Grow Up and Move On, Archie Andrews!!
By Psykhophear 11 Comments
I was reading Archie: Will you Marry Me? comic book the other day and the moment I saw it, my instantaneous reaction was like, "oh thank heaven, this douchebag has finally made up his mind after like 71 years." I was a fan of Archie Comics who had been reading them for a very long time and like anybody else, I was always thinking of whom Archie Andrews will marry in the future? Will it be the sweet, lovable, caring Betty Cooper? Or will it be the spoiled, rich prima donna Veronica Lodge? Heh, you can already tell which of these girls I favor the most. Yes, I think Archie should marry Betty just because they are meant for each other. That's my take...however I do think Cheryl Blossom IS the perfect one. I'm sure everyone has their own opinion on that.
This discussion has been debated for many years and within those years, people have devised their own speculations and theories about it, including me. Finally, on 2010, we were unveiled with Archie: WIll You Marry Me? issues to finally reveal the true conclusion of Riverdale's love triangle dilemma. I was excited about it and I just couldn't wait to see the final outcome of the Archie universe but to my surprise, it was neither a conclusion nor a final outcome. It was a goddamn "What If?" situation. It's basically two stories beginning with Archie proposing to Veronica and got married. Then Archie goes into this twilight zone thing where he goes back into the past and proposed to Betty instead. It's a lousy take if you ask me and that proves to show that after 71 years, the publishers still can't make their own goddamn mind.
I was truly disappointed with these issues because it doesn't say anything or resolve anything. What could've been the most awesomest event in the comic book history is only just a theory and for all we know, this marriage speculation will go and on and on until judgment day. This is why I stop reading Archie Comics altogether because the publishers just don't want to take risks. I find it be incredibly boring and stupid to see Archie and the gang to still be in high school, getting in trouble, going to the beach, drinking sodas at Pop's over and over again. They even recycle the same jokes and events over the years and it's driving me nuts. What they really need to do is update the series. Take DC and Marvel Comics for example. Many things have happened since the day those comic books were introduced. Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman are married, Spider-Man 's Gwen Stacy is dead, the Juggernaut joined the X-Men for awhile, Tim Drake is the third Robin , Batman is dead, Captain America is dead, etc. All of these gave us comic book readers quite a shock but that goes to show that both DC and Marvel have guts. We mourn about it but we later accept it because that's how it is. People changed, bad things happen, and all those past events will be remembered and cherished forever in our hearts.
So back to Archie Comics, the publishers should really consider changing things a little. Sure, they have introduced new characters like that Lopez chick, the new gay guy that I can't remember his name but that's not enough. Make something drastic. Make the gang go to college, make one of the faculties retire and bring us new ones, get rid of Moose or someone in the gang and introduce to us new people, get rid of Pop's, make one of the faculties die of old age, etc. Just make some new materials, for heaven's sake. And please, make Archie be officially married. Will it be Betty or will it be Veronica? I don't care. I don't think anybody gives a damn about it anymore. Just make something up, stick to it and move on.
To be fair, Archie: Will You Marry Me? is a good graphic novel because it shows us the outcomes of the two marriages, which are interesting and fun to read. However, you'd wish it's an actual event and not just a "what if?" thing. My rating: 3/5 stars.