Today, we look at how Betty and Veronica developed a relationship, in part, due to the Predator destroying most of the Archie Universe!
This is Universal Love, a month-long spotlight on LGBTQ comic book stories that I have enjoyed over the years. This isn't meant as a "Best Of" list, since there are so many great works out there, and so I'll spread the love around a bit, as it were.
In the original Archie vs. Predator series (which was written by Alex de Campi), the series ended with everyone but Betty and Veronica dead in Riverdale, and Archie and the Predator merged together into one being that looks like Archie but is really the Predator (who has been wooed to the side of good by Betty and Veronica).
In the second volume, Archie vs. Predator II, (by de Campi and artists Robert Hack and Kelly Fitzpatrick, with letters by the great Jack Morelli), de Campi turned up the metafiction aspect in a big, fun way. You see, this version of Betty and Veronica came from a more classical version of the Archie Universe. You know, the one where everyone looks like Dan DeCarlo drew them. So Veronica naturally tries to use Memory Lane to go back in time to fix everything, with a reference to the Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty storyline from 2009 that used that premise.
However, they find that Memory Lane has been shut down by Waid Construction, a reference to the current Archie continuity created by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples in 2015...
So even though they think they're canceled, Veronica won't give up, though, and she cites all the absurd stuff that really happened in the old Archie Comics over the years...
Later, though, she muses over what it means to be canceled and if it means that no one will remember their names eventually...
However, they instead find themselves in the post-reboot Archie Universe. There are lots of jokes about how different things are (like how Dilton is hot in this universe or how Archie talks directly to the reader in this universe), but the biggest thing about the evolution of Betty and Veronica in this universe is how they begin to look at each other in a new light. Tragically, the Predators show up in this NEW Archie universe, as well, and begin to slaughter the teens.
In a nice metafictional touch, de Campi leads to this sequence with a chapter heading reminding everyone that this is NOT IN CONTINUITY (as, come on, they're obviously not going to get Betty and Veronica together in a "regular" comic book series)...
and then Veronica saves Betty by taking her into the shower to disguise their heat signature from the Predator. They then share a moment together (notice that even when they kiss, it's a forehead kiss. I guess there's only a certain amount of leeway here for de Campi)...
They then come up with the idea of using an old Archie plot (which I actually wrote about last year here), of summoning Mr. Inferno, who is basically just literally Satan himself to sell their souls so that they can turn back the clock and save their universe. However, there is a concern with whether Mr. Inferno even EXISTS in this universe (as Betty tries to contact all the various other earlier Archie character, like the early MLJ superheroes), but Veronica cheers her up with a kiss...
There's also a great bit where Veronica notes that the Cheryl Blossom of this universe looks really good and Betty jokes about how Veronica really has a thing for redheads, but Veronica corrects her and notes that she is now into blondes...
Eventually, though, Mr. Inferno actually DOES make an appearance! This leads to a brilliant sequence in the final issue of the series where Mr. Inferno spends some time with the girls and lets them explain why they are willing to sell their souls and Veronica once again brings up the notion of being "cancelled," and the sorts of fears that a fictional character must have when they don't know whether they will actually be remembered or not...
Mr. Inferno corrects them, of course, as he explains that this is just normal. Characters are almost inherently meant to be eventually forgotten. He then gives an amazing speech where he tells them that they shouldn't WANT to go back, but rather, they should embrace going FORWARD, just being the best versions of Betty and Veronica that they can be in this universe, to just give up on the idea of being the eternal teenagers and just live life to its fullest...
However, in a nice treat, Inferno also reveals that he was always planning on saving this universe, as it WAS the then-"real" Archie Universe, so he couldn't allow it to be decimated by Predators, so Betty gets her wish (as she was willing to sacrifice her soul to bring back the lives of the modern Archie characters who were brought into all of this trouble, in part, because Betty, Veronica and the Archie-Predator drew the Predators to them). That was a really touching scene.
So things are all resolved and the modern Archie universe goes back to normal, and we then see that Betty, Veronica and the Archie-Predator have moved to New York City where they are now finally growing and while it is not explicit (again, this IS still an Archie comic book), it is heavily implied that Betty and Veronica are now a couple together as they start a new (non-eternal) life together...
This was really a marvelously told series by de Campi and holy crap, the Hack/Fitzpatrick artwork is just beyond this world. I especially love the re-design of Betty and Veronica on that final page. Great stuff.
If anyone else has a suggestion for a great LGBTQ comic book, feel free to send in suggestions to me at brianc@cbr.com!