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Afterlife With Archie #6-10
Afterlife with Archie, Vol. 2: Betty R.I.P.
The dark plague of the undead has swallowed Riverdale whole, forcing the survivors led by Archie, Betty and Veronica to flee the formerly idyllic town in search of safe haven. The rag-tag group's once-lighthearted romantic rivalries, power struggles and family feuds are now cast in a desperate light, as tensions and emotions are heightened by the fact that any decision, no matter how trivial it may seem, could now be a choice between life and death. And more and more frequently... death is the winner.
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE: BETTY R.I.P. compiles the second storyline from the hit ongoing comic book horror series AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE.
AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE: BETTY R.I.P. compiles the second storyline from the hit ongoing comic book horror series AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE.
168 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2018
About the author
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
461 books450 followersRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 22, 2017
(It counts if I read the single issues right?)
June 26, 2019
Καλύτερο από το vol.1, αλλά και πάλι κινείται στο 3.5!
November 25, 2019
This was just an awesome volume!! The art is just beyond great! It makes me so sad that there are no more to read. I really hope they continue the series one day because this is the perfect combo for fans of Archie and zombies!!
February 5, 2017
Read in singles, so it counts
January 31, 2020
It's so good, but sadly, I'm not going to be looking hard for the next volume. The delays are just nuts.
February 13, 2018
I love weird things, but this was way too weird for my liking.
March 19, 2019
real homophobic to leave this series on an infinite hiatus
June 18, 2018
After the banal first volume of the series, these volume leaps forward into a new, engaging story with interesting ideas spun from the characters and situations in the Archie universe.
September 25, 2023
some very fun development and i loved all the deep dives they did on the characters… comics are always canceled the worst moments in the series LOL
March 16, 2018
So this hasn't been marked as read prior to now because I thought it was gong to include the upcoming 11th issue. While mildy frustrated, I am at least happy with this book and will still buy it in trade. Issue 10 is definitely the best.
October 30, 2020
This was another five star read, but my big question is: What happened?? Why did this series stop at issue 10? The groundwork is excellent but then the story just stops. This volume moves the story along as we see this is more than just the usual zombie apocalypse (sounds weird to say it like that) but this is a Cthulhu type event and the zombies aren't mindless but are being lead by their leader, JugDead. The volume starts out with a heavy Lovecraft type story where Lovecraft himself is a character as well as Machen. Erich Zann and Pickman show up as well, so there's plenty of Easter eggs here. (Including the ode to THE SHINING.)
There's also a big secret revealed about Josie and the Pussycats that would have been great to more about. The secret puts a whole new twist on the zombie plot.
So I have torn feelings about this volume. It's great, but this story needs to be finished! I'm guess the Riverdale tv series showed up and is keeping Roberto busy, and I bet he sees this book as his baby and doesn't want anyone else to write it. If that's the case, I hope he gets back to this series soon because this is great stuff.
There's also a big secret revealed about Josie and the Pussycats that would have been great to more about. The secret puts a whole new twist on the zombie plot.
So I have torn feelings about this volume. It's great, but this story needs to be finished! I'm guess the Riverdale tv series showed up and is keeping Roberto busy, and I bet he sees this book as his baby and doesn't want anyone else to write it. If that's the case, I hope he gets back to this series soon because this is great stuff.
June 12, 2018
Read as single volumes.
I find that Zombie infection stories are the most fun at the beginning, and then they tend to devolve in ways that aren't quite satisfying. Nobody will do things you'd consider doing in real life, because they're too busy taking the most dramatic (read: violent) course of action. Also the story will drag on into a boring and repetitive cycle of hiding - oh no, zombies! - hiding, - omg zombies! - hiding again.
Afterlife with Archie is doing something more interesting than that, by pushing the story further into fantasy. After all, the contagion did start with witchcraft, why not add vampires and Lovecraftian horror into the mix?
Each chapter is more of a standalone than in the previous volume. Chapter 6 is about what's been going on with Sabrina since we last saw her, Chapter 10 is about Josie and the Pussycats... although we don't know how they'll affect the story yet, 9 is about the guilt that's been stewing in Reggie's head so far...
On another note, Betty and Veronica's competition over Archie is the most toxic I've seen it in a while. It doesn't get like this in the Riverdale TV series, or in the Archie comics reboot (which was something I loved about both of those); but in Afterlife, the nuclear jealousy just fits in with the horror genre.
No idea what any of this is building up to, but hopefully it'll be interesting.
I find that Zombie infection stories are the most fun at the beginning, and then they tend to devolve in ways that aren't quite satisfying. Nobody will do things you'd consider doing in real life, because they're too busy taking the most dramatic (read: violent) course of action. Also the story will drag on into a boring and repetitive cycle of hiding - oh no, zombies! - hiding, - omg zombies! - hiding again.
Afterlife with Archie is doing something more interesting than that, by pushing the story further into fantasy. After all, the contagion did start with witchcraft, why not add vampires and Lovecraftian horror into the mix?
Each chapter is more of a standalone than in the previous volume. Chapter 6 is about what's been going on with Sabrina since we last saw her, Chapter 10 is about Josie and the Pussycats... although we don't know how they'll affect the story yet, 9 is about the guilt that's been stewing in Reggie's head so far...
On another note, Betty and Veronica's competition over Archie is the most toxic I've seen it in a while. It doesn't get like this in the Riverdale TV series, or in the Archie comics reboot (which was something I loved about both of those); but in Afterlife, the nuclear jealousy just fits in with the horror genre.
No idea what any of this is building up to, but hopefully it'll be interesting.
January 18, 2020
I am reviewing the single issues, since as far as I can tell this trade paperback, like the last two issues of the Betty R.I.P. story arc, has never seen the light of day. Ah well, at least the series went out on a high note. Despite the fact that Aguirre-Sacasa and Francavilla left some loose threads I recommend Afterlife with Archie without hesitation. It’s a smart, subversive horror comic that turned the Archie universe on its head.
Read
May 16, 2021Issue #6 -2 stars
Issue #7- 3 stars
Issues #8-10 - 4 stars
This was better than the first volume so that was good. I really liked the last two issues dealing with Reggie's regret and Josie and the Pussycats.
Issue #7- 3 stars
Issues #8-10 - 4 stars
This was better than the first volume so that was good. I really liked the last two issues dealing with Reggie's regret and Josie and the Pussycats.
June 9, 2017
very good, cant wait for issue #11
Want to read
October 14, 2017issues 6 - 12
June 1, 2018
My only complaint is that issue 11 has been continually delayed. The story isn't over. They're promising new issues this year. I hope so because it's freaking awesome.
Read
January 16, 2022A series which felt revolutionary when it started, nearly a decade ago, but which has been away so long that since the first volume, one of the spin-offs for which it created a space could itself start, be adapted for TV, run a few seasons, and then be cancelled. Hell, even this volume stalled six years ago, two issues before its projected end, but since there's every possibility we'll meet our own apocalypse (zombies strictly figurative) before it deigns to finish, I might as well treat it like Karamazov or the Canterbury Tales and review what exists. Which, yes, appropriately for a zombie story, is no longer as fresh as it was. On top of the delays and their attendant damage to its newness, sending the survivors away from Riverdale and into a dangerous trek through the wilderness inevitably makes it feel less particularly Archie, more like the Walking Dead with a cast of Archie characters – who in turn seem less and less themselves as the new world takes its toll. But after a couple of issues slogging through that, perhaps aware that this is getting boring for everyone, the creators remember why this series hit so hard, beyond the bold high concept, and start having fun again, mixing things up, revisiting various Archie fixtures and finding the horrors buried inside. Fitting a Christmas ghost story into a zombie story is ingenious, and I love the Faustian bargain suggested as the reason why Riverdale has hitherto seemed so delightfully consequence-free. But perhaps the best of all is the seemingly final issue, a look back at the career of Josie & the Pussycats which finds room for nods to everything from Gatsby to the Spice Girls without ever feeling forced.
March 28, 2018
Still ferociously entertaining, but the seams show a bit more in this second volume of "Horrorverse" Archie tales that finds the gang on the run and traveling the countryside. A haunted hotel story is memorable for the lengthy discussions between Archie and Jughead (the real Jug before being reanimated as a zombie). A Sabrina solo outing that finds her wed to one of the darker forces from the world of H.P. Lovecraft is clever and fun for Cthulhu Mythos aficionados. Reggie continues to grow darker as a malevolent force and gets a Faustian offer he can't refuse. But Archie and Betty stay true to who they are, and their love both shines as a beacon AND causes massive envy from other cast members. I continue to be amazed at how much I enjoy this alternate version of Archie Comics, proving yet again that no matter how outlandish the concept, one should always be willing to give things a chance before dismissing them out of hand.
May 18, 2020
love excellent Horrorverse adaptations when an author takes something that is banal and twists it and gives it some bite, which is precisely what Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa did with the saccharine sweet Riverdale story. Roberto pulls out an end of the world zombie apocalypse story from the depths of pep rally games, love triangles, and high school melodrama.
I love it so much more than the original.
In this volume, the gang is on the run. There is a horde of the undead being led by a decaying and bloodthirsty Jughead. Still, within the group, there are power struggles, violent flashbacks, and murder. So there is quite a bit to read about aside from the running. Some basics still apply: Betty is a sweetheart but is slowly showing more personality, Veronica is still a bitch, and Archie is still the leader. But, we learn a bit more about Veronica and Betty’s backgrounds. The only real snag about this, the artwork is stellar, and the storyline is fun is that the last two issues of this arc never saw the light of day. They have been on indefinite hold. There is no real resolution to this second story arc. I don’t mind; I found it was still a fun read. But it is frustrating to some readers.
Artwise, this volume is dark and gorgeous.
All in all, a fun read. Sucks that the last issues are not out, but still worth checking it out if you are a zombie apocalypse fan.
I love it so much more than the original.
In this volume, the gang is on the run. There is a horde of the undead being led by a decaying and bloodthirsty Jughead. Still, within the group, there are power struggles, violent flashbacks, and murder. So there is quite a bit to read about aside from the running. Some basics still apply: Betty is a sweetheart but is slowly showing more personality, Veronica is still a bitch, and Archie is still the leader. But, we learn a bit more about Veronica and Betty’s backgrounds. The only real snag about this, the artwork is stellar, and the storyline is fun is that the last two issues of this arc never saw the light of day. They have been on indefinite hold. There is no real resolution to this second story arc. I don’t mind; I found it was still a fun read. But it is frustrating to some readers.
Artwise, this volume is dark and gorgeous.
All in all, a fun read. Sucks that the last issues are not out, but still worth checking it out if you are a zombie apocalypse fan.
May 25, 2021
I can only really review issues 6-10 because we still haven't gotten #11 and #12, and we may never get them at the rate we're going.
I was really excited about the build-up of this series, and this volume really started in a striking manner. Instead of immediately returning to the escapees of Riverdale, we start with Sabrina who appears to be under the care of a certain Dr. Lovecraft? Of course, there's more going on here and the book just continues to double down on horror lore and trying in more concepts into this darker Archie world.
Our survivors can only do so much to survive and it seems that there are other risks among them. But is the danger really about the mistakes of others or their increasing paranoia and distrust of others. The arc culminates with Reggie finding a way to be Reggie in the context of this world...but of course it's potentially darker.
And...we'll never see what happens. WTF. The book was getting really good until it just stopped being anything.
I was really excited about the build-up of this series, and this volume really started in a striking manner. Instead of immediately returning to the escapees of Riverdale, we start with Sabrina who appears to be under the care of a certain Dr. Lovecraft? Of course, there's more going on here and the book just continues to double down on horror lore and trying in more concepts into this darker Archie world.
Our survivors can only do so much to survive and it seems that there are other risks among them. But is the danger really about the mistakes of others or their increasing paranoia and distrust of others. The arc culminates with Reggie finding a way to be Reggie in the context of this world...but of course it's potentially darker.
And...we'll never see what happens. WTF. The book was getting really good until it just stopped being anything.
January 29, 2019
Ugh. Bloody horrific. (In a good way.) And kind of really sad too. I loved it how they tied the Sabrina comics to this and how the witches are involved in ALOT. I also enjoyed that H.P Lovecraft was a villian. The story flowed nice, breaking it up once again from a different characters perspective and a little of their background in this timeline. I'll admit I don't get the whole BFF thing with betty and veronica. The obviously hate each other but whatever. As much as I loved it though it gets 4 stars only because there is so long between issues and this finished on an "interlude" with no real closure to the whole "R.I.P betty storyline. But overall a fantastic graphic novel bind up and the artwork was stunning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
I was a bit disappointed the story didn't conclude with issue #10, as it seems to be getting a bit long drawn-out, and branching out a bit too much for my liking. But I enjoyed these issues nonetheless, as most likely will Archie fans who're familiar with all the characters and their backgrounds. The zombie apocalypse continues, with more in-depth glimpses into certain character's lives. This volume also introduces some major sideplots and drops some bombshells, expanding on the original storyline quite a bit. Not quite sure the creators are going to be able to satisfactorily resolve everything now that they've put so much on their plate, but I would be eager to read on and find out what happens next!
July 30, 2021
The second volume of "Afterlife with Archie" is either more ambitious or more scattershot, depending on whether you love or hate the "Riverdale" writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's addiction to pastiche and winking plot homages. Moving away from the straightforward "Walking Dead" homage of the first five-issue arc, the "Betty RIP" arc riffs on "The Shining," "Interview with the Vampire" and an incredibly appealing, tongue-in-cheek reimagining of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos as YA mystery drama. It doesn't hang together nearly as well as volume 1 did, but it's still a fun, cheeky and smart horror read. And now... now we wait for Volume 3, if it ever comes.
March 31, 2021
Afterlife with Archie, Vol. 2: Betty R.I.P.
By Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa
2016?
Vol. 2 has issues #6-10.
The writing is fantastic and the eerie art fits the writing perfectly. Unfortunately, the series stopped at issue ten, and does not have an ending. I would love it if the writer would come back and finish the series. With the popularity of the Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV shows, the comic could once again be a huge hit.
4 stars. 5 stars if it actually had an ending.
By Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa
2016?
Vol. 2 has issues #6-10.
The writing is fantastic and the eerie art fits the writing perfectly. Unfortunately, the series stopped at issue ten, and does not have an ending. I would love it if the writer would come back and finish the series. With the popularity of the Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV shows, the comic could once again be a huge hit.
4 stars. 5 stars if it actually had an ending.
October 12, 2021
Excuse me while I seethe. I knew this series was unfinished, but I thought that meant like doesn’t wrap up its overarching story unfinished not stops dead in the middle of an arc unfinished. There’s a build up to a climax that just doesn’t exist and it is so, so frustrating, especially since this volume features not just one, but two interludes. If those interludes had been cut, we’d at least have finished the arc. The quality is just as high here as volume one, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this volume to anyone since it just stops mid-story.
October 15, 2021
Holy motherforking shirtballs. This is soo freaking good, the art is incredible and the storyline is amazing and intense and I love it. But oh my cthulhu, this story can't just be left unresolved like this! I need the ending, I need this to come back because I may go insane not knowing how it ends. With Reggie? With Betty?! With SABRINA!!
I think they had two issues left planned to release (and cover art exists for it online) and they just release issue #9 for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina soplease also conclude this.
Highly recommend this series for lovers of horror.
I think they had two issues left planned to release (and cover art exists for it online) and they just release issue #9 for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina soplease also conclude this.
Highly recommend this series for lovers of horror.
April 13, 2022
Ugh it hurts to give this a low rating but it had to be done.
First of all apparently this series has been canceled after the 10th issue,which sucks because we don’t really get an ending?
I think the second half of this series was completely unnecessary, it just dragged and was all over the place. It could’ve honestly ended after the first volume,for me that was a perfect length and it could’ve ended with them just moving on from riverdale.
So for me I’m going to forget this part exists because it ruined the story for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
First of all apparently this series has been canceled after the 10th issue,which sucks because we don’t really get an ending?
I think the second half of this series was completely unnecessary, it just dragged and was all over the place. It could’ve honestly ended after the first volume,for me that was a perfect length and it could’ve ended with them just moving on from riverdale.
So for me I’m going to forget this part exists because it ruined the story for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
April 22, 2018
SO good. Issue #10 was great. Need to see more of in the future issues (if they EVER come out). I also really liked everything that was going on with . I think that was this volume. I read in single issue and need more!
March 20, 2020
I wanted way more spooky Sabrina! Not as good and engaging as the first volume, Betty’s way to good for Archie to want to actually MARRY him. The writing just wasn’t nearly as fun as the first volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews