Archie Comics 2019
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Veronica & Andy Fish
Lettered by Jack Morelli
PREVIOUSLY IN THE TOWN OF GREENDALE…
Sabrina’s had a rough go at her new life in Greendale. Being a teenage witch isn’t easy—especially when you encounter monsters everywhere you turn! After discovering that resident mean girl Radka and her twin brother Ren are some sort of shape-shifting wendigo and the shy nerd, Allen, from her chem class is a demon dragon beast, Sabrina’s starting to raise an eyebrow. What is bringing all of these monsters to life and why do they seem to be targeting her? Oh, and even more important: whose cuter, bad boy with a heart of gold Ren, or kind jock with the good hair Harvey? No one said high school would be THIS difficult!
This is one of the best books that Archie is making right now. Sabrina isn’t in that magic school and she’s not allowed to know the Witches Council’s business so she really is more like she was. It creates that right kind of tension and drama that her Auntie’s can do things they cannot talk about that are directly affecting Sabrina. The dynamic that this creates has so much potential and I cannot wait to see if Kelly takes advantage of that. Also the creativity that we see in these creatures and these spells, which being numbered is kind of fantastic, give Kelly that opportunity to let loose with imagination and creativity.
The way that this is structured is fantastic. That we end the issues on a cliffhanger style moment and then pick up right where we left off and that’s fantastic. This gives the book a very real sense of continuity and the pacing for that is sensational. The story & plot development is great to see unfold before us and the character development as well as we get a nice opportunity to get to know more about these characters. The twins are interesting and everything about them is shrouded in mystery and part of me loves that and part of me wants, and I mean wants, to know the story. Still the way their situation is being revealed has just the right amount of tension and desire that the reader experiences.
The way that the Fish’s get to unleash their own creativity and imagination here is absolutely delightful to see. Also for some reason this issue hit me with just how well they are keeping this a teen+ book in terms of how it’s seen. There is some scary stuff for sure but the way it’s presented shows the scary and keeps it more contained so it doesn’t become the Archie Horror style. I think it really is rather impressive what they manage to convey visually. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a magnificent eye for storytelling. The way we see the colour work is sensational and creative as well sets the mood, tone and feel for the story. I adore the way backgrounds are utilised and wish we’d get more of them, ie every panel, but they really do expand the moments and bring a nice sense of size and scope to the story.
The way that this can feel both foreign and familiar at the same time is a wonderful feeling. I feel like I am discovering Sabrina for the first time all over again and I am falling in love with this book, the way that it’s being told and illustrated. That Archie comics is as popular as it is at the moment and that people want to write their stories and work on the books is a boon for readers’ worldwide. This is everything and then some from my standpoint and honestly I want this to be an ongoing monthly with this creative team. Or at the very least keep putting out story arcs as limited series’. If you folks aren’t reading this then your missing out on some absolutely fantastic storytelling.