Afterlife with Archie, Vol. 2: Betty R.I.P.

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.