Food Wars: Wolf Pack

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Review: ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #4

  ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR #4 (OF 4)

DARK HORSE COMICS in association with Archie Comics – @DarkHorseComics and @ArchieComics

[This review first appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Alex de Campi
PENCILS: Fernando Ruiz
INKS: Rich Koslowski
COLORS: Jason Millet
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER:  Andrew Pepoy with Jason Millet
VARIANT COVERS: Faith Erin Hicks with Chris Peter; Joe Quinones
MISC. ART: Fernando Ruiz with Anwar Hanano
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2015)

“Guess Who's Coming to Dinner”

Eternal comic book teenager, Archie Andrews, was created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana and first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (cover date: December 1941).  That was almost a half-century before sci-fi movie monster, “The Predator,” (created by the sibling screenwriting team of Jim and John Thomas) first appeared in the still-popular, 1987 science fiction film, Predator.

Dark Horse Comics, in conjunction with Archie Comics, has set the Predator against Archie and his pals and gals in the four-issue comic book miniseries, Archie vs. Predator.  The series is written by Alex de Campi, penciled by Fernando Ruiz, inked by Rich Koslowski, colored by Jason Millet, and lettered by John Workman.

Archie vs. Predator #4 (“Guess Who's Coming to Dinner”) opens at Lodge Manor.  It's and the final chapter!  Archie is down for the count, and now only Betty and Veronica are left to face the killer alien monster (The Predator) that followed them from Costa Rica.   Veronica has set the mansion to explode, and she thinks she can save Archie's life.  Meanwhile, Betty learns that she has an admirer...

I read Archie vs. Predator #1 because I received a PDF review copy of it.  I enjoyed that first issue so much that I decided to follow the series.  And guess what, dear readers; I am not disappointed, and I am sorry the series has come to an end.  Writer Alex de Campi proved that two wildly different media franchises can be brought together for great affect.  She was clever in the way that she stayed true to the classic Archie milieu of rivalries and friendships, while keeping the Predator a killer.

The art team of Fernando Ruiz, Rich Koslowski (an Archie Comics writer-artist), and Jason Millet proved that the classic Archie graphic and art style can work with and be welcoming to foreign visitors, meaning the Predator.  John Workman's killer lettering gives the story such energy.  Encore!  If you haven't yet read Archie vs, Predator, the hardcover collection is due in November.

Wait!  There's more.  This issue includes a two-page bonus story, “Josie and the Pussycats Meets Finder,” by Alex de Campi, Carla Speed McNeil, and Jenn Manley Lee.  This trio is the art team behind one of the most exciting miniseries of the year, No Mercy (Image Comics).  Finder is the long running comic book series, webcomic, and comics serial written and drawn by Carla Speed McNeil, which won an Eisner Award.   Josie and the Pussycats is a classic, mini-media franchise from Archie Comics.

I am a fan of Josie and the Pussycats going back to my childhood.  I love this two-pager.  Jon Goldwater (publisher of Archie Comics), in regards to your “new direction” comics;  de Campi, McNeil, and Lee are your dream team for a Josie and the Pussycats revamp slash relaunch.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 16, 2015

DC COMICS

JUN150323     100 BULLETS TP BOOK 03 (MR)     $24.99
JUL150262     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT GENESIS #2     $2.99
MAY150231     BATMAN HC VOL 07 ENDGAME     $24.99
MAY150233     BATMAN NOIR HUSH HC     $39.99
JUL150254     BIZARRO #4     $2.99
JUL150207     BLACK CANARY #4     $2.99
JUL150209     CONSTANTINE THE HELLBLAZER #4     $2.99
JUL150216     DOCTOR FATE #4     $2.99
JUL150255     DOOMED #4     $2.99
JUN150297     FLASH SEASON ZERO TP     $19.99
JUL150286     GREEN LANTERN THE LOST ARMY #4     $2.99
JUL150277     HARLEY QUINN #20     $3.99
JUL150219     INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FOUR #10     $2.99
JUL150229     MARTIAN MANHUNTER #4     $2.99
JUN150304     NEW TEEN TITANS TP VOL 03     $19.99
JUL150235     PREZ #4     $2.99
JUL150280     ROBIN SON OF BATMAN #4     $3.99
JUL150240     SECRET SIX #6     $2.99
JUL150241     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #14     $3.99
JUL150250     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #21     $3.99
MAY150248     SWAMP THING BY SCOTT SNYDER DLX ED HC     $49.99
JUL150238     WONDER WOMAN #44     $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES
SEP140355     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT ARKHAM KNIGHT AF     $24.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 16, 2015

MARVEL COMICS

JUN150823     A-FORCE PRESENTS TP VOL 01     $14.99
JUL150743     AGE OF APOCALYPSE #4 SWA     $3.99
JUL150820     AGENT CARTER SHIELD 50TH ANNIVERSARY #1     $3.99
JUN150803     ALL NEW HAWKEYE #5     $3.99
JUL150752     ARMOR WARS #5 SWA     $3.99
JUN150807     BUCKY BARNES WINTER SOLDIER #11     $3.99
JUL150711     CAPTAIN AMERICA WHITE #1     $4.99
JUL150760     GUARDIANS OF KNOWHERE #4 SWA     $3.99
JUL150741     HOUSE OF M #3 SWA     $3.99
JUN150837     INCREDIBLE HULK EPIC COLLECTION TP GHOST OF PAST     $34.99
JUN150783     INFINITY GAUNTLET #4 SWA     $3.99
JUL150805     MIRACLEMAN BY GAIMAN AND BUCKINGHAM #2     $4.99
APR150898     MMW DAREDEVIL HC VOL 09     $75.00
JUL150732     SECRET WARS JOURNAL #5 SWA     $3.99
JUL150734     SPIDER-ISLAND #4 SWA     $3.99
JUL150735     SPIDER-VERSE #5 SWA     $3.99
JUN150792     STAR WARS #9     $3.99
JUN150791     STAR WARS LANDO #4     $3.99
JUL150783     TRUE BELIEVERS SHE-HULK #1     $1.00
JUL150778     TRUE BELIEVERS THOR #1     $1.00

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for September 16, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

JUL150393     D4VE2 #1     $3.99
JUL150483     GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO TP VOL 12     $19.99
JUL158018     GODZILLA IN HELL #2 2ND PTG     $3.99
JUL150419     GODZILLA RULERS OF EARTH TP VOL 06     $19.99
JUL150486     JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS #7     $3.99
JUL150492     MICKEY MOUSE #4     $3.99
JUL150502     MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #34     $3.99
JUL150397     STAR TREK ONGOING #49     $3.99
JUL150429     STRING DIVERS #2     $3.99
JUL150365     TMNT AMAZING ADVENTURES #2     $3.99
MAY152756     TRAP NIMBLE NINJAS CARD GAME     $14.99
MAY152757     TRAP ZANY ZOMBIES CARD GAME     $14.99
JUL150513     WEIRD LOVE #9     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 16, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAY150014     2 SISTERS SUPER SPY HC     $27.99
MAY150105     ASTRO BOY OMNIBUS TP VOL 01     $19.99
JUL150062     BPRD HELL ON EARTH #135     $3.50
MAY150060     COURAGEOUS PRINCESS HC VOL 03 DRAGON QUEEN     $19.99
MAY150098     CREEPY COMICS TP VOL 04     $19.99
JUL150104     DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #14     $4.99
JUL150077     DEATH HEAD #3     $3.99
MAY150067     FRANK FRAZETTA ADVENTURES OF SNOW MAN HC     $14.99
JUL150108     GROO FRIENDS AND FOES #9     $3.99
MAY150031     HEART IN A BOX TP     $14.99
JUN150030     HOW TO PASS AS HUMAN HC     $19.99
JUN150086     MIDNIGHT SOCIETY THE BLACK LAKE #3     $3.99
JUL150091     PAYBACKS #1     $3.99
JUL150105     PLANTS VS ZOMBIES ONGOING #4 GROWN SWEET HOME     $2.99
JUL150111     USAGI YOJIMBO #148     $3.50
MAY150032     X TP VOL 06 MARKED FOR DEATH ENTER THE MARK (MR)     $14.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 16, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

JUN150515     68 LAST RIGHTS #2 CVR A JONES & FOTOS (MR)     $3.99
JUN150516     68 LAST RIGHTS #2 CVR B FOTOS (MR)     $3.99
JUL158444     BEAUTY #1 2ND PTG     $3.50
JUL150585     BEAUTY #2 CVR A HAUN (MR)     $3.50
JUL150586     BEAUTY #2 CVR B TEMPLESMITH (MR)     $3.50
JUL158433     BEAUTY #2 CVR C RODRIGUEZ (MR)     $3.50
JUL150552     BIRTHRIGHT TP VOL 02     $12.99
DEC140726     DEATH VIGIL #8     $3.99
JUL150588     FADE OUT #9 (MR)     $3.50
JUL150589     FADE OUT TP VOL 02 (MR)     $12.99
JUL150590     INVINCIBLE #123     $2.99
JUL150591     ISLAND #3 (MR)     $7.99
APR150652     MANIFEST DESTINY #17     $2.99
JUL150593     NO MERCY TP VOL 01     $9.99
JUL150563     ODYC #7 (MR)     $3.99
APR150664     RAT QUEENS #12 (MR)     $3.99
JUL150595     SECRET IDENTITIES #7     $3.99
JUL158177     SEX CRIMINALS #11 2ND PTG SKETCH CVR (MR)     $3.50
MAY150540     SEX CRIMINALS #12 (MR)     $3.50
JUL150596     SHUTTER #15 (MR)     $3.99
MAY150529     SOUTHERN CROSS #5 (MR)     $2.99
JUL150600     TOKYO GHOST #1 CVR A MURPHY (MR)     $3.99
JUL150601     TOKYO GHOST #1 CVR B MURPHY (MR)     $3.99
JUL158445     WOLF #1 2ND PTG     $4.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS
JUL150688     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 AF     $15.99
JUL150691     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 ATHLON SPARTAN AF     PI
JUL150689     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 MASTER CHIEF AF     PI
JUL150693     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 SPARTAN 2 AF     PI
JUL150694     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 SPARTAN 3 AF     PI
JUL150692     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 SPARTAN 5 AF     PI
JUL150690     HALO 5 GUARDIANS SER 1 SPARTAN LOCKE AF     PI
JUL150695     TMP NFL SUPER BOWL PATRIOTS 3-PK     PI