BETTIE PAGE #2, from Dynamite Comics on 7/12/23, brings face-to-face-to face with a pair of kidnappers and a woman who could be a mirror image of herself.
The Details
- Written by: Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino
- Art by: Elisa Ferrari, Mara Angelilli, Tommaso Ronda
- Colors by: Mauro Gulma, Francesca Vivaldi
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: July 12th, 2023
Is It Good?
BETTIE PAGE #2 is an odd issue. For once, that oddity works to a comic’s benefit. Why is it odd? Because this issue is almost all exposition and flashbacks, yet the comic is still interesting enough to keep you engaged.
When last we left Bettie and her galpal Karen, they broke into Eugenio’s mansion to find out what he was hiding. Just before the lights went out, Bettie and Karen encounter a woman who looks exactly like Bettie. Now, Bettie is kidnapped by hired thugs who nab the wrong bombshell, but the kidnapping is resolved quickly, giving the rest of the cast of characters time to explain who’s who, what’s what, and dream up a game plan for the next issue.
What’s great about this issue? As strange as it may sound, the flashbacks are fairly entertaining. Andolfo, Blengino, and the art team use a talking-head cartoon style in this issue to give the flashbacks a visual flare that works like a cinematic montage. Plus, getting all the exposition and explanations out of the way early in the series frees the rest of the run for fun and hijinks.
What’s not so great about this issue? The minor nitpick is the coincidental nature of Bettie’s “identical twin” and the nature of their present predicament. You have to connect a lot of dots to get the two ladies together to make this plot work, and it’s a mighty long stretch between dots. In fairness, this is a comedy of errors, so you have to expect some unbelievable situations, but that stretch is ocean-spanning.
How’s the art? The art team delivers a fantastic set of visuals that blend modern comic techniques with the Italian comics of the 50s/60s for a classic style with fresh wrapping. The art style looks similar to what you might see in an Archie comic, so the hijinks-y nature of the story fits.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our BETTIE PAGE #1 review to find out how Bettie and her friends wound up in Rome.
We begin with a muffled scuffle in the dark of Eugenio’s mansion. Bettie manages to scream for help when two men grab her and toss her in the back of a truck. When the lights come out, Bettie appears to be standing in front of Karen and Ben, but Karen explains this woman isn’t Bettie and the real Bettie is getting away.
Ben drives Karen and the fake Bettie, Lisa, down the winding hillside to intercept the truck and foil the kidnapping. When Ben knocks the kidnappers out, the gang heads back to Eugenio’s set so everyone can meet to figure out what happened.
We conclude the issue with a long and winding but somewhat entertaining road of an explanation.
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Final Thoughts
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BETTIE PAGE #2 stops a brief kidnapping attempt and frees the gang to begin a lengthy series of montage flashbacks to explain everything happening. Normally, all-exposition issues are a downer, but the backstory is interesting, and the way it’s presented is visually fun, so this issue is a keeper.
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