Jughead #188 is the perfect Jughead comic, capturing the quintessential qualities of the character with ease. In the four stories presented here Jughead exhibits his love of food, his eccentric intelligence, his dislike of conformity, his loyalty and love of family, and his love of sleep. We see how he interacts with the two main people in his life: Archie and Reggie. Even his dislike of women is lightly touched on when he responds to Archie’s, “You never know when someone might get married or die” with “Like there’s a big difference?”

The cover is a wordless gag, classic in its simplicity. The white background truly makes this cover, allowing the design and colors to stand out boldly in relief. The crowned red bird is whimsical and lovely. Rex Lindsey’s one hundredth cover would make a beautiful poster.

Inside the magic continues as Lindsey and writer Craig Boldman’s collaboration brings out both their strengths and Jughead’s.

In “The Wrong Stuff” Jughead loses a token that entitles him to free corn dogs. Unfortunately he lost it while helping little sister Jellybean make a teddy bear at the new “Stuff-N-Stuff” store - a store that’s just been overrun by mothers and children anxious to make their own bears. But never let it be said Jughead gives up when food is involved.

Boldman’s script works very well, incorporating both Jughead’s affection for food and his family, and the lengths he’ll go to to satisfy both. Then the tale takes a twist just when we expect it to be over. This surprise turn works especially well because the reader has to turn the page for it. That simple bit of pacing gives the story an extra snap.

Lindsey incorporates light slapstick into the proceedings, as well as allowing us to see Jughead’s opened eyes. This is somewhat unusual for this character and it changes his looks amazingly, giving him a much more vulnerable appearance.

The three panel sequence showing the making of the bear is very well-done. Lindsey uses almost s-shaped curves for the panel borders, which causes the scene to have a more fluid look to it. It flows together in a way that suggests you’re watching a film, rather than reading a book. Rereading the story, I also saw how the art subtly indicated what had happened to the token; just another example of Lindsey’s careful collaboration with his writer.

The issue’s second story, “Dressed for Distress,” is my favorite. Archie literally drags Jug into Riverdale’s Men’s Wear to buy a suit, using the argument that everyone needs one. After getting him into one, however, Archie abandons his friend, taking Jughead’s clothes with him. Jug is left to navigate Riverdale alone in his new suit and it opens up a whole new world for him.

Boldman really emphasizes Jughead’s independence and quirkiness here. The theme is introduced in the fifth panel with Jughead’s “My own clothes give me a bit of individuality! In a suit, I’m just one of the masses” and Boldman builds on it beautifully; continually reinforcing it without getting too heavy-handed. Yes, it’s an impossible to believe story; but Boldman makes us believe it because he incorporates details that we all know about Jughead into the plot – his love of food, his way of speaking his mind, his uncanny luck. The writing is tight and it offers a lesson worth learning.

When Jughead inexplicably starts disappearing in “Go Nuts for Donuts,” Archie and Chuck decide to find out the reason why. Well, the title tells you why; but like me, Chuck and Archie didn’t bother reading it. (And by the way, Lindsey does some nifty design work with each of the stories’ titles. He doesn’t just block them in. They all have a specific look that relates to the story.) There isn’t anything terribly special about this story. In fact, it’s rather silly – in a fun way; but there’re some good character bits in the dialog. A particularly entertaining exchange is the one between Archie, Chuck, Betty, and Nancy when the girls suggest the guys just ask Jug where he’s going.

“Soft in the Head” is even sillier and farther removed from reality – and yet it’s a true Jughead story. “It’s my latest and greatest invention,” he proclaims, as he appears wearing a large pillow tied to his head. “My nap is strapped to my head.” Take the inherently goofy idea of him demonstrating his invention, add in Reggie deciding to play a prank, and the unsuspecting Mr. Lodge and you have a recipe for laugh-filled disaster. Jughead’s alliteration-filled dialog gives the story some pizzazz, while Lindsey dresses up what could have been a talking head piece with some fun background details.

As always Grossman, Koslowski, and Morelli provide the smooth finishing touches that put the cap on the book – or the crown on Jughead’s head.

Jughead #188 is a perfect read for someone looking for respite from the workaday world.

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