This week I’m going to do a little news round-up, because a few interesting headlines hit recently. First off, let’s catch up with the wonderfully wacky world of Archie! (I’m perpetually fascinated with the Archie universe.) Anyway, the big news right now is that issue #636 will feature a gender-swapped version of the cast after Sabrina the Teen Witch comes to town. I think this looks hilarious, but seriously, is “Archina” the best girl-name they could come up with for Archie? That is TERRIBLE.

And speaking of Sabrina, it looks like a live action movie is in development. I’m a little leery of the “Twilight meets Buffy” claims and of pet cat Salem apparently becoming a love interest (he’s now a transformed prince, because of course he is). I am only somewhat ashamed to admit that I loved the tv show that ran in the ’90s, and am kind of excited about this movie, even though it sounds terrible.

Archie’s also been in the news for less comic-y reasons too—if you’re interested in behind-the-scenes brou-ha-has, check out this New York Times article about the battle for control of the company between relatives of its two founders. That story is crazier than anything the Archie writers could ever come up with.

In non-Archie, but extremely awesome news, I guess the Adventure Time comic book is doing well, because there’s going to be a spin-off featuring my favorite vampire Marceline!  Apparently Princess Bubblegum will be joining Marceline’s band, which is basically the best idea ever. Check out the link for pictures of the first issue’s variant covers and to see some of the impressive names attached to this project.

Now on to this week’s recommendation!

Have I honestly never recommended Raina Telgemeier’s Smile here before? It’s a classic in the making (it came out a couple years ago but is still winning awards), an autobiographical story about Telgemeier’s middle school years. Life is complicated enough before she has an accident and knocks out her front teeth, leading to lots and lots of dental work. Somehow that makes middle school even more dramatic. I love Telgemeier’s art—very simple and clean lines—and the story here is surprisingly compelling. I actually bought all four Babysitter’s Club adaptations just because her art was so cute. (OK, FINE, also because I read those books when I was a kid and was feeling nostalgic). Telgemeier has a new book coming out this fall, Drama, about a bunch of middle-schoolers working on a play. I’m going to buy that one as soon as it comes out—because I know it’ll be another solid (and cute) story.

Next week, I’m planning on delving into one of my all-time favorite comics, Love and Rockets, so stay tuned!

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