Catwoman Gets Frisky With Archie

[Dan Greenfield]

Hey, Batfolks:

Our third ARCHIE MEETS BATMAN '66 #3 cover reveal at 13th Dimension features Howard Chaykin -- and it's a cheeky cover at that:

https://13thdimension.com/first-look-ho ... -66-cover/

-- Dan

[SprangFan]

Wow, the idea of Howard Chaykin on Archie is...unsettling.

[John Mack]

I could Google this, but I'm sure others would like to know as well. Who is Howard Chaykin and why is it unsettling?

[SprangFan]

Chaykin is a super-talented comic artist whose work is influenced by classic illustrator JC Lyendecker and 30s pin-up artist Alberto Vargas. He created Marvel character Dominic Fortune and First Comic's "American Flagg!", among other things.

He also often writes what he draws, and when he does his work tends to have very mature sensibilities with a huge helping of sadism and kinky smut, including "Flagg!" and "Black Kiss". Last year he stirred up a firestorm of controversy with his "Divided States of Hysteria," for reasons I won't get into.

Suffice to say while I appreciate his talents, having "Archie" in his hands is a scary thought, and that image of Catwoman holding our Mr. Andrews from behind can take on a different meaning for the viewer depending on where they know Chaykin from.

On the other hand, given that recent plotlines have already seen Archie murdered, Betty crippled and half of Riverdale turned into flesh-eating zombies, I'm not sure what's left to worry about.

[High C]

He also often writes what he draws, and when he does his work tends to have very mature sensibilities with a huge helping of sadism and kinky smut, including "Flagg!" and "Black Kiss". Last year he stirred up a firestorm of controversy with his "Divided States of Hysteria," for reasons I won't get into.

Suffice to say while I appreciate his talents, having "Archie" in his hands is a scary thought, and that image of Catwoman holding our Mr. Andrews from behind can take on a different meaning for the viewer depending on where they know Chaykin from.

Yeah, from what I gathered from Googling his name, it's stuff we really can't discuss on this board. Nor should we.

On the other hand, given that recent plotlines have already seen Archie murdered, Betty crippled and half of Riverdale turned into flesh-eating zombies, I'm not sure what's left to worry about.

So true. I actually read Archie comics when I was about 9-12 years old and I can't imagine enjoying the way those comics are written today. But, I guess comics have to do what they have to do to stay 'relevant' and generate 'buzz' in an overcrowded pop-culture landscape.

The ongoing zombie craze leaves me cold, no pun intended. I really don't get it.

[Keith Mayo]

I don't get the Batman/Archie mashup.

[vintagematt]

I don't get the Batman/Archie mashup.

I agree with you, I don't really understand why they put these characters together, and we must ask why!! The batman '66 run is over, why continue with these crossovers. And you can kind of tell with this one they are now just putting batman with random sixties properties!