one of the perks of reading Archie: for a few minutes or a few hours, you get to enter this world where everything works for the characters set down in it, where everyone fits, where everything functions.
It's such a pleasure to watch these characters grow up and gain a little depth (Reggie in particular, though Ronnie's pretty great these days, too). My only gripe is that Jughead, who was always my favourite character, has such a minor (and boring) storyline. Does no one else remember that Jughead can do pretty much anything he wants (he levitated once, didn't he?!). Jughead is like some demigod who's too amused by being human to bother with most things (except the most basic pleasures). He's also the most purely imaginative of the gang. So to see him sidelined in this kind of unimaginative role, the brilliant kid from high school who fizzles out into... a normal. (Also, I'm not too convinced by the Midge romance. Midge is so bland! And Jughead's gay, right? Right?!)
From you above you can probably tell that I maintain strong feelings about Archie et al. I've been missing Riverdale. It's pretty good fun to be able to come full circle with this new series. I'm looking forward to Book 2.
That was nearly twenty years ago. Just this past year I almost bought Archie comics in the supermarket check-out line, but didn't (I've been feeling waves of childhood nostalgia ever since my father died). But when I heard about this Married Life series � the Archie gang, all grown up, with Real Life Choices and genuine disappointments � I had to read it.
And, for the most part, it's everything I hoped it would be. The gang's all there, and life is tough, but it's Riverdale tough � that is, the reader feels secure that everything will come right in the end. I was surprised by how familiar the characters were, how seamlessly I slipped back into that world. Of course there's the weird, anachronistic feel of Archie world � at once point Midge refers to a "mohawk haircut" (who says that?!) � but that's part of Archie's charm. This is also a world where cheerfulness and friendship wash away the harsh realities (class and race and gender and the general confusions of being alive). But that's also one of the perks of reading Archie: for a few minutes or a few hours, you get to enter this world where everything works for the characters set down in it, where everyone fits, where everything functions.
It's such a pleasure to watch these characters grow up and gain a little depth (Reggie in particular, though Ronnie's pretty great these days, too). My only gripe is that Jughead, who was always my favourite character, has such a minor (and boring) storyline. Does no one else remember that Jughead can do pretty much anything he wants (he levitated once, didn't he?!). Jughead is like some demigod who's too amused by being human to bother with most things (except the most basic pleasures). He's also the most purely imaginative of the gang. So to see him sidelined in this kind of unimaginative role, the brilliant kid from high school who fizzles out into... a normal. (Also, I'm not too convinced by the Midge romance. Midge is so bland! And Jughead's gay, right? Right?!)
From you above you can probably tell that I maintain strong feelings about Archie et al. I've been missing Riverdale. It's pretty good fun to be able to come full circle with this new series. I'm looking forward to Book 2.
November 27, 2021
This is a collective review for Life With Archie: The Married Life, which is collected in six volumes.
I am not an Archie fan. Like most comics readers, I’m familiar with Archie - a brand that has been around for so long that even fi you aren’t a fan, even if you don’t buy the books, somehow, somewhere, you have read enough Archie to be familiar with the basic gist of it all:
Archie Andrews is an all-American teenager from the heartland city of Riverdale, where he runs a gauntlet of harmless misadventures that involve juggling his romances between rivals Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper (each whom own an equal share of Archie’s attentions), and goofing with his friends, rivals and colleagues - Jughead, Reggie, Moose, Ethel, Midge, Chuck, Nancy, Cheryl, Kevin, Sabrina the Witch, Josie the Pussycats, and more. Along the way, he tangles with the adults in his life - mainly Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge; Principal Weatherbee and Miss Grundy, who run Riverdale High; and occasionally Pop, who runs the Chocklit Shoppe, the local diner where everyone hangs out.
For the most part, the stories are nothing too dramatic; dealing with asking each other out on dates, pranking each other, riffs on typical high school rites of passage, etc. And for decades, this was Archie; a comic that aside from superficial updates that reflected the times (such as fashion, technology and slang), the comic remained trapped in amber. There was no character progression or meta plot, just a Groundhog’s Day of eternally repeating, low-stakes, harmless hi-jinks that was meant to be mild, fun, and safe. There’s a reason why so many grandparents buy Archie for their grandkids, even if they disapprove of comics.
In this way, Archie has been an extremely conservative comic. Not politically - it goes out of its way to steer clear of divisive issues, but when it does address them, it reflects the rising tide of the audience it serves, and even then it tries to aim for a middle road that offends no one. This is part of the whole trapped-in-amber thing. Archie and his pals, and Riverdale by extension, are meant to be a safe place where “at least somethings never change,� and where such a place is seen as something wholesome and embracing, rather than stifling and restrictive.
But that all did change in 2009, when a new generation rose to run Archie Comics, and after a brutal office battle (chronicled by an excellent 2012 article in the New York Times) resulted in the brand taking bold new changes with its property. New characters would be introduced (like Kevin Keller) who would reflect a more liberal society. The brand would also take the approach that after 75 years or so of pretty much running the same Archie stories forever, it would declare Archie and Riverdale to be a state of mind, and began running stories that were the Archie equivalent of DC’s Elseworlds - non-canonical, but fun takes on established canon. (Though it is worth noting that perhaps the most infamous of these - and maybe the one that established the idea of taking Archie in weird new directions - was 1994’s Archie Meets The Punisher.)
But supreme among these were a novel, and canonical, decision to finally have Archie propose to one of his girlfriends. As he did, there was a notion of him walking down Memory Lane and seeing how his life might play out if he settled down with Veronica or Betty. What resulted was an extended What If�? story in Life With Archie that became The Married Life, later collected in six massive volumes. The end of it all leads us to a plot point that was so surprising to readers that it made global headlines. The sixth volume tells you up front what it is, but I’ll spare you any spoilers so you can see them for yourself.
But in The Married Life, we get two parallel stories, one where Archie, married to Veronica, pursues a corporate life and one where Archie, married to Betty, returns to Riverdale High as a music teacher. Along the way, we get a lot of the same sort of low-stakes storytelling that makes Archie Archie—entire plot lines seem to magically appear out of thin air and are resolved fairly harmlessly not long after, with good results all around. But there are plot lines that have sticking power. We lose one character to terminal illness, and we see another fight bravely against cancer. We a character shot in cold blood during a robbery. We see one struggle with anger issues. We see couples wed, and have kids. We see them growing up and grown up, in a story that for the first time really shows us what life might be like in Riverdale if there really were consequences to one’s actions. (The Archie Wedding: Ten Years Later also tried this, with a look at life 10 years after Archie’s wedding, but it doesn’t come close to the storytelling we get in The Married Life, nor does it share any of The Married Life’s events.)
The Married Life is almost 2,000 pages, all told, and it is as deep a dive into Archie as one could hope for, slowly pulling you in and involving you in a ton of earned moments that slowly chisel away at your hardened heart, slowly eroding your cynicism so that by the final volume, you’re caring about these characters. You want to see how this all turns out. Notably, the parallel storylines that have run side by side for so long - and remain distinct even though the risk is so high for them to blur into each other - do converge at the end in a way that feels natural and right, offering a kind of resolution to both sides of this twin tale. Whether Archie married Veronica or Betty, the result is ultimately the same. And when this story comes to an end, you appreciate why farewells can be so hard.
There are a lot of folks out there who will never touch an Archie comic because they’re too simple, too square, too hokey. But you know, The Married Life is as earnest an attempt for a comic to reinvent itself not in some cheap ploy to gin up extra sales, but out of an honest effort to radically turn the clock forward on one of the oldest running comics out there so that readers new and old can read something new and relate to it. That’s pretty great. Not a lot of comic publishers have the will to do that, or the integrity to let it be driven by story. And even if The Married Life isn’t for you, it’s something every comic reader should take in, because it represents something that all comics should have, but so often lack: heart.
There are a ton of other Archie Comics to read after these. There is a modern reboot from which the TV show Riverdale was adapted. There are the non-canon riffs, like The Hunger (Jughead is a werewolf) and not one, but two go-rounds of Archie vs. The Predator. If Archie can be anywhere and in anything, well, then I’m here for it. The Married Life certainly disavowed me of the notion that I’m never going to enjoy Archie. And boy, am I glad that it did.
I am not an Archie fan. Like most comics readers, I’m familiar with Archie - a brand that has been around for so long that even fi you aren’t a fan, even if you don’t buy the books, somehow, somewhere, you have read enough Archie to be familiar with the basic gist of it all:
Archie Andrews is an all-American teenager from the heartland city of Riverdale, where he runs a gauntlet of harmless misadventures that involve juggling his romances between rivals Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper (each whom own an equal share of Archie’s attentions), and goofing with his friends, rivals and colleagues - Jughead, Reggie, Moose, Ethel, Midge, Chuck, Nancy, Cheryl, Kevin, Sabrina the Witch, Josie the Pussycats, and more. Along the way, he tangles with the adults in his life - mainly Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge; Principal Weatherbee and Miss Grundy, who run Riverdale High; and occasionally Pop, who runs the Chocklit Shoppe, the local diner where everyone hangs out.
For the most part, the stories are nothing too dramatic; dealing with asking each other out on dates, pranking each other, riffs on typical high school rites of passage, etc. And for decades, this was Archie; a comic that aside from superficial updates that reflected the times (such as fashion, technology and slang), the comic remained trapped in amber. There was no character progression or meta plot, just a Groundhog’s Day of eternally repeating, low-stakes, harmless hi-jinks that was meant to be mild, fun, and safe. There’s a reason why so many grandparents buy Archie for their grandkids, even if they disapprove of comics.
In this way, Archie has been an extremely conservative comic. Not politically - it goes out of its way to steer clear of divisive issues, but when it does address them, it reflects the rising tide of the audience it serves, and even then it tries to aim for a middle road that offends no one. This is part of the whole trapped-in-amber thing. Archie and his pals, and Riverdale by extension, are meant to be a safe place where “at least somethings never change,� and where such a place is seen as something wholesome and embracing, rather than stifling and restrictive.
But that all did change in 2009, when a new generation rose to run Archie Comics, and after a brutal office battle (chronicled by an excellent 2012 article in the New York Times) resulted in the brand taking bold new changes with its property. New characters would be introduced (like Kevin Keller) who would reflect a more liberal society. The brand would also take the approach that after 75 years or so of pretty much running the same Archie stories forever, it would declare Archie and Riverdale to be a state of mind, and began running stories that were the Archie equivalent of DC’s Elseworlds - non-canonical, but fun takes on established canon. (Though it is worth noting that perhaps the most infamous of these - and maybe the one that established the idea of taking Archie in weird new directions - was 1994’s Archie Meets The Punisher.)
But supreme among these were a novel, and canonical, decision to finally have Archie propose to one of his girlfriends. As he did, there was a notion of him walking down Memory Lane and seeing how his life might play out if he settled down with Veronica or Betty. What resulted was an extended What If�? story in Life With Archie that became The Married Life, later collected in six massive volumes. The end of it all leads us to a plot point that was so surprising to readers that it made global headlines. The sixth volume tells you up front what it is, but I’ll spare you any spoilers so you can see them for yourself.
But in The Married Life, we get two parallel stories, one where Archie, married to Veronica, pursues a corporate life and one where Archie, married to Betty, returns to Riverdale High as a music teacher. Along the way, we get a lot of the same sort of low-stakes storytelling that makes Archie Archie—entire plot lines seem to magically appear out of thin air and are resolved fairly harmlessly not long after, with good results all around. But there are plot lines that have sticking power. We lose one character to terminal illness, and we see another fight bravely against cancer. We a character shot in cold blood during a robbery. We see one struggle with anger issues. We see couples wed, and have kids. We see them growing up and grown up, in a story that for the first time really shows us what life might be like in Riverdale if there really were consequences to one’s actions. (The Archie Wedding: Ten Years Later also tried this, with a look at life 10 years after Archie’s wedding, but it doesn’t come close to the storytelling we get in The Married Life, nor does it share any of The Married Life’s events.)
The Married Life is almost 2,000 pages, all told, and it is as deep a dive into Archie as one could hope for, slowly pulling you in and involving you in a ton of earned moments that slowly chisel away at your hardened heart, slowly eroding your cynicism so that by the final volume, you’re caring about these characters. You want to see how this all turns out. Notably, the parallel storylines that have run side by side for so long - and remain distinct even though the risk is so high for them to blur into each other - do converge at the end in a way that feels natural and right, offering a kind of resolution to both sides of this twin tale. Whether Archie married Veronica or Betty, the result is ultimately the same. And when this story comes to an end, you appreciate why farewells can be so hard.
There are a lot of folks out there who will never touch an Archie comic because they’re too simple, too square, too hokey. But you know, The Married Life is as earnest an attempt for a comic to reinvent itself not in some cheap ploy to gin up extra sales, but out of an honest effort to radically turn the clock forward on one of the oldest running comics out there so that readers new and old can read something new and relate to it. That’s pretty great. Not a lot of comic publishers have the will to do that, or the integrity to let it be driven by story. And even if The Married Life isn’t for you, it’s something every comic reader should take in, because it represents something that all comics should have, but so often lack: heart.
There are a ton of other Archie Comics to read after these. There is a modern reboot from which the TV show Riverdale was adapted. There are the non-canon riffs, like The Hunger (Jughead is a werewolf) and not one, but two go-rounds of Archie vs. The Predator. If Archie can be anywhere and in anything, well, then I’m here for it. The Married Life certainly disavowed me of the notion that I’m never going to enjoy Archie. And boy, am I glad that it did.
December 24, 2011
I really wanted to hate this comic. It's Archie and he still hasn't made a decission on who to be with. He's with Betty in one universe and with Veronica in a different universe. I should so hate this comic if it wasn't the Fringe of comics. Yes, I'm waiting for Peter Bishop to show up and fringe events to start happening. Let's just start by saying this comic is nothing like Fringe the show other than the two universes.
The one thing I really like about this comic is that Archie did choose. Depending on the universe you are in Archie is completely devoted to one of his girls. The character are no longer teenagers either. I would asy they are even growing. Sometimes it hard to remember which universe a character has grown in though. Like Reggie is the perfect example. In the Veronica universe he's grown so much since he was a teenager. Yet in the Betty universe Reggie is just making his first steps to grow as a person by the end of the first trade, but he's growing.
Another awesome aspect of the two is that they are happening at the same time. You read Veronica and then the next issue picks up right were you left off but in the Betty universe. No overlap. It really awesome seeing how the characters are growing but are so the same in both universes. There are little changes in both universes. There is even a villian in both universe, Mr. Lodge. He's is evil in both universes. He's like Walter-net, but no good Walter Bishop in him.
To make this easy, this book is suprisingly good in my eyes. It's not the best comic ever, but well done. It's almost a sci-fi comic without telling anyone. I love the secret sci-fi elements that are never adressed and really don't need to. Everyone really needsd to show some love to this comic. It's so awesome that no one should really know it.
The one thing I really like about this comic is that Archie did choose. Depending on the universe you are in Archie is completely devoted to one of his girls. The character are no longer teenagers either. I would asy they are even growing. Sometimes it hard to remember which universe a character has grown in though. Like Reggie is the perfect example. In the Veronica universe he's grown so much since he was a teenager. Yet in the Betty universe Reggie is just making his first steps to grow as a person by the end of the first trade, but he's growing.
Another awesome aspect of the two is that they are happening at the same time. You read Veronica and then the next issue picks up right were you left off but in the Betty universe. No overlap. It really awesome seeing how the characters are growing but are so the same in both universes. There are little changes in both universes. There is even a villian in both universe, Mr. Lodge. He's is evil in both universes. He's like Walter-net, but no good Walter Bishop in him.
To make this easy, this book is suprisingly good in my eyes. It's not the best comic ever, but well done. It's almost a sci-fi comic without telling anyone. I love the secret sci-fi elements that are never adressed and really don't need to. Everyone really needsd to show some love to this comic. It's so awesome that no one should really know it.
October 15, 2015
Archie: The Married Life: Book 1 (2011), written by Michael Uslan and Paul Kupperberg and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle, is great. It follows two storylines, one in which Veronica and Archie marry, and one in which Betty and Archie marry. The framework for this was set up in The Archie Wedding: Archie in "Will You Marry Me?" (2010), but here the story is given more room to breathe, without need for massive time-jumps. This collection inhabits an interesting space in that it is appropriate for all ages (you won't even see a drop of alcohol, though characters can be seen drowning their sorrows in chocolate malts!), but much of the subject matter is very adult. In each storyline, many of the characters are dealing with serious issues--making ends meet, layoff, dead-end jobs, death and dying, red tape, the boss from hell. If, like me, you know these characters from decades back, it is great to see them finally start to grow up and face some of the difficult situations and choices of life in the working world. Uslan and Kupperberg have allowed the characters to grow emotionally and experientially, not just physically and situationally. Breyfogle's art strikes the right balance between the traditional Archie look and a modern clear-line graphic novel style, and serves the story admirably. This first volume puts this series on a strong footing, and I'm looking forward to continuing with it.
(Note: Review copy loaned free of charge by the Queens Library)
(Note: Review copy loaned free of charge by the Queens Library)
September 16, 2014
Archie marries Veronica and Betty. Chaos ensues.
I had to go up a star since I was addicted enough to the drama to keep reading.
Archie although it would seemingly be believed to be better suited for Betty, has a much more interesting story in his marriage to Veronica.
Lots of drama going on. Makes me miss my soap opera.
I had to go up a star since I was addicted enough to the drama to keep reading.
Archie although it would seemingly be believed to be better suited for Betty, has a much more interesting story in his marriage to Veronica.
Lots of drama going on. Makes me miss my soap opera.
Read
October 5, 2016IT WAS FUNNY AND AWESOME
January 26, 2022
I'm a sucker for anything Archie related, so this is a great series. It definitely moves away from the traditional Archie feeling, as the happy moments are often few and far between. I don't love that aspect of the books--Archie has always been my relaxing reading before bed, so this isn't quite the same for me. With that said, I'm sure there are many people who would say that the same old storylines have gotten stale, so it's time to take it in a new direction.
I like looking at both perspectives (Archie marrying Betty vs. Archie marrying Veronica). It can get confusing jumping back and forth, especially when both storylines converge a bit with slightly different results from similar situations. There are times when it gets to feeling like too much, when the characters overcome an obstacle just to run into an even bigger one, which leads to an even bigger one. I get that the plot has to keep moving, but I guess I've just been spoiled by the "everything can be resolved in 5-6 pages" Archie digests.
With all of that said, it's interesting to see characters go in completely new directions and to assess that against what we've always known about them. Some of the storylines from the "Archie Marries..." storyline are developed further, giving more clarity on how they came to pass, which is a definite plus. And there's tragedy. Easier to take the second time reading through, but I remember feeling like a punch to the stomach the first time. There are also some characters I want to see developed more. I can't remember if it happens, but I am hoping for more Chuck, Nancy, Ethel, and to round out the plot as the series moves forward.
After decades of enjoying how Riverdale can always be relied upon to stay the same, one of the few guarantees in life, it's tough to see that idea fall apart. It's definitely interesting to see where that takes the characters, though, so I'm enjoying it (and glad that I can still dig through my bins of digests for some comfort reading).
I like looking at both perspectives (Archie marrying Betty vs. Archie marrying Veronica). It can get confusing jumping back and forth, especially when both storylines converge a bit with slightly different results from similar situations. There are times when it gets to feeling like too much, when the characters overcome an obstacle just to run into an even bigger one, which leads to an even bigger one. I get that the plot has to keep moving, but I guess I've just been spoiled by the "everything can be resolved in 5-6 pages" Archie digests.
With all of that said, it's interesting to see characters go in completely new directions and to assess that against what we've always known about them. Some of the storylines from the "Archie Marries..." storyline are developed further, giving more clarity on how they came to pass, which is a definite plus. And there's tragedy. Easier to take the second time reading through, but I remember feeling like a punch to the stomach the first time. There are also some characters I want to see developed more. I can't remember if it happens, but I am hoping for more Chuck, Nancy, Ethel, and to round out the plot as the series moves forward.
After decades of enjoying how Riverdale can always be relied upon to stay the same, one of the few guarantees in life, it's tough to see that idea fall apart. It's definitely interesting to see where that takes the characters, though, so I'm enjoying it (and glad that I can still dig through my bins of digests for some comfort reading).
December 20, 2018
Full Review:
Genre: Graphic Novel.
Number of Pages: 320.
Perspective: Third.
Location: Riverdale.
Archie Andrews has flip-flopped between Betty and Veronica for decades. And he still does not choose. This book shows two alternate realities: if he had married Veronica vs. Betty.
I picked this comic up after being inspired by my new guilty-pleasure show, Riverdale. It’s just as cheesy as I imagined it would be. It is interesting seeing some potential futures for the characters. Some characters are very similar to their show counterparts and some are not even recognizable in appearance or personality.
I chose this particular issue because it was the only Archie graphic novel currently available at my public library. I think the Afterlife of Archie comics will be more my style since they are darker and are written by the same author as the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which I enjoyed much more than this. I would also be interested in reading ARCHIE the reboot by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. It is modernized with a more diverse cast. From what I understand, that is closer to what Riverdale was modeled after.
I grew bored with the back and forth between realities after halfway through. It felt repetitive and the dialogue was too fake to keep me engaged. It wasn’t dark, so I expected this version to be funny like the short Sunday funnies. Nope, this wasn’t really humorous at all. For huge Archie fans, I’m sure this will fair better due to nostalgia.
Genre: Graphic Novel.
Number of Pages: 320.
Perspective: Third.
Location: Riverdale.
Archie Andrews has flip-flopped between Betty and Veronica for decades. And he still does not choose. This book shows two alternate realities: if he had married Veronica vs. Betty.
I picked this comic up after being inspired by my new guilty-pleasure show, Riverdale. It’s just as cheesy as I imagined it would be. It is interesting seeing some potential futures for the characters. Some characters are very similar to their show counterparts and some are not even recognizable in appearance or personality.
I chose this particular issue because it was the only Archie graphic novel currently available at my public library. I think the Afterlife of Archie comics will be more my style since they are darker and are written by the same author as the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which I enjoyed much more than this. I would also be interested in reading ARCHIE the reboot by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. It is modernized with a more diverse cast. From what I understand, that is closer to what Riverdale was modeled after.
I grew bored with the back and forth between realities after halfway through. It felt repetitive and the dialogue was too fake to keep me engaged. It wasn’t dark, so I expected this version to be funny like the short Sunday funnies. Nope, this wasn’t really humorous at all. For huge Archie fans, I’m sure this will fair better due to nostalgia.
August 28, 2018
I loved Archie comics as a kid, and I still love them today.
This book about an adult Archie reminded me of the show, Riverdale, which I’m obsessed with. It had some of the same subplots, such as Mr. Lodge buying lots of property in Riverdale and an important mayoral race. There were mature themes explored in this story, such as marriage, death, and losing jobs. The comics I read as a kid were more optimistic and innocent. The worst thing that happened was that Cheryl Blossom would come to town and steal Archie from Betty and Veronica. This book shows more of what happens in real life, which was kind of depressing most of the time.
One thing that bothered me about this book was the way that it switched between Archie and Veronica’s married life and Archie and Betty’s married life. Both lives were similar but slightly different. For example in both stories, Jughead was trying to buy Pop’s diner but was struggling to find the money. However, only in one of them does Moose run for mayor. I kept getting confused between chapters because it would alternate between them both. One thing I liked was that there were some characters and events that appeared in both of Archie’s stories, so those things were meant to be. It would have been easier to read if the book was divided into two different sections, one about Betty and one about Veronica, rather than having alternating chapters.
Despite the confusion, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
This book about an adult Archie reminded me of the show, Riverdale, which I’m obsessed with. It had some of the same subplots, such as Mr. Lodge buying lots of property in Riverdale and an important mayoral race. There were mature themes explored in this story, such as marriage, death, and losing jobs. The comics I read as a kid were more optimistic and innocent. The worst thing that happened was that Cheryl Blossom would come to town and steal Archie from Betty and Veronica. This book shows more of what happens in real life, which was kind of depressing most of the time.
One thing that bothered me about this book was the way that it switched between Archie and Veronica’s married life and Archie and Betty’s married life. Both lives were similar but slightly different. For example in both stories, Jughead was trying to buy Pop’s diner but was struggling to find the money. However, only in one of them does Moose run for mayor. I kept getting confused between chapters because it would alternate between them both. One thing I liked was that there were some characters and events that appeared in both of Archie’s stories, so those things were meant to be. It would have been easier to read if the book was divided into two different sections, one about Betty and one about Veronica, rather than having alternating chapters.
Despite the confusion, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
July 9, 2018
The fact that this works, and doesn't read like a goofy parody, is one hell of an impressive feat.
It's a dosh garn honest look into the post-high school lives of the Riverdale gang as they realize they've peaked, struggle with muddy futures, and find out that real relationships are friggin hard. Everyone in their twenties will find something relatable even as it spirals into soap opera fun, without ever losing the core of its characters. And to add to the high wire act, the book has to juggle two different time lines, yet still feel like a coherent narrative and allow stories to organically grow in both universes, without stumbling onto any repetitive wheel spinning. I can only imagine the writers had giant charts to track it all.
Plus, it still looks like that uniform Archie style, with a little bit more jazz.
It's a dosh garn honest look into the post-high school lives of the Riverdale gang as they realize they've peaked, struggle with muddy futures, and find out that real relationships are friggin hard. Everyone in their twenties will find something relatable even as it spirals into soap opera fun, without ever losing the core of its characters. And to add to the high wire act, the book has to juggle two different time lines, yet still feel like a coherent narrative and allow stories to organically grow in both universes, without stumbling onto any repetitive wheel spinning. I can only imagine the writers had giant charts to track it all.
Plus, it still looks like that uniform Archie style, with a little bit more jazz.
May 3, 2019
Growing up my grandparents would always buy me Archie comics at the checkout of the grocery store and I vividly remember my grandpa reading them to me. With that being said, since then I have always been a huge Archie fan. After reading Archie Marries last month I couldn’t wait to read this to find out what else happens after the I do’s.
Normally when I think of Archie I think of relatable situations with humor and happiness. This is not at all what this graphic novel entails. Instead, I found both storylines to be unrelatable and almost dark. I also felt like both storylines took very sharp and unexpected turns that weren’t always good or enjoyable, for the characters and myself.
Normally when I think of Archie I think of relatable situations with humor and happiness. This is not at all what this graphic novel entails. Instead, I found both storylines to be unrelatable and almost dark. I also felt like both storylines took very sharp and unexpected turns that weren’t always good or enjoyable, for the characters and myself.
May 30, 2023
The Archie Wedding story is what got me back into Archie comics once again, so I was happy when this series came out. The Archie Wedding books gave both girls a "happily ever after" marriage story where here, in The Married Life, I felt Archie's marriage to Veronica was a train wreck. He's obviously happier with Betty. You can see the contrast of the marriages when the stories change from one timeline to the other.
I felt the other couples' bonds were stronger in the Betty story as it seemed all the breakups happened on the Veronica side. I even felt the Betty story was more realistic. I see Archie being more a music teacher than a corporate guy.
I felt the other couples' bonds were stronger in the Betty story as it seemed all the breakups happened on the Veronica side. I even felt the Betty story was more realistic. I see Archie being more a music teacher than a corporate guy.
June 3, 2017
I loved and still love the Archie comic book series. Reading The Married Life Book 1 brought back so many memories! I rate it 5 stars because first of all, it was great! Second of all, so many questions were answered! Lastly, it's so perfect. Archie and Reggie have this adorable relationship! We get both sides: Betty and Veronica! We get to find out what happens to so many secondary characters! In my opinion it is a 5!
May 18, 2019
Alternating between issues set in a world where Archie marries Veronica and one in which he marries Betty, this book explores all the drama and humor to be found in both choices. Life doesn't stop when a love triangle ends. Nor are love triangles the only way to create conflict. I found this book extremely refreshing, and I highly recommend it for anyone who has ever enjoyed Archie comics.
May 16, 2020
Archie married Betty in one world, Veronica in the other.
But the plots are very similar, so it’s hard to keep track of whether it’s ok for Ronnie to be alone with Reggie or not.
And a teaser for a scientists who’s aware of both universes isn’t followed up.
Starts well, but ultimately disappointing.
But the plots are very similar, so it’s hard to keep track of whether it’s ok for Ronnie to be alone with Reggie or not.
And a teaser for a scientists who’s aware of both universes isn’t followed up.
Starts well, but ultimately disappointing.
June 28, 2021
A good look at what might/could have been. Jughead's path was expected and a surprise which I think was good. It was good to see "Old Friends" that I remember reading as a kid. I will admit I am not a fan of the new style of comic book drawings, it just seems so dark. If you are a fan of the gang, read this and enjoy. If you are not sure, read it as well. I think you will like it none the less.
October 12, 2020
This first volume was a great opener to the worlds of married life for Archie. It is an interesting take on the traditional comics. It suits a more older audience than the previous all ages. Its contents deals with more serious issues than simply being a lighthearted comic read.
December 16, 2024
Betty or Veronica? I have to call this a mindfuck because it was hard to keep the two parallel stories separate, and I couldn’t tell you which story each mini-plot belonged to, but alas—a cute, feel-good, visually enjoyable lil jaunt!
May 13, 2017
Ugh 2 stars just got nostalgia's sake
January 23, 2018
Really enjoying this storyline(s) so far! Excited to see where it goes.
May 12, 2018
I grew up with reading Archie, and it's nice to get back into these comics as an adult.
June 5, 2019
I can't even lie, this one made me cry in the end.
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