A review by maybetitanium
Betty & Veronica: Vixens Vol. 2 by Jamie Lee Rotante
2.0
Why aren't we talking about how this volume has a half-assed human trafficking plot?
I had issues with Volume 1. I came into this with a... negative attitude. And well, it was deserved. The art isn't even close to being on par with other Archie books. Not only that, but the art and tone of the story are vastly different, which makes the whole story feel awkward. Is this a gritty gang story or a cheap girl-power gimmick? It tries to be both, and it doesn't work.
As I said with volume 1, one of my weirder irritations is the censoring of swear words. I read this right after Vampironica, a blood-filled story that swears and isn't afraid to be more mature. Vixens could benefit from committing more to a similar mature tone and matching art.
Now, I know that the Archie canon has more than enough characters. But this book, with a gang of about eight or ten characters (what does it say that I can't remember?), cannot be bothered to give anyone except Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, and Toni a chance to say anything. Instead, we meet a new gang, along with several other new characters that really don't get developed either.
I could probably say more, but I'll finish with what I started with. B+V Vixens is not the place to address human trafficking, especially with a creative team that isn't prepared to handle the word "shit." The plot appears briefly, then swerves into a cartoonish explosion. Literally. Look, I just can't feel right about a book that handles this so flippantly.
I give this book credit for trying, and for really trying to follow through on an idea. It's a shame that it could never find internal balance.
I had issues with Volume 1. I came into this with a... negative attitude. And well, it was deserved. The art isn't even close to being on par with other Archie books. Not only that, but the art and tone of the story are vastly different, which makes the whole story feel awkward. Is this a gritty gang story or a cheap girl-power gimmick? It tries to be both, and it doesn't work.
As I said with volume 1, one of my weirder irritations is the censoring of swear words. I read this right after Vampironica, a blood-filled story that swears and isn't afraid to be more mature. Vixens could benefit from committing more to a similar mature tone and matching art.
Now, I know that the Archie canon has more than enough characters. But this book, with a gang of about eight or ten characters (what does it say that I can't remember?), cannot be bothered to give anyone except Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, and Toni a chance to say anything. Instead, we meet a new gang, along with several other new characters that really don't get developed either.
I could probably say more, but I'll finish with what I started with. B+V Vixens is not the place to address human trafficking, especially with a creative team that isn't prepared to handle the word "shit." The plot appears briefly, then swerves into a cartoonish explosion. Literally. Look, I just can't feel right about a book that handles this so flippantly.
I give this book credit for trying, and for really trying to follow through on an idea. It's a shame that it could never find internal balance.