Archie #709: Don’t Go Into the Woods

The conclusion of the “Archie and Sabrina” arc brings with it the inevitable breakup of Archie and Sabrina but very little else in the way of conclusion. There is a strong sense that everything Spencer and Tamaki are building in this series is a part of a greater “Riverdale Epic” that could take quite some time to finish. As such, the series suffers slightly from being unfriendly to new readers. With multiple storylines occurring simultaneously, even the careful attempts to provide summary with as minimal exposition as possible aren’t likely enough for a new reader to pick up this issue and follow along.

Of course, it is fully feasible for a reader to back-track the story to the beginning of Spencer’s run, at least for now, and the run as a whole is highly worth catching up on. The character work is exceptional, giving each character a distinct sense of purpose and roles to play outside of their typecast norms. The artwork continues to be just as vibrant or macabre as it needs to be in any given moment without abandoning the overall feel of the classic Archie style.

Still, the dangling story threads demand some sense of resolution. Not everything needs to be wrapped up in a neat little bow but at some point, some mysteries need to be put to rest, particularly as new mysteries seem to abound every other issue or so. Next arc features Katy Keene who is due to premiere her show on The CW very soon and I can’t help but worry that the cross-promotion will bring further delays on what is otherwise an intriguing and well-crafted mystery about the woods around Riverdale and the forces at work to keep small-town America relevant without sacrificing what makes them great.