Cheryl…your crazy is showing.

Riverdale #1 Bloodsport/Bring It On
Story: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Writer: Will Ewing/Michael Grassi
Artist: Joe Eisma
Colors: Andre Szymanowicz
Letters: Janice Chiang/John Workman
Covers: Alitha Martinez; Elliot Fernandez; Francesco Francavilla; Peter Krause; Djibril Morissette-Phan; Ron Salas
Editors: Mike Pellerito; Stephen Oswald; Jaime Lee Rotante
Publisher: Archie Comics

This issue of Riverdale #1 is set between episodes of the series and gives us some insight into our favorite Riverdale characters. We see Archie, riding high after joining the football team, learning about the other side of what being a Bulldog actually means. Meanwhile, Cheryl, the queen of psychosis and inappropriate behavior, continues her one-woman campaign to make Betty’s life a living hell for daring to exist and be Polly’s sister. The issue does a good job of expanding on what we see onscreen while folding in some original Archie comics lore, specifically Betty’s abilities as mechanic, that have only been hinted at on the show. We also get some more information about the Polly and Cheryl dynamic that hasn’t been touched on in the show at all and adds another layer to what we thought we knew.

Joe Eisma’s artwork is interesting to me as it’s not usually something I’d like. There’s a sameness about everyone, with small details to differentiate them, that would normally irritate the daylights out of me, but for this particular comic it works. Why? It harkens back to original recipe Archie Comics while marrying that very specific style to an almost Young Justice type look. It absolutely shouldn’t work but it does.

Overall this is a nice bit of in between to fill in some blanks of the show, not groundbreaking but the potential is there for a truly interesting comic. 3 out of 5 stars.