Afterlife With Archie #9

Writer: Roberto Aguirre Sacasa Artist: Francesco Francavilla Publisher: Archie Comics Release Date: May 25, 2016 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 14 User Reviews: 9
9.7Critic Rating
9.4User Rating

"Betty: RIP," Part 4. The Horror began in Riverdale when Reggie Mantle struck and killed Jughead's beloved pooch Hot Dog. Since then, Reggie has been living with this secret knowledge-and terrible guilt. With no one to talk to about it, Reggie has started to crack under the strain. He is seeing visions of his dead friends - or are they literal ghosts? When an act of kindness prompts a confession from him, Reggie must decide for himself, once and for all-is there any good within him? Or is Reggie, as we've always suspected, beyond redemption? For TEEN+ Readers.

  • 10
    Major Spoilers - Stephen Schleicher May 26, 2016

    Unless you are adverse to the horror genre, there is no reason for you to not pick up this book. Brilliant from top to bottom, Afterlife with Archie #9 is worthy of 5/5 Stars. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Geek Sushi - Peter Rodriguez Jun 2, 2016

    Despite its horror fantasy element and all the fantastic drama/adventure we get from the zombie storyline, the genius of Afterlife is with its characters and subplots. Thanks to Aguirre-Sacasa, Afterlife is more compelling and forthright than most comics out today! The characters are flawed, their problems are real, and their relationships imperfect. More good news, the scheduled release for the next issue is August 17, so stay tuned. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Newsarama - Justin Partridge May 26, 2016

    This ninth issue reveals the true horror that lie in the minds and actions of normal people and that could very well prove to be the most terrifying idea of all. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Comic Bastards - Asa Giannini May 25, 2016

    And of course, Francavilla continues to bring his own charismatically shadowy style to the issue. I don't know that I could pinpoint why exactly Francavilla's work, which is in many ways fairly simple, works as well as it does, but AWA #9 is as sharp looking an issue as one could hope for. In the very beginning, I wished that the series had opted for a more traditional Archie style to highlight just how strange the invasion of the undead was, but in retrospect, Francavilla's distinct noir look instead highlights just how different the book is from traditional Archie–which is of course, exactly the point. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Spartantown - Enrique Rea May 25, 2016

    Hopefully, Aguirre-Sacasa has submitted enough scripts to keep this terrific series going for months. It's worthy of being on everyone's pull list especially as Reggie comes to a crossroads that could change everything. The way Sabrina is used here is both shocking and frightening. 'Afterlife with Archie' is back and as creepy as ever. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Horror DNA - James Ferguson Jun 19, 2016

    Afterlife with Archie is not your traditional zombie comic.  It's far from it.  There are way scarier things at work here and the evil plan is starting to come together.  This issue's focus on Reggie is a glimpse into the mind of someone detached from reality.  He's broken and the dead walking certainly didn't help matters.  What's scarier is that there's a part of Reggie that thinks he's doing the right thing, which makes him an even more diabolical villain.  If you thought the undead and Cthulhu were to be feared, just wait until you see what Reggie Mantle has in store. Read Full Review

  • 10
    AIPT - Nick Nafpliotis May 22, 2016

    If you do read/have read the original Archie series, however, then there are plenty of cool easter eggs and hidden narrative threads to enhance your experience. Either way, Afterlife with Archie remains a top shelf horror comic. Add it to your pull list today"which will hopefully have more than one new issue added to it this year. Read Full Review

  • 10
    The Fandom Post - Josh Begley May 25, 2016

    If you're looking for good horror, look no further. Afterlife with Archie is almost embarrassingly good. It's good to the point where I strain to find things to criticize, out of fear that I'll lose my reviewer credibility (what little I have, anyway). But, man, I just can't get enough of it. Horror comes in many different flavors, and Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla manage to capture them. What makes this comic work is that the cosmic horror is grounded in real human characters and emotions, elevating this to a tragedy. Dr. J gives this an". Read Full Review

  • 10
    Slackjaw Punks - Regan Lorie Jun 2, 2016

    I could not be more excited to see new issues of Archie Horror's top titles on store shelves (or not due to selling out, as the case may be and often is), and as usual both Sabrina and Afterlife were worth every second of the long wait. Let's hope these long breaks don't become a thing for either series, but admittedly either way I (and all the other hungry Archie fans out there) will be right here, ready and waiting for what happens next. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Critical Blast - RJ Carter May 27, 2016

    Francesco Francavilla's artwork hasn't lost a thing during the last nightmarish publishing hiatus. If anything, his style has improved, as he continues to deliver a vision of the Archie universe that has never been imagined before. It's an unsettling look at terrors that are both obvious and subtle, physical in the present, psychological in the past, and occultist overall. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Book Resources - Jim Johnson May 26, 2016

    Aguirre-Sacasa works in a bit of a surprise near the end, as well as a poetic use of irony regarding the ever-hungry zombie king, "Jugdead." "Afterlife With Archie" #9 both continues the story and peppers it with unexpected touches that make the series a must-read. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    ComicWow!TV - Bhavna Bakshi May 20, 2016

    Afterlife with Archie is just getting good, and things are taking a pretty big shift. Will Archie go after Reggie? Will Reggie defy his friends? Anything could happen, so keep reading and see what happens in the afterlife, with Archie and his Riverdale friends! Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Bounding Into Comics - Jared Leatzow Jun 5, 2016

    Afterlife with Archie #9 is a good book and is the best written in the series so far. Earlier issues have had some clunkier dialogue, and used storytelling devices I'm not a huge fan of. We get plenty of backstory in this issue that should hopefully fill in some narrative gaps. Since this is sort of a retelling of previous events it is also a good jumping on point for readers. Artwise the covers are amazing, but the interiors flip flop. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    IGN - Jeff Lake May 26, 2016

    With its compelling narrative and vibrant palette, Afterlife with Archie's return makes for a frighteningly good read. Read Full Review

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