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Archie #13 Review: Cheryl Blossom Is No Wallflower

By Alex Widen

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Entire nations now separate Archie and Veronica! Unfortunately, the Lodge heiress has someone new to worry about! Cheryl Blossom hits the scene!

Archie #13

Writers: Mark Waid & Lori Matsumoto

Artist: Joe Eisma

Colorist: Andre Szymanowicz

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The Mark Waid run on Archie Comics’ flagship title officially starts its second year. He is showing no signs of slowing down, and is instead ratcheting up the tension. This includes not only splitting up Archie and Veronica, but continuing to recreate iconic members of the Riverdale cast. As advertised on the cover, the red-headed vixen Cheryl Blossom gets her due here. Created in 1982 by Frank Doyle and Dan DeCarlo, she’s always brought trouble with her.

Image by Archie Comics

Archie and Betty Cooper begin the issue in roughly the same place. Both of them are trying to recover from losing their steadies. The previous issue was rough on the pair. They officially fixed their friendship, but at quite a cost. Sayid was irked by playing second fiddle to Archie and left Betty. Hiram Lodge, meanwhile, moved from Riverdale after losing an election and took Veronica with him. At this point, nearly the entire main cast is miserable, except for Jughead or Kevin Keller.

At Least Veronica Can Get Better Cheeses Now!

Image by Archie Comics

Yet it may be Veronica who has it the worst. She’s been whisked away to a private boarding school in Switzerland by her father. Hiram’s even managed to block her ability to contact any of the Riverdale crew online or by phone. Mr. Lodge doesn’t even need to appear to showcase what a force he is. Forced back into a life of hanging out with the elites of high society, Veronica soon finds someone familiar. Cheryl Blossom is another debutante and ex reality TV star from the U.S.

Very quickly, Waid establishes a clear difference between Veronica and Cheryl. Veronica may be vain, haughty, and elitist at times, but she’s went on to learn to be better. She eventually accepted Riverdale’s small town ways (as best she could). One could argue she even copes with failure better than Hiram does. At heart she is a decent person when no longer isolated by class. Cheryl Blossom, in comparison, is deliberately cruel and elitist, as well as viciously competitive.

Image by Archie Comics

Seeing Veronica as a rival in the social structure of the Swiss school, Cheryl quickly sets out to topple her. She learns all of Veronica’s secrets and manipulates her into helping humiliate a lower class girl named Julia. Either she doesn’t believe that Veronica merely wanted to be friends and not take Cheryl’s social position, or simply doesn’t care. Her twin brother Jason even has a small cameo as they plot more mischief together. It is rare to see Veronica so outfoxed, but here we are.

A New Artist? It Must Be a Wednesday!

Joe Eisma takes over on art, although considering the title’s long list of artist’s, who knows how long his tenure will be. The series averages one new artist after every two to four issues. He’s fresh off a run on BOOM Studio’s Big Trouble In Little China ongoing series, and this is an odd shift from that. He quickly adapts to the series, drawing solid renditions of the cast which match the tone of previous artists like Fiona Staples or Veronica Fish.

Image by Archie Comics

Lori Matsumoto joins Mark Waid in the writing department, and it’ll be interesting to see if any shift is noticeable. The brilliance of Waid’s era on Archie is how he has turned what had been a nostalgic throwback into a very relevant teenage comedy soap opera. Every issue has plenty of laughs, and this one is no exception. The bits with Archie and Betty trying to cope in the middle are fun. But Waid also knows how to pour in complex character drama and really hit emotions home.

Image by Archie Comics

Perhaps Waid realizes that most franchises need genuine antagonists, not cast mates who are occasionally naughty. Reggie Mantle has been reinvented as quite a clever and sleazy creep in this series. Hiram Lodge is virtually a force of nature, utilizing the full weight of his wealth and social status as a weapon. Cheryl Blossom serves as a foil for the women within the book, instead of Archie. To Cheryl, he’s just a pawn (or “hayseed”) to use against Veronica in their rivalry.

This Blossom Is a Bad Bloom!

Image by Archie Comics

Cheryl’s introduction couldn’t have gone much better. She’s quickly established herself as a distinct cast member and worthy foil for Veronica. Her lavish looks seem to hide a cruel heart, which is true of many people in high society. You could say she’s Veronica Lodge’s dark side, for those who consider her less “pure” than Betty Cooper. Veronica is used to privilege, but, at heart, longs for the acceptance of small town life. Cheryl, like Hiram, sees privilege as a weapon.

It will also be interesting if Cheryl’s twin, Jason, will get much play in this incarnation. He was rarely utilized in the traditional Archie series. Perhaps it was due to his sister being immediately “hotter” to male creators. Maybe the fact that a name like “Jason Blossom” is a bit lame. Or it could be that Reggie already fills the role as “male mischief-maker” in the franchise. Waid has established a clear divide. Reggie is middle class but longs to move up, while Jason is an elite and likes to punch down.

Image by Archie Comics

Next: See the end of the love triangle from #12

There is always a lot to think about with every new issue of Archie, which is one of many reasons why it is so good. Those who want timeless nostalgia trips can still get all the digests they can read. Even those who want horror or superhero comics at Archie Comics can find them. But for those who want a genuinely good teen “dramedy,” Archie has proven more than capable of surpassing expectations. Welcome aboard, Cheryl Blossom. May you bring more chaos with you!

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