O’Malley, Bryan Lee. Snot Girl: Vol. 1: Green Hair Don’t Care. illus. by Leslie Hung. 136p. Image Comics. Feb. 2017. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781534300361.

Gr 9 Up –A fabulous, if slightly gross, first foray into single-issue comics for indie comics veteran O’Malley (of “Scott Pilgrim” fame). Snot Girl is Lottie Person, a green-haired, allergy-prone fashion blogger who floats between her less-than-pleasant real life and a sparkly, stylish, Instagram-filtered dream. Adding to the cognitive dissonance are an increasingly strange series of encounters. There’s a gruesome incident in a club bathroom…or is there? Lottie has a stalker…or does she? O’Malley builds anticipation and heightens tension in these first five issues—each apparent explanation only deepens the mystery of Snot Girl’s increasingly dark reality. Though the tension between reality and Lottie’s online persona, which drives the story, needs further exploration, Hung’s simultaneously sexy, sweet, slimy, and occasionally sinister illustrations, heavy with character close-ups and dramatic stares, are compelling. The hard-hitting world of fashion bloggers involves a moderate amount of sex, substance use, and salty language, making this selection best for mature teens. VERDICT This title will appeal to longtime O’Malley fans and offer a challenging but entertaining perspective to young adults whose reality is mediated through the glow of their smartphones.–Emilia Packard, Austin, TX

Waid, Mark & others. Road to Riverdale. illus. by Francesco Francavilla & others. 114p. Archie Comics. Jan. 2017. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781682559727.

Gr 7 Up –”Archie” comics already existed for decades before they got a makeover in 2015. Since then, the Archie universe has expanded with the Riverdale TV series, which is attracting new fans to the franchise. This book collects the first issues of various revamped comics from the Archie world: Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats, and Reggie and Me. Described on the cover as “Stories That Inspired CW’s New Riverdale TV Series,” the volume is clearly geared toward fans of the program who have not read the comics. The characters have evolved between the original comics and the recent relaunch, and many have changed again in the transition from the comics to the TV show. Readers may find themselves confused, especially since the cover (but not the illustrations throughout) features characters who resemble the actors on Riverdale, many of whom look different from their comic book counterparts. Also, while Riverdale often feels like a teen version of Twin Peaks, the Archie comics are more lighthearted in nature. Most of the material in this book was previously published, but there are some extra features, including a photo gallery of the Riverdale actors. VERDICT For fans of the Riverdale TV show who are curious about its comic origins.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library