While Marvel was starting a second superhero war and DC was letting Geoff Johns take a massive dump on its comic book universe, Archie Comics was quietly staging its own reboot.
For an imprint that hadn't altered its tone or style much since the 1940's, it was a risky move. However, thanks to writer Mark Waid and a redesign by Fiona Staples of “Saga” fame, “Archie” is one of the best series on the market. Now, just as readers have gotten a new take on the core Riverdale gang, we're getting a rebooted “Josie and Pussycats” too. While the characters started in comic books, most will likely associate them with either the '70s cartoon or the 2001 live-action film. As written by Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio, “Josie and the Pussycats #1” seems to have more in common with the latter.
Perhaps the movie’s defining characteristic is how meta it is—mocking product placement and popular music even as it fills every frame with brand logos and delivers some pretty catchy songs. In the comic, Bennett and Deordio's work is somewhat subtler, but no less clever. Their characters are self-aware, ready to point out the issue's weaknesses or oddities before the audience can. Take the moment when an unnamed character calls Josie out for sounding like an, "after school special," or the moment when Josie notices that Melody is suddenly holding a cat that wasn't there before.
Speaking of the band's ditzy drummer, Melody is the book's biggest asset. Rather than condescend to the character, though, Bennett and Deordio's take is uncritical, even loving, and they use Melody's flightiness and boundless energy to deliver some of the issue's funniest moments. One of the best jokes in the “Josie and the Pussycats” movie comes when Alan Cumming’s Wyatt Frame mistakenly calls the band “The Pussyhats” and, after being alerted to his mistake, quips, “that would explain why you’re not wearing any.” Bennett and Deordio are similarly unafraid to go a little blue with their dialogue, at one point having Melody yell, "pussssy," as she runs toward a neglected stray cat or having Val respond to Josie’s question about how soon she gets off (work) with, “depends who’s helping.”
However, great as those moments are, they point to a potential problem going forward. Much like one Archie Andrews, Josie runs the risk of being the least interesting thing about her own comic because everyone else is so big. Perhaps that’s fitting, though, considering much of the book’s conflict will likely be about band dynamics and personality clashes. We get a taste of that here when the book’s resident mean girl, Alexandra, plays on the girls’ insecurities to turn them against each other—an easy feat considering the band only formed a few pages prior.
That’s another of the issue’s weaknesses: how fast it all comes together. Within the span of a single issue, Josie goes from being a solo act to *spoiler* potentially getting a record deal as part of a band. It’s a lot to cram into 20-odd pages and, admittedly, the issue feels a bit scattered at the beginning. However, Bennett and Deordio hit their stride once the plot gets going and they’re clever enough to smooth over the rougher storytelling moments with humor.
However, for those moments where the writing can’t quite pull it off, artist Audrey Mok and colorist Andre Symanowicz more than pick up the slack. Mok includes some clever visual joke in nearly every panel and sharp-eyed readers will find a lot to enjoy outside of the thought bubbles. Symanowicz, who also works on “Archie,” goes for a vibrant palette, full of pinks and yellows that express how light and fun this world is.
"Josie and the Pussycats #1” isn’t perfect. The storytelling moves a little too fast and the character dynamics haven’t quite gelled. However, there’s a lot of potential in this first issue and given time–and perhaps a bit of practice–Bennett, Deordio, Mok and Symanowicz can turn it into something great.
