ARCHIE GETS REAL

Guess who's getting a makeover? Yep, after 60 years, ARCHIE & GANG are getting a new style in their comics; a more realistic approach for new and older audiences. I'm really not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I feel that changing the look changes what makes Archie, well, Archie. Like colorizing Citizen Kane.... or updating the Andy Griffith Show into Manhattan. On the other hand, perhaps this is a good thing to bring in new readers. There is a new resurgence of young readers coming into the Comic Industry, particularily young girls. So I can see why they'd try and hook em with an updated, more realistic style (although the whole "Betty & Veronica fetish" goes the wayside). But, atleast they didn't go with a manga art style! I would have gone ballistic at that. On the other-OTHER hand, I've never read an Archie comic before so I really don't care. Well, ok, that's not entirely true. I am a sucker for tradition and good ole fashion Americana, and Archie definitely fits in there.

So, what do you think?
Did anyone actually read all the way to this point??
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This art change moves towards a more contemporary comic book style, more realistic, and less cartoony. The move, an Archie Comics representative told Newsarama, is a continuing experiment and exploration with the characters, showcasing not only their timlessness, but theur adaptability as well. The first of the “new look” Archie and company will appear in May’s Betty and Veronica Double Digest #151, in “Bad Boy Trouble”. In addition to the look, the stories themselves will change format, switching from short tales to fuller-length stories. As such the digests will contain four stories, spanning issues #151-#154 which will run 25 pages each, when fully told.