Writer & Illustrator: Adam Hughes
Publisher: Archie Comics
WHAT IS IT?
Betty and Veronica chronicles the friendship of Riverdale’s best friends through their differences in opinions, boys, and life in general. The comics take a little departure from the hit show, “Riverdale”, and seems to give more of the traditional “dueling divas” take on Betty and Veronica instead of the ride-or-die besties they are on the show.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Catastrophe has yet again struck Pop’s as a big city coffee company comes to Riverdale! It’s up to the crew to save their favourite hang out place, but it seems as if not everyone is on the same page. While Betty and part of the gang are working hard to raise money for Pop, Veronica switches sides and rallies for the new business. What happens when these two go from friend to frenemy and can the gang save Pop’s?!
The comic follows the typical Riverdale favourites, so if you watched the show or read the original comics, the characters and hijinks will be familiar. Even with no background in the Archie universe, these issues can be read through and you still feel a connection to the characters.
WHAT WORKS?
Betty and Veronica tells a wonderful cheeky story full jokes and I found myself laughing throughout the entire volume
The art is beautiful and the colours are amazing; I found that in several of the scenes the way things were drawn really gave movement to the story and situation
The whole story focuses mainly on Betty and Veronica, so the story isn’t diluted with loads of side characters to keep track of while reading
Overall the comic is very light-hearted and easy to read, making it a great option for teens and adults
WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
I am not sure if this is related to being a more teen/younger age friendly comic, but the storyline does come off as a bit of a trope
Once I started reading the comic, I was able to get a very good indication of where the story was headed, so the ending wasn’t a surprise
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
If you love the Archie universe or want to dip your toes into this, this is a great start. Without having a bunch of side characters and mostly sticking to the main crew, it is easy to follow both in plot and who is who. It will make you laugh and the friendship will have you inviting your best buds over for a milkshake.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
In the past few years the Archie universe has been undergoing a resurgence of different comics, so there are so many options on where to go next! My pick would be to take a darker route and instead of the milkshakes and letter jackets, head to the store and grab “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” – still the same universe but more of a horror story and perfect for Halloween!
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Adam Hughes – Story & Art
Award Winner: In 2003 Hughes won the Eisner Award for “Best Cover Artist.” Then, in 2007 he was awarded with the Inkpot Award and the following year was named as an Inkwell Awards Ambassador.
Multitalented: For this comic Hughes did the art and the story, which he has done on several other comics
Prolific: Hughes has an impressive list of covers and comics he has worked on from Marvel to DC and everything in between
José Villarrubia – Colorist
Award Winner: In 2011 Villarrubia won the Harvey Award for best colorist on Cuba: My Revolution
Outlander: Villarrubia was born In Madrid
Prolific: Taking a look at the list of works under Villarrubia’s belt, he emerges as a titan of the industry – chances are, if you have read a handful of comics, you’ve come across either art or his writing
Jack “John” Morelli – Letterer
Test of Time: Jack has been in the comic business since the 80s where he started as a staff letterer at Marvel
Award Winner: In 2015 Morelli won the Harvey Award for Best Letterer from his work on Afterlife with Archie
Multitalented: Not only does Morelli have quite the list of comics he was done lettering for, but he has also worked as writer, editor, cover artist, and colorist
HOW DO I BUY IT?
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***This review was written by special guest, Nika Howard! ***
About Nika: What do you get when you have a pinch of bishie sparkles, a dash of sass, and a whole lot of Dungeons and Dragons? The gremlin known as Nika Howard. You can find Nika on the Drunks and Dragons Podcast crew, Love to Hate Podcast, and as Editor for board and tabletop games on GeeklyInc. Come chat with her over on Twitter @Nika_Howard.
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