VERONICA #202

Review by: Ragtime

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Size: pages
Price: 2.99

It’s been nearly three months since the last “controversial” comic from the Archie-verse — the Archie and Valerie’s interracial romance in Archie 608-609.  Unlike that storyline, which flowed naturally from the plot, Veronica #202 — introducing gay character Kevin Keller — seemed forced.  In particular, while Jughead has always been a practical joker, he is written here in a more mean-spirited Reggie-Mantle-like manner as he tries to trick in new friend Kevin into not telling Veronica he is gay, so she will keep making a fool of herself.  While Archie and Valerie made it through two issues without anyone mentioning the word “interracial,” here we couldn’t go two pages without someone pointing out Kevin’s gayness.

There were several good parts.  Kevin was fleshed out enough — he’s wants to be a journalist, reads comic books, and can challenged Jughead in an eating contest — so that he didn’t come off as “just gay.”  Betty has a great scene with an angel/devil on her shoulders trying to decide whether to tell Veronica about Kevin.  More generally, the fact that everyone except Veronica knows Kevin is gay shows Veronica’s inability to see past her own nose is a nice touch.  And it ends well enough.

Iin the gray area between “good” and “bad” were all of the Kevin/ Jughead comparison.  The “outside joke” has always been that Jughead is gay, but here they bring the joke inside.  Kevin/Veronica is directly compared to Jughead/Ethel.  Kevin gives Jughead a heart box of chocolates.  Veronica despairs that now she’s losing men to Jughead, too.  The great unasked question was seemingly answered in the “Archie Marries Betty” storyline, where future Jughead marries Midge.  Here, they seem to want to take that back and let us wonder.

Story: 3 - Good
Art: 4 - Very Good

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