JugHead Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up—Archie Andrews's best friend gets his own revamped series in this collection of the first six issues of the Jughead comics. The asexual teen who loves all things burgers and video games rallies his friends against the sinister Principal Strange, who has taken over Riverdale High by usurping Principal Weatherbee's position and replacing the faculty with his own army of incredibly strict teachers. The usually apathetic Jughead is spurred into action when the cafeteria's offerings of lasagna and burgers are replaced with a tasteless and healthy gruel. Filled with the madcap imaginings of the title character, including superhero and secret spy vignettes, an Archie-esque Game of Thrones sequence, and lots of visits to Pop's Diner, this volume presents one madcap adventure after another. Zdarsky captures the spirit of the well-known cast while injecting modern sensibilities through dialogue and attitude. Henderson's energetic and dynamic art connects brilliantly with the humor and pace of each chapter. The far-fetched plot befits Jughead's personality, complete with robots, pirates, and lots of food. This installment's back matter also includes variant covers, characters sketches, excerpts of the creators' original scripts, and a sneak peek of Archie Vol. 2.