Jughead Jones, Riverdale’s favorite connoisseur of food and fun, has been struck unjustly by the dark hand of fate. Due to circumstances totally within his control, he has received a lifetime ban from participating in the local pie-cooking contest! How did this tragedy happen and to what length’s will Jughead go to rectify the situation? You did read the title of this book, didn’t you? JUGHEAD’S TIME POLICE arrives on store shelves June 12th from Archie Comics!

JUGHEAD’S TIME POLICE #1

Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: Derek Charm
Lettering:     Jack Morelli
Coloring:      Matt Herms
Cover: Derek Charm
Variant Covers:     Tyler Boss, Francesco Francavilla, Robert Hack & Kelly Fitzpatrick, Tracy Yardley
Publisher:    Archie Comics
Release Date:    June 12, 2019
Cover Price: $39.99

Previously in Jughead’s Time Police: Jughead’s Time Police was an originally a six (6) issue mini-series which ran from 1990 to 1991. In it, Jughead receives a mysterious beanie and finds he has been recruited into the Time Police. Jughead joins Deputy January McAndrews, whom he has a crush on despite her being Archie’s descendant from the 29th Century, as they travel through time to keep history and the future on course.  The original series was by Rich Margopoulos (The Adventures of Bayou Billy, Life with Archie), Rex W. Lindsey (Archie, Archie’s Pal Jughead) and Jon D’Agostino (Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Sonic The Hedgehog).

TIME FLIES LIKE A PIE IN THE EYE…

Our story begins at that most sacred of Riverdale institutions, Pop’s Dinner. Jughead has posed a most difficult philosophical question regarding the parentage of those most popular kids of the Sour Patch, when Archie, in the midst of a date with Veronica, points out that he is drinking his milkshakes on Veronica’s tab. It seems the lure of the milkshake diverted Jughead away from a most important errand, grocery shopping, and his tight timeline has only gotten tighter due to his inattention. You see, it is the day of the Riverdale Pie Contest, and Jughead is determined to win the grand prize: a lifetime supply of Pies and James! Headphones cranking out his favorite tunes, a recipe streaming on his laptop, Jughead gets into a creative groove and feels assured he will rise to the top and be the crème-de-la-crème of the pie baking world.

However, Jughead is not as great a baker as he is an eater and his lack of focus torpedoes his chances. Not only did his pie lose, he stands accused of food poisoning and receives a lifetime ban from participating in the Riverdale Pie Contest. His life ruined, he goes through the motions but feels none of the old passion. Video games, school, even food, nothing manages to bring him out of his blueberry funk. The last straw is drawn when, mentally checked out at a garage band session, Betty blows off the contest as only one contest out of the year. It’s too much for Jughead, and he bares his soul and pain to his friends with a most comical comparison. Not even a tray full of hamburgers from Pop’s can bring him out of this funk. It’s only when an off-hand comment from Archie strikes a chord does Jughead snap out of his malaise, rejuvenated to solve his contest problems through science!

With Dilton’s help, Jughead does the impossible and creates a time machine! He is determined to go back in time and fix his mistake, win the contest, and be happy once again. But after he breaks one of the most important rules of time travel, his world is turned upside down and a mysterious red-hair beauty may be his only hope to save all of time.

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES ON YOUR TAILOR BILL…

Inspired by the original JUGHEAD’S TIME POLICE mini-series from the early nineties, Archie Comics has recruited writer Sina Grace (Self-Obsessed, Not My Bag) to script a new tale of a time-traveling Forsythe Pendleton Jones and January McAndrews as they work to save all. The storyline is as far-out and audacious as it was all those years ago, and Grace works well within his set universe to bring out the spirit of Jughead Jones we all know and love. The structure of the story is light and enjoyable, and it really takes time to dwell on the ridiculousness of Jughead’s overwrought feelings for having been banned from the contest and his friends’ reactions to them. This isn’t the great American Novel, by any means, but it is enjoyable and entertaining.

Joining Grace on this time-travel journey is artist Derek Charm (Jughead, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl). Charm has a great style for this sort of book, that is to say, one that does not take itself too seriously. I thoroughly enjoyed his work on the monthly Jughead book, and loved his Valiant High series from last year. His style, a sort of quasi-Shojo manga, brings out the character of the cast and his expressive lines translate the excitement and feelings of Grace’s script well. The color work of Matt Herms (Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man) over his lines make for a solid combination, and their styles complement each other well.

BOTTOM LINE: FUN!

The original Jughead’s Time Police was one of those books back in the day which everyone enjoyed, whether they were Archieholics or not. This series, inspired by that feeling and plot, is fun as well. With such a push toward Archie Comics publishing more teen and young adult content, it is great to see them bridge that gap and show something readers of all ages can love.

JUGHEAD’S TIME POLICE #1 is one of those titles you might overlook in the battle for spinner space, but you really need to pick up. It’s a fun and fast frolic through time which will tickle your funny bone.

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