Unlike the Archie Comics of my youth, LIFE WITH ARCHIE wasn't filled with jokes and gags. There were light-hearted moments, but there were equally serious moments that made LIFE WITH ARCHIE stand out from other Archie Comics comic books. We cried as Ms. Grundy died. We celebrated as Kevin married Clay. We were curiously confused when Dilton Doiley led Archie on a cross-dimensional mission. We prayed when Cheryl Blossom found herself diagnosed with breast cancer. And we found ourselves collective shaken to the core when Archie himself was murdered at the end of the series, the victim of gun violence.
The latter issue of Archie's death will likely never be answered as we revisit Archie's married lives in ARCHIE THE MARRIED LIFE 10 YEARS LATER! But LIFE WITH ARCHIE fans are still being treated to Archie's newest adventures on the eve of his 10th anniversary. Which has been pretty fun so far -- if a bit rushed.
But we will do a broader review of this new mini-series on another day. For now, we are paying tribute to Archie's father-in-law/lifelong nemesis, Hiram Lodge!
It seems that Archie has become an executive at Lodge Industries in the world where he married Veronica. Sadly, he has adopted Hiram's excessive work habits -- at the risk of jeopardizing his marriage and his relationship with his kids.
Things get bad enough that Veronica finally issues an ultimatum -- participate in marital counseling or prepare for divorce! Archie wisely agrees to meet with a therapist and all seems to be well....
Until a fateful scene in ARCHIE THE MARRIED LIFE 10 YEARS LATER #2 where Archie and Ronnie receive phone calls alerting them that the powerful Hiram Lodge has finally hit his limit. Hiram Lodge has had a heart attack!
Archie and Veronica rush to the elder Lodge's bedside, but there's no chance of recovery. Hiram's heart is giving out and he's about to breathe his last breath.
Apparently at a loss for meaningful expressions of love or affection, Archie asks his father if he has any regrets. And it turned out that Hiram did have one final regret. Turns out that Hiram Lodge regretted his time away from work!
I'm sure that this will bode poorly for Veronica and Archie as she copes with Hiram's death and he finds himself responsible for keeping Lodge Industries afloat!
"Twists & Turns" features writing by Michael Uslan, pencils by Dan Parent, inks by J. Bone, colors by Glenn Whitmore, and lettering by Jack Morelli.