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Story by: Mark Waid
Art by: Veronica Fish
Colors by: Andre Szymanowicz & Jen Vaughn
Lettering by: Jack Morelli
The spotlight is back on Archie Andrews himself this month in Archie #8, specifically the continued navigation of his relationship with Veronica Lodge while her father hates his guts. It’s never easy being the subject of parental disapproval, especially a significant other’s parent and especially when they’re someone as powerful and stubborn as Mr. Lodge, so Archie and Veronica have been trying to continue dating in secret even as Mr. Lodge throws obstacle after obstacle in their way.
Family is a strong theme in this issue, both Veronica’s and Archie’s, the latter of which we finally “meet” in more depth; we see Mr. Lodge and Mr. Andrews compared and contrasted – though mostly contrasted – both as parents and as people, which makes for an interesting frame around a chapter that is very much about relationships. Mark Waid very seamlessly conveys the warm and supportive environment in the Andrews family against the ambitious and stubborn Lodges, which we of course see reflected and united in the romance between Archie and Veronica; they may be different but they offer each other something new and interesting, and they both barely seem to even have to make an effort to stay open-minded about the other. Veronica may be somewhat stuck-up and judgmental, but again and again we see her showing interest in relating to her classmates and boyfriend, talking to them about their hobbies and generally giving the impression of a sincere investment in learning more about them. Frankly, at least around other people, she’s been written as far less of a “mean girl” than some of the other semi-regular female members of the cast, which is not so much a fault or criticism on how Veronica is written – by any means – but a sign that we are really overdue for some more panel time, focus, and consistency for characters like Sheila Wu and Maria Rodriguez.
This was a very sweet issue, and while the dilemma and resolution did seem a bit rushed, this issue reads more as a bridge between storylines rather than specifically the beginning to a new one, although I’m sure there’s hints as to what we might be able to expect next: personally, I’m hoping for Betty and Sayid. I did love seeing more development between Archie and Veronica, however, and am pretty interested in all the little plot hooks and dynamic shifts this issue gave us – here’s hoping Mr. Lodge has a little more nuance to him in future issues, now that at least one hurdle in Archie and Veronica’s way has been vaulted.