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Betty & Veronica: Senior Year
Rising stars Jamie Lee Rotante ( Betty & Vixens ) and artist Sandra Lanz ( Star Waypoint ) take Betty and Veronica where they've never gone before--their senior year of high school!
Only one school year stands between them and freedom, but when the two BFFs think they'll be attending the same college in the fall find out that their plans have changed, their senior year--and their friendship--is put to the test!
Only one school year stands between them and freedom, but when the two BFFs think they'll be attending the same college in the fall find out that their plans have changed, their senior year--and their friendship--is put to the test!
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2019
32 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Lee Rotante
22 books12 followersJamie L. Rotante is a New York-based writer, proofreader and editor. She works full time as an Editor/Writer at Archie Comic Publications, Inc. She also writes about punk music, women's issues and being a neurotic. In her free time she is a mentor and crisis text counselor and collects vinyl records just for fun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 10, 2019
Read 10/10/2019
Naturally, I picked this up as a little throw back to my Archie days. I remember back in the day every time I’d go to the grocery store with my mom I’d beg her for one of the Archie comics that they so cleverly placed at the check out aisles in all their bright colors and beautiful big breasted heroines. Ah, the classic love triangle. Not exactly the feminist, own voices, positive messages of today’s youthful comic/graphic messages but hey. Archie comics are synonymous with my childhood. I had much love for both Betty and Veronica (okay no. I loved Betty but Veronica was the brunette like me so I had to save some love to throw her way.) When I saw this graphic novel sitting on the recently released table, I had to throw it on my stack & add it to my ever growing graphic novel collection...
Ok. So it was fine. I can see how the politically correctness of today has influenced this new spin off. Whereas traditional Archie comics have Betty and Veronica as sorta frenemies, rivals for Archie’s heart with blonde blue eyed Betty as the angelic, innocent, sweet one who loves and adores Archie, and dark haired darker complected Veronica is the she-devil, the cunning bitchy vixen whom Archie is always chasing around trying to please as she lures him with her seductive ways and then proceeds to make her spoiled, diva demands of him.
Yah. Okay. So not exactly brimming with positive messages, the opposite in fact! Full of stereotypes, misconceptions and an overall negative message: That it is perfectly acceptable to be a good looking, charming boy who is dating two friends at once and manipulating them to keep them both accessible to you because you cannot choose between them. Archie is never cast in a negative light, Veronica is moreso the villain with her obnoxious rich girl ways (hence the dark hair and skin as is most common for images of the seductress) and Betty of course is blonde and blue eyed, as is typical with depictions of innocence and goodness. The outdated stereotypes are endless. Yes yes, we all can see where the problems lay and how these are not necessarily healthy images to convey to children, behavior that shouldn’t be condoned or emulated. And so with this new Betty and Veronica, this revamping of an old classic, Betty and Veronica are both painted a little more youthfully, a little less sensually. Not so heavy with the dramatic curves and sensuous lips basically. Betty and Veronica are BFF’s in HS, navigating their way through their senior year with a vow to never let any guy get between them again. (There is hinting here that Archie at one point DID get between them, but it is merely a reference to the obvious history that is the basis of all the Archie comics.) Betty has recently broken up with Reggie (surprise surprise I thought I remembered Reggie as sort of a dick) who is presently all torn up with the grief over his ailing grandmother. (Awww. So cute I could barf.) and Veronica is a strong, independent woman with a drive for success on her own separately from her rich father, she is kind and supportive to Betty and a good friend and her dating life is not a priority in the slightest. Betty is a charitable, kind & selfless person, driven to help and serve others, her relationship with Veronica is at the forefront of her priorities and when she has a (accidental) drunk encounter with Archie she is mortified and remorseful, thinking of her relationship with her best friend and unwilling to cause harm to it. Archie is hardly even a fixture in this series. Gone is the classic love triangle and typical comic-y antics that we remember from classic Archie and Betty and Veronica is instead a little series about two young, wholesome girls who are best friends trying to get through their final year in HS & make decisions for their big and bright futures.
This is all very well and good, yes yes this sends a much more positive message to young girls, here are two girls who are supporting and caring for one another rather than fighting each other for a guy, both of the girls are driven and strong in their convictions, both of them are focused on their own futures, romantic relationships are secondary and they are each drawn to look age appropriate rather than the usual inappropriately stimulating images, girls in their teens drawn up to look like 25 year old women. The political correctness of 2019 is oh so present here and the result is a series about two characters who bear absolutely no resemblance to the Betty and Veronica that so many of us love and adore. It’s hard to write negatively about things that should obviously be considered improvements, but the fact of the matter is the love triangle is the very basis of Archie comics. Without that, the series sort of loses it’s Archie essence. I picked this up for nostalgias sake, I wasn’t expecting a politically correct revamping that sends positive messages to girls. Betty and Veronica are two classic figures in comics, and these two girls, this new Betty and new Veronica are not the same as my the beloved originals. This is more like Betty and Veronica’s Generation Z daughters. It’s all very cute and empowering, but they’re certainly not the characters I was hoping to revisit. They are sweet, sure, but other than the little bit of fun it was to see the old characters again, it was downright boring! Too wholesome, too unlike the original characters, missing the lifeblood that ran through Archie’s treacherous veins! It was all very much a severely dehydrated, poor man’s Archie series.
It’s sorta like say if you picked Porky’s (or even 16 Candles or Pretty in Pink or Breakfast club!) and decided to redo it in 2019’s inoffensive, diplomatic, progressive style. You wouldn’t be able to right? Because if you take away the stuff that’s offensive, you strip it bare till there’s hardly more than bones left! Archie comics IS the Betty and Veronica love triangle. No can do-o.
2 stars for nostalgia’s sake, but -3 cuz of everything else! This is one you most definitely do NOT have to think twice about missing.
Naturally, I picked this up as a little throw back to my Archie days. I remember back in the day every time I’d go to the grocery store with my mom I’d beg her for one of the Archie comics that they so cleverly placed at the check out aisles in all their bright colors and beautiful big breasted heroines. Ah, the classic love triangle. Not exactly the feminist, own voices, positive messages of today’s youthful comic/graphic messages but hey. Archie comics are synonymous with my childhood. I had much love for both Betty and Veronica (okay no. I loved Betty but Veronica was the brunette like me so I had to save some love to throw her way.) When I saw this graphic novel sitting on the recently released table, I had to throw it on my stack & add it to my ever growing graphic novel collection...
Ok. So it was fine. I can see how the politically correctness of today has influenced this new spin off. Whereas traditional Archie comics have Betty and Veronica as sorta frenemies, rivals for Archie’s heart with blonde blue eyed Betty as the angelic, innocent, sweet one who loves and adores Archie, and dark haired darker complected Veronica is the she-devil, the cunning bitchy vixen whom Archie is always chasing around trying to please as she lures him with her seductive ways and then proceeds to make her spoiled, diva demands of him.
Yah. Okay. So not exactly brimming with positive messages, the opposite in fact! Full of stereotypes, misconceptions and an overall negative message: That it is perfectly acceptable to be a good looking, charming boy who is dating two friends at once and manipulating them to keep them both accessible to you because you cannot choose between them. Archie is never cast in a negative light, Veronica is moreso the villain with her obnoxious rich girl ways (hence the dark hair and skin as is most common for images of the seductress) and Betty of course is blonde and blue eyed, as is typical with depictions of innocence and goodness. The outdated stereotypes are endless. Yes yes, we all can see where the problems lay and how these are not necessarily healthy images to convey to children, behavior that shouldn’t be condoned or emulated. And so with this new Betty and Veronica, this revamping of an old classic, Betty and Veronica are both painted a little more youthfully, a little less sensually. Not so heavy with the dramatic curves and sensuous lips basically. Betty and Veronica are BFF’s in HS, navigating their way through their senior year with a vow to never let any guy get between them again. (There is hinting here that Archie at one point DID get between them, but it is merely a reference to the obvious history that is the basis of all the Archie comics.) Betty has recently broken up with Reggie (surprise surprise I thought I remembered Reggie as sort of a dick) who is presently all torn up with the grief over his ailing grandmother. (Awww. So cute I could barf.) and Veronica is a strong, independent woman with a drive for success on her own separately from her rich father, she is kind and supportive to Betty and a good friend and her dating life is not a priority in the slightest. Betty is a charitable, kind & selfless person, driven to help and serve others, her relationship with Veronica is at the forefront of her priorities and when she has a (accidental) drunk encounter with Archie she is mortified and remorseful, thinking of her relationship with her best friend and unwilling to cause harm to it. Archie is hardly even a fixture in this series. Gone is the classic love triangle and typical comic-y antics that we remember from classic Archie and Betty and Veronica is instead a little series about two young, wholesome girls who are best friends trying to get through their final year in HS & make decisions for their big and bright futures.
This is all very well and good, yes yes this sends a much more positive message to young girls, here are two girls who are supporting and caring for one another rather than fighting each other for a guy, both of the girls are driven and strong in their convictions, both of them are focused on their own futures, romantic relationships are secondary and they are each drawn to look age appropriate rather than the usual inappropriately stimulating images, girls in their teens drawn up to look like 25 year old women. The political correctness of 2019 is oh so present here and the result is a series about two characters who bear absolutely no resemblance to the Betty and Veronica that so many of us love and adore. It’s hard to write negatively about things that should obviously be considered improvements, but the fact of the matter is the love triangle is the very basis of Archie comics. Without that, the series sort of loses it’s Archie essence. I picked this up for nostalgias sake, I wasn’t expecting a politically correct revamping that sends positive messages to girls. Betty and Veronica are two classic figures in comics, and these two girls, this new Betty and new Veronica are not the same as my the beloved originals. This is more like Betty and Veronica’s Generation Z daughters. It’s all very cute and empowering, but they’re certainly not the characters I was hoping to revisit. They are sweet, sure, but other than the little bit of fun it was to see the old characters again, it was downright boring! Too wholesome, too unlike the original characters, missing the lifeblood that ran through Archie’s treacherous veins! It was all very much a severely dehydrated, poor man’s Archie series.
It’s sorta like say if you picked Porky’s (or even 16 Candles or Pretty in Pink or Breakfast club!) and decided to redo it in 2019’s inoffensive, diplomatic, progressive style. You wouldn’t be able to right? Because if you take away the stuff that’s offensive, you strip it bare till there’s hardly more than bones left! Archie comics IS the Betty and Veronica love triangle. No can do-o.
2 stars for nostalgia’s sake, but -3 cuz of everything else! This is one you most definitely do NOT have to think twice about missing.
April 21, 2024
I read piles of Archie comics growing up, so I occasionally get curious about these updated versions. Not quite nostalgia reads… In Betty & Veronica: Senior Year, B&V have finally (you guessed it) made it out from junior year and into their senior year at Riverdale High. (For context, if you didn’t read quite so many of these as I did growing up—the characters are perennial juniors, old enough to drive and hold the occasional part-time job but not yet worried about things like college and the real world.)
For the sake of this book, Archie is—very intentionally—out of the picture. Whatever fighting over him Betty and Veronica did is in the past; as the book opens, Betty and Reggie have just split up, and Veronica doesn’t seem all that interested in dating. Archie is in the background, but neither Betty nor Veronica is interested in continuing to fight over him. What they are both interested in: college. They dream of going to the same place, the local university (where Betty can get a full ride and Veronica can earn admission without nepotism)…but then they both start to realize that no, this university is not their dream. And neither of them wants to tell the other.
It’s interesting to see this more updated take. In some ways it’s more realistic (e.g., there’s a scene in which one of the girls gets drunk, which would never have happened in the original comics), and in other ways…well, I guess it’s not all that unrealistic for a nepotism-child to have far more responsibility at her father’s company than a teenager should have.
The art is a bit of a departure from the originals, which I don’t always love but also makes a lot of sense—it’s in keeping with the more grown-up feel of the book. Overall, it does make me think that it’s too bad that even in the B&V-focused comics of yore, the emphasis was so often on chasing Archie.
For the sake of this book, Archie is—very intentionally—out of the picture. Whatever fighting over him Betty and Veronica did is in the past; as the book opens, Betty and Reggie have just split up, and Veronica doesn’t seem all that interested in dating. Archie is in the background, but neither Betty nor Veronica is interested in continuing to fight over him. What they are both interested in: college. They dream of going to the same place, the local university (where Betty can get a full ride and Veronica can earn admission without nepotism)…but then they both start to realize that no, this university is not their dream. And neither of them wants to tell the other.
It’s interesting to see this more updated take. In some ways it’s more realistic (e.g., there’s a scene in which one of the girls gets drunk, which would never have happened in the original comics), and in other ways…well, I guess it’s not all that unrealistic for a nepotism-child to have far more responsibility at her father’s company than a teenager should have.
The art is a bit of a departure from the originals, which I don’t always love but also makes a lot of sense—it’s in keeping with the more grown-up feel of the book. Overall, it does make me think that it’s too bad that even in the B&V-focused comics of yore, the emphasis was so often on chasing Archie.
February 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It connects to plot lines from earlier Archie comics and also some threads from the CW show, Riverdale, from what I can tell. I like how Rotante says in her intro that she wanted to highlight the struggles that seniors in high school face while also telling a story about a friendship. I think she handles both threads really well. I definitely felt the pressure that Betty, Veronica, and their classmates face with all these activities and big decisions on top of family issues on their plates. But I also loved the focus on the friendship between Betty and Veronica. It's so important to show teens that relationship issues crop up, but they can be overcome with communication and honesty.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I felt like all the conflicts were resolved nicely. It was also nice that the girls weren't fighting over Archie for once! I didn't like that Veronica had so much responsibility at Sparkle as a teen in high school. It didn't really make sense to me, and it reminds me of how Veronica on Riverdale owns businesses, including a rum manufacturer... I also felt like some of the conflict between Betty and Veronica could be drawn out a little more. There are gaps in the earlier issues where they're not talking much because of a misunderstanding, and I would've wanted to see a little more inside the gaps, so to speak. For some reason, even though I enjoyed this story, it's a solid "I liked it," but I can't add the "really" onto it like I usually do with Archie Comics' works. I can't really put my finger on why other than some of the issues addressed above.
I do recommend this book to Archie Comics fans and to teens who may be going into their senior year or who are in their senior year. They'll find characters and conflicts they can relate to.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I felt like all the conflicts were resolved nicely. It was also nice that the girls weren't fighting over Archie for once! I didn't like that Veronica had so much responsibility at Sparkle as a teen in high school. It didn't really make sense to me, and it reminds me of how Veronica on Riverdale owns businesses, including a rum manufacturer... I also felt like some of the conflict between Betty and Veronica could be drawn out a little more. There are gaps in the earlier issues where they're not talking much because of a misunderstanding, and I would've wanted to see a little more inside the gaps, so to speak. For some reason, even though I enjoyed this story, it's a solid "I liked it," but I can't add the "really" onto it like I usually do with Archie Comics' works. I can't really put my finger on why other than some of the issues addressed above.
I do recommend this book to Archie Comics fans and to teens who may be going into their senior year or who are in their senior year. They'll find characters and conflicts they can relate to.
October 5, 2019
This collection definitely skews a bit younger, even though the cast are seniors in high school.
I didn't like it as much as Mark Waid's Archie or Chip Zdarsky's Jughead. I really missed the humor of those writers.
I didn't like it as much as Mark Waid's Archie or Chip Zdarsky's Jughead. I really missed the humor of those writers.
November 29, 2024
Why did they water down Betty and Veronica so much? And since when was Reggie a sympathetic character? And why was someone in the hospital every couple of pages? And why don't Betty and Veronica trust each other, like, at all? And why
Read
November 26, 2020"I can't believe summer's already over...but damn, was it a good one. Even if it started out on a rocky note, we made every second after that count."
And with its opening line, this calls up a far stranger and more other world than any of the stories of cyborgs and clones I've read so far this week. As also when the story fixates, as American school stories must, on the prom as "One night to let go of your problems and just be a teen again". Yeah, chance'd be a fine thing for the poor bastard Class of 2020. Still, in some other, better world, the idea is sound enough. As the introduction says, we've seen Betty and Veronica at school, we've seen flashforwards to them as adults, we've seen them fighting monsters – but not a story about that transitional phase when they're finishing up school and preparing for adulthood. Sadly, the execution doesn't live up to the best of the material Archie have been putting out in recent years. Sometimes it's bright and breezy, interweaving silliness with a poignant sense of the seasons passing – but too often, stilted sub-Luna art and flat colouring meet pat, issue-led storytelling. I don't even mean current hot-button issues, but the ones which could equally have propelled a US network sitcom at any time since the fifties - the importance of being honest with your friends, making something of yourself, real motherhood and apple pie stuff like that. There's even one crowd scene where Midge is seen standing on a speech bubble, which could be a cool trick if it felt deliberately meta, but as is just seems like a lack of care. Similarly, there are times when the leads really come alive, and others where they don't feel themselves at all, not least when some chauvinist prick tries his bullshit on with Veronica and all she can manage is storming off with a "Screw you" rather than the effortless comeback one would expect.
Still, if nothing else I have learned that in America it costs about $60 per college application – the supposed Land of the Free once again finding a way to charge for the most outrageous things.
And with its opening line, this calls up a far stranger and more other world than any of the stories of cyborgs and clones I've read so far this week. As also when the story fixates, as American school stories must, on the prom as "One night to let go of your problems and just be a teen again". Yeah, chance'd be a fine thing for the poor bastard Class of 2020. Still, in some other, better world, the idea is sound enough. As the introduction says, we've seen Betty and Veronica at school, we've seen flashforwards to them as adults, we've seen them fighting monsters – but not a story about that transitional phase when they're finishing up school and preparing for adulthood. Sadly, the execution doesn't live up to the best of the material Archie have been putting out in recent years. Sometimes it's bright and breezy, interweaving silliness with a poignant sense of the seasons passing – but too often, stilted sub-Luna art and flat colouring meet pat, issue-led storytelling. I don't even mean current hot-button issues, but the ones which could equally have propelled a US network sitcom at any time since the fifties - the importance of being honest with your friends, making something of yourself, real motherhood and apple pie stuff like that. There's even one crowd scene where Midge is seen standing on a speech bubble, which could be a cool trick if it felt deliberately meta, but as is just seems like a lack of care. Similarly, there are times when the leads really come alive, and others where they don't feel themselves at all, not least when some chauvinist prick tries his bullshit on with Veronica and all she can manage is storming off with a "Screw you" rather than the effortless comeback one would expect.
Still, if nothing else I have learned that in America it costs about $60 per college application – the supposed Land of the Free once again finding a way to charge for the most outrageous things.
May 18, 2020
I saw this on Hoopla recently and was intrigued by the art style so I decided to get it. I was thinking this would be like Archie (2015) (Collected Editions) Series which I thoroughly enjoyed (see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this - the character background seemed to be different without explanation (Betty and Veronica, as an example, seem to have become friends recently. Betty is dating Reggie and doesn’t seem to have much of a rivalry with Veronica for Archie etc.). I felt that I was missing another volume or so for context.
The whole thrust of moving on and growing up, which the move to college implies was largely ignored. It was like The Archie Wedding: Will You Marry Me - where nothing actually changed or characters explored. I don’t mind this in the classic Archie stories which are episodic but the promise of the special here was to show change which it failed at.
Combining this meandering plot with inconsistent art style meant that this collection was not for me. Give it a pass.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this - the character background seemed to be different without explanation (Betty and Veronica, as an example, seem to have become friends recently. Betty is dating Reggie and doesn’t seem to have much of a rivalry with Veronica for Archie etc.). I felt that I was missing another volume or so for context.
The whole thrust of moving on and growing up, which the move to college implies was largely ignored. It was like The Archie Wedding: Will You Marry Me - where nothing actually changed or characters explored. I don’t mind this in the classic Archie stories which are episodic but the promise of the special here was to show change which it failed at.
Combining this meandering plot with inconsistent art style meant that this collection was not for me. Give it a pass.
November 7, 2020
I enjoyed it...really fun and quick read.
April 3, 2021
Archie comics were a huge part of my childhood, and Betty and Veronica my favorites, so I had to grab this one. It was...cute.
As a YA graphic novel, it worked better than as an Archie story. Archie is barely in this one, with a few throwaway nods to the Riverdale TV series. I liked the art style, and the fact that some characters broke the mold, with a GED over traditional high school, or taking a gap year to focus on volunteering. For an original work, pretty nice casual fare.
As Archie, though, eh, not so much. Betty and Reggie? Why? And broke up, why? Dunno. They just did, okay? Moose wasn't going back to school why, and broke up with Midge, why? It's entirely possible I have missed something else that comes before this, where all is explained, but a little more backstory would have been nice.
As a YA graphic novel, it worked better than as an Archie story. Archie is barely in this one, with a few throwaway nods to the Riverdale TV series. I liked the art style, and the fact that some characters broke the mold, with a GED over traditional high school, or taking a gap year to focus on volunteering. For an original work, pretty nice casual fare.
As Archie, though, eh, not so much. Betty and Reggie? Why? And broke up, why? Dunno. They just did, okay? Moose wasn't going back to school why, and broke up with Midge, why? It's entirely possible I have missed something else that comes before this, where all is explained, but a little more backstory would have been nice.
December 12, 2019
Issues: 1-5
Unfortunately, the entire series seemed superficial and devoid of emotion. I was seeing a whole lot happening (from miscommunication to misunderstanding), but none of it affected me because I didn’t really care for Betty & Veronica. The series didn’t do a great job in setting up the fundamentals and tying us to the iconic characters. Instead we were just witnessing few pivotal moments in their lives flash by. It was quick to breeze through but rather jumpy in its story telling and the line work in the art was rather heavy handed at times. Overall, it was an okay retelling, stress free but with zero depth or any semblance of plot/ character development. The coloring was nice and that bumped my review stars.
Unfortunately, the entire series seemed superficial and devoid of emotion. I was seeing a whole lot happening (from miscommunication to misunderstanding), but none of it affected me because I didn’t really care for Betty & Veronica. The series didn’t do a great job in setting up the fundamentals and tying us to the iconic characters. Instead we were just witnessing few pivotal moments in their lives flash by. It was quick to breeze through but rather jumpy in its story telling and the line work in the art was rather heavy handed at times. Overall, it was an okay retelling, stress free but with zero depth or any semblance of plot/ character development. The coloring was nice and that bumped my review stars.
March 11, 2020
What timeline did this graphic novel follow?! It starts off with Betty and breaking up - but when did they even get together?????? Archie was such a non-character in this - and I know it was a B&V title, but EVERYONE knows they have their rivalry over the red-headed all-American boy, and yet he was barely a thought in this. And they sure didn't rival over him, even a little bit!
Story-wise, I enjoyed this enough, though the main conflict was your typical lack of communication - been there, done that. Many many times. But the college struggle was a decent enough plot. I didn't love the artwork in this, I thought faces were drawn awkwardly, which added to my lack of enthusiasm for this book.
Not a strong title in the Archie universe.
Story-wise, I enjoyed this enough, though the main conflict was your typical lack of communication - been there, done that. Many many times. But the college struggle was a decent enough plot. I didn't love the artwork in this, I thought faces were drawn awkwardly, which added to my lack of enthusiasm for this book.
Not a strong title in the Archie universe.
April 11, 2022
A fun graphic novel that follows Betty and Veronica through their final year in high school. They start the year strong bff's, then through the year life gets in the way and there's a lot of miscommunication. They find their way back to each other by the end of the year.
Includes a great first issue of Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
Includes a great first issue of Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
December 18, 2022
The artstyle wasn't like I thought.
The story is a lot of repeats we know and a bit back and forth but we fo love the power of friendship and no love triangle.
The story is a lot of repeats we know and a bit back and forth but we fo love the power of friendship and no love triangle.
May 19, 2021
This story mainly focused on the dynamic Archie Comics duo Betty and Veronica as they go through their senior year at Riverdale High. Before school starts, Betty and Veronica vow to go to the same college and not let Archie come between them. However, this is more complicated than they thought.
For starters, Betty feels overwhelmed by all that needs to get done during senior year as well as her breakup with Reggie. Betty and Veronica decide to attend a party at Pickens University to see if they can go to school together there. However, things go wrong when Betty's drink gets spiked and calls Archie to pick her up. Betty doesn't want to go to Pickens after the incident at the party, but doesn't know how to tell Veronica due to their promise. This is compounded by her father getting laid off from his job. Pickens also offers a scholarship and Betty figures that will help her parents out.
What Betty doesn't realize is that Veronica doesn't want to go to Pickens either due to the business students not taking he seriously. At the same time, she isn't sure she wants to go to her mom's alma mater. She also doesn't want her dad to use his influence to help her get into college. Veronica also starts an internship and later has to deal with her father having a heart attack.
There were also side stories for other Archie Comic characters. Reggie is still upset about his breakup with Betty and about his grandma in the hospital. Dilton and Toni are making a program to get younger kids interested in STEM. Midge and Moose broke up,but Moose gets the most focus. Moose had to drop out of school and lost his football scholarship. He worries he has no future outside that and will get stuck working at his father's store.
For starters, Betty feels overwhelmed by all that needs to get done during senior year as well as her breakup with Reggie. Betty and Veronica decide to attend a party at Pickens University to see if they can go to school together there. However, things go wrong when Betty's drink gets spiked and calls Archie to pick her up. Betty doesn't want to go to Pickens after the incident at the party, but doesn't know how to tell Veronica due to their promise. This is compounded by her father getting laid off from his job. Pickens also offers a scholarship and Betty figures that will help her parents out.
What Betty doesn't realize is that Veronica doesn't want to go to Pickens either due to the business students not taking he seriously. At the same time, she isn't sure she wants to go to her mom's alma mater. She also doesn't want her dad to use his influence to help her get into college. Veronica also starts an internship and later has to deal with her father having a heart attack.
There were also side stories for other Archie Comic characters. Reggie is still upset about his breakup with Betty and about his grandma in the hospital. Dilton and Toni are making a program to get younger kids interested in STEM. Midge and Moose broke up,but Moose gets the most focus. Moose had to drop out of school and lost his football scholarship. He worries he has no future outside that and will get stuck working at his father's store.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
I can't say I'm the biggest Archie's digest fan. I've read a few of the originals in middle school out of order, and I've read some of the more re-vamped ones featuring stories that have -- for a lack of a better word -- "modern" spins. This includes Big Ethel Energy, another Archie's spin-off on Webtoons. I've come to expect something fun from the series every time I tune in, which this addition wasn't much of.
First off, I want to say I love the art style and the cover designs for Betty and Veronica in this graphic novel -- they are gorgeous! I also love the idea that Betty and Veronica are friends and want to remain friends and that this friendship is the focus of the book. What I don't like so much is how little of the comic shows Betty and Veronica actually being friends.
There are tons of time skips and tons of things that are left unexplained. Some of the most important events in the book happen off-screen, and with so much important context left outside, the work is unfortunately flat and dry.
I love the idea that this comic shines a light on Betty and Veronica as a sole focus, letting characters like Archie and Jughead take a back seat for once. I just wish we learned more about them and their relationship -- what I saw on screen was two girls trying to be friends, not girls who were already friends, which is perhaps why their desire to go to the same school or stay friends lacks polish.
[2.5 stars!]
First off, I want to say I love the art style and the cover designs for Betty and Veronica in this graphic novel -- they are gorgeous! I also love the idea that Betty and Veronica are friends and want to remain friends and that this friendship is the focus of the book. What I don't like so much is how little of the comic shows Betty and Veronica actually being friends.
There are tons of time skips and tons of things that are left unexplained. Some of the most important events in the book happen off-screen, and with so much important context left outside, the work is unfortunately flat and dry.
I love the idea that this comic shines a light on Betty and Veronica as a sole focus, letting characters like Archie and Jughead take a back seat for once. I just wish we learned more about them and their relationship -- what I saw on screen was two girls trying to be friends, not girls who were already friends, which is perhaps why their desire to go to the same school or stay friends lacks polish.
[2.5 stars!]
February 28, 2026
V: "You've never been intimidated by me. I like that."
B: "And you don't think I'm a doormat. I like that."
V: "Face it, girl. We need each other."
B: "C'mon, pinky swear. Promise me that come next fall, whatever school we go to, we'll go together."
V: "Do you really think we'll be able to find a college for both of us?"
B: "We'll make damn sure that we do."
Betty and Veronica decide to spend their senior year of high school together as BFFs, go to college together, and never let any silly misunderstandings about boys get between them again. ... They then spend the rest of the story getting into fights over misunderstandings, conspire to go to different colleges behind each other's backs, and act like frenemies more than BFFs.
For me, the story waffles back and forth between being very charming and very frustrating. I quite liked the way Betty and Veronica were characterized, but I just couldn't deal with all of the unnecessary teen drama.
B: "And you don't think I'm a doormat. I like that."
V: "Face it, girl. We need each other."
B: "C'mon, pinky swear. Promise me that come next fall, whatever school we go to, we'll go together."
V: "Do you really think we'll be able to find a college for both of us?"
B: "We'll make damn sure that we do."
Betty and Veronica decide to spend their senior year of high school together as BFFs, go to college together, and never let any silly misunderstandings about boys get between them again. ... They then spend the rest of the story getting into fights over misunderstandings, conspire to go to different colleges behind each other's backs, and act like frenemies more than BFFs.
For me, the story waffles back and forth between being very charming and very frustrating. I quite liked the way Betty and Veronica were characterized, but I just couldn't deal with all of the unnecessary teen drama.
October 12, 2019
I didn’t think it would ever be possible for me to
not
like an arc of Archie. Ever. Ever. Ever. And yet … here we are.
I desperately tried to put aside the Betty-and-Veronica-are-friends shock. But … ???!!!????!!!??? Isn’t that just part of how it is ? As a fan, you pick up a copy of Archie and you know that there will be sparks between Archie & Reggie, Jughead will eat a lot, Betty will be sweet, Veronica will be slightly evil (if not completely), and the two gals will have a tug-of-war over Archie’s heart. The two gals as FRIENDS? Huh? What? For real?! Ok … maybe I could stretch to envision this storyline. But …
Betty and REGGIE???? Oh. Come. On. Now you lost me 1000%.
What did I like? The artwork. The illustrations were good and reminiscent of all I love and have loved about my beloved Archie comics.
But that is it. The rest was just too much of a stretch. I tried. I swear I did. But I just … CAN’T!
I desperately tried to put aside the Betty-and-Veronica-are-friends shock. But … ???!!!????!!!??? Isn’t that just part of how it is ? As a fan, you pick up a copy of Archie and you know that there will be sparks between Archie & Reggie, Jughead will eat a lot, Betty will be sweet, Veronica will be slightly evil (if not completely), and the two gals will have a tug-of-war over Archie’s heart. The two gals as FRIENDS? Huh? What? For real?! Ok … maybe I could stretch to envision this storyline. But …
Betty and REGGIE???? Oh. Come. On. Now you lost me 1000%.
What did I like? The artwork. The illustrations were good and reminiscent of all I love and have loved about my beloved Archie comics.
But that is it. The rest was just too much of a stretch. I tried. I swear I did. But I just … CAN’T!
July 8, 2020
This series should be commended for trying to have a bit more of a plot and characterization than the Adam Hughes Betty & Veronica, but unfortunately the characters fall flat. Nobody really has much of a unique voice and the dialogue is simplistic to the point of feeling like it's written for pretty young children, yet the book has some more mature themes like someone trying to slip alcohol into a drink and I'm just not sure who the audience is meant to be. The topic of leaving high school and separating from your friends, possibly forever, is a scary time, rich with potential for character exploration, but the treatment felt kind of superficial and doesn't really dig into the psychological stresses of that time in a person's life. Art was kind of inconsistent and inexpressive, though it did get better as it went on. A couple nice moments here and there but overall lackluster
July 26, 2019
This mini series is full of heart and Jamie Lee Rontante did a phenomenal job of depicting what going through senior year of high school is like in a very realistic degree. The chaotic ebb and flow of relationships as well as existential meaning in ones place in the world are layed bare. I'm surprised how relatedable this story is because in the last few years having been dealing with what I want to do and who I want to be for the rest of my life. Betty and Veronica: Senior year greatly illustrates what trials and tribulations a relationship of any kind can be put through in less than 12 months.
I highly recommend this to any Archie fan and anyone who remembers what its like to go through senior year.
I highly recommend this to any Archie fan and anyone who remembers what its like to go through senior year.
August 6, 2023
My love of comic books/graphic novels started with the Archie comics.
But I especially loved the Betty & Veronica volumes.
I loved all their antics and the cool clothes they wore.
As I was browsing the library, I found this volume and had to read it.
(While I love Archie comics, I could NOT get into the ridiculously over-the-top Riverdale show. Lord, it was too much.)
While loosely based on the look of the Riverdale TV show, this graphic novel just modernizes what I loved about the classic comics.
The story is really cute and relatable.
Besties fight sometimes but always return to each other.
Artwork is bright, engaging, with some nice little easter eggs.
But I especially loved the Betty & Veronica volumes.
I loved all their antics and the cool clothes they wore.
As I was browsing the library, I found this volume and had to read it.
(While I love Archie comics, I could NOT get into the ridiculously over-the-top Riverdale show. Lord, it was too much.)
While loosely based on the look of the Riverdale TV show, this graphic novel just modernizes what I loved about the classic comics.
The story is really cute and relatable.
Besties fight sometimes but always return to each other.
Artwork is bright, engaging, with some nice little easter eggs.
July 24, 2025
And when I tell you that I kept talking myself into reading more and more of this 144 page book, fully trust me, because I could not give 2 fucks about anything that has happened in this book. The first four chapters sprint by you in milliseconds while the last one drags on for approximately 15 hours. All of the conflicts are a lack of communication, the writing sucks (there is absolutely nothing done to make you actually care for the characters) and the art style makes you honestly consider whether or not worms have expressive faces, because there was sure no emotion displayed here.
Terrible experience, don't read, it is not worth it in the least and it was a complete lack of time.
Terrible experience, don't read, it is not worth it in the least and it was a complete lack of time.
January 14, 2021
Best friends forever?
That’s the promise Betty and Veronica have made to each other after high school graduation. Right now the duo has to get through senior year, warts and all!
The part were the girls ask friends to the prom was reminiscent of my senior prom. Sometimes we all need freedom in our youth. Freedom, not to think, study or read, but to be ourselves. Eventually, grow up and become responsible adults.
October 21, 2019
I liked this, but it's a bit safe and a bit boring. I don't feel like there was much development; all the drama was started and wrapped up very quickly. I would have loved more romance, or more friendship, or just more anything, but instead it was just a little bit everything. Loved the art, though!
October 23, 2019
This was really cute - going from high school to college is such a sentimental time and it really fit the story here well. Some parts were kind of stereotypical, but I really liked that it always put the girls and their own interests first. I love seeing them fully developed as their own characters, instead of just one in a cast of many.
April 30, 2020
This was very good! It focus on the friendship between Betty and Veronica at their last year of High School. I haven't read Archie comics for a while and I felt a lot of nostalgia reading this. The story included some high school drama without it being too cliché. I recommend it, but it's your first time with Archie comics, don't start with this one.
September 13, 2020
Cute dive into Betty and Veronica's friendship, and how they handle the stresses of senior year. I loved the sisterhood vibes and the awesome support they give each other. It was nice to see them not fighting over Archie for once, if just to give that storyline a rest. It was a pretty easy read that flowed decently well, but the art style was just not for me.
May 17, 2020
Good clean fun, appropriate for younger readers even down to Grade 5 even....but boring and the last issue is so smaltzy. I did appreciate the lack of reliance on the traditional love triangle. But time skipped fast over senior year, while nothing also seemed to happen.
August 3, 2021
3.5 stars. knocking half a star bc i thought it was gonna be a little fruity. but otherwise a cute and quick read! combining the nostalgia of reading archie comics as a kid with the current characterization of the characters from riverdale whom i adore so much
December 8, 2021
This one kind of broke my heart because I was really looking forward to it. But the artwork often felt really out of place, and the story felt like it wasn't quite landing where it was supposed to be landing.
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