By Jacob Cordas — I greatly enjoyed the first volume of Sabrina the Teenage Witch by the creative team of Kelly Thompson, Veronica Fish and Andy Fish. The first comic was a fun and visually exciting take on the character. They had smartly maintained the lighter tone of the main Archie Comics while embracing a more whimsical and vibrant world. I have been eager for this latest volume to start coming out and am not disappointed now that we have Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked #1. 

Thompson has always excelled writing dynamic female characters, enlivening them with sharply worded humor, and she has never found a more perfect place for her voice than Sabrina (except maybe Dazzler Thor, but that’s neither here nor there). Sabrina is, regardless of situation, always engaging. Even while the narrative of the issue is a bit compressed, I still enjoy each prime little Sabrina moment, whether it be her snapping on Radka or her giddy joy discovering Savoir Faire. 

The art, though, has stepped on so much from the previous series. The other was already good. But here Veronica and Andy Fish murder every single page. This is them at their finest. The art and coloring goes so well together. They are able to seamlessly translate the emotions of each of the different scenes and locations. Colors organically guide into and hint at the colors to come. The pages have a pastel halloween aesthetic that made every page just so much damn fun to read. 

Special attention needs to be given to the page where Sabrina visits Need A Little XMas. It’s a perfect page. The way they seamlessly flow from the damp, sad blues to the warm reds and greens of the Christmas themed shop itself, all while never giving up that Halloween texture is absolutely incredible. Every expression is clear. The emotions track so easily and so well. 

I have spent an inordinate amount of time fixated on this page. It hints at everything about to come. It lets you know the magic behind all of this, the spirit of joy Sabrina is about to experience. It keys you into everything you need to know. And I can’t thank this creative team enough for it. 

If I were to make any quibble, it’s just that  this comic is a bit compressed plotting wise. It mostly seems a symptom of the nature of the sequel, feeling the need to explain things from the previous run it shouldn’t have to. It begs the question, why didn’t Archie Comics make this an ongoing instead of separate miniseries?  

OVERALL: But if it allows me to keep getting Kelly Thompson writing a character she was born to write for and Veronica Fish and Andy Fish drawing such luscious and dynamic pages, I’m going to be coming back as soon as I can for more. 9.0/10

SABRINA: SOMETHING WICKED #1
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Veronica Fish and Andy Fish
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Publisher: Archie Comics
Price: $3.99
BRAND NEW SERIES! Because you demanded it: Volume Two of the critically acclaimed Sabrina the Teenage Witch series by Kelly Thompson and Veronica & Andy Fish! Sabrina saved the day—saved her friends, her family—the whole town of Greendale really, and she should be riding high. But things are never quite that simple. She’s trapped in a love triangle, she’s having trouble balancing the mortal and witch parts of herself, oh yeah, and she’s being blackmailed. As if all that wasn’t enough, while trying to help Radka and Ren with their…supernatural problem, her aunts suddenly starting to look like people she can’t trust. What’s a teen witch to do?!
Release Date:  June 3rd, 2020
Buy It Online: Click here!

Read more great comic book reviews here!

My name is Jacob Cordas and I am not qualified to be writing this.