Archie Comics Digest #255

The cover of Archie Digest #255 sets up a wonderfully awkward moment: a scowling, stocky man in a bright floral shirt — identified by the cover blurb as "Watch Dog" Weatherbee — looms over a nervous Archie on a front stoop, demanding, "So, you want to date my niece, do you?" while a wide-eyed girl peeks out from behind the doorway in alarm. Cover pencils by Fernando Ruiz and inks by Jon D'Agostino give the scene that crisp, expressive energy that makes Archie comics so reliably fun. This 2009 digest also promises a helping of Mad House Tales, making it a satisfying package of classic Archie humor.