Review: Betty and Veronica Issue 1

Quick Summary

Pros: This comic is hilarious and provides laughs on nearly every page. It is also manages to blend the newer and older Archie Comics styles together really well. Above all though, Adam Hughes’ art is absolutely fantastic.

Cons: Veronica’s character could stand some improvement.

Overall: Betty and Veronica proves, once again, that comics can be lighthearted and funny while still being great. This issue is a great start to a series that holds a lot of promise. It is fun to read while also being intriguing and interesting. If you liked the comedy and drama in Archie but didn’t really like the romance, then Betty and Veronica is for you.

Story

This story, so far, does a fantastic job in blending the best aspects of Archie comics together in order to tell its tale. This blend seems to involve a good mix of newer and more modern comic book styles while also adding in a little bit of the cheesy and campy styles that Archie is famous for. It also, once again, shows that Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead are fantastic people to spend time with and that any story they star in is worth reading. Overall, this seems to be another great installment into the “New Riverdale” universe that any fan will enjoy.

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This particular story is the perfect compromise between new and old Archie Comics. Some of the jokes that are told here are so campy that you would never expect to see them in a modern comic book; for example Betty describes Veronica as working on being the “overseer” because she is “over there seeing me work”. Despite their old fashioned nature, these jokes give the comic a classic feeling that calls to mind Archie Comic’s past. Alongside these though, are much more modern jokes like the fact that the entire comic is narrated by a fourth wall breaking dog who then proceeds to eat some of the comic’s pages. It is this blend of old and new that I really found enjoyable in this comic and is what will keep me reading the rest of the series.

Coming back to the comedy, this series is proving to be extremely funny in a way that everyone can appreciate. The first couple of pages feature Archie and Jughead discussing who would win in a fight between Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, setting the humorous tone for the rest of the story. The comedy is overall a little more toned back and less obvious than it is in Archie or Jughead. However, this actually works to the comic’s advantage as it makes it feel more realistic. I really enjoyed it and think that, if the rest of the series is this funny, then this comic is a real contender for “funniest Archie Comic”.

If anything needs to be changed about this comic it might be how some of the characters are focused on. So far, Veronica has done next to nothing and may have less dialogue than anyone else in the issue. This just felt a little strange for someone with her name in the title. If she is portrayed like this throughout the series then she may end up being more of a villain than a friend. It is still extremely early to call this though. Hopefully this current portrayal was simply for introductory purposes and that it gets better as the series progresses.

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Art

Adam Hughes is often known for his very famous and popular covers, so it is a real treat to see him work on interiors again. The art here is fantastic in both the characters and the backgrounds. Everything has a soft and pleasant feeling to it as Hughes manages to capture the spirit of autumn, in which this issue takes place. Overall, this art is incredible and makes the entire issue a treat for your eyes.

Continuity

This story is the first issue in the Betty and Veronica series of the “New Riverdale” universe. Despite being in this new universe, it seems to feature the protagonists at a different point in life than in Archie, indicated by Betty and Veronica already being friends here despite being pretty neutral to each other in Archie.

Overall though, you really do not have to have read anything prior to this to understand the story or characters. Reading earlier Archie Comics (particularly the Betty and Veronica series) will give you a little better perspective on the characters and how they interact, but will not give you any additional information about their history in this relaunched comic.