Various

Victor Gorelick

Archie Americana Series Best Of The Fifties (Archie Americana Series)

Briar's Reviews

Archie comics was one of those famous series that I never got to pick up as a child. I always heard about it and my parents talked about them, but I was never able to locate a copy. I would go to my local library and they were always checked out if they had one, so these comics never came across my radar.

Jump forward to the year 2019, and one of my local charity book stores had two books from this series! Archie, Best of the Fifties, Volume 1 was right within my reach and I decided to pick them up.

I have to start out by saying that these are cute and amusing, but clearly made in a different time. They don't hold up super well, but at the same time are quite charming. While I didn't laugh as much as my parents did, I did have a bright smile and feel like I was transported back in time. I can imagine the excited kids with their nickels and dimes running to go get a copy of these comics.

The sweet comics are very safe, tame and sweet. Archie is quite the player too! I absolutely adored Jughead and wanted Veronica and Betty's style. I am curious if these were the literal "best" of the fifties because they just weren't... the best? I'll have to grab more volumes and see how they changed over time. 

I definitely want to keep reading Archie comics and travel throughout the decades with them. I'd like to see the evolution this series went through up to present day. And yes, I still eye the current Archie comics at my local grocery store. I can't help it!

Two out of five stars.