Josie and the Pussycats #1 Review

Josie and the Pussycats #1
Archie Comics
Writer: Marguerite Bennett & Cameron Deordio
Artist: Audrey Mok
Colorist: Andre Szymanowicz
Letters: Jack Morelli
Review by Insha Fitzpatrick

So, if you’re new to the site or new to me, Josie and the Pussycats is one of my absolute favorite things on the planet. From the comics, cartoons, movie and music, Josie and the Pussycats are one of the Archie Comics characters that are near and dear to my heart. Since the announcement of the new Josie and the Pussycats comics from Archie Comics, there has been so many thoughts and sheer excitement about how this could go.

Now… our time has come… We’ve been graced with the new Josie and the Pussycats #1 and…. It’s the best thing I’ve read since the relaunch of Sabrina, Jughead and Archie combined. Yeah, I said it.

I can’t and won’t give you many spoilers for this comic so you’ll have to take this review with perfect love and perfect trust.

Josie and the Pussycats #1 feels like an old friend. Once you step into this comic, it feels like something you are just continuing instead of starting, but you are technically starting from the beginning of a brand new journey. There are some very very familiar faces and some special cameos that make you feel like you’re home. Josie and the Pussycats #1 revolves Josie putting this epic band together before they were the rockstars that we all know and love. In this issue, it layers down what the Pussycat’s have and develop in a band as well as friendship, trust and love.

Marguerite Bennett & Cameron Deordio take reigns of this story and completely knock it out of the park. It’s the perfect place to create a fresh start for these characters and allows a throwback to some of the history of the Pussycats as well. We see a lot of the classic characteristic in these girls and everyone around them and it’s amazing. I will say, the story of their beginning feels a little rushed, from the girls meeting to them becoming rockstars, but all together, it’s a beginning that leaves you wanting to know more. They’re the perfect writing team for this rebirth and it all comes together with the art of Audrey Mok.

Audrey Mok is someone I’ve admired since I first saw her art in the comic Heroine Chic. She has a unique and beautiful approach to her characters, giving them their own liveliness inside of the pages while complimenting the script. She does that beautifully here. When they first announced her as the artist for Josie and the Pussycats, I almost lost my mind. My favorite girls created by an artist that is just as equally brilliant is a dream come true. Andre Szymanowicz’s coloring makes all of this come together. He creates a realistic and beautiful atmosphere for this comic that leave you breathless.

Verdict:
BUY IT. Josie and the Pussycats #1 is perfect for both new and old Josie and the Pussycats fans. You will instantly fall in love with Valerie, Josie and Melody in this first issue because… they’re all just such babes. It makes me excited to see where this story will go and how this story will unfold over time.