If The Simpsons have taught us anything, it's that comic store owners have strong views on the plots that pass through their hands. This has proven particularly true for ex-Archie comic fan Dave Luebke who has sold his rare copy of the first issue for $38,837.

Red-headed Archie Andrews has been at one corner of a love triangle with Betty (blonde and good) and Veronica (dark of hair and heart) for two thirds of a century. Issue 600 shows the comic's hero on one knee proposing to Veronica.

"Betty is it. Not Veronica," explains Luebke, "This is serious."

Luebke, whose store is in Richmond, Virginia, does concede that the money from selling the comic was a factor in his decision, but emphasises that he is genuinely furious.

The overwhelming majority of fans are in complete agreement that Betty is the correct choice. Some even argue pragmatically that Veronica's best feature, her wealth, is on shaky ground in these troubled times.

That might seem like an inappropriate stab of realism for the American-as-apple-pie Archie universe, but perhaps no more so than Archie's choice. The latter will play out over six issues, however, so it seems likely there will be some twists involved.

Early issues of popular comics are always valuable, not least because fewer are made when it's not clear the demand for more will be there. First issues of comic books with a worldwide following, especially those with successful film versions, could well go for more than Archie. 

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