Archie #5

   Each issue of the "new" Archie has focused on a different member of the time-honored cast - so with the fifth issue, it's time to give perennial bad guy / mischief-maker Reggie Mantle the spotlight.

   To his credit, Mark Waid resists the urge to give us a full-fledged origin story for Reggie. Most everyone who's had the experience of going to school has run into a similar personality - someone who seems to be mean just for the sake of meanness.

   He's drawn into the ever-growing friction between Veronica and Archie's longtime friends, Betty and Jughead - and who better to spark conflict than the master?

   Waid (with artist Veronica Fish) continues to build a new series using the most reliable and enduring building blocks that have made the series so enduring - all while updating it for a modern audience.

   Very impressive!

Grade: A-

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