Comic Review: Jughead: The Hunger #8

Jughead: The Hunger #8

Archie Comics

Writer: Frank Tieri

Artist: Pat & Tim Kennedy, Joe Eisma

I sang the praises of The Hunger in my recent review of issue #7. It is a fresh take on beloved characters and set in cozy Riverdale. So far the issues have kept pace and been good to great. Did #8 keep up the trend?

The answer is no, but not how you think. This is a non-issue. All this chapter does is follow a reporter as she speaks about Riverdale’s lycanthropic history. Naturally, it starts with a Jones burned at the stake and then moves all the way to the current situation. Journalists have all penned the story that Reggie and Veronica went on a murdering spree, kidnapped Jughead and Jellybean while Betty and Archie had to come to their rescue. We know this is not the real story, but it’s the story the protagonists need right now. The only things we learn in this issue is that Riverdale has quite a history with werewolves, and Hiram Lodge is buying the local television station to use as his personal platform for getting to the bottom of the Riverdale werewolf mythology.

Frank Tieri is fine here. His writing is good, but it’s a wasted issue. Perhaps it will be necessary for future issues, but it really hurts the flow of the series. Up until now, The Hunger has been a nonstop ride.

One thing that never suffers in The Hunger is the artwork. Pat and Tim Kennedy, along with Joe Eisma, always make an issue worth our while. They are back in this issue bringing us excellent werewolf art. They don’t have much to do in this particular issue, but what they DO here is still great.

I don’t hate this issue, but I do think it slows the pace that the series has had for seven months. It’s the first entry that wasn’t gripping and left you smiling. I’m sure Tieri will pick everything up next month, but this issue seems like a breath before a new paragraph.