Comic Review: Blossoms: 666 #1

Blossoms: 666 #1

Archie Comics

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artists: Laura Braga & Matt Herms

The Archie Horror imprint takes the classic cavalcade of characters and twists them into dark, terrifying exaggerations of themselves. It has yet to deliver an unsatisfying story and this book continues that remarkable winning streak. Blossoms 666 is a stunningly weird, seductive, and horrific take on Riverdale’s most powerful, privileged twins. As the Deadpool Kills… and Venom series show, Cullen Bunn’s writing thrives in outlandish and disorienting worlds. Those skills translate ridiculously well to this twisted version of the Archie-verse.

As the name suggests, the story centers around Cheryl and Jason Blossom, the spoiled children of a wealthy businessman. Readers learn early on that their family is part of a Satanic Cult, blood-letting ceremonies and all. One of these twins is the Anti-Christ, destine to ascend to Satan’s throne, though their cult is unsure which. The night of their pool party, they will compete to see who the true Anti-Christ is. In the comics, they’re usually shown as near inseparable, always working alongside the other to fulfill their goals. Pitting them against each other gives space for exploring their characters and showing exaggerations of their typical more reserved characteristics.

The twins begin their competition by finding a person to use, presumably for a ritual. Cheryl’s manipulations are front and center this issue as she attempts to garner favor with Dilton Doiley, Riverdale’s resident outcast. Almost like an animal looking for wounded prey, Cheryl seizes her chance as Dilton’s being bullied by Reggie. From there, she ramps up the seduction to lure him into a false sense of security. In the story, Cheryl showcases an adept understanding of human nature, teenage angst, and how to work them to her wishes. She’s clearly taken the lead in the match, leaving her brother to catch up if he hopes to rule Hell.

Jason manages to remain cool and calm most of the issue, breaking a sweat for a single panel. While Cheryl doesn’t seem to run into a snag with her plans, Jason’s plans are left up to chance. Finding Jughead amidst a reprimand from Ms. Grundy for not finishing his paper, Jason jumps in to save the day. Unfortunately for Jason, he isn’t able to confirm that Jughead will show up to the party. While Jason clearly has the same charms as Cheryl, he lacks the forethought that she puts into her schemes. His mistake puts him in a precarious position we rarely see in the mainline comics, desperation. Bunn gives his bloodthirsty take on the Blossom twins energy that permeates throughout the book and hopefully continues beyond.

Laura Braga’s artwork is compelling and riveting, making the world seem filled with gorgeous visuals and people to match. The characters are modelesque and the backgrounds are as realistic as an HD photograph. It’s reminiscent of Marguerite Sauvage’s recent take in the mainline comics but distinguishes itself well with its striking linework. With Matt Herms’ colors, the pages feel like pop-out storybooks. Everything on the page flies out at you in a wonderfully complimentary way to the words that you’re reading. There’s not a single thing in the book that isn’t absolutely beautiful.

I highly recommend checking out Blossoms 666. While I can’t say the book is for everyone, it definitely fulfills a huge need for horror stories in comic books. Fans of the TV shows Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will fall head-over-heels with this issue. It’s got everything those shows promise in each episode and more. If anyone likes Heathers or any horror-inspired teen series, then you’ll love this.