 |
| Runty -- Front & Center! |
Last issue, the girls found themselves living their same lives as they always do. Betty was always home studying and Veronica was always out partying. The only difference is that they were in London instead of Riverdale. On the eve of their trip to India, the girls decided to dye their hair and switch their clothes.
That's right! Once they got to Mumbai, Betty would be "Veronica" and Veronica would be "Betty." Not only that, but each girl promised to push herself into living her life just like the other would. It took a while, but soon enough, "Veronica" found herself learning about India by experiencing it through its party scene and "Betty" was learning all about this country by throwing herself into its museums and cultural centers. And interestingly enough, both girls found themselves really getting into their new roles!
And, of course, each girl found her "study" time enhanced by international romance!
Meanwhile, Riverdale is struggling to adjust to its two new foreign exchange students: Banni from India and Violette from France. The boys of Riverdale quickly flock to the new girls, anxious to teach them all about America. Who am I kidding? Each boy wants to date these pretty ladies!
But these girls aren't perfect replacements for Betty & Veronica. Violette is used to the cosmopolitan streets of Paris. Her sophisticated tastes quickly chase away Archie and Reggie and the others. And most of the girls think that she's a snob. Fortunately for Violette, Kevin is willing to be her gay sidekick. And Big Ethel reaches out to provide a bit of female solidarity:
Meanwhile, everyone assumes that Banni is a naive girl with poor English skills and few brains. To her credit, Banni has little time for the boys' flirting behavior. In fact, it's clear that she thinks the boys are pretty much her intellectual inferiors! That wins her points with the girls and even benefits the one boy who's intellectually gifted enough to date our Indian newcomer: Dilton!
Towards the end of this story, we learn that one of Riverdale's two newest female students is very unhappy and wants to return home. Is it Violette? Or is it Banni? We shall have to wait to months to find out for certain!
One last point. Archie isn't adjusting well to Betty & Veronica's absence. Now that he has all of this free time, he has thrown himself into all sorts of odd jobs: raking, lawn-mowing, dog-walking, etc. You'd think he was saving up for a new car or something. But he's got another goal: He's planning to flying overseas to hang out with Betty and Veronica! Do you think he'll make it?
As noted above, I'm pretty sure that the girls will be moving on from India soon. I'm not sure if they are going to be continuing their mutual masquerades once they leave India. It's an interesting concept of switching roles and one that would be fun to explore more -- especially if Archie actually manages to board a plane and see them!
"Caught In Their Own Trap" was written by Michael Uslan, penciled by Dan Parent, inked by Bob Smith, lettered by Jack Morelli, and colored by Glenn Whitmore.