Josie and the Pussycats #2 Review

Josie and the Pussycats #2

Writers: Marguerite Bennett & Cameron Deordio
Artist: Audrey Mok
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Publisher: Archie Comics

Review by Insha Fitzpatrick

There’s no sweeter week then when a fresh Josie and the Pussycats lands in your lap!

Josie and the Pussycats #2 is a little bit different than our introduction to the Pussycats. We’re hitting the road with the girls and they’re already getting themselves into a bit of trouble. Josie’s dreams are finally coming true as they start their journey as a band headed into fame, fortune, and unknown territory. Josie’s dreams and adventures of Japan, Paris, and all the fine things Alan M. has told her she’s going to have, has to be put on hold for a little bit. Josie and the Pussycats have to crawl before they can run and their first gig is to play a biker bar. Yes, you heard that right, a biker bar. Things get a little complicated when the bikers trick the girls into playing the bar… every night. However, not to fear, the Pussycats know how to get themselves out of a sticky situation and I’m sure it’s not going be the last time they have to do something like it.

I really enjoyed this for a lot of different reasons and trust me, I’d like to make them all known. This issue and comic feel like it’s going to be so different from the  straight-forward stories that we’ve seen with Archie, Jughead, Sabrina, and Betty & Veronica. It feels like it’s relying on an underlining plot, while keeping up with the classic hijinks and hilarity that is Josie and the Pussycats. Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio take very much from the adventures of the classic comics and cartoons, turning them into modern tales of random and rambunctious energy and that’s the most exciting thing to me.

It seems like Bennett and Deordio are trying to tell the stories and adventures of an up-and-coming band and that’s so cool to me. This story doesn’t need a straightforward story line if you give me hijinks and comedy along the way! One thing that made me giggle throughout the story was one (or all) of the Pussycats breaking the third wall and making their presence known. It doesn’t work in a story like Betty & Veronica, but it certainly works here.

Aubrey’s art continues to shine within Josie and the Pussycats #2 and especially within the action scenes between the girls and the bikers. It’s the punk rock vibe that I very much craved from the beginning and it’s amazing. One thing about the issue that had me absolutely in awe was the fashion for the Pussycats and bikers. I have a love for the aesthetic of punk/biker love children and this satisfied what I needed.  It made me absolutely swoon and smile seeing the girls like this. Give me those spike and studded jackets, leopard crop tops and wild hair! SLAY ME.

This all couldn’t be possible, however, without Kelly Fitzpatrick’s colors. Kelly has been one of my favorite colorists for a long time and inside this issue, she absolutely makes it her own. Even though the girls are playing in a biker bar, which are usually dark and dreary, Kelly’s colors make those dark insides pop. You want to look around and see what you might have missed in the details of Aubrey’s art. These two as a team might be my favorite thing inside of this issue because my eye went from detail to detail just to see what was there.

The Verdict
Buy it to Wait and See. I know a lot of people have been on the fence with the new Josie and the Pussycats, but Josie and the Pussycats #2 is such a fun time! Right now, this team is doing something different for Archie Comics and making it fun instead of giving you a straightforward story. I’m excited to see where the adventures land next and what’s in store for the girls. In my opinion, this is going to be a fun ride… I want to be a roadie for The Pussycats so badly!