Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica

Last updated

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica
Cover of Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica issue 1.jpg
Cover to Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1, art by Amanda Conner.
Publication information
Publisher
ScheduleMonthly
FormatLimited
Publication dateOctober 2017 – March 2018
No. of issues6
Main character(s)
Creative team
Written by
Artist(s)Laura Braga
Colorist(s)
  • Arif Prianto
  • Tony Avina
Collected editions
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica ISBN   978-1-4012-8033-8

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica is a six-issue American comic book miniseries co-written by Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini, illustrated by Laura Braga. The intercompany crossover was published by DC Comics and Archie Comics from October 2017 to March 2018. A hardcover edition collecting the series was released on August 29, 2018.

Contents

The series brings together two fictional pairs of established friends: DC's Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and Archie's Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper. Dini, who co-created Harley, brought Andreyko on to co-write with him. The series received mixed to positive reviews for its lighthearted plot.

In the story, Harley and Ivy accidentally switch bodies with Veronica and Betty. While Harley and Ivy try to stop Veronica's father from destroying a swamp in Riverdale, Betty and Veronica have to find their way back home while being chased by the Gotham City police and criminals.

Publishing history

Production

Continuing the trend of unusual crossovers between Archie Andrews and other characters in comics such as Archie Meets the Punisher (1994) and Archie vs. Predator (2015), [1] [2] an intercompany publication with DC Comics was announced in July 2017. [3] Co-written by Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini, the series brings DC Comics's Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy together with Archie Comics's Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge in an out-of-continuity story. [4] Both duos have established friendships in their respective fictional worlds. Harley was co-created by Dini and Bruce Timm in 1992 on Batman: The Animated Series , [5] where her friendship with Ivy also began. [6] Meanwhile, Betty and Veronica have been frenemies since their introduction in 1942. [7]

Dini had long wanted to write for the Archie characters and jumped at the opportunity to work on the comic book. [6] Dini also wanted to experience the series as a fan and felt that he would not be able to do so if he was the only writer. He explained: "I just felt as much as I wanted to do this, I really also wanted to read it and I wanted to see what someone else would do with it". [4] Dini approached Andreyko about the project because they had previously worked together on the 2016 comics anthology Love Is Love and Dini was impressed by the Andreyko's sense of humor and understanding of the characters. Andreyko considered it a privilege to work with Dini and readily agreed. [4] [8]

Meeting regularly over dinner, the writers found that the story came naturally once they settled on the basic premise. [9] Andreyko described the plot as "a caper" and compared it to the 1962 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World . [4] For Andreyko, the difficulty of writing characters with such extensive histories was finding their "essences" from their many previous portrayals. [8] The writers ultimately did not base their characterizations on any particular incarnations. [9]

The series was illustrated by Laura Braga, an Italian comics artist [10] and one of the artists for DC Comics Bombshells . [11] Arif Prianto and Tony Avina colored issue #1 together, but the remaining issues were colored by Prianto alone. [12] [13]

Publication

The six issues were published monthly by DC Comics and Archie Comics, beginning on October 4, 2017 and ending on March 7, 2018. [13] Each issue had a variant cover in addition to the main cover; [14] the first issue also had an additional blank sketch variant cover. [15] The first issue was the 34th best-selling comic book in North America for the month it was released, with estimated sales of 52,610 copies. [16] Sales numbers fell by 60% through the sixth issue, which was the 104th best-selling comic in March 2018 with estimated sales of 20,730 copies. [17] A hardcover edition collecting the series was released on August 29, 2018. [18]

Plot

Wealthy businessman Hiram Lodge announces his plan to turn Riverdale's Sweetwater Swamp into a tuition-free university. In Gotham City, Poison Ivy is enraged by the news as the swamp is home to dozens of rare plants. She convinces her friend and fellow criminal Harley Quinn to help her stop the Sweetwater project. The pair travel to Riverdale, and when they are not able to talk Hiram out of it, they decide that more drastic measures are required. That night, Harley and Ivy crash a costumed gala hosted by Hiram. Hiram's daughter Veronica Lodge and her friend Betty Cooper are also in attendance. [19] Ivy and Harley cause trouble at the gala, first when Harley knocks out Reggie Mantle who is dressed as the Joker, then when they attempt to kidnap Veronica. Betty comes to Veronica's aid and the four of them get into a fight. Zatanna and Sabrina Spellman, who were hired as stage magicians, cast a spell to stop the fight. Unbeknownst to everyone, the spell goes awry causing Harley and Ivy to switch bodies with Betty and Veronica respectively. Catwoman, who happened to be at the gala as well, drives the unconscious Betty and Veronica back to Gotham City, thinking they are Harley and Ivy. [20]

The next morning, Harley and Ivy wake up in Betty and Veronica's bodies. They use their new bodies to infiltrate the Sweetwater project and stop it from the inside. To keep up their cover, they attend Riverdale High School and hang out with Betty and Veronica's friends. [21] However, after their plans to sabotage the project's building site are foiled, they realize they want their bodies back after all. [22] Meanwhile in Gotham City, Betty and Veronica find that they have acquired Harley and Ivy's superpowers along with their bodies. As they try to make their way back to Riverdale, the pair are chased by the police, other Gotham criminals, and Reggie, who thinks he is the real Joker thanks to his concussion. [21] [22]

When Betty and Veronica return to Riverdale, Sabrina restores everyone to her proper body. Harley and Ivy reveal to Betty and Veronica that Hiram's business partner in the Sweetwater project is a well-known Gotham City criminal, Lenny the Lamprey. Learning of Lenny's plot to scam Hiram, Betty and Veronica agree to help stop the project. Their plans are foiled by Lenny and his men, who hold the four women captive at the Sweetwater building site. Lenny plans to set off explosives during the site's groundbreaking ceremony, thereby destroying the site and killing everyone there, allowing him to collect a big insurance payout. [23] The four women escape and stop the explosives from killing anyone. Following the ordeal, Hiram announces that the Sweetwater project is cancelled and the swamp will be donated to the Riverdale Perseveration Society as a non-profit conservancy. [24]

Critical response

Critics gave the series mixed to positive reviews. According to review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, the first issue scored an average of 6.7/10 based on 25 reviews, while the series as a whole scored an average of 7.1/10 based on 64 reviews. [25]

Reviews for the first issue were mixed. Comicosity thought it was a "great introduction" to the series and its characters, [26] while ComicsVerse's Mara Danoff complimented the issue for not taking itself seriously, concluding it was "[n]othing overly substantial, but satisfying all the same". [27] On the other hand, Newsarama's Kat Calamia found the issue "underwhelming" [28] and Comic Book Resources's Emma Lawson was critical of what she saw as "a disappointing story with low stakes that relies on boring mean girl tropes". [12] Later issues received more positive reviews for their lighthearted narrative. [29] [30] Danoff praised the "over-the-top silliness" of the plot and concluded: "It's fun, endearing, it's everything comic book stories should be". [31] Writing for IGN, Calamia found the first four issues got "progressively more fun", [32] but felt the series had dragged on for too long by issue #5. [33]

Braga's art received mixed reviews. Critics noted that Braga had gone with the "more realistic" DC Comics style instead of the "traditionally cartoony nature" of Archie Comics. [27] [29] Comicosity thought that the art looked good but did not suit the Archie Comics setting. [26] Calamia complimented Braga's pencil illustrations, particularly her characters' facial expressions, but felt that they were held back by the relatively dull color palette. [28] While reviewers for Newsarama and IGN enjoyed the tone the art brought to the series, [29] the latter found that the characters were sometimes difficult to tell apart due to the resemblance in their facial features. [33]

In other media

In Riverdale , Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's costumes is worn by the characters Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) in the episode titled "Chapter Sixty-One: Halloween" as a reference to the comic book miniseries Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Comics</span> American comic book publisher

Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, Josie and the Pussycats and Katy Keene. The company is also known for its long-running Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, which it published from 1992 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison Ivy (character)</span> Comic book character

Poison Ivy is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, she debuted in Batman #181 and has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Andrews</span> Comic book character

Archibald "Archie" Andrews, created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom, is the main character in the Archie Comics franchise, including the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, Archie's Weird Mysteries, and Riverdale. With the creation of Archie Andrews, publisher John Goldwater hoped to appeal to fans of the Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney. Archie Andrews is the rhythm guitarist and one of the three singers of the fictional band The Archies. He is portrayed by KJ Apa on Riverdale and Agastya Nanda in The Archies. For his physical appearance, he has red hair, freckles on his cheeks, and light-colored skin. In Archie's Weird Mysteries, he appears to be of Scottish-American descent, as shown in the episode "The Day the Earth Moved", when his father wanted to keep with their family tradition and wear a kilt while ringing the bell of Riverdale.

<i>Betty and Veronica</i> Characters in the Archie Comics universe

Betty and Veronica is an ongoing comic book series published by Archie Comics focusing on "best frenemies" Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Betty first appeared in Pep Comics #22 while Veronica made her debut a few months later, in Pep Comics #26, as an immediate rival to Betty for Archie's affections. Together the pair form the female part of the classic love triangle which has become a staple of the comic series since 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Quinn</span> Character in the DC Universe

Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a henchwoman for the Joker, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater commedia dell'arte.

<i>Archie Meets the Punisher</i> 1994 one-shot crossover comic book

Archie Meets the Punisher or The Punisher Meets Archie is a one-shot comic book and intercompany crossover written by Batton Lash with art by Stan Goldberg, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer. It was published jointly by Archie Comics and Marvel Comics in June 1994. In the story, the murderous vigilante Punisher mistakes all-American teenager Archie Andrews for a criminal that he is hunting. When he realizes his error, he works with Archie to rescue Archie's girlfriend Veronica Lodge, who has been kidnapped by the criminal. Despite being a humorous intercompany crossover, the comic was said to take place in the mainstream Marvel Universe by The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Goldberg</span> American comics artist (1932–2014)

Stan Goldberg was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and other major characters. He was inducted into the National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame in 2011.

<i>Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again</i> American Live Action Comedy Film

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again is a 1990 American live-action made-for-television comedy film based on comic book characters published by Archie Comics. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and premiered on NBC Sunday Night at the Movies on May 6, 1990. It was shown in Britain as Weekend Reunion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Andreyko</span> American novelist

Marc Andreyko is an American comic book writer and screenwriter, best known for the true crime series Torso he co-wrote with Brian Michael Bendis and for co-creating the character Kate Spencer for DC Comics.

<i>Life with Archie</i> Comic book series published from 1958 to 1991

Life with Archie is a comic book published by Archie comics from 1958 to 1991. It featured Archie Andrews in adventure stories that were more dramatic than the standard Archie tales. In 2010, it was revived as a magazine-sized comic devoted to stories that grew out of Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty. Archie's character was killed in the second to last issue, Life with Archie #36.

<i>Batman: Streets of Gotham</i> American comic book series

Batman: Streets of Gotham is an American comic book written by Paul Dini, with art by Dustin Nguyen. The series stars Dick Grayson as the new Batman and ties into Grant Morrison's overarching "Batman: Reborn" story and the new Gotham City Sirens monthly. The series ran for 21 issues, from 2009 to 2011.

<i>Afterlife with Archie</i> Comic book published by Archie Comics

Afterlife with Archie is a comic book published by Archie Comics beginning in 2013, depicting a zombie apocalypse that begins in the town of Riverdale in an alternative reality. It is written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, with art by Francesco Francavilla, and is inspired by a zombie-themed variant cover which Francavilla did for an issue of Life with Archie.

<i>Archie</i> (comic book) Series of comic books

Archie is an ongoing comic book series featuring the Archie Comics character Archie Andrews. The character first appeared in Pep Comics #22. Archie proved to be popular enough to warrant his own self-titled ongoing comic book series which began publication in the winter of 1942. The last issue of the first series was published in June 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapter One: The River's Edge</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of Riverdale

"Chapter One: The River's Edge" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of the American television series Riverdale, based on the characters by Archie Comics, revolving around the character of Archie Andrews and his life in the small town of Riverdale while exploring the darkness hidden behind its seemingly-perfect image. The episode was written by series creator and Archie Comics' chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and was directed by Lee Toland Krieger.

New Riverdale is the title used to refer to the relaunch of the core Archie Comics titles that began in July 2015.

<i>Jughead: The Hunger</i>

Jughead: The Hunger is an ongoing comic book series published by Archie Horror and Archie's Madhouse, imprints of Archie Comics, beginning in 2017. The story, which takes place outside of the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on Jughead Jones and his family's dark legacy to explain the sinister origin of his hunger. The one-shot "pilot" was created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Michael Walsh.

<i>Vampironica</i>

Vampironica is an American comic book miniseries published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, beginning in 2018. The story, which takes place outside of the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on Veronica Lodge as she navigates life after becoming a vampiress. It is written by Greg and Meg Smallwood, with the former also serving as an artist.

<i>Blossoms 666</i> 5-issue comic book miniseries

Blossoms 666 is a 5-issue comic book miniseries published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, in 2019. The story, which takes place in an alternate reality from the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on siblings Cheryl and Jason Blossom as they compete for the title of Anti-christ. The series was created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Laura Braga.

<i>Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica</i>

Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica was a 5-issue comic book miniseries published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, in 2019. It was a crossover between the Archie Horror comic book series Jughead: The Hunger and Vampironica. The story, which took place in an alternate reality from the main Archie Comics continuity, follows the werewolf Jughead Jones and vampiress Veronica Lodge, the protagonists of their respective series, as they faced off against one another. The series was created by writer Frank Tieri and artists Pat & Tim Kennedy, who previously worked together on Jughead: The Hunger.

<i>Harley Quinn</i> (comic book) American comic book series

Harley Quinn is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics character Harley Quinn as its protagonist.

References

  1. ↑ C., Ron (October 9, 2014). "Archie Comics And Dark Horse Unveil The Unthinkable: Archie Meets Predator". Archie Comics. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ Aguirre-Sacasa, Roberto (introduction). Alex de Campi ( w ),Fernando Ruiz ( a ). Archie vs. Predator(2015). Milwaukie, Oregon : Dark Horse Comics , ISBN   1616558059 .
  3. ↑ Cummins, Chris (July 7, 2017). "Batman Villains Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Will Meet Archie Comics' Betty & Veronica". Den of Geek . Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Burlingame, Russ (October 4, 2017). "Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini Talk Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ Lovett, Jamie (July 30, 2017). "Bruce Timm Was Unaware Of Harley Quinn's Popularity". Comicbook.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Holub, Christian (July 6, 2017). "Gotham and Riverdale to collide in Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ Rosin, Hanna (July 2016). "Why Betty and Veronica Are the Real Stars of Riverdale". Smithsonian . Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Lam, Steve (August 25, 2017). "SDCC 2017: Interview with Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko for their Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Betty and Veronica crossover". Bam Smack Pow. FanSided . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Downey, Meg (July 24, 2017). "Andreyko & Dini Dish On Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ Marz, Ron (January 30, 2014). "Artistic Questions and Answers with Laura Braga". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ Lu, Alexander (July 6, 2017). "Progressive policies meet grassroots resistance in Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica". Comics Beat . Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  12. 1 2 Lawson, Emma (October 10, 2017). "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 Doesn't Do Justice to Its Cast". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  13. 1 2
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1". Grand Comics Database . Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  16. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "October 2017 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "March 2018 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica". DC Comics . Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  19. ↑ Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 1(October 4, 2017). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  20. ↑ Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 2(November 1, 2017). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  21. 1 2 Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 3(December 6, 2017). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  22. 1 2 Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 4(January 3, 2018). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  23. ↑ Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 5(February 7, 2018). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  24. ↑ Andreyko, Marc , Paul Dini  ( w ),Braga, Laura ( a ). Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica,no. 6(March 7, 2018). DC Comics , Archie Comics .
  25. ↑ "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica". Comic Book Roundup . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  26. 1 2 Rae, MJ (October 4, 2017). "Review: Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica #1". Comicosity. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  27. 1 2 Danoff, Mara (October 6, 2017). "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 Review: Double Trouble". ComicsVerse . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  28. 1 2 Calamia, Kat (October 6, 2017). "Best Shots Rapid-Fire Reviews: Batman #32, Hawkeye #11, Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1, More". Newsarama . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  29. 1 2 3 Gray, Richard (January 8, 2018). "Best Shots Reviews: Rise of The Black Panther #1, Batman – White Knight #4, More". Newsarama . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  30. ↑ Nickerson, Sean (January 3, 2018). "What happens when Gotham's two most villainous vixens switch bodies with Riverdale's two IT girls?". Adventures in Poor Taste. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  31. ↑ Danoff, Mara (December 6, 2017). "Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #3: An Out of Body Experience". ComicsVerse . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  32. ↑ Calamia, Kat (January 4, 2018). "Comic Book Reviews For January 3, 2018". IGN . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  33. 1 2 Calamia, Kat (February 8, 2018). "Comic Book Reviews For February 7, 2018". IGN . Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  34. ↑ Dominguez, Noah (October 15, 2019). "Riverdale: Cheryl & Toni Suit Up as Harley & Ivy for Halloween Episode". CBR. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.