Written by: Adam Hughes
Art by: Adam Hughes
Publisher: Archie Comics
With the recent success of Mark Waid and Chip Zdarsky’s respective Archie and Jughead runs, it’s no surprise to see that Betty and Veronica were getting their series relaunched as well. It was surprising however that Adam Hughes, one of the industry’s foremost cheescake artists, was writing and illustrating the book. The book pits Archie’s love rivals, Betty and Veronica against each other in order to decide the fate of Pop’s place, the cafe everyone hangs out at.
I knew I was in for a good time straight away when I saw that Jughead’s dog was going to be narrating the series. Next we cut to Jughead and Archie discussing who would win in a fit between Ronald Mc Donald and the Burger King and oh Man! It is just perfect, it made me laugh and it conveyed the friendship as well as the laid back tone of a small town on an autumn evening brilliantly. After a few pages of quality ‘bant’ (I’m down with the kids) the pair meet up with Betty and Veronica. Betty is doing some yard work while Ronnie supervises and the personalities of the two are set up brilliantly in the ensuing conversation.
Betty maintains her personality from Waid’s Archie run, very much the tom boy that isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and has a quick wit. This iteration of Veronica is a different creature from the overly spoiled, Archie loving, rather bland being that we’ve seen in the other series. Don’t get me wrong those versions of her aren’t bad but… well this one’s better. It can be hard to write someone who’s as snooty, spoiled and uppity as Ronnie is meant to be and still have the readers like and root for them but Hughes pulls it off in spades. You can really see him just having allot of fun with these characters, particularly Veronica, and really sells me on them being a close knit group of friends.
Adam Hughes uses amazingly funny tongue in cheek jokes that never fail to hit, that include making fun of the number of times Pop’s has almost gone out of business in Archie comics over the years. The humour almost has a British quality to it with how dry it is, so much so that I surprised myself when I remembered Hughes is American.
I know my reviews tend to be longer and the overviews a bit more poignant but B&V is amazing and you should get it! Get it now! Why don’t you have it? Oh? I haven’t mentioned the art? It’s Adam-fudging-Hughes! Your eyes will bleed trying to comprehend how great it looks! If you come up to me in the street and ask I will buy you this comic! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! GEEEEET IIIIIIT!
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