Review: Riverdale Vol. 1

Quick Summary

Pros: The stories detailed here help develop the characters further and provide neat snapshots from their lives.

Cons: The actual stories themselves are not that interesting. The writing feels rather over-the-top in a few places. The artwork is lackluster and occasionally makes the characters look strange.

Overall: This volume details a couple of adventures that feel like slightly less interesting episodes of Riverdale. A lot of the book’s problems come from the generic storylines, which make each chapter less interesting, and the individual nature of the storytelling, which fails to generate additional interest. The biggest draw here is the way in which this book shows off the characters themselves. This comic might appeal to those who are desperate for more Riverdale, no matter the quality level.

Story

Riverdale Vol. 1 is a unique reflection of the Riverdale television show that succeeds in giving additional backstory to characters but does less in terms of generating entertaining stories. Readers get to see unique moments that show off Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead in ways that feel similar to the show. However, the actual adventures they go on are underdeveloped and are not really that interesting on their own. This leads to the stories collected here giving neat snapshots of life in Riverdale but failing to tell anything sufficiently worthwhile.

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The positives in Riverdale Vol. 1 come from the way in which it delivers additional background behind the characters in the television show. Here, readers have a chance to see another appearance of Betty’s dark side, learn more about Cliff Blossom’s mysterious personal life, and watch Archie struggle with his own secrets. The first few chapters are particularly satisfying in this regard and really build upon the foundation of the show’s main characters. In this way, the book will be a treat to those who truly enjoy the show because it is, essentially, an extension of that same entity.

However, not everything in Riverdale Vol. 1 meshes perfectly with what readers will see on TV. This comic tends to amplifies some of the more outlandish characteristics of each character. These moments seem incredibly out of character and involved things like Betty stealing and wearing revealing clothing and Veronica getting a tattoo. For some, the over-the-top nature of this writing will make the book even more tantalizing by introducing additional spice. For others, this might be too much and may turn them off to this comic entirely.

In addition, these comic book stories are, in general, far weaker than the stories that appear on screen. None of the stories shown here stand out significantly on their own and each one ends up feeling like a less interesting version of a TV episode. Plus, the individual nature of each chapter isolates the stories contained within this volume and does not generate interest in between chapters. This is the volume’s biggest flaw as it precludes anyone without a vested interest in the characters from truly enjoying this book.

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Art

The artwork in Riverdale Vol. 1 starts out average but falls in quality rather quickly. The first few chapters, drawn by Alitha Martinez, are accurate representations of characters and locations from the Riverdale TV show. These chapters are not incredible but they do little to offend. This particular art style is likely to resonate with readers already familiar with the characters.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the book. The entire second half is poor, with quality levels that range from just lackluster to downright bad. This can be seen in static motions and a dip in the level of detail. The drop in quality is particularly noticeable in the characters, whose faces often look contorted and just plain weird. The second half of the collection significantly damages the overall appeal of the art and hurts the book as a whole.

Continuity

Riverdale Vol. 1 starts the Riverdale comic book series. This series is set in the same universe as the Riverdale television show and is affected by events from the show’s first season.

The story here continues in Riverdale Vol. 2. (Review).