For 70 years, Archie Comics have been centralized around the love triangle of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Pitting the two best friends, Betty and Ronnie, against each other certainly had its ups and downs, as the girls fought for Archie’s love.
When chapter 600 hit the stands, fans – new and old – were at the edge of their seats as Archie finally made the big move: proposing to Veronica. Many Archie comic book fans had been diehard admirers of Betty and were shocked at this turn of events. Betty had always been the girl next door, with her simple looks and down-to-earth personality, while Veronica, on the other hand, had been the spoiled rich kid, using her money to win Archie over.
So what could Archie possibly see in Veronica? That’s what chapter 600 represented: the battle between personality and money. So does this achieve a victory for the rich? What kind of effect does Archie’s decision have on children and youth, who are avid readers? It seems that this new generation will grow up with a similar perception of marriage and dating; it will be guaranteed that the rich and wealthy will always have a better chance at life and more opportunities.
Can this new chapter in the Archie Comics be seen as a positive? What if it was written and drawn as a money grab, to gain more fans? Perhaps the producers viewed the old love triangle story as obsolete, thinking it was time for something fresh and modern to hit the stands. Their idea of “fresh” and “modern” included putting Archie and Veronica together while leaving Betty in the slums and in between jobs. This can depict how bad things can get without money in your pocket or
from inheritance.
Chapter 602 brings new plot twists: Hardly into their engagement, the new couple is preparing for twins. That’s right, little Veronica and/or Archie junior coming our way! Though this can be viewed as exciting, it is happening much too quickly: the entire series and love triangle took 70 years to develop and now within chapters we see Archie take the big plunge into marriage and parenthood. One has to wonder if this relationship is progressing too quickly.
This cannot end well. We are stuck on the sidelines, watching an old fad become a new way to corrupt young minds everywhere.
Regretfully, the wholesomeness and morals that had captivated generations are long departed from Archie comics.
