Archie Comics seems to be out to prove that their characters can work in just about any setting. They’ve got their traditional, stuck-in-the-1950s Archie reprints, the dark and violent Afterlife with Archie, the noir-drenched melodrama Riverdale, and the fun, modern take on the characters in titles like Archie and Jughead. Now, they’ve added Betty & Veronica: Vixens, an odd twist on the Riverdale mythos that follows Betty and Veronica as they start a biker gang and throw down with the Southside Serpents.. As you can imagine, it’s pretty damn fun.
Betty & Veronica: Vixens #1 from Archie Comics
While the book spends a lot of time in familiar Archie territory, its opening and final couple of pages clearly mark it as something new and exciting. Jamie Lee Rotante’s script is fast when it needs to be and zooms into the characters at all the right moments. There’s a lot jammed into this issue, but this creative team handles it well and keeps you engaged the whole time. Credit also goes to Rachel Deering and her keen lettering skills, which keeps even the most text-heavy of panels flowing smoothly.
Eva Cabrera’s art is fun and light, which really gives Betty & Veronica: Vixens its tone. In the wrong hands, this series could read too dark and mean-spirited, but Cabrera’s work keeps things bright and cartoony. That said, her backgrounds are sometimes oddly staged and either too sparse or too jam-packed. There are also a few tangents in the art that are distracting and disrupt the overall flow. That said, Cabrera’s expressive cartooning is fleshed out wonderfully by Elaina Unger’s stunning coloring. The slick palette elevates the entire issue with thick blacks, brilliant blues, and soft greens. Much like the line art, the character work shines in particular.
Betty & Veronica: Vixens is being promoted as an ongoing series, which is good news because after this issue we’re definitely onboard for the long haul. We can’t wait for more issues of Betty and Veronica riding motorcycles, kicking ass, and beating dudes down with brass knuckles. Yeah, did we mention that Betty passes out brass freaking knuckles to the Vixen crew? Cause that happens and it’s awesome, guys.
Betty & Veronica: Vixens #1 hits comic shops on November 5th and you can scope out a preview below.
4 out 5 Badass Burritos
