Written By: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Art By: Robert Hack

After the months and months of wait, FINALLY, we are given the gift of the next issue of Sabrina. With the last issue cover dated last September, it’s been rough missing one of my favorite books. We did get word at some point in the last few months, officially giving us the date for this, and the next issue of Afterlife With Archie, which is coming out next week. The big question was, obviously, is the book going to be worth the wait? Readers of this series will know, the answer is obvious.

I’m not sure what exactly caused the delay. I know Aguirre-Sacasa has projects outside of comics, and the art is so finely detailed and rendered, it could be a variety of reasons. That said, if these two want to make this a quarterly book, I have no problem with it. Unlike the monthlies that come out once, sometimes twice a month, I had absolutely no problem picking up the story from the last issue. Even if you did, the fine folks at Archie were kind enough to put a recap page in the front of the book. This issue, however, sees the fallout of the death of Harvey Kinkle, after he was killed last issue after witnessing the initiation of Sabrina into the Witch’s Coven that occurs for every witch on their 16th birthday. On top of that, we see the continuing plans of Madam Satan, aka Mrs. Porter, as her plan finally comes to a head in the resurrection from everyone’s past ending the issue. Once again, A-S captures a feeling  we aren’t getting in any other comic. Like Afterlife, there’s a sense of a deeply horrific and disturbing lying underneath the surface of the innocent and idyllic locals we grew up reading in the pages of Archie Double Digest. This issue takes a sicker turn at the end, where we see inexplicable bloodshed. Getting to see a profoundly different take on Betty and Veronica, and still be believable as essentially witch wannabes, is always fun. I will say one thing about the characters, there is a detachment from them to the reader, as this book seems to be more of an exploration into “what if your childhood stories weren’t so innocent”. Sure, you feel bad for Sabrina in numerous places, but her being a witch can be so foreign, it’s hard to totally connect. That said, the story is unique and compelling enough that you’re never left feeling cold.

It’s difficult for me to put into words just how much I love this artwork. Robert Hack’s style is a mixture of clearly and concise storytelling with artwork we see in Noir film posters. The 1950’s feeling of Riverdale and Greendale are screaming in the vintage nature of these characters renderings. It’s unlike anything on the stands, and is on par with Francavilla in terms of true horror storytelling. The character design of Madam Satan is one of the best I’ve seen in quite a while; where the image of a femme fatale with skulls for eyes just sticks with you. Also, the coloring style is unlike anything else. There’s a scratchy mixture of what looks like watercolor and color pencil here, which gives an interesting hue and shading. Overall, Hack embodies the classic horror movie feel, really putting us firmly in the world.’

It doesn’t matter if this book comes out every month or twice a year, I’ll be first in line for a new issue. This is special horror storytelling, and you should get on board.

 

5 Trials out of 5