ARCHIE IS MR. JUSTICE, NO. 2 (OF 4)
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.
STORY: Amanda Deibert
ART: Brent Schoonover
COLORS: Glenn Whitmore
LETTERS: Jack Morelli
EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante
EiC: Mike Pellerito
COVER: Reiko Murakami
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jamal Igle; Matt Talbot
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2025); on sale in comic book shops January 22, 2025
Rating: Teen+
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 has also published superhero comic books featuring offbeat characters. The latest is a new four-issue comic book series, entitled Archie is Mr. Justice. The second issue is written by Amanda Deibert; drawn by Brent Schoonover; colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli. Archie is Mr. Justice focuses on teenager Archie Andrews and his superhero persona, “Mr. Justice.” Mr. Justice may be the superhero that all of Riverdale is talking about, but now, he's not the only one. His activities have brought forth a rival – Visionary.
Archie is Mr. Justice #2 opens as Hiram Lodge, a greedy developer and real estate tycoon, plans to change the face of Riverdale through his company, Lodge Industries. No longer will it be small town, but instead will be state-of-the-art and exclusive. That also means a lot of people will be displaced from their neighborhoods and homes, and those people cannot afford the new luxury estates.
Hiram's daughter, Veronica Lodge, believes that she can mitigate the damage her father does by starting a charity that will help people find jobs. She also thinks that a charity fashion show is appropriate, and she wants her dear friend, Archie, to help her. However, some people want no part of her charity, and when the protesters show up at a Lodge Industries worksite, there is violence. And much to Veronica's disappointment, Mr. Justice takes the protesters' side.
Now, with the help of Lodge Tech, Veronica is about to become Riverdale's newest superhero, “Visionary.” Veronica does not know that her rival, Mr. Justice, is actually her precious Archie Andrews! Now, things are going to go from bad to worse.
THE LOWDOWN: I have been reading comic books, on and off, for decades. I have sporadically read Archie Comics titles over that time. For many years now, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review. Archie is Mr. Justice No. 2 is the latest.
Archie Comics has been reviving some of the old M.L.J. “Golden Age” superheroes for several years now. The latest to rise from the grave is “Mr. Justice,” also known as “the Royal Wraith.” Created by writer Joe Blair and artist Sam Cooper, Mr. Justice was an 18th century English prince who was murdered by rebels. Chance and circumstance brought about his return to the mortal world in the 1940s in the form of Mr. Justice. Mr. Justice first appeared in Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (cover dated: February 1941; M.L.J. Magazines), which, in a bit of meta-fiction, is the comic book that appears in Archie is Mr. Justice #1 as one of Jughead's comic books. From this particular comic book, Archie takes inspiration for his “Mr. Justice” identity.
For this second issue, writer Amanda Deibert and artist Brent Schoonover delve into the complications that come from having both a superhero identity and a personal life. Deibert's script captures the ambivalence, unruly emotions, spurned feelings, and anger, all with an aura of relentlessness that can be called both smooth and constant.
Schoonover's art and storytelling present a story that is not so black-and-white in its conflict. He offers not so much heroes and villains as he does imperfect people. Glenn Whitmore's colors capture the nuance and shifting moods of this story, and Jack Morelli's lettering provides a steady beat for a story that finds the messiness of relationships with each page.
I am surprised by Archie is Mr. Justice #2. This is a melancholy chapter in this series, and it is not as aggressive nor as powerful as the first issue's story. Still, I wish that what is presented in this second issue was developed as a graphic novel. The story has the potential to decompress.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Archie Comics' superhero titles will want to try Archie is Mr. Justice No. 2.
[This comic book includes a two-page section on the making of Archie is Mr. Justice No. 2. There is also a Q&A featuring Amanda Deibert and Brent Schoonover.]
A-
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
https://archiecomics.com/
https://x.com/archiecomics
https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArchieComicsOfficial
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics
The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment