Best of the Fifties / Book #2: Archie Americana Series

There are many who would argue that "Archie"comics were at their glory years in the 1950s... Certainly the smooth-lined, stylized artwork (from Dan DeCarlo and others) that so many fans adore found its formal peak in the second half of the decade. This book zips past the early years of the decade, pausing for only a sprinkling of stories from 1950-52 (a period that had a more blocky style, and blunter scripts) straight into the 1957-59 heyday, when the stories had a smooth look and the kooky, carefree rhythm that made these years immortal. You just gotta love the way they drew Betty and Veronica! Personally, I'd love to see a more in-depth exploration of the decade, perhaps even a series of year-by-year best-of books, with the best strips of 1950, '51, '52, etc... But in the meantime, the "Archie Americana" books are a real gas. I was happy to see a Volume Two of the 'Fifties come out: can't wait for Volume Three! (ReadThatAgain book reviews)

This is a really good book. It tells you a lot about teenagers and the life they lived back in the fifties. If you like Archie and his funny friends than you defintley want to get this book! Oh yeah, It's HILLARIOUS!!

Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie...but really, what is more American than Archie Comics? While Archie is now well into his seventh decade (and still looking ever the teen) perhaps the decade most associated with Archie Comics is the 1950's. It was the era of hot rods, Elvis, and malt shops and Archie and the gang were front and center. This is the second collection of Archie stories from the 1950's and this one prominently features Betty and Veronica as most of the stories are reprinted from the Betty & Veronica comic series. This collection features over a dozen stories and also has pin-up pages and cover galleries, displaying those wonderful covers from that bygone era. The love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica is in full vigor in most of these tales, as the girls alternately battle, and dump Archie. Here are just a few of the stories in this latest Americana Series collection: In "Model Date" from 1951, Betty and Veronica agree to both turn down Archie for a date the next time he asks to teach him a little humility. But then they learn that Archie is out with Jughead's cousin from New York. When the find out the model is a man, Veronica schemes to get a date with him. Then she gets a look at her `model date." "Coat of Alms" 1955. When Betty is upset about her old clothes, Jughead goes on a quiz show and promptly wins her a new gown and mink stole. When she shows up at a dance, Veronica finds herself as the one envious of Betty's clothes for a change. In "Kiss and Kill" from 1956, Betty and Veronica find out they are both going steady with Archie and want to kill him. But Jughead uses reverse psychology and tells the girls that it's all their fault that Archie loves them both because they are so beautiful. Jughead suggests a kissing contest to see who gets Archie. "Rage Before Beauty" 1957. Sneaky Veronica `helps' Archie, Reggie, and Jughead pick out a birthday present for Betty by suggesting a hideous outfit in a department store window. Veronica was so convincing, however, that the plan backfires when the boys end up buying Veronica the awful outfit instead. "Crest Fallen" 1958. When Veronica, Archie, and Reggie all trace their family trees back to European nobility, they begin acting snooty to everyone else. Miss Grundy takes them down a few pegs when her research uncovers the skeletons in each of their family's closets. "Never Say Die" 1959. Veronica decides to fight fire with fire by changing her hair color to blonde to woo Archie. The battle of the hair escalates when both girls go red, only Archie doesn't like redheads! Archie Comics is doing a great job in re-printing the classic tales as they transport you back to these prior decades with all the styles, jargon, and culture that went along with them. The Americana collection series is required reading for any Archie Fan. Wonderful, nostalgic fun! Reviewed by Tim Janson

If you're a fan of the Archie series you're definitely gonna wanna read this second book of 1950's highlights - a decade that many consider to be the 'high-point' of the series in terms of artistry. While the stories are mostly comprised of Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangles this time around the sheer nostalgia factor will definitely make this an enjoyable read no matter how long its been since you last read an Archie book.

I've loved Archie comics since I was a kid, so the "Americana Series" has been a lot of fun for me. Since they probably weren't anticipating doing a second volume of this when the first book was published nearly a decade ago. it's not surprising that the selection of stories isn't quite as good. Still, they're all classic Archie Comics.This volume seems to focus mostly on Betty and Veronica, with Archie being little more than a supporting player in most of the stories and with Jughead existing to bail him out of trouble. It's interesting to note how much the characters have evolved over the years while the situation has remained the same -- Betty is the same sweet "girl next door" she always was, but she's not quite as despondant as she used to be. Veronica is still the spoiled rich kid, but she's softened a bit. It would be interesting, once I've gotten the whole collection, to read the entire "Americana" series in one lump, just to see how much things changed over the years. I've got a new project to work on...