Betty and Veronica

July 1, 2020
Just before the term teenager was coined, Archie Andrews, America's iconic comic book teenager, debuted, and with him came a blonde girl-next-door and a brunette heiress. Hanley takes a deep, well-researched dive into the history of Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge, analyzing their original appearances and exploring their many iterations since. He contextualizes their characters' evolution within the cultural shifts of each decade (1950s domesticity, 1970s feminism) and shows how, in the publisher's effort to tweak their formulaic high jinks, the girls both followed and subverted gender roles. Hanley writes with obvious affection while also acknowledging the shortcomings of the Archie franchise, especially sexism, as up until recently the majority of Betty and Veronica's shenanigans were written and drawn by middle-aged, white men. Though Betty and Veronica started out as, and continue to be, rivals for Archie's affection, they are also best friends and have blossomed as individuals. Betty and Veronica reflect our culture's ever-changing perception of teen girls, and by quoting their most memorable stories, Hanley illustrates how they have become role models, showcasing full-color comic covers as examples.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)