ARCHIE MEETS THE PUNISHER aka THE PUNISHER MEETS ARCHIE
RUN: 1 issue 1994
KEY CREATORS: Batton Lash (writer) Stan Goldberg, John Buscema, Tom Palmer (art)
OUTLINE: Punisher tracks an Archie look-alike to Riverdale, leading to an encounter with Archie himself
STANDOUT ISSUE: The 1-shot
DUD ISSUE: None
OVERALL: This story is actually far more fun than the outline might suggest. Mainly it's because of three things: first there are in-jokes throughout involving every teen comic character under the sun by any company, as well as various other Marvel/Archie references (see my Archie Meets the Punisher Annotations for more details)
Secondly, Lash goes through great pains to preserve the integrity of both characters. True, the bloodshed is minimized, but both Punisher and Archie are kept in character, as are Microchip and Archie's supporting cast.
Finally, the art is fun to look at, with Goldberg handling the Archie art, Buscema handling the Punisher art, and Palmer as inker ensuring that despite the differences in art, both feel compatible with one another
RECOMMENDED OR NOT? Yes. A fun read, which open-minded fans of both characters can enjoy
CONTINUITY NOTES: This story is non-canonical, which is how it should be, since it works best as a self-contained tale. However, there's a cute teaser to the Batman/Punisher team-ups from the same time period.