Archie's Pal Jughead Comics #196

Jughead and Ethel are caught in a moment of cheerful chaos on the cover of this 2009 Archie Comics issue, with Jughead — in his trademark crown and yellow plaid pants — gleefully pointing Ethel in the wrong direction at what appears to be a County Cross-Country Race, while other runners head off in the background. Rex W. Lindsey's cover art perfectly captures the lighthearted mischief that makes Jughead such an endearing character, and the story title "The Old Shell Game or: A Hair-Brained Turtle Race" promises the kind of wonderfully goofy premise the series does so well. A fun pick for fans of Riverdale's most entertainingly unpredictable slacker.