constant delays with no news as to why they happen and when issues will actually start coming out on a regular schedule.....it's enough to make fans just drop out completely
so what's the point in archie doing this when even their grand hit afterlife with archie doesn't see more than one issue a year at best?
Quote from: Musical_Necromancer on June 24, 2016, 06:07:46 PM
constant delays with no news as to why they happen and when issues will actually start coming out on a regular schedule.....it's enough to make fans just drop out completely
so what's the point in archie doing this when even their grand hit afterlife with archie doesn't see more than one issue a year at best?
I haven't been a reader of the Archie Horror series so it really wouldn't matter to me much if they dump them or not. I can understand the frustrations though of those readers who are into these series and have to sit and wait what I believe in The Afterlife With Archie case a year until the next issue came out. I know if that was me as a fan of the book I would have said the hell with it. Now that it is back I guess all the fans of these series can do is hope for regularity on this stuff coming out. I think if delays start to occur again with this the ship may sink.
Afterlife With Archie is the best book they're publishing currently. Of course the delays are ridiculous, but it hasn't hurt the quality. If they could get it out even quarterly, that would be great with me.
They will keep publishing it as long as it is profitable. I don't know the exact numbers but I'm willing to bet each issue of Afterlife or Chilling Sabrina sells more than each issue of reboot Archie or Jughead (except issue #1 of course).
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 24, 2016, 07:07:01 PM
They will keep publishing it as long as it is profitable. I don't know the exact numbers but I'm willing to bet each issue of Afterlife or Chilling Sabrina sells more than each issue of reboot Archie or Jughead (except issue #1 of course).
Idon't read any of those series, but I bet you are correct. If ACP gets it in gear and at least gets the horror series out in some sort of regularity(not 9 issues in 3 years) it will be the most successful thing they have out new now. I just think the rebooted stuff will have a short lifespan before they either go back to the Classic style or some other route altogether.
Wish they would go ahead and do a new horror comic (like the one they teased last year)!
Quote from: The Downloader on June 24, 2016, 07:30:15 PM
Wish they would go ahead and do a new horror comic (like the one they teased last year)!
I think there next big project is the Josie reboot and if that is a success which in my opinion other than Archie #1 reboot I think it will be more of a success than the other reboots before it. Than they may explore another horror series, but I have no idea what they would come up with.
Quote from: Midge Klump on June 24, 2016, 07:56:41 PM
Quote from: The Downloader on June 24, 2016, 07:30:15 PM
Wish they would go ahead and do a new horror comic (like the one they teased last year)!
I think there next big project is the Josie reboot and if that is a success which in my opinion other than Archie #1 reboot I think it will be more of a success than the other reboots before it. Than they may explore another horror series, but I have no idea what they would come up with.
they teased a vampirella style veronica comic.
Quote from: The Downloader on June 24, 2016, 08:04:02 PM
Quote from: Midge Klump on June 24, 2016, 07:56:41 PM
Quote from: The Downloader on June 24, 2016, 07:30:15 PM
Wish they would go ahead and do a new horror comic (like the one they teased last year)!
I think there next big project is the Josie reboot and if that is a success which in my opinion other than Archie #1 reboot I think it will be more of a success than the other reboots before it. Than they may explore another horror series, but I have no idea what they would come up with.
they teased a vampirella style veronica comic.
That would be sweet.
I do love Afterlife, I agree that quarterly would be enough to keep readers happy.
Quote from: Meldarwin on June 24, 2016, 08:44:49 PM
I do love Afterlife, I agree that quarterly would be enough to keep readers happy.
Like I said I haven't read the series so is there an underlying reason why they had such huge delays with these books. Is it because they are so detailed and it takes longer or is it because they got sidetracked with other projects, or maybe just because funding ran out?
Quote from: Midge Klump on June 24, 2016, 09:07:43 PM
Quote from: Meldarwin on June 24, 2016, 08:44:49 PM
I do love Afterlife, I agree that quarterly would be enough to keep readers happy.
Like I said I haven't read the series so is there an underlying reason why they had such huge delays with these books. Is it because they are so detailed and it takes longer or is it because they got sidetracked with other projects, or maybe just because funding ran out?
I believe it's because they have to work around Sacasa's schedule. They should just get a new creative team.
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 24, 2016, 09:55:07 PM
Quote from: Midge Klump on June 24, 2016, 09:07:43 PM
Quote from: Meldarwin on June 24, 2016, 08:44:49 PM
I do love Afterlife, I agree that quarterly would be enough to keep readers happy.
Like I said I haven't read the series so is there an underlying reason why they had such huge delays with these books. Is it because they are so detailed and it takes longer or is it because they got sidetracked with other projects, or maybe just because funding ran out?
I believe it's because they have to work around Sacasa's schedule. They should just get a new creative team.
I agree, if he is too busy with other things then get someone who can get the comic out in a reasonable time frame.
I like those Afterlife With Archie issues especially the latest one with Reggie. But I hate Horror. Archie Comics fans may think they jumped the shark or that it's getting stale. But I want to see if Betty going get killed by Reggie just so Midge could come back to life & be with him. Now if he kill Betty will Archie kill Reggie?
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:08:31 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
I think the last issue they came out with was probably the best-written one so far. I thought the Sabrina issue (#6?) was above average too (and I sort of wish that Francesco Francavilla was the artist on ChAoS instead of Robert Hack, because in general I like the writing on that book better, but Francavilla's the better artist). I haven't felt that every issue of AWA has been better than the previous one, though.
But mainly it's more like... I never really wanted Archie Comics characters starring in a horror series to begin with, and in general these two books really haven't changed my mind about that. Given what it's attempting to do, it's okay, but I can't really get that enthused about it.
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 07:30:11 AM
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:08:31 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
I think the last issue they came out with was probably the best-written one so far. I thought the Sabrina issue (#6?) was above average too (and I sort of wish that Francesco Francavilla was the artist on ChAoS instead of Robert Hack, because in general I like the writing on that book better, but Francavilla's the better artist). I haven't felt that every issue of AWA has been better than the previous one, though.
But mainly it's more like... I never really wanted Archie Comics characters starring in a horror series to begin with, and in general these two books really haven't changed my mind about that. Given what it's attempting to do, it's okay, but I can't really get that enthused about it.
I think I like Afterlife more because it's campier. I'm not a horror fan at all. I AM a huge fan of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and will probably stick with that book because of that. I don't mind Hack's art, but I do prefer the more retro style of Francavilla.
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:08:31 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
Yeah and I bet a lot of other fans think the same thing. They like it about as much as Life With Archie when
it had been out for nine issues or so. If Afterlife had come out every six weeks or two months ever since it started it would have more mileage and wouldn't seem as fresh, people would be more disillusioned with it the way they were with Life With Archie by the time it had done three years of close spaced issues. By delaying issues ACP or Roberto has kept the fans talking about Archie and wanting it, except for a few people who got disgusted and left but they're in the minority. And look when we got the latest issue, right when we find out if the tv show would happen. Now that we have THAT to talk about and look forward to maybe we'll suddenly see Afterlife coming out more regularly, or maybe they'll hedge their bets in case the show bombs, either way I think there's more here than meets the eye. I was wrong when I said they should get replacement writers, that would probably defeat the whole purpose.
If you ever look at the critical reviews you'll see it's overrated, I looked at some now and the characterization and subplots are actually called "genius" in one, even worse a lot of them praise Afterlife by insulting classic Archie (which a lot of these critics seem to be unfamiliar with, probably pulling their facts from Wikipedia). And a few years ago before I started reading the digests I probably would have been one of those dorks. Anyway nothing turns me off more than overhype so when people call a well-done Archie take on zombie soaps "genius" it's not easy to like it as much as I otherwise might.
Quote from: daren on June 26, 2016, 02:17:35 AM
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:08:31 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
Yeah and I bet a lot of other fans think the same thing. They like it about as much as Life With Archie when it had been out for nine issues or so. If Afterlife had come out every six weeks or two months ever since it started it would have more mileage and wouldn't seem as fresh, people would be more disillusioned with it the way they were with Life With Archie by the time it had done three years of close spaced issues. By delaying issues ACP or Roberto has kept the fans talking about Archie and wanting it, except for a few people who got disgusted and left but they're in the minority. And look when we got the latest issue, right when we find out if the tv show would happen. Now that we have THAT to talk about and look forward to maybe we'll suddenly see Afterlife coming out more regularly, or maybe they'll hedge their bets in case the show bombs, either way I think there's more here than meets the eye. I was wrong when I said they should get replacement writers, that would probably defeat the whole purpose.
If you ever look at the critical reviews you'll see it's overrated, I looked at some now and the characterization and subplots are actually called "genius" in one, even worse a lot of them praise Afterlife by insulting classic Archie (which a lot of these critics seem to be unfamiliar with, probably pulling their facts from Wikipedia). And a few years ago before I started reading the digests I probably would have been one of those dorks. Anyway nothing turns me off more than overhype so when people call a well-done Archie take on zombie soaps "genius" it's not easy to like it as much as I otherwise might.
You make some good points, daren, but I don't care what the critics say. Even if they heap what you think is too much praise on the book, it doesn't mean it's overrated in my eyes. I love it and I'm really surprised I do. I hate horror movies, and I've never read horror books or comics. So at least in my opinion, the book has a lot going for it to keep me interested
Quote from: spazaru on June 26, 2016, 07:59:42 AM
Quote from: daren on June 26, 2016, 02:17:35 AM
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:08:31 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 25, 2016, 04:02:37 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on June 25, 2016, 01:44:17 AM
Quote from: daren on June 25, 2016, 01:10:51 AM
I'm starting to think the delays are on purpose. Roberto said last year he was the holdup and I guess he was right, I thought maybe he was taking the fall so ACP wouldn't look bad but no, they've been putting out their other books on time this past year. Unless the delays are Francesco's, but if they're Roberto's why are they happening at all. Story and dialogue as simple and short as Afterlife's shouldn't take that long to write even if he has other things going on. I'm not saying that means it sucks, even though it is overrated I still like it okay and it's better than Life With Archie which was more complex and ambitious, but you would think LWA would be the book with delays, it must have been harder to write, instead it's Afterlife? I can't think of any reason why that would be unless it IS on purpose.
Logically I would think it would be the artist (Francesco) who would be the cause of delays because it takes longer to draw.
He can't even BEGIN to draw until he gets a script though. Plus he's got to draw other things to in order to earn a living and to pay the rent, and it's hard to schedule his time when he can't know when to expect an AWA script with any regularity. So there is that logic as well.
I agree with Daren, it's not a bad book but it's overrated. Paul Kupperberg had been scripting comics for decades, so despite whatever complicated plot threads had to be woven into LWA, he was a professional who knew how to make a deadline, and didn't have other commitments to television writing, either. For Aguirre-Sacasa, comics comes a distant second to his TV work (that's how HE pays the rent).
It's funny. Every time I start to think it's overrated, they FINALLY put out a new issue and I start thinking it's the best thing they've published in many years again.
Yeah and I bet a lot of other fans think the same thing. They like it about as much as Life With Archie when it had been out for nine issues or so. If Afterlife had come out every six weeks or two months ever since it started it would have more mileage and wouldn't seem as fresh, people would be more disillusioned with it the way they were with Life With Archie by the time it had done three years of close spaced issues. By delaying issues ACP or Roberto has kept the fans talking about Archie and wanting it, except for a few people who got disgusted and left but they're in the minority. And look when we got the latest issue, right when we find out if the tv show would happen. Now that we have THAT to talk about and look forward to maybe we'll suddenly see Afterlife coming out more regularly, or maybe they'll hedge their bets in case the show bombs, either way I think there's more here than meets the eye. I was wrong when I said they should get replacement writers, that would probably defeat the whole purpose.
If you ever look at the critical reviews you'll see it's overrated, I looked at some now and the characterization and subplots are actually called "genius" in one, even worse a lot of them praise Afterlife by insulting classic Archie (which a lot of these critics seem to be unfamiliar with, probably pulling their facts from Wikipedia). And a few years ago before I started reading the digests I probably would have been one of those dorks. Anyway nothing turns me off more than overhype so when people call a well-done Archie take on zombie soaps "genius" it's not easy to like it as much as I otherwise might.
You make some good points, daren, but I don't care what the critics say. Even if they heap what you think is too much praise on the book, it doesn't mean it's overrated in my eyes. I love it and I'm really surprised I do. I hate horror movies, and I've never read horror books or comics. So at least in my opinion, the book has a lot going for it to keep me interested
The main thing when it all comes down to it is if you like it or not. Some critics are going to do write ups on it that say they hate it and others that say they love it. It goes that way with everything. It is as matter of opinion and that is why we have a mind to choose what we like and don't like. There are a ton of Archie fans that absolutely hate the idea of the CW Riverdale show and personally I am not a fan of what it is going to be myself. I would never though go out and tell a fan of Archie Comics or a perspective fan that they are silly for even thinking to like the show. Enjoy Afterlife with Archie no matter how often they put the comic out. If it still pleases you then enjoy it.
Quote from: Midge Klump on June 26, 2016, 09:30:10 AM
I would never though go out and tell a fan of Archie Comics or a perspective fan that they are silly for even thinking to like the show.
I didn't say anyone was silly for liking Afterlife, I said I liked it okay myself.
Quote from: spazaru on June 26, 2016, 07:59:42 AM
You make some good points, daren, but I don't care what the critics say. Even if they heap what you think is too much praise on the book, it doesn't mean it's overrated in my eyes. I love it and I'm really surprised I do. I hate horror movies, and I've never read horror books or comics. So at least in my opinion, the book has a lot going for it to keep me interested
That's cool, youre probably just better at ignoring hype than me, that's why Archie can be one of your favorite characters and not one of mine.
Quote from: spazaru on June 25, 2016, 07:49:25 AM
I think I like Afterlife more because it's campier. I'm not a horror fan at all. I AM a huge fan of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and will probably stick with that book because of that. I don't mind Hack's art, but I do prefer the more retro style of Francavilla.
I'm not getting the "campy" part of AWA at all. What I'm getting from AWA is some kind of feeling of
perversity, a basic
wrongness about it -- and that's what's giving me the feeling of horror -- that makes the whole thing feel creepy. In fact when I first read the series I didn't get it at ALL, because campiness/parody and some sort of black sardonic humor is what I was
expecting and not finding (you wouldn't know this, but this is the sort of thing you find in the old E.C.
Tales From the Crypt, etc.) -- everything just seemed to be treated so straightforward and seriously.
The sole exception to that may be the decidedly ODD way that Francesco Francavilla draws Jughead's hat. Everything else about the series is rendered in a typically realistic illustration style, but then whenever Jughead appears... there's that HAT. It's like some little 2-dimensional cardboard cutout that he has pinned on top of his head (in fact, it looks more 2-dimensional than it does in classic-style Archie stories). Frankly it kind of bugs me.
I'm not a big fan of horror, either, but I am enjoying both of these stories. I think the juxtaposition between the older comedic issues and the realistic version of these two is what makes it interesting. Well, that and the story itself is engaging. My only complaint is the extreme lag between issues.
I know that is has been quite some time since anyone has chatted on this board. But, I'd like to bring it back. I love horror, and I grew up with Archie, I loved the 90's Melissa Joan Heart Sabrina Sitcom, and I loved the Josie feature film - but Afterlife, and through that - Archie Horror has definitely been a big reason for me to fall back in love with these characters.
I know that it has been a slow time coming. But, the Archie Horror imprint has been nothing but quality. And, I can't wait to see more.
Salem