Review - Life With Kevin #1 (@ArchieComics)


"I know! I know! It needs some work."

Making a move to the big city is never easy, but it's a rite of passage for many. Kevin from Riverdale is one such individual and his jump is chronicled in Life With Kevin #1 from Archie Comics. The issue is written, penciled and colored by Dan Parent, inked by J. Bone and lettered by Jack Morelli.

Kevin’s made his big move to the Big Apple! He’s got his own place, he’s starting his internship on the production team at a high-profile news channel—Kevin’s really got it all together… or does he? Will his first day in NYC be a dream come true or will the big city eat him alive? Kevin will learn one thing for sure: when it comes to city living, expect the unexpected!

Characters in the Archie universe all carry a certain joie de vivre to them that makes their lives seem as if they're delightful coincidences and Parent continues that with Kevin in Life With Kevin #1. From the outset Parent gives the reader a version of Kevin that everyone can relate to in terms of a series of unfortunate events to kick off a new life in the big city. Kevin takes everything in stride and Parent uses that to lighten the mood and give the book a great flow. The dialogue is very rapid-fire and the reader can really put themselves in Kevin's shoes as he scrambles from one disaster to the next. And Parent is very clearly setting up multiple storylines for Kevin to pursue as the series continues.

Parent also handles the pencils in Life With Kevin #1 and the book definitely feels like Riverdale. Kevin sports the Riverdale look shared by other Archie comics as Parent defines him with clean, bold angles. The backgrounds are detailed enough where the reader knows the setting, but Parent focuses more on the characters as they interact with one another. Bones inks are clean and emboldened by the blue coloring that shows the book through something of a filter. The panels are presented in a very simple, gridlike formula that allows the reader to keep up with Kevin's race through the day.

Life With Kevin #1 is a pretty frenetic first day for Kevin. As he completes his first day on his own in the big city, it's clear that things are going to be difficult--but he's up to the challenge. Parent writes Kevin as very easygoing and doesn't shy away from throwing all manner of obstacle in his way to make his life interesting. The artwork is clean and fits the book well, maintaining the look and feel of a book about a character from Riverdale. Life With Kevin #1 is a pretty easy read that's made more enjoyable by the effervescent optimism of the lead character.

Life With Kevin #1 is in stores now.

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