The Improved Archie (Part 2)

[colonel_green]

Four scans from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #2, continuing our merry romp through Archie Comics as written by James M. Cain.

Contains cussin', nudity, and intimations of violence.


 

So, last time, the adult Riley Richards (Archie) discovered that his wife Felix (Veronica) was cheating on him with childhood nemesis Teddy (Reggie); while visiting him hometown, Riley also reconnected with Lizzie (Betty), and believes that the only way to escape the rut he's in and recapture his youth (as well as head off Felix divorcing him and taking all her money with her) is to kill his wife.

First, a few more flashbacks to the good old days:



And:



In the present, Riley puts his plan into motion. He drives up to Brookview (his home town) to help his mother move out of their old house, and pals around with Freakout (Jughead), his recovering drug addict friend. He tricks Freakout into relapsing, leaving him passed out from marijuana, and then drives back to town, where he knows Felix will be having an illicit rendezvous with Teddy while he's supposed to be out of town.



He monologues a bit more as he enters the apartment.


 

Comments

[speedingtortoise]

Well that's fucked up

[shanejayell]

Is it wrong that I like this? *lol*

This should be a official Archie AU.

[darkknightjrk]

I've recently figured out that I only really enjoy anything related to Archie when it's being twisted in fucked up ways like this, so if you're wrong, I'm even wronger, and I have no problem with that. XD

[auggie18]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djRAiiFlCy8

[eyz]

Same here! XD
I dunno, it's fun to play with these static unchanging well known (boring) characters "out of the sandbox"!

[darrylayo]

My theory is that Archie operates between two points:

Point 1: it's a harmless, safe, family safe comic

Point 2: it remains locked into place.


The problem is that nothing can remain interesting by doing both at once.

The Simpsons, for example, remains frozen in place (kids never grow up, no one ages), but the show pushes boundaries for content and culturally-relevant messages (at least it did in its heyday)

Things like live-action sitcoms may be less edgy than the Simpsons, but due to the nature of human actors, the characters eventually grow, age and need to advance in their life stories.

So Archie is being "safe" on both fronts and therefore, suffering the "worst of both worlds."

[big_daddy_d]

If you like that, perhaps you'll like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSpYWJNyDfI

[cypherfdp]

What a crazy douchebag!

[fifthie]

I'm sure this will take him back to the olden days just like the good times he remembers.

[arilou_skiff]

And she wasn't even a Trotskyite!

[proteus_lives]

I'm loving this storyline.

It's such a jerk thing he does to Not!Jughead.

But it's bonus all the way.

[filthysize]

I love the flashback page where Riley explains why he ended up with Felix instead of Lizzie. It wasn't just being rich, it was also because Lizzie wouldn't let him get to second base while Felix happily and aggressively fucked him.

It really does explain why Archie chooses to go out with Veronica most of the time. If he likes both girls equally, why not go with the sure thing?

[equinox216]

Last panel of page 1 totally needs a "RICHAAAAAARDS!" there.

[meatwhichdreams]

Man, these are brilliant! Thanks so much for posting them.

[stubbleupdate]

I think I'll see anus