There are few people a teenaged romantic like the famed Archie Andrews would want to cross less than American music icon Taylor Swift, however there’s also a certain trend in dramatic literature towards these very worst-case scenarios. That’s why fans of Archie Comics’ flagship franchise will no doubt see sparks fly this Valentine’s Day in Archie’s Valentine’s Day Spectacular #1 as Archie comes face to face with his past transgressions in the form of a spurned lover whose unrequited yearnings he cannot ignore: a pop singer strategically disguised as “Taylor Sweet.” And most likely, they’re never getting back together.
A character known on page and screen as a sometimes-loving romantic interest to two hometown girls by the names of Betty and Veronica, Archie’s escapades in the all-American town of Riverdale have proven to be an enduring aspect of American comic culture since the character’s debut in 1941. Somehow maintaining the same love triangle for more than 80 years, Archie is best known for his simplistic if not indelible charm as well as his set of somewhat typical hometown flunkies. In his newest Valentine’s Day Spectacular, the sometimes clumsy but overall good-natured lad is coming up against the consequences of abandoning a romantic partner who can express her feelings using the popular culture’s mass media apparatus. One would have thought he would’ve learned this lesson by now.
In recent previews available from The Beat, Archie is once again shown to have his hackles raised when, during a typical hangout with his Riverdale chums, a new and likely personally terrifying song comes on the airwaves entitled “Gingerbread Boy,” a song which Archie seems to think might just be about him. As he explains to Jughead in the preview below, Archie met Taylor before she became famous, hitting it off on a ski resort vacation after he apparently broke his leg. And although he promised he’d text her back, he accidentally ended up shaking her off. So, Taylor’s back with something better than revenge in this story, “A Not-So-Sweet Romance,” written by Jamie L. Rotante with art by Bill Galvan.
Though Taylor likely should’ve known that Archie would be trouble, it’s hard to predict that such a fresh-faced, earnest young man could end up betraying what should have been a true love story. It’s only natural that an experience like that might lead an emotionally creative sort to conjure some kind of artistic lament of what could’ve been. Or maybe this will all turn out to be Archie projecting his own fears. It could go either way in Riverdale.
But will Archie Andrews accidentally let the cat out of the bag regarding his secret infamy, exposed for the world’s music fans to hear? Will this version of Taylor Swift write a follow-up song about the bad blood between her and Archie? Find out in Archie’s Valentine’s Day Spectacular #1, on sale February 2 wherever comic books are sold.
Source: The Beat