The story starts off pretty simply with Dilton beginning another week at Riverdale High School. All throughout the day, Dilton's friends turn to him to help them out of jams. He uses a 3-D hologram generator to help Archie avoid detention. He helps a cute girl named Phoebe solve a complicated math problem.
The problem is that Dilton is beginning to feel used by the other kids for his brains and gadgets, as well as under-appreciated. And it's not just him. The school's guidance counselor, Mr. Pigeonhole, notices also and begins pressuring Dilton to look beyond the walls of Riverdale High. Mr. P wants Dilton to enroll at Brainard University, where his genius will be put to good use!
Meanwhile, we also meet a new assistant janitor named Kenny at Riverdale High with connections to a cousin with a mysterious business and a fat pocketbook. It's not completely spelled out, but it looks like Kenny and his cousin will be making a grab for Dilton because of his creative eye for kooky electronic inventions:
Eventually Dilton decides to check out Brainard University. He's excited to show off his work, but soon learns that Brainard expects its students to be serious researchers, devoid of frivolous whimsies. Check out this classroom:
Dilton was about to turn down Brainard University for being too dull until a furious food fight between Archie and Reggie convinces Dilton which school truly represents a student of his smarts:
Except... There's a shadowy figure lurking in the alleyways of Riverdale USA who wants to recruit Dilton away from both Riverdale High and Brainard University and into the Great Unknown! Could this be Kenny's mysterious cousin?
DILTON #1 is a fun series. Not only do we get to see Dilton steering this storyline, but we get to see a lot of faces that we haven't had much chance to see in recent months, such as Reggie, Moose, Mr. Weatherbee, Mr. Svenson, and even Ethel Muggs in the background!
I'm really curious what kinds of twists and turns we can expect to see in this mini-series. I have a feeling that I know where this series is going, but the REGGIE & ME mini-series from 2012 really surprised me with its detours about exotic pet smugglers and pet psychic machines. In other words, Dilton might end up anywhere with this series!
Anyway, check out the Archie Comics App and purchase DILTON #1. Not only are you supporting new original tales featuring the Riverdale Gang, but you can also take the opportunity to purchase DILTON'S DOOFY INVENTIONS, which features over 100 pages of reprint stories about Dilton's wackiest inventions!