Jughead: The Hunger #1 Review

Jughead: The Hunger #1

Writer: Frank Tieri
Artists: Pat and Tim Kennedy
Inkers: Bob Smith and Jim Amash
Colourist: Matt Herms
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Publisher: Archie Comics

A review by Josh Rose

Jughead is scary (that made my EiC laugh). I often use humour to deflect fear, something our jovial Jughead Jones has forgotten to do in this terrifying new series from Archie Comics. Jughead: The Hunger #1 sees the gang split up, dealing with the aftermath of Reggie’s attack. Jughead is a werewolf on the run from his friends. He has joined the circus to hide, and Betty, who comes from a long line of monster hunters, is taking Archie with her to hunt down Jughead. Things aren’t going so well for Jughead, and they only get worse when he realizes someone at the circus let him loose after he turns one night.

Frank Tieri has crafted a wonderful mystery surrounding whoever is taking advantage of Jughead’s “condition”. Jughead: The Hunger #1 makes you really sympathize with Jughead, feeling just how sad and scared he is. What will happen to Riverdale while Betty, Archie and Jughead are gone? Already I can see seeds being planted that force the gang back to Riverdale. What really caught me about this issue, though, was the use of animals. Animals have always had a sixth sense about people, and I love how that’s used here to build the horror.

The use of shadows and dark colours really reinforce that this is a horror book and not a comedy. Matt Herms’ use of reds, oranges, and purples make it seem like Archie and the gang are in a state of eternal dusk. It feels like a typical horror flick where once it gets dark you’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pat and Tim Kennedy do a great job showing the characters’ emotions, not just in their faces but also in their body language. Jughead slouches and looks incredibly despondent, while Betty takes a more aggressive stance and is clearly furious. And the Kennedy’s werewolf is amazing! It’s a classic design, but it looks incredibly fierce–not something I would want to meet in a dark alley or anywhere else ever.

The Verdict:
Buy it! Jughead: The Hunger #1 is a terrific horror story. It builds off of the one-shot that came out earlier this year, but new readers can jump right in with this issue. Jughead: The Hunger #1 introduces people to this new world of Archie’s and gets them caught up on past events very quickly. This is an emotional roller coaster ride with some amazing artwork, a fantastic read for Halloween.