Most Popular Books by Batton Lash

"Freshman Year - The Missing Chapters: Chuck": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie''s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale''s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn''t the whole story! In this follow-up series of stories, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this issue, Reggie''s first year of high school is revealed... and you won''t believe just how far he''ll go to win the attention of the ''cool upperclassmen.'' But are they really Reggie''s friends, or just using him? Is the trouble Reggie faces worth hanging out with the ''cool kids?'' Will he realize who his true friends are?

Follows lawyers Alanna Wolf and Jeff Byrd as they take on the case of Buford, a teenage vampire brat.

"Freshman Year - The Missing Chapters: Chuck": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie''s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale''s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn''t the whole story! In this follow-up series to the best-selling ''Freshman Year'' saga, writer Batton Lash gives readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on during the Freshman year of the entire gang. Pencilneck''s circle of friends adjust to their own move from middle school to high school. Along the way, Pencilneck''s obsessive nature drives the school''s librarian crazy, his pal Zane develops a crush on Veronica, Penelope considers Betty her new ''BFF,'' and Connie tries to make Zane jealous by going after Reggie!

Archie and his friends have forever been stuck in the latter portion of high school, but now, after many long years, the story of how "the gang" all met up is finally being told in this, the first edition of The High School Chronicles! This pioneering storyline brings us the beginning of the "eternal love triangle," the introduction of Mr. Weatherbee as principal of Riverdale High, the formation of Moose and Midge''s relationship (and Reggie''s subsequent schemes to split them up), and other Archie staples! So get your Homecoming dress, pack your brand-new backpack, and pick up your school map to find your way to the biggest Archie story of the year!

"Freshman Year - The Missing Chapters: Jughead": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie''s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale''s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn''t the whole story! Starting with this issue and running through four consecutive issues, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this issue, we follow Jughead as his family moves out of Riverdale. What is life like in his new town? Can he make a friend as loyal as Archie? Who is Sadie - just a friend, or something more? You won''t want to miss the thrilling answers - reserve your copy today!

The first year of high school has been an eventful one for Archie and his friends, and it''s all leading towards a whirlwind finale! But the teens still have some time to go yet. In this latest installment, they are evaluated by their teachers who report their progress to their folks on "parent-teacher" night. How will they fare once their parents learn how they''re doing? Meanwhile, in social life, love triangles abound, and so do pranks - some playful, some nasty. But none nastier than the bikers who have been bedeviling the town. All this, plus a surprise or two! It''s the greatest "first year" of high school ever, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Batton Lash of "Wolff & Byrd" and "Archie Meets the Punisher" fame, along with "Scrapyard Detectives" creator and popular Archie artist/writer Bill Galvan.

Before they ruled Riverdale High, they were freshmen too! Go back to school with Archie, Reggie, Betty, Veronica, Chuck and Jughead and see how it all began! Find out what happens when Jughead finds true love! Watch as Betty & Veronica become accidental internet celebrities. Witness Reggie leaving the Gang for a new set of “Pals ‘n’ Gals.” See what develops as Chuck takes on the world of comic books for the very first time, and find out what exactly happened to Pencilneck G. Get the full story for the first time!

The Summer Before: Travel back in time with this five-issue tale that takes Archie and his friends back to their very first year in high school. It all starts with this poignant prologue which finds the gang wondering just what that first year will be like, while reflecting fondly on the past as well. Along the way, the gang must deal with the pending departure of one of their closest friends, as well as their bickering parents. And while the kids count the days until they enter their new school home, someone else is joining Riverdale High, too: Principal Waldo Weatherbee! All this, plus allusions to Captain Pureheart, The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Veronica''s worldwide travels, and more!

"Freshman Year - The Missing Chapters: Chuck": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie''s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale''s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn''t the whole story! In this follow-up series of stories, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this story, Chuck''s cartoons of the past come back to haunt him when word gets back to him that a tough kid took exception to Chuck''s none-too-flattering caricatures. The subject of Chuck''s doodles isn''t happy about being "dissed" and has held a grudge for three years! Now Chuck must look back at the copious comics he did in freshman year to see what he did to diss his classmate!

"Freshman Year - The Missing Chapters: Betty & Veronica": For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie''s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the "eternal love triangle" first start? In the "Freshman Year" saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale''s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn''t the whole story! Starting the previous issue and running through four consecutive issues, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this issue, we follow Betty and Veronica through their freshman year, solidifying their friendship as they bond over their love of the Young Broz boy band. Just wait until they bond-or NOT-over their love for Archie!

"Freshman Year: Winter Term" In the tradition of Batman: Year One and Marvel''s The Ultimates comes the biggest Archie Comics event since the "Love Showdown!" Archie reflects on the term just past, pining over Veronica and lamenting how she went away during the holiday break. Hoping to stay close to Veronica, Archie joins the drama club - the perfect indoor activity during the frosty winter months. But being part of such a large club is hardly the way to gain exclusive quality time with Veronica. Will their reunion be everything Archie hopes, or will the eternal love triangle get off to a rollicking start with friction between Betty and Veronica instead? And will Moose ever be introduced to Midge? Other surprises in store for the gang this second term include some new faculty members as well as the departure of the expelled school bully, Jared McGerk. It''s the funniest first year of high school ever, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Batton Lash of Wolff & Byrd and Archie Meets the Punisher, along with Scrapyard Detectives creator Bill Galvan!

"Freshman Year: Part Two" The first full-length issue of the "Freshman Year" saga finds Archie and his friends just starting the fall semester. Having survived a summer that saw the departure of Jughead and bickering parents, the gang arrives at high school... to find elementary school Principal Mr. Weatherbee has now become the high school Principal! But it''s not just about reunions at Riverdale High. Archie also makes a new friend in Pencilneck G., although he prefers his more laid-back buddy Jughead. He also makes some new enemies in Jared McGerk and his band of bullies! Along the way the other classic faculty members are introduced, as well as Pop Tate and his Choklit Shop!

Stories feature: Sodd, the Thing called It, a swamp monster who''s bogged down in legal woes; Rosemary Austin, a wife who''s discovered she''s carrying Satan''s baby; Morty Fishburn, a comedian with his own personal laugh track; Benjamin, a guardian angel who''s being sued for not doing a good job; Ayn Wrice, a novelist with a horrifying secret; Roger Rizzoli, a corpse in trouble with the IRS; plus, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, Bigfoot, and Mavis, the intrepid secretary.

The law firm of Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre take on a case in which a ghost is literally "grandfathered in" to a home inheritance: Grandpa has died but his ghost won''t leave the house, much to the chagrin of his son and daughter-in-law.

" Among the clients represented by Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre are a fifth-generation vampire who aspires to Hollywood stardom, a werewolf who''s being stalked by a fan, and Troma''s Toxic Avenger. Along the way they encounter producers who want to make a movie about them, TV talk show hosts, and works of art that come to life."--Amazon.com.

In 1979, Lash created the comic strip Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, about two attorneys specializing in cases dealing with supernatural matters. Unlike Wolfram & Hart, the law firm with a similar clientele on the TV show Angel, Alanna Wolff and her partner, Jeff Byrd, have always been on the good guys'' side, and their exploits are comedies. Over time, Wolff and Byrd have migrated from one comics venue to another, and now star in their own comic book, Supernatural Law, from which the stories were collected for this paperback. The stories aren''t laugh-out-loud funny, but instead deal in quiet, gentle whimsy. The appealingly cartoony art maintains a light tone even in the more morbid scenes; the firm''s secretary looks as if she grew up in Archie''s Riverdale. Lash is overly fond of some of comics'' and soap opera''s kitschier clichEs. His characterizations tend to be one-dimensional; Wolff and Byrd have little personality and function as the straight men to a supporting cast of eccentrics. What''s most impressive about this book are the inventive concepts. In the title story, a man with an obsessively negative attitude visually transforms into a photo-negative version of himself. Lash parodies pop culture targets ranging from Stephen King and Harry Potter to other comics. The high point is a satire on Dave Sim''s Cerebus comics, which should delight even readers unfamiliar with the target. After a full quarter century, it''s remarkable that Wolff and Byrd''s saga still demonstrates such imaginative vitality.

"Start off with a little ring-a-ding-ding from the new "King of Cool" Professor Frink, some harmless daydreaming from Bart''s pal Milhouse, some bedtime nursery rhyming with Maggie Simpson, and a bit of back-in-the-day reminiscing from Mr. Burns. Even a tyke-sized Homer tries his hand at some magical wishing, and Ralph Wiggum does a little role modeling. Then, Sideshow Bob goes slumming to exact his revenge, Bart sets about reinvigorating his favorite superhero comic magazine, and Homer thinks he''s seeing double when he discovers another brother from yet another mother"--Page 4 of cover.