Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Archie vs Sharknado #1 One-Shot
Archie Comics
Ferrante, Parent & Koslowski
Archie takes on Sharknado in what can only be described as a ridiculous, but fun comic book. Released to coincide with the premier of Sharknado Part 3, this one shot clocks in at forty pages for five bucks. You get your money's worth as this is an entertaining read. You know coming in that you aren't getting the most dramatic or deepest comic book ever. If you approach this with some fun in mind then you won't be disappointed.
The comic book starts off tremendously. Betty and Veronica are in Washington DC with Veronica's dad, who happens to be a politician, when storms turn into tornadoes and the tornadoes scoop up some sharks. Things go badly. These opening pages are gory, but in a cartoon-like way. Additionally, the creativity in the ways the pair kill the sharks is fantastic. The comic doesn't pull any punches in the creative department as the pair repair a helicopter and replace the rotors with sheering blades so that they can cut through sharks as they fly. I found myself laughing as I went and couldn't wait to see what else the comic had in store. Unfortunately, these pages served as the best the book has to offer.
The book moves to Archie, which is to be expected, but the comic slows down and begins to fall into the standard shark attack story. Archie and friends are on a boat when sharks begin attacking from the water, which isn't too unique of a situation. There are some moments though, such as when the shark leaps out of the water and steals Cheryl's bathing suit top. For the most part these scenes are forgettable.
The comic brings back some of the creativity to close out the comic as the surviving characters make it back to their school for a final stand. These closing scenes are highlighted by Jughead's stand against the shark that stole his hat and the various ways the characters figure out a way to kill off the sharks.
This comic is exactly like the films: ridiculous. There is something to be said for taking the innocent setting of Archie, keeping it innocent, as they kill off sharks while various characters get dismembered and eaten. This is not an easy task.
The artwork is very good. The comic retains its all-ages look, but adds in the small details of bones sticking out of bite marks and rolling heads when separated from their bodies. The comic book is not for the feint of heart but won't require the strongest stomach to make it through. One of the components that doesn't work with this style are some of the individual situations. One character gets eaten but survives after the shark is cut open. The mixture makes it difficult to pinpoint what this book is going for. Is it no holds barred or is it light and fluffy that happens to depict some blood? Overall, the artwork enhances the story nicely.
Archie versus Sharknado is a very good one-shot comic book. Archie fans will probably enjoy the read as the book weaves the various characters into the plot. Sharknado fans probably are getting what they would expect, but may have been hoping for more of the movie characters instead of just the Archie ones. The comic has nice artwork and tells a gory, but all-ages-like visual story. At forty pages for five dollars you will definitely get your entertainment value. I recommend checking this out.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
