ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Tania Del Rio; Angelo DeCesare; Frank Doyle; George Gladir; Dick Malmgren; Dan Parent; Mike Pellowski; Barbara Slate; Hal Smith; Dexter Taylor; Kathleen Webb
PENCILS: Bill Golliher; Dan DeCarlo; Gus Lemoine; Stan Goldberg; Tim Kennedy; Bill Kresse; Rudy Lapick; Dan Parent; Fernando Ruiz; Jeff Shultz; Chic Stone; Dexter Taylor; Bill Vigoda
INKS: Jim Amash; Jon D'Agostino; Jim DeCarlo; Vince DeCarlo; Mike Esposito; Bill Kresse; John Lowe; Al Milgrom; Henry Scarpelli; Chic Stone
COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Barry Grossman
LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Vince DeCarlo; Bill Kresse; Dexter Taylor; Bill Yoshida
COVER: Dan Parent with Francis Bonnet
EIC: Mike Pellerito
ISSN: 10440321; (July 2022)
192pp, Color, $8.99 U.S. (June 1, 2022 – direct market)
Rating: All-Ages
New stories: “Smells Like Teen Spirits!”
Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest is part of “The Archie Digest Library” series. Debuting in the spring of 1987, Betty & Veronica Double Digest is a mini-trade paperback-like series that features stories reprinted from across the publishing history of Archie Comics. The stories focus on two of Archie Comics' main characters, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge, best friends and also rivals in their love for Archie Andrews. Sometimes, however, these digests open with an original story.
Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #304, the latest edition, contains one brand new story, “Smells Like Teen Spirits!” It is written by Tania Del Rio; drawn by Bill Golliher (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by Jack Morelli. It stars Sabrina Spellman with Betty and Veronica. A teenage witch, Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared in Archie's Madhouse #22 (cover-dated: October 1962). 2022 is the sixtieth anniversary of the character, and Archie Comics is honoring the character with the “60 Years of Magic” celebration.
Sabrina in “Smells Like Teen Spirits!”:
The story opens at Riverdale Beach, and Sabrina is looking for a particular new pop-up shop among the beach's boardwalk shops. Sabina hopes the new shop, “Perfume Pop-Up,” also sells empty perfume bottles. She needs a thick new one to contain a troublesome potion she made that is about to break out of the flimsy old perfume bottle in which it is currently contained.
Unfortunately, all it takes is a moment for Betty and Veronica to expose themselves to the potion. Now, unfortunate and unexpected things are happening to them, and Sabrina has to fix this awful situation without Betty and Veronica noticing.
THE LOWDOWN: Although Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #304 is a Betty & Veronica title, it is also a celebration of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In addition to the new story, “Smell Like Teen Spirits!,” which is the story that opens this issue, the next six stories feature Sabrina as the star or co-star.
The rest of the Sabrina stories include classic old-school Sabrina characters like her Aunt Hilda and Della, the Head Witch, with Archie and the gang joining the fun. Another delight, two of the stories are drawn by Sabrina's co-creator, the late Dan DeCarlo.
As usual, I must warn you, dear readers. I will always recommend classic-style Archie Comics titles. And this 304th edition of Betty & Veronica Double Digest is doubly recommended because we get Betty & Veronica and the Archie Gang and Sabrina Spellman.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of classic-style Archie Comics will want Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #304.
A-
★★★½ out of 4 stars
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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