Title: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vol. one
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Artist: Robert Hack
Audience: Teen and up

Over the past few years, Archie comics has gone through a serious reboot. Not to the extent of Marvel or DC (those are silly money grabbing reboots). This is a more thoughtful approach to a reboot which I think is a smarter choice. The publisher has been doing things like giving us LGBTQA characters like Kevin Keller and Jughead, changing the art style, and doing stuff that doesn’t seem very “Archie” like the Afterlife with Archie series.  When I heard the publisher was going to go in a different direction with Sabrina the teenage witch, I figured Sabrina would get a Hot Topic goth girl treatment. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and it’s awesome! This is much darker, horror driven comic.

The writer, Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa, addresses these issues in the introduction.  Writing the Afterlife with Archie series gave him the springboard to tackle Sabrina.  This is not your typical, zany Sabrina comic.  Aquirre-Sacasa was definitely inspired by classic horror flicks like Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and The Omen.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is set in the 1960s.  The book starts by explaining to the reader that Sabrina’s father Edward broke with witch laws by marrying a human.  Edward is not the most moral of characters, but eh he’s a warlock.  In past Sabrina comics, where the witches draw their magic from wasn’t really an issue that was explored.  In this revamp, the witch covens draw their power from Satan.  It’s pretty dark and there are some great references to Aleister Crowley.  Sabrina’s parents disappear from the story, and she goes to live with her aunts Zelda and Hilda.

As Sabrina grows so do her powers, and on her sixteenth birthday she will make the decision to accept Satan into her heart to become a witch, or turn away from the occult to lead a normal life.  Growing up with cannibal, witch aunts the choice seems simple, but this is a coming of age teen book at its horror heart.  Sabrina is conflicted by what is assumed her destiny and what her heart desires: a normal life with all-American boyfriend Harvey Kinkle.  Throw in the monkey wrench of Madam Satan who has made it her afterlife’s mission to destroy Sabrina Spellman because Sabrina’s father spurned Madam Satan for a human woman.

I really enjoyed this book!  Aquirre-Sacasa does a great job balancing the horror with dark humor infused by Zelda, Hilda, and Salem the cat familiar. The artwork by Robert Hack is fantastic! It’s a complete break from the cartoonish style that readers often associate with Archie comics, and it works for this book.  Add in his use of muted browns and oranges for coloring choices, and it just gives the reader the right creepy tone as you read. It was also a nice touch including Betty and Veronica as witches from Riverdale, or rather teens playing with witchcraft (what could possibly go wrong?)

The extras included in this volume really add to the book.  Aquirre-Sacasa’s introduction is a must read before you start the comic.  The back includes a cover gallery which has so much fun artwork, and also some draft character sketches.  Maybe the best part is it includes an early appearance of the villain Madam Satan from Pep Comics #17 published in 1941.

If you enjoy teen drama infused with horror this is the comic for you.