Review by Will Morgan

On a nature walk in Eversgreen Forest, just outside of Riverdale, Archie and the gang discover a construction crew about to begin work on an industrial park, to be built on land believed to be held in trust as a nature preserve. Appalled, they rush to research who the new owner of the land, complicit in such an atrocity, is – only to discover that it’s none other than Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge!

When their plea to Mr. Lodge to relent is met with stony indifference, the gang start to rally local support against the industrial park, despite strident opposition from some residents who view the jobs generated as necessary for the local economy.  When the media takes an interest, a spokesperson is needed for the pro-forest lobby. As the only person who can stand up to Mr. Lodge’s basilisk glare, Veronica is elected as the public face of the movement.

Selfish, vain and materialistic Veronica has to confront the man who bankrolls her life of idle  luxury, and is compelled into a swift reassessment of her priorities. While it’s interesting to see Veronica expand a little beyond her customary role as narcissistic shopaholic and party girl, the tone of the story rapidly takes on the air of a ‘Very Special Episode’ of a daytime soap, with the issues being presented in simplistic terms and the eventual conclusion both predictable and tepid.

The didactic plodding of the script is not leavened by Rick Burchett’s artwork. While he was later to do superlative work in conveying semi-realistic teen comedy (see Jinx and Jinx: Little Miss Steps) Burchett is reaching for a cross between realism and broad cartoon here, and falls calamitously between the two, with even the slapstick sequences appearing sedate.

Saccharine and unwieldy.