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Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1-6
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica
Gotham City meets Riverdale in this crossover graphic novel that brings together four of the most iconic characters in comics--Harley & Ivy and Betty & Veronica! From Paul Dini, Emmy and Eisner award-winning creator of Harley Quinn and BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, and Marc Andreyko, acclaimed writer of WONDER WOMAN '77.
Riverdale's resident billionaire, Hiram Lodge, has a plan to offer free college tuition. The town just needs to build a new campus by draining the wetlands that lie between Riverdale and Gotham City. Everyone is thrilled...except visiting ecologist Dalia Green, a certain botany-obsessed super-villain in disguise!
Poison Ivy realizes she must resort to drastic measures to thwart Hiram Lodge's plan to destroy the wetlands and the many species of endangered plants that live there. Scheming with her daffy bestie Harley Quinn, the villainous pair plan to kidnap Lodge's daughter, Veronica, and her friend Betty. Once Lodge abandons his building plans, Betty and Veronica will be returned safely--but not before mayhem ensues. Are these two teams of BFFs headed for disaster?
Collects HARLEY & IVY MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #1-6.
Riverdale's resident billionaire, Hiram Lodge, has a plan to offer free college tuition. The town just needs to build a new campus by draining the wetlands that lie between Riverdale and Gotham City. Everyone is thrilled...except visiting ecologist Dalia Green, a certain botany-obsessed super-villain in disguise!
Poison Ivy realizes she must resort to drastic measures to thwart Hiram Lodge's plan to destroy the wetlands and the many species of endangered plants that live there. Scheming with her daffy bestie Harley Quinn, the villainous pair plan to kidnap Lodge's daughter, Veronica, and her friend Betty. Once Lodge abandons his building plans, Betty and Veronica will be returned safely--but not before mayhem ensues. Are these two teams of BFFs headed for disaster?
Collects HARLEY & IVY MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #1-6.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
15 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
About the author
Paul Dini
726 books716 followersPaul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond and Duck Dodgers. He also developed and scripted Krypto the Superdog and contributed scripts to Animaniacs (he created Minerva Mink), Freakazoid, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. After leaving Warner Bros. In early 2004, Dini went on to write and story edit the popular ABC adventure series Lost.
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
July 24, 2018
Ivy’s determined to stop the Riverdale wetlands being destroyed in favour of a new development by Veronica’s wealthy pops – and Harley tags along for funsies! But first they decide to stop by a fancy dress party because plot! One Freaky Friday-type spell from Zatanna later and Harls and Ives are in the bodies of Ronnie and Betts and vice versa – wooooahh keraaazeee comics gubbinz!
If anyone can make me like the bland, cheeseball Americana of Archie, it’s Paul Dini… is what I thought prior to reading Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica. Nuh uh to that uh huh!
Dini’s in full-on kiddie-friendly mode so what little edge Harley and Ivy had has been completely rounded off. And that’s largely why I found this one yawn-tastic. Dini doesn’t do much with the Freaky Friday situation – Veronica and Betty in Harley and Ivy’s bodies get into some scrapes but coast by easily enough, while Harley and Ivy manage just fine in Riverdull – not that it’s rife with exciting possibility anyway.
I guess there’s some cute moments like Reggie getting hit on the noggin by Harley’s mallet and thinking he’s Mistah J; Catwoman showing up to the costume ball as she’s, of course, a fan of Josie and the Pussycats; and Veronica and Betty dressing as Harley and Ivy before they cross paths. The plot was just too fluffy for my blood. It’s like reading a Scooby-Doo comic, replete with the “And I woulda gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”-type villain at the end.
It’s an inoffensively readable comic with some decent, if very generic DC house-style, art from Laura Braga. But, even with Harley and Ivy’s added naughty and nice (tame) spice, I still don’t find Archie’s world at all interesting. Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica is only for Archie fans or anyone looking for a book with all the depth and intrigue of a Saturday morning kids’ cartoon!
If anyone can make me like the bland, cheeseball Americana of Archie, it’s Paul Dini… is what I thought prior to reading Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica. Nuh uh to that uh huh!
Dini’s in full-on kiddie-friendly mode so what little edge Harley and Ivy had has been completely rounded off. And that’s largely why I found this one yawn-tastic. Dini doesn’t do much with the Freaky Friday situation – Veronica and Betty in Harley and Ivy’s bodies get into some scrapes but coast by easily enough, while Harley and Ivy manage just fine in Riverdull – not that it’s rife with exciting possibility anyway.
I guess there’s some cute moments like Reggie getting hit on the noggin by Harley’s mallet and thinking he’s Mistah J; Catwoman showing up to the costume ball as she’s, of course, a fan of Josie and the Pussycats; and Veronica and Betty dressing as Harley and Ivy before they cross paths. The plot was just too fluffy for my blood. It’s like reading a Scooby-Doo comic, replete with the “And I woulda gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”-type villain at the end.
It’s an inoffensively readable comic with some decent, if very generic DC house-style, art from Laura Braga. But, even with Harley and Ivy’s added naughty and nice (tame) spice, I still don’t find Archie’s world at all interesting. Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica is only for Archie fans or anyone looking for a book with all the depth and intrigue of a Saturday morning kids’ cartoon!
September 7, 2018
This was OK, but honestly, I expected more with Paul Dini's name on the book. For the most part it's just a ho-hum story stretched out with side quests to make it 6 issues. The characters are all muted to appeal to all ages, even though Harley's still running around in her skimpy short shorts costume.
The best part of the book was the costume party with a few guest appearances.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
The best part of the book was the costume party with a few guest appearances.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
February 13, 2019
This is a silly and fun little mini-series (6 comics) where Betty and Veronica end up body swapped with Harley and Ivy. There’s also a swamp to save and some mobsters to handle. As usual Harley and Ivy owe most people in Gotham a lot of money and they want to be paid.
I really enjoyed the main art of this series. And it was done by a FEMALE ARTIST (who is not Amanda Conner)! For those not aware female artists are few and far between. Don’t get my wrong I love Conner (she’s a wonderfully fun lady) but she’s had her time with Harley and it was so nice to see another female name on the bill.
A couple good jokes that had me giggling out loud. If our want something silly, non-canon and a bit outrageous definitely grab this little set up.
I really enjoyed the main art of this series. And it was done by a FEMALE ARTIST (who is not Amanda Conner)! For those not aware female artists are few and far between. Don’t get my wrong I love Conner (she’s a wonderfully fun lady) but she’s had her time with Harley and it was so nice to see another female name on the bill.
A couple good jokes that had me giggling out loud. If our want something silly, non-canon and a bit outrageous definitely grab this little set up.
September 2, 2018
First, a thank you to Edelweiss and DC Comics for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I generally love crossovers across all media – having a preference for character-driven stories myself, the interactions between different characters, particularly when it’s their first meeting or they are from different worlds, really intrigue me. I think this story would have landed with me more if I were a huge fan of the Archie Comics – they’re on my TBR, I’m getting there – but being pretty new to that world, I was more interested in the Harley & Ivy part of this story.
The main focal point of the book is really the relationships within the two pairs, as both Harley & Ivy and Betty & Veronica get a fair bit of development in their own core relationships, which was nice to see. In all fairness though, when it becomes apparent that two of the most notorious super-villainesses in Gotham have a healthier interpersonal relationship that you do, it probably signifies time for a change, don’t you think?
The writing itself was pretty good, though I found the inclusion of the Reggie/Joker arc a bit superfluous. Personally, I don’t think Harley requires a version of the Joker in this story, or any for that matter, and I didn’t see how it added anything or moved the plot along. The art was a different style from what I’ve seen before, and fit the backdrop and story quite well. Whilst, it was an interesting filter to see Gotham through I think I prefer the cover art style personally – but that is just my preference.
Overall, this double Freaky Friday adventure with two of the most iconic all-female duos was a fun, colourful read, even if it was slightly uneventful and I didn’t actually find it all that hard to envelope Riverdale into the ranks of the DC Universe’s fictional, caricature cities. I’d recommend this to lovers of both Archie & these 2/3 Gotham City Sirens but if you’re not big on either, you can perhaps give it a miss.
Writing Quality – 6/10
Image/Illustration Quality – 7/10
Character Development – 6/10
Overall – 6/10
Find my full review on my blog, Bloodthirsty Little Beasts.
I generally love crossovers across all media – having a preference for character-driven stories myself, the interactions between different characters, particularly when it’s their first meeting or they are from different worlds, really intrigue me. I think this story would have landed with me more if I were a huge fan of the Archie Comics – they’re on my TBR, I’m getting there – but being pretty new to that world, I was more interested in the Harley & Ivy part of this story.
The main focal point of the book is really the relationships within the two pairs, as both Harley & Ivy and Betty & Veronica get a fair bit of development in their own core relationships, which was nice to see. In all fairness though, when it becomes apparent that two of the most notorious super-villainesses in Gotham have a healthier interpersonal relationship that you do, it probably signifies time for a change, don’t you think?
The writing itself was pretty good, though I found the inclusion of the Reggie/Joker arc a bit superfluous. Personally, I don’t think Harley requires a version of the Joker in this story, or any for that matter, and I didn’t see how it added anything or moved the plot along. The art was a different style from what I’ve seen before, and fit the backdrop and story quite well. Whilst, it was an interesting filter to see Gotham through I think I prefer the cover art style personally – but that is just my preference.
Overall, this double Freaky Friday adventure with two of the most iconic all-female duos was a fun, colourful read, even if it was slightly uneventful and I didn’t actually find it all that hard to envelope Riverdale into the ranks of the DC Universe’s fictional, caricature cities. I’d recommend this to lovers of both Archie & these 2/3 Gotham City Sirens but if you’re not big on either, you can perhaps give it a miss.
Writing Quality – 6/10
Image/Illustration Quality – 7/10
Character Development – 6/10
Overall – 6/10
Find my full review on my blog, Bloodthirsty Little Beasts.
July 13, 2024
Love the idea, disappointed by the execution.
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy head to Riverdale to stop real estate developer Hiram Lodge from building a strip mall over a swamp. There they cross paths -- and other things -- with Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Hijinks ensue.
The book seems to be aiming for a classic, cheesy comic book tone, where things like plot and action sequences don't have to make much sense because BAM! ZOOM! POW! Sometimes that works for me, but the art and script here just aren't dynamic enough to pull it off.
Boring dreck.
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy head to Riverdale to stop real estate developer Hiram Lodge from building a strip mall over a swamp. There they cross paths -- and other things -- with Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Hijinks ensue.
The book seems to be aiming for a classic, cheesy comic book tone, where things like plot and action sequences don't have to make much sense because BAM! ZOOM! POW! Sometimes that works for me, but the art and script here just aren't dynamic enough to pull it off.
Boring dreck.
September 16, 2018
This comic was sooooo cute! I don’t know why people have rated it so low. It wasn’t the best written comic book however it was so fun to see the worlds mash up and see the appearances of so many characters from DC. I didn’t know how they were going to incorporate both words but they did such an amazing job! I highly doubt there will be another volume of this because it ended so well but I absolutely enjoyed it.
September 3, 2018
Harley and Ivy? Doesn't even require thought, I want to read it. With Archie in Riverdale? GIMME GIMME GIMME!
While not the height of literature, who wants Shakespeare when you have Betty, Veronica, Harley and Ivy? Lots of fun and hi-jinks, as well as cameos from other DC favs.
My only quibbles are that sometimes the action isn't quite clear about what is going on. The beginning with the plant doubles and then becoming man-eaters, not clear. Also, how things are resolved re: Veronica's dad not thrown into the clink and/or broke, the random lady in the rose monster Ivy made at the end, etc.
All-in-all, not bad and definitely worth the read. Recommended if you like the characters, as they were all written pretty true, if slightly tamer than usual.
3 solid stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and DC Entertainment/DC Comics for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
While not the height of literature, who wants Shakespeare when you have Betty, Veronica, Harley and Ivy? Lots of fun and hi-jinks, as well as cameos from other DC favs.
My only quibbles are that sometimes the action isn't quite clear about what is going on. The beginning with the plant doubles and then becoming man-eaters, not clear. Also, how things are resolved re: Veronica's dad not thrown into the clink and/or broke, the random lady in the rose monster Ivy made at the end, etc.
All-in-all, not bad and definitely worth the read. Recommended if you like the characters, as they were all written pretty true, if slightly tamer than usual.
3 solid stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and DC Entertainment/DC Comics for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
February 13, 2022
HARLEY AND IVY AND BETTY AND VERONICA is a book that is okay but unfortunately doesn't have the absolute delightful insanity of BETTY AND VERONICA AND RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA. If I feel like I'm describing two extremely insane crossovers you're correct I am. However, the latter is much-much more insane as well as much-much more enjoyable. I say this as a longtime Harley and Ivy (particularly their GOTHAM CITY SIRENS incarnation).
The premise is that Ivy wants to stop Mr. Lodge from building a strip mall on a protected wetland, which is dark for Mr. Lodge, and goes to kidnap his daughter. She never gets around to it as Ivy and Harley find themselves bodyswapped with Betty and Veronica. Which is the best part of the book. Sadly, the rest of it has a rather lame set of villains and not nearly enough lunacy for the bizarre premise.
The art also suffers from the fact many characters look the same so I couldn't tell the difference between Midge and Catwoman or which Harley and Ivy were which when the other heroines dressed as them. Its okay but not great.
The premise is that Ivy wants to stop Mr. Lodge from building a strip mall on a protected wetland, which is dark for Mr. Lodge, and goes to kidnap his daughter. She never gets around to it as Ivy and Harley find themselves bodyswapped with Betty and Veronica. Which is the best part of the book. Sadly, the rest of it has a rather lame set of villains and not nearly enough lunacy for the bizarre premise.
The art also suffers from the fact many characters look the same so I couldn't tell the difference between Midge and Catwoman or which Harley and Ivy were which when the other heroines dressed as them. Its okay but not great.
March 8, 2018
Aight but should have been so much more. 2.5.
World: The art is okay, it's neither the current Archie book or the current Harley book. It's okay, but I found the characters were not distinct enough individually making the art kinda bland. The world building here is solid, the stage is set for the story to play out and the book does pull on both Archie and the DCU for reference, there are bits and pieces of it that made me laugh, it's solid.
Story: The story on face value is kinda cute but the freaky friday gag has been done so many times that it did get old fast. This is not a 6 issue story but it is so there are some pacing issues and mindless side quests. I will say the dialog is fun and the situations are amusing but the story did drag especially in the end.
Characters: All of the character act the way they do and that's great. There is no huge arc for the characters but rather just as is and put into the world crossover and this is what we get. There is good fun dialog and some nice moments but mostly it's just what you would expect from the characters in their respective series'
It was aight, I would have expected more fun but it was rather bland and the story was rather cliche.
Onward to the next book.
*read individual issues*
World: The art is okay, it's neither the current Archie book or the current Harley book. It's okay, but I found the characters were not distinct enough individually making the art kinda bland. The world building here is solid, the stage is set for the story to play out and the book does pull on both Archie and the DCU for reference, there are bits and pieces of it that made me laugh, it's solid.
Story: The story on face value is kinda cute but the freaky friday gag has been done so many times that it did get old fast. This is not a 6 issue story but it is so there are some pacing issues and mindless side quests. I will say the dialog is fun and the situations are amusing but the story did drag especially in the end.
Characters: All of the character act the way they do and that's great. There is no huge arc for the characters but rather just as is and put into the world crossover and this is what we get. There is good fun dialog and some nice moments but mostly it's just what you would expect from the characters in their respective series'
It was aight, I would have expected more fun but it was rather bland and the story was rather cliche.
Onward to the next book.
*read individual issues*
October 15, 2021
You know you have too many comics when you read a review copy, hate it, and then buy a trade paperback a year later because you forgot that you already read it.
And hated it.
And hated it.
August 12, 2022
jughead and harley having an eating contest 😭
August 15, 2018
I am not a regular comic book reader, but loved the idea of the two dynamic duos in the same story. From the plot description I expected a kidnapping, but was pleasantly surprised by the double identity switch. Made for an entertaining read. Love the proximity of Riverdale and Gotham City as well as the character crossovers. A colorful and engaging read.
Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this upcoming publication.
Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this upcoming publication.
January 6, 2020
Talk about the ultimate crossover. Cute, fun. Two of my favorite comic series and so many of my favorite characters. I loved it.
May 15, 2020
This was really fun and a little dumb and just what I wanted it to be.
March 12, 2018
I'm a bit of a sucker for inter-company crossovers (all right I'm also a sucker for a good company wide event too, especially the old JLA/JSA stories end of digression). This caught my attention in part because of Paul Dini writing it.
The other was if they gave the Archie characters more of a Riverdale feel they could off a decent story. Excluding some goofiness as to the villains introduced for the story the characterization is consistent, and the basis for the crossover isn't too silly.
Ivy talks Harley into joiningg her on an excursion to Riverdale where Ivy plans to stop Hiram Lodge from developing a swamp. At a gala some miscasting of spells by Sabrina and Zatanna lead to minds being displaced into the wrong bodies (Ivy in Veronica, Harley in Betty and vice versa).
Dini avoids slapstick humor for most of the story (thank you slapstick is not exactly to my taste) and a small Easter Egg is tossed in when Lodge's butler Smithers calls for assistance (hint: think of the Batman 1966 tekevision show).
Fun, not a great read.
The other was if they gave the Archie characters more of a Riverdale feel they could off a decent story. Excluding some goofiness as to the villains introduced for the story the characterization is consistent, and the basis for the crossover isn't too silly.
Ivy talks Harley into joiningg her on an excursion to Riverdale where Ivy plans to stop Hiram Lodge from developing a swamp. At a gala some miscasting of spells by Sabrina and Zatanna lead to minds being displaced into the wrong bodies (Ivy in Veronica, Harley in Betty and vice versa).
Dini avoids slapstick humor for most of the story (thank you slapstick is not exactly to my taste) and a small Easter Egg is tossed in when Lodge's butler Smithers calls for assistance (hint: think of the Batman 1966 tekevision show).
Fun, not a great read.
June 12, 2018
I was very eager to pick up this graphic novel, based solely on my devout love for the Archie franchise and every single Archie spin-off. Growing up, I regularly read Sabrina comics and collected Betty & Veronica digestst. I can still sing verbatim every song off the early 2000's Josie and the Pussycats movie soundtrack. I've watched every Archies television adaptation and I'm a current Riverdale fanatic.
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica had some of the appeal of the beloved Archies characters, each one making a valiant appearance (they kept Kevin an LGBTQ character, gave Sabrina a great side story, and the Pussycats even sing!) but there was more to yawn about than love.
I've never been a big fan of the overly eroticized comic book vixen. Harley & Ivy are deranged females for young women to look up to, but so are the overly bickering Betty & Veronica, constantly fighting over the attention of a clueless Archie. So there aren't any female tropes to be left out of this graphic novel.
The art style is also confusing. No doubt the artists are super talented, but I felt lost in the shuffle of characters. Most of the female faces looked identical, every curve precisely the same. Even the males had very little differentiation in their forms. The four title ladies attend a Heroes and Villains gala in which Betty & Veronica dress up as Harley & Ivy. Harley & Ivy appear at the gala, dressed in their vintage outfits. Chaos ensues! Not only is the plot muddy from the identity crises, the reader has literally no way of following along with who is who. All the women look the same, and wow is that dull.
Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica had some of the appeal of the beloved Archies characters, each one making a valiant appearance (they kept Kevin an LGBTQ character, gave Sabrina a great side story, and the Pussycats even sing!) but there was more to yawn about than love.
I've never been a big fan of the overly eroticized comic book vixen. Harley & Ivy are deranged females for young women to look up to, but so are the overly bickering Betty & Veronica, constantly fighting over the attention of a clueless Archie. So there aren't any female tropes to be left out of this graphic novel.
The art style is also confusing. No doubt the artists are super talented, but I felt lost in the shuffle of characters. Most of the female faces looked identical, every curve precisely the same. Even the males had very little differentiation in their forms. The four title ladies attend a Heroes and Villains gala in which Betty & Veronica dress up as Harley & Ivy. Harley & Ivy appear at the gala, dressed in their vintage outfits. Chaos ensues! Not only is the plot muddy from the identity crises, the reader has literally no way of following along with who is who. All the women look the same, and wow is that dull.
Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2018
If you are expecting the gritty drama and teen angst of Riverdale, well, this isn't the book for you. However, if you are looking for over the top hijinks and shenanigans in the vein of Harley Quinn's usual romps, this one IS for you.
This is set in the Archie (and DC) comic universe and while it does sometimes cross the line into just silly, overall it is very entertaining. Hiram Lodge tries to drain a swamp, Ivy finds out about it and she and Harley travel to Riverdale to stop him. Then Zatanna and Sabrina the teenage witch end up causing Betty and Veronica to switch bodies with Harley and Ivy and things get nuttier from there.
Overall it was an entertaining crossover, and honestly, it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect, which in this case isn't a bad thing. The art is sexy and the girls never looked better and there's even some interesting cameos thrown in as well. Overall an enjoyable read, and like I said, you sorta know just what you're getting here.
This is set in the Archie (and DC) comic universe and while it does sometimes cross the line into just silly, overall it is very entertaining. Hiram Lodge tries to drain a swamp, Ivy finds out about it and she and Harley travel to Riverdale to stop him. Then Zatanna and Sabrina the teenage witch end up causing Betty and Veronica to switch bodies with Harley and Ivy and things get nuttier from there.
Overall it was an entertaining crossover, and honestly, it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect, which in this case isn't a bad thing. The art is sexy and the girls never looked better and there's even some interesting cameos thrown in as well. Overall an enjoyable read, and like I said, you sorta know just what you're getting here.
August 11, 2018
It has been years since I have read a comic book. When I was younger, I used to read them regularly. This did include the Archie comics. Yet, when I was reading them, the characters were portrayed as more innocent. This version of the Archie comics has the characters portrayed as sexier. However, this storyline has the characters acting like highschoolers including Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. No, I want the bad guys to be "evil" not making me think they are all going to be friends over ice cream floats.
In fact, I was disappointed in this book and the good two shoes vibes that I was getting from the storyline that after reading to the half way mark I skipped ahead to the last couple of pages just to see how the story would end. Still not impressed. This comic did not get me excited to read comics again. It was a yawn fest.
In fact, I was disappointed in this book and the good two shoes vibes that I was getting from the storyline that after reading to the half way mark I skipped ahead to the last couple of pages just to see how the story would end. Still not impressed. This comic did not get me excited to read comics again. It was a yawn fest.
December 3, 2018
This was really not great... Harley and Ivy were fun, and I really LIKED Sabrina and Zatanna!!! But wow... I've never been gladder of a show changing things - Veronica and Betty being rivals is the worst thing, I don't want to see girls fighting each other for stupid reasons!!! Thank you to Riverdale for making these two friends!!! Also super weird that Hiram Lodge is old and white - thank you for Mark Consuelos, Riverdale, thank for all the hot parents!!!!
Really wasn't a fan and I don't think I'll be reading more Archie comics
Really wasn't a fan and I don't think I'll be reading more Archie comics
August 11, 2018
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was so much fun! 4/5 stars
I loved this crossover and the hidden Easter eggs planted in here.
In a fun turn of events Harley and Ivy switch bodies with Betty & Veronica and they both have to live a day in the others shoes.
This was a fun fast paced read with gorgeous art styles all the way through and I'd definitely recommend to fans of Riverdale.
This was so much fun! 4/5 stars
I loved this crossover and the hidden Easter eggs planted in here.
In a fun turn of events Harley and Ivy switch bodies with Betty & Veronica and they both have to live a day in the others shoes.
This was a fun fast paced read with gorgeous art styles all the way through and I'd definitely recommend to fans of Riverdale.
April 25, 2020
I really enjoyed this! I love crossovers. My favorite part, though, had to be when Poison Ivy called Veronica a "Kardashian-lite." Haha so on point!
My second read completed for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon! I'll be posting my hourly updates here if anyone wants to follow along, and may try to catch up and post on Instagram later today as well.
My second read completed for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon! I'll be posting my hourly updates here if anyone wants to follow along, and may try to catch up and post on Instagram later today as well.
September 12, 2018
*I received an ARC copy via netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
[3.5 stars] This one started off a little slow for me, though admittedly, i've been in a major reading slump, so that could be to blame. But once it picked up I really enjoyed the storyline and the girl power. If you're a fan of the Harley and Archie comics, this is definitely worth a read!
[3.5 stars] This one started off a little slow for me, though admittedly, i've been in a major reading slump, so that could be to blame. But once it picked up I really enjoyed the storyline and the girl power. If you're a fan of the Harley and Archie comics, this is definitely worth a read!
November 13, 2022
This is an unlikely mashup, but somehow it works. It’s just pure fun! (Harley and Jughead stuffing their face together? I'm all for it!)
September 26, 2023
Seemed more about Gotham Girls than Riverdale Girls tbh. God Harley and Ivy were so mean.
October 17, 2025
Jughead and Harley are the real dynamic duo
March 7, 2024
This is everything a Gotham meets Riverdale crossover should be. Ivy and Harley are excellent villainous ambassadors.
July 22, 2018
This looked so awesome! I was so excited!
And it’s written by the creator of Harley Quinn!
And Sabrina and Zatanna’s involvement is inspired!
The idea was perfect. The concept was fantastic. The art was great - until you couldn’t figure out what was going on. The execution… *sigh*
Is it just me - or is this comic kind of a mess? I guess Paul Dini didn’t have as much of a hand in it as I hoped. I feel like there’s so much trying to happen in such little space that it’s kinda hard to figure out what’s going on.
You definitely don’t want to read this if you hate spoilers. I couldn’t write this review without pointing out the specific things that annoyed me. And there are too many to tag with spoilers - so STOP READING NOW if you haven’t read it and don’t want it SPOILED.
The things that I liked, first.
I though the whole body-switching idea was really fun. And since that happened at the end of the second comic, maybe things will settle down they won’t be so compressed.
And it did get a little better. It was easier to enjoy.
I was almost as excited as Sabrina when she met Zatanna.
I’ve been watching so much Steven Universe that it was weird to hear Cheryl Blossom say “clods”.
There were a few of things that annoyed me because I thought they were forced - but I probably wouldn’t be writing about these if I enjoyed the comic. They’re the kinds of things that pop out at me, but I ignore them if I’m enjoying something.
The first thing that struck me as odd, because I am such a nerd. “…the area of a cone?” Cones are three-dimensional - so they have surface area, but not area. I actually wouldn’t even be mentioning this if there weren’t more issues.
I thought the Catwoman / Josie and the Pussycats stuff might be kind of forced. And the Miss Grundy / Solomon Grundy could have been written better.
And the Lodge’s butler, Smithers, knows Alfred? From MI5? I don’t know…I thought they were going to bring Batman in, but it’s probably better that they didn’t.
But my main issues with the book were just the readability of the dialogue, and the confusion of the panels.
Sometimes, the dialogue doesn’t seem to flow - it’s almost like there are panels - or word balloons - out of order.
That added to the confusion, but - and this happens way too often in comics where there’s action - there were several times when I couldn’t follow the action. No matter how many times I went back and read through the panels.
The first question I had was what happened with that first explosion? I get that they were decoys, but were the decoys rigged to explode? Or did Lenny’s guys try to blow them up? And if they did where did the plants come from? Were the decoys plants? Did the decoy plans get blown up or did they turn into the man-eating plants? This ½ a page was really confusing - and it was only the ninth page.
Then a couple pages later, Betty says she’s going to the costume store. And Veronica shouts, “Wait! Take me with you!!!” The next thing we know Betty is at the costume store with Sabrina but in different clothes. And then a few minutes later Veronica shows up escorted by her butler in completely different clothes. Then Kevin goes from a blonde to a redhead in this same scene. I was wondering if Archie showed up.
Why was the bird costume orange when Veronica opened it, but blue when Jughead wore it?
When Harley and Ivy fight Betty and Veronica, it’s really hard to see what’s going on.
And the climax was confusing too. I couldn’t figure out what was happening with the bombs. Was Harley throwing her own bombs while gathering the other bombs? Did Ivy throw a batarang? And why wouldn’t the bombs go off? Then where did the bombs go off? And who was that stuck in the vine after it all went down?
It’s really sad - I really, really, really wanted to like this. But it was just so confusing and hard to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.
And it’s written by the creator of Harley Quinn!
And Sabrina and Zatanna’s involvement is inspired!
The idea was perfect. The concept was fantastic. The art was great - until you couldn’t figure out what was going on. The execution… *sigh*
Is it just me - or is this comic kind of a mess? I guess Paul Dini didn’t have as much of a hand in it as I hoped. I feel like there’s so much trying to happen in such little space that it’s kinda hard to figure out what’s going on.
You definitely don’t want to read this if you hate spoilers. I couldn’t write this review without pointing out the specific things that annoyed me. And there are too many to tag with spoilers - so STOP READING NOW if you haven’t read it and don’t want it SPOILED.
The things that I liked, first.
I though the whole body-switching idea was really fun. And since that happened at the end of the second comic, maybe things will settle down they won’t be so compressed.
And it did get a little better. It was easier to enjoy.
I was almost as excited as Sabrina when she met Zatanna.
I’ve been watching so much Steven Universe that it was weird to hear Cheryl Blossom say “clods”.
There were a few of things that annoyed me because I thought they were forced - but I probably wouldn’t be writing about these if I enjoyed the comic. They’re the kinds of things that pop out at me, but I ignore them if I’m enjoying something.
The first thing that struck me as odd, because I am such a nerd. “…the area of a cone?” Cones are three-dimensional - so they have surface area, but not area. I actually wouldn’t even be mentioning this if there weren’t more issues.
I thought the Catwoman / Josie and the Pussycats stuff might be kind of forced. And the Miss Grundy / Solomon Grundy could have been written better.
And the Lodge’s butler, Smithers, knows Alfred? From MI5? I don’t know…I thought they were going to bring Batman in, but it’s probably better that they didn’t.
But my main issues with the book were just the readability of the dialogue, and the confusion of the panels.
Sometimes, the dialogue doesn’t seem to flow - it’s almost like there are panels - or word balloons - out of order.
That added to the confusion, but - and this happens way too often in comics where there’s action - there were several times when I couldn’t follow the action. No matter how many times I went back and read through the panels.
The first question I had was what happened with that first explosion? I get that they were decoys, but were the decoys rigged to explode? Or did Lenny’s guys try to blow them up? And if they did where did the plants come from? Were the decoys plants? Did the decoy plans get blown up or did they turn into the man-eating plants? This ½ a page was really confusing - and it was only the ninth page.
Then a couple pages later, Betty says she’s going to the costume store. And Veronica shouts, “Wait! Take me with you!!!” The next thing we know Betty is at the costume store with Sabrina but in different clothes. And then a few minutes later Veronica shows up escorted by her butler in completely different clothes. Then Kevin goes from a blonde to a redhead in this same scene. I was wondering if Archie showed up.
Why was the bird costume orange when Veronica opened it, but blue when Jughead wore it?
When Harley and Ivy fight Betty and Veronica, it’s really hard to see what’s going on.
And the climax was confusing too. I couldn’t figure out what was happening with the bombs. Was Harley throwing her own bombs while gathering the other bombs? Did Ivy throw a batarang? And why wouldn’t the bombs go off? Then where did the bombs go off? And who was that stuck in the vine after it all went down?
It’s really sad - I really, really, really wanted to like this. But it was just so confusing and hard to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.
March 21, 2020
This comic had a lot of potential, with almost everything suggesting it could be a great success: great authors, great characters, and part of a real period of innovation for Archie.
Sadly, it's mostly mediocre. Oh, there are a few joyous points that show this comic's potential, such as the costumed superhero party and parts of the story when the protagonists are body-switched. But it's generally a plot on rails that doesn't have enough to keep it amazing.
Sadly, it's mostly mediocre. Oh, there are a few joyous points that show this comic's potential, such as the costumed superhero party and parts of the story when the protagonists are body-switched. But it's generally a plot on rails that doesn't have enough to keep it amazing.
Read
May 18, 2020Another Riverdale/Gotham crossover, this time focused on the former's frienemies and the latter's 'gal pals' (and alas, carefully avoiding any suggestion they might be anything more, a cowardice one would once have attributed to the Archie side of the equation but which nowadays feels very DC). The plot is simple enough - Veronica's dreadful tycoon dad wants to turn a local swamp into a mall, dressing it up with the fig-leaf of a scam 'Lodge University' which will "stress the basics, offering degrees in wealth creation, entrepreneurial initiatives, foreclosure strategies, and, for the artistically inclined, urban gentrification". Any resemblance to other scam universities set up by other terrible US businessmen who are now ripping off the entire country is, of course, entirely intentional. Ivy, being ecologically inclined, and in any case needing to get out of Gotham for a while after pissing off some wonderfully D-list villains, wants to save the swamp. But then Sabrina and Zatanna get involved, body-swap shenanigans ensue, and Reggie, who's gone to a fancy dress party as the Joker because of course he would, gets a bang on the head and thinks he really is. It won't change your life, but, as you'd hope when Harley's co-creator is involved, the characters all feel themselves enough that it works fine as a fun character piece.
October 10, 2018
3.5
The Pros:
- Any story with Harley and Ivy and Betty and Veronica is going to be a hoot.
- Paul Dini knows Harley Quinn like the back of his hand.
- This is definitely a fun mash up for fans of both fandoms, especially if you like the four women involved in the main plot line.
- It's really fun seeing Ivy and Harley having to go back to school when the body switch happens, especially since Ivy is a whiz at botany and Veronica decidedly is NOT. Also, some fun cattiness between Ivy and Cheryl and Jason Blossom (BLOSSOM TWINS FOREVER!!!).
The Cons:
- This never really feels like it goes beyond 'gimmick' territory. It reads a little too much like 'wouldn't this be a cool idea?' with 'wouldn't this be cool plot points' without adjusting to make a well rounded and cohesive story.
- Even if it was just Reggie cosplaying as such and then having a memory loss/identity crisis, I wish that people writing Harley stories would consistently keep Joker out of it. That ship has sailed. Dini gets a bit of a pass since he created Harley, but it was still aggravating to have that unnecessary plotpoint.
All in all this is a bit of fun. But I had hoped it would be more than a bit of fun.
The Pros:
- Any story with Harley and Ivy and Betty and Veronica is going to be a hoot.
- Paul Dini knows Harley Quinn like the back of his hand.
- This is definitely a fun mash up for fans of both fandoms, especially if you like the four women involved in the main plot line.
- It's really fun seeing Ivy and Harley having to go back to school when the body switch happens, especially since Ivy is a whiz at botany and Veronica decidedly is NOT. Also, some fun cattiness between Ivy and Cheryl and Jason Blossom (BLOSSOM TWINS FOREVER!!!).
The Cons:
- This never really feels like it goes beyond 'gimmick' territory. It reads a little too much like 'wouldn't this be a cool idea?' with 'wouldn't this be cool plot points' without adjusting to make a well rounded and cohesive story.
- Even if it was just Reggie cosplaying as such and then having a memory loss/identity crisis, I wish that people writing Harley stories would consistently keep Joker out of it. That ship has sailed. Dini gets a bit of a pass since he created Harley, but it was still aggravating to have that unnecessary plotpoint.
All in all this is a bit of fun. But I had hoped it would be more than a bit of fun.
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