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Saturday, April 6, 2024

Comics Review: "ARCHIE & FRIENDS Hot Rod Racing #1" Showcases Classic Archie Comics Elements

ARCHIE & FRIENDS HOT ROD RACING #1 (#17)
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Craig Boldman
PENCILS: Steve Butler
INKS: Jim Amash
COLORS: Glenn Whitmore
LETTERS: Jack Morelli
EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald
EiC: Mike Pellerito
COVER: Steve Butler and Lily Butler with Rosario “Tito” Peňa
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2024); on sale in comic book shops April 3, 2024

Rating: All-Ages

“The Race to Save Face!”

Eternal high school student and teenage boy, Archie Andrews, and his friends made their debut in M.L.J. Magazines' Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941), and before long, Archie was the publisher's headliner character.  In 1946, the company changed its named to Archie Comic Publications, also known as “Archie Comics.”

Archie Comics published the series, Archie & Friends, from 1992 to 2012 for 159 issues.  Since 2019, Archie has been publishing a new iteration of Archie & Friends as a series of themed one-shot comic books.  The latest is Archie & Friends Hot Rod Racing No.1, the seventeenth issue in the series.  It features one new five-page story and four reprint stories.  Entitled “The Race to Save Face!,” the new story introduces new character, “Daisy Thunder.”  It is written by Craig Boldman; drawn by Steve Butler (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

“The Race to Save Face!”:
There is a charity drag race in Riverdale, and Archie thinks his souped-up jalopy can win, even with Reggie and Jughead riding shotgun.  Much to his shock and chagrin, he has a real challenger.  Meet Daisy Thunder of the Southside Serpents.  Now, it's a race through the streets of Riverdale, and with the rest of the field dwindling away, it's down to Archie and Daisy.  Guest-starring superheroes (Shield) and infamous locales in and around Riverdale (the Igor Estates).

THE LOWDOWN:   Over the last few years, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review.  One of the most recent is Archie & Friends Hot Rod Racing No. 1, (which is titled Archie & Friends, No. 1 (#17), in the indicia).

Although, “The Race to Save Face!” is only five-pages long, I can't help but like it.  The character and locale cameos really serve to sell the notion that this story is filled with spirit of Riverdale.  I don't know if Daisy Thunder will amount to much of a new character, but the classic Archie Comics characters and settings will shine on.  And that's the best part of “The Race to Save Face!”

I grew up on classic-style Archie Comics.  Thus, I will always recommend such Archie titles, so I am giving Archie & Friends Hot Rod Racing a hearty recommendation.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics will want to find a copy of Archie & Friends Hot Rod Racing No. 1.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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