ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #1, from Valiant Entertainment on May 4th, 2022, reintroduces readers to the unlikely friendship of a deadly assassin and his immortal friend who is also his ultimate target. Can two strange men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?
The Details
- Written By: Steve Foxe
- Art By: Marcio Fiorito
- Colors By: Alex Guimarães
- Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Art By: Bernard Chang (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: May 4, 2022
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Was It Good?
Pardon the Odd Couple reference in the opening blurb, but it fits what awaits you inside ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #1. They are the oddest of odd couples, and that pretty much sums up this comic – Odd.
We usually cover the art specifics last, but we’re going to be just as odd by covering the art first. The art is phenomenal in this issue. Fiorito, Guimarães, and Otsmane-Elhaou produced a visually appealing comic from cover to cover. The pencils/inks are exceptionally detailed with expressive faces, distinctive character anatomy, and a grounded-but-slightly-surreal aesthetic. The color detail is astounding. And, Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is top-notch. Visually, there’s not a single flaw to be found anywhere.
The story, likewise, doesn’t have a single technical flaw to be found anywhere. The characters are set up clearly. The pacing is generally good. The dialog feels natural (albeit absurd in spots). And the antagonist is set up with a clean, clear motivation to incite the coming conflict. In short, all the technical pieces are present to make up the bones of the story.
However, the theme and tone of the story are the tough parts to swallow. It’s silly. Silly like a middle school play that’s supposed to be a comedy with jokes that only the middle schoolers in the play get. If ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #1 is supposed to be funny or amusing, it’s only going to be so for a small audience.
Archer’s backstory makes sense and doesn’t make sense simultaneously. He’s trained as an ultimate assassin to kill the embodiment of evil, yet, he doesn’t know or realize his best friend is the evil Archer’s trained to kill. Armstrong is an immortal with no purpose or direction in life other than to drink and be loud. Neither character is particularly endearing or offputting. They’re just odd. When put together, their relationship matches their personalities – neither endearing nor offputting. Specifically, there’s no chemistry between the characters at all.
Is this a bad comic? No, it’s not. But, it’s the type of comic that doesn’t elicit a strong emotional reaction. It exists as a private joke you don’t quite get unless you’re in on it.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with an introduction to Archer and Armstrong in the middle of an action scene. Armstrong’s bag was stolen by a gardening-themed gang while he was relieving himself in a bar during heavy drinking. Archer hears the commotion and helps recover Armstrong’s bag.
The two eventually intercept the thieves and eventually recover Armstrong’s bag, but not before one of the gang members lops off Armstrong’s ear with a spade. As an immortal, Armstrong is unconcerned because he knows his ear will grow back. Two gang members are knocked out and tied up for the police, but the third gets away with Armstrong’s ear.
Later, the garden gang laments not getting Armstrong’s bag, but they decide to sell his ear to an unscrupulous collector, the Eccentric. When the Eccentric hears what the gang offers, he sends out a monstrous hunter called the Maw to collect the prize.
We conclude the issue with a menagerie tour, a ticking clock, and the end of a long hunt within reach.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #1 is an odd comic to wrap your head around. The art is fantastic on every level, and the technical execution of the writing is practically flawless. That said, the characters have no reason to exist other than to be odd, and being odd is not much of a reason to hook the reader.
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