Archie to marry Veronica? Consternation in comic book world

Wait a second – aren't nice guys (and gals) supposed to finish first in the long run? If so, then how can it be that, after keeping both waiting for 67 years, it's snarky rich girl Veronica that comic book hero Archie is finally proposing to, and not sweeter, kinder girl-next-door Betty?

To get the full story, you'll have to wait at least until next week. That's when "Archie Marries Veronica Part I: The Proposal" hits specialty comic book stores. (It should be on newsstands by Sept. 1).

It will require a six-book span to tell the whole story, but you can see Archie on his knees and Betty in tears for starters.

Some fans are pretty upset as well. "Betty is it. Not Veronica," Dave Luebke, owner of a Richmond, Va., comic book store told msnbc.com. Luebke, whose store stocks more than one million comic books, says 99 percent of his customers agree that blond Betty is the "clear choice" over raven-haired Veronica.

In protest, Luebke is selling his copy of the series' first issue, Archie Comics No. 1.

The sale of the book might just help to ease some of Luebke's pain. The rare comic book is expected to fetch a price of about $30,000