I kinda love Archie Comics. The quality varies for sure (sometimes you'll get an entire digest filled with boring stories), but overall, there's something immensely appealing to me about the Riverdale gang. I love the art style, the amusing character interactions, and - to be honest - the inanity and goofiness of it all. I'm not devoted enough to actually get a subscription, but I buy a digest here and there when I can.
When I learned of this show (which I had previously never heard of) airing late at night on Qubo, I was determined to give it a try, since - well - it's Archie. At first, though, I thought I was only watching out of loyalty to the franchise - the first episode I watched seemed pretty lame. Thankfully, though, I stuck with it and was pleasantly surprised.
Sure, this show won't be everyone's cup of tea. The animation is fine, but it's not great - sometimes it seems the style varies slightly between episodes (things like Archie's freckle size and shape, for example). And the average episode contains at least a couple minor plot holes.
And yet, there's a lot about this show that's just wonderful. Part of the appeal is just how goofy it (as my Dad put it, "Who read an Archie comic and then decided to make this?"), but the B-movie- inspired stories are actually often quite interesting, entertaining, and sometimes even have some depth, drama and creepiness (which is especially surprising for a show based on...Archie). Of course, this is all tempered by lots of humor, and while sometimes it misses the mark, other times it's hilarious.
This is the sort of show you just have to see to believe. Somehow, it manages to combine a ludicrous premise, interesting scenarios, occasional depth and intensity, and light-hearted goofiness into an effective, entertaining work of fiction. It's not the deepest or most well-written thing, but it's sort of fun and incredible in its own weird way.
Whether you're an Archie Comics fan or just someone who enjoys obscure kids' shows, I recommend you at least give AWM a try. Who knows, you might end up loving it!
