He's been a teenager for 71 years, but not everything is the same in Archie's comic book world.
Like Booksteve, I enjoyed and was impressed by a recent storyline that saw Archie fall in love with Valerie, an African American member of Josie and the Pussycats. My daughter, a first-grader, picked out the comic at our local shop. It was a sweet, heartfelt story that made no big deal out of the central characters' races. Yet it was a big deal, because this was happening in Archie's universe, which for decades has been a pretty unchanging place.
Now, this month, comes the introduction of an openly gay character to Archie's world. This is a welcome and impressive development, too. It demonstrates a willingness, on the part of the publishers, to make Archie's universe a little more real and diverse. Not to mention more welcoming to diverse readers.
One thing remains the same though: The stories are funny, gentle and, at their basis, kind. These are comics of a tone and style that I welcome my kids reading.
The publishers also have recently introduced a magazine-format comic, in hopes of boosting sales on traditional news stands. Another welcome development. If this can get comics back out in front of the general public and away from the dead end of comic shop-only distribution, that's a great thing.
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