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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Collected Editions) #1-2
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Occult Edition
From the author of the New York Times best-selling graphic novel Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale comes the horror sensation Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This title contains Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's story so far, in addition to never-before-seen comic items and imagery from the Netflix series in a premium, over-sized hardcover format.
Terror is born anew in this dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's origin, an occult coming-of-age thriller!
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda.
Terror is born anew in this dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's origin, an occult coming-of-age thriller!
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2019
42 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
About the author
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
462 books476 followersRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 19, 2022
I've been meaning to read 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' for such a long time, since it promised a darker take on a character I remember so fondly from my childhood.
Admittedly I was more familiar with the TV versions of her, both an animated one, that I loved, and of course the Melissa Joan Hart version, which was one of my favourite shows (I watched it all again a few years ago and it holds up pretty well, except for the last season) but I did know she was Archie Comics character, and I had always felt curious about her origins.
When I saw they were releasing this Occult Edition, I instantly bought it. It contains the entire story so far, and a few extras-- Sabrina's first appearance from 1962 in 'Archie's Madhouse #22', A Madam Satan story from 'Pep Comics #17' (from 1941 I think) and some stills from the TV series.
I enjoyed the whole thing. It's nice to have a Sabrina who is actually a proper witch, if that makes sense. And where the use of magic has some weight to it, and a lot of darkness too. It's mostly set in the sixties, with a few flashbacks here and there -- and I really enjoyed the various outfits. I didn't expect to be wanting to raid Sabrina Spellman's wardrobe! And sometimes Aunt Zelda's.
Story wise, it's dark and twisted, creepy and violent. There's lots of murder, some sacrifices, and various unexpectedly gory surprises. Robert Hack's art is wonderful, the kind of thing I naturally gravitate towards. The 'Sabrina on Netflix' section says, 'To help bring his story to life, Aguirre-Sacasa enlisted the aid of artist Robert Hack, who merges jaw-dropping illustrations of monsters and mortals with an autumnal color scheme that is both beautiful and unsettling.'
I just had to use that, as it describes it so well.
My only gripe (and even this reflects my enjoyment) is that it ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I have no idea how long the wait will be to find out what happens! In the meantime, I think I'll finally watch the show, which looks pretty good! And I definitely want to read 'Afterlife with Archie' now too. 🎃
Oh I almost forgot: Salem-- Salem is wonderful! 🐱
UPDATED: I have now watched the show and I loved it! 👹
February 25, 2020
Part of the Archie horror line, Chilling Adventures reinvents Sabrina as part of a hardcore "Hail Satan" type witches coven. It's got a Rosemary's Baby vibe to it. This is trying its hardest to be the reinvention of old 50's horror comics like Creepy or Eerie and in that it mostly succeeds. Robert Hack's art is definitely reminiscent of the era. It's got a smoky, foggy look to it as if we are in the moors of England. Even though the book is trying its hardest to be dark, it's a bit to over the top and a little campy. Aguirre-Sacasa's writing is heavy handed with way too much narration of each panel instead of letting Hack's art speak for itself. The story is clunky at times and moves very slowly. Still not a bad addition to Archie's horror comics.
This occult edition collects the series to date which is 8 issues. Unfortunately the story ends in the middle of it and with the release of this and the fact that volume 2 of this series is unfinished and 5 years late, I doubt we ever see the end of this. The book also includes the first appearance of both Sabrina and Madam Satan along with a few pages about the Netflix TV show.
This occult edition collects the series to date which is 8 issues. Unfortunately the story ends in the middle of it and with the release of this and the fact that volume 2 of this series is unfinished and 5 years late, I doubt we ever see the end of this. The book also includes the first appearance of both Sabrina and Madam Satan along with a few pages about the Netflix TV show.
April 12, 2020
I’ve been a fan of Sabrina since I was a young teenager and I was watching Melissa Joan Hart in the role. My little teenage heart is so happy that Sabrina is making a comeback with the Netflix show and this BEYOND stunning graphic novel. While I love both versions of the show, this graphic novel just knocks it out of the park. The story is SO much darker and gorier and witchier and it made my black heart skip a beat I was so happy. I love that it’s set in the 60s too, it adds just a different vibe to the story and I was all for it. And to top it all off the illustrations are out of this world, I can’t get over how gorgeous they are! Hail Satan and this delightfully evil collection of comics!
December 3, 2019
I am way ahead on my Goodreads reading goal for the year, I have tons of reviews to write, lots of ideas for blogmas, and everything is going swell! For now, my plan for blogmas is to try to get some of these reviews out but I definitely want to do some fun seasonal posts because I love this time of year. From about October (maybe September) on is my jam! You will find my house decorated, me in cozy sweaters and cute boots, and loving this time of year. One of my recent reads was the Sabrina graphic novels! I was able to get the Occult Edition which had some extras about also contained multiple editions. I am a huge Sabrina lover, ever since I was a kid when the show with Melissa Joan Hart aired and I never missed an episode to now when I watch the Netflix show and have different feelings from the original but find I still have a love for it. I have wanted to pick up the graphic novels but I just had not yet, I knew my Hoopla had copies so this year when the fall season hit I decided I was finally going to do it! I checked out the Occult Edition on Hoopla and read it all in a little over a day (I would have just read it all in a day but things got busy).
SPOILERS AHEAD
In this collected edition we follow Sabrina through everything from her sixteenth birthday and what is supposed to be her meeting with the dark lord to her first love, Harvey Kinkle, to Salem's story of how he became her familiar. I do not want to go too far in-depth into any one thing because the majority of it is all connected however, I will touch on a few things! I really enjoyed getting to see Salem's story as well as the story of the snakes (Sabrina's cousin's familiar) I thought this particular section was super interesting and I always love hearing Salem's backstory in every iteration of Sabrina's story. I also found the twist with Harvey really interesting, I know the show did it differently and I know things on there are progressing much differently but I am super interested to see how they progress in the graphic novel now as well. I really was not expecting them to do that! I do not know if they are writing more graphic novels but I truly hope they do. One other aspect I found interesting in the graphic novel and I find interesting in every version of Sabrina was her family. I am always intrigued by how they illustrate her father, mother, and aunts but I think the graphic novel had a unique way of bringing each of these characters to life (although I will never forget the Hilda and Zelda from the Melissa Joan Hart show). Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I hope to see more editions, I can not wait to see more of the show and I love going back and watching the older show as well. I am giving this four stars on Goodreads.
SPOILERS AHEAD
In this collected edition we follow Sabrina through everything from her sixteenth birthday and what is supposed to be her meeting with the dark lord to her first love, Harvey Kinkle, to Salem's story of how he became her familiar. I do not want to go too far in-depth into any one thing because the majority of it is all connected however, I will touch on a few things! I really enjoyed getting to see Salem's story as well as the story of the snakes (Sabrina's cousin's familiar) I thought this particular section was super interesting and I always love hearing Salem's backstory in every iteration of Sabrina's story. I also found the twist with Harvey really interesting, I know the show did it differently and I know things on there are progressing much differently but I am super interested to see how they progress in the graphic novel now as well. I really was not expecting them to do that! I do not know if they are writing more graphic novels but I truly hope they do. One other aspect I found interesting in the graphic novel and I find interesting in every version of Sabrina was her family. I am always intrigued by how they illustrate her father, mother, and aunts but I think the graphic novel had a unique way of bringing each of these characters to life (although I will never forget the Hilda and Zelda from the Melissa Joan Hart show). Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel and I hope to see more editions, I can not wait to see more of the show and I love going back and watching the older show as well. I am giving this four stars on Goodreads.
September 13, 2020
I loved this book! I recommend it for October/Halloween though......again, too bad I don’t own this one... It’s borrowed!
January 29, 2021
So, I'm sad to admit that my almost complete repugnance of the Netflix adaptation of this graphic novel is the reason it's taken me so long to read this. (I'm sorry if you love the tv show; I wanted to love it too. But I couldn't. It's just. . . strangely boring.)
The weird thing is, to my recollection of the first 2.5 episodes I watched, the story tracks pretty closely plus and minus a few details. For instance, Salem talks in the graphic novel, and I LOVED the sidebar story of how he became a familiar. For another instance,
I can't quite put my finger on why the original is so much better, but suffice to say that the graphic novels aren't afraid to get dark and dirty. The storytelling is great, the art is magnificent, and I love the tie-in to the Archie dark comics too.
The weird thing is, to my recollection of the first 2.5 episodes I watched, the story tracks pretty closely plus and minus a few details. For instance, Salem talks in the graphic novel, and I LOVED the sidebar story of how he became a familiar. For another instance,
I can't quite put my finger on why the original is so much better, but suffice to say that the graphic novels aren't afraid to get dark and dirty. The storytelling is great, the art is magnificent, and I love the tie-in to the Archie dark comics too.
January 1, 2023
I have read this series a couple of times but this is the most complete version and therefore the best version I have read. The art is amazing and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa really has created something just perfectly delightful, macabre and magical! The behind the scenes and short throw back comics at the end are an added bonus for fans!
January 20, 2020
Matka Sabrina, teininoita -tv-sarjasta tähän sarjakuvaan on muutaman valovuoden mittainen. Iloisen, kuplivan ja höpsönkin Sabrinan "menneisyys" ei ollut aivan tiedossani, joten yllätys oli hmmm...hienoinen.
Tämä sarjakuvaromaani sisältää Roberto Aguirra-Sacasan tähänastiset Sabrina-sarjakuvat sekä jonkinverran lisämateriaalia Sabrinan historiasta. Synkkää, veristä ja kaameaa on luvassa lukijalle. Ei herkkähipiäisille, sillä Madam Satan on kostoretkellä...
Tämä sarjakuvaromaani sisältää Roberto Aguirra-Sacasan tähänastiset Sabrina-sarjakuvat sekä jonkinverran lisämateriaalia Sabrinan historiasta. Synkkää, veristä ja kaameaa on luvassa lukijalle. Ei herkkähipiäisille, sillä Madam Satan on kostoretkellä...
October 18, 2020
Sabrina gets reinterpreted as an actual witch, in a setting full of dark secrets and morbid ends. Archie comics have always gone in some weird directions and the fact that they were fine letting Robert Aguirre-Scasa and Robert Hack do a full-on horror series (complete with Satan, gore, and cannibalism) is fantastic. It's still a bit campy (as all Archie comics tend to be) but it's fun and just creepy enough. It also includes the first appearance of Sabrina from decades ago, and an early appearance of Madam Satan, which is nice. The only big problem I have with this series is the fact that, 5 years later, this is all we've got. We're getting a new one-shot the week I'm writing this (which prompted me to go back and read through this) but this collection stops in the middle of the story with lots of build-up and no pay-off.
January 22, 2021
Honestly, I'm not really sure what I read? The storyline is preytty confusing and lacks any substance. it flits between concepts and the as a graphic novel it's kind of disappointing. It just felt very choppy and the author uses an excessive amount of gore to enforce the horror concept without any real purpose. There's also a really uncomfortable storyline with Sabrina's dad being interested in his own daughter.
I'm not really a fan of the art style but that aside, it also does nothing for the storyline. The visuals are vague and look like concept sketches so they hardly do anything to further the storyline or give any context to what is happening.
For once, I prefer the television adaptation.
I'm not really a fan of the art style but that aside, it also does nothing for the storyline. The visuals are vague and look like concept sketches so they hardly do anything to further the storyline or give any context to what is happening.
For once, I prefer the television adaptation.
October 8, 2019
I didn't realize that this was a compilation of the two volumes of the comic series by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. I got it on Hoopla and it was not clear what was included in this "Occult Edition" so it's my own fault for inflicting this series on myself again. I have previously read Volume 1 and I didn't like anything about it; story, art style, colouring, it's all just terrible. This was just more of the same.
June 9, 2022
Awesome story, amazing art, great writing.
This is 100% better than I thought it would be. It was a gift that I put off reading for a while, but once I cracked it open, I couldn’t stop. I recommend this to everyone, especially people who don’t think they’ll like it based on the title and cover. This rules.
This is 100% better than I thought it would be. It was a gift that I put off reading for a while, but once I cracked it open, I couldn’t stop. I recommend this to everyone, especially people who don’t think they’ll like it based on the title and cover. This rules.
January 4, 2024
bracie, gdzie tu zacząć. więc, mam obsesję na punkcie netflixowego caos; to moje największe guilty pleasure i mało jest rzeczy, które tak mnie zawodzą jak zmarnowany potencjał tego serialu. komiksy... komiksy są o wiele lepsze od seriali Aguirre-Sacasy. czytałam Afterlife with Archie, i wątek Sabriny mnie tam zachwycił. tutaj, choć to jej własny komiks, fabuła jest trochę mniej... rozwinięta. caos ma 9 zeszytów i głównie to, co oferuje, to klimat. wspaniały, mroczny, okultystyczny klimat, z pięknymi rysunkami które są małymi dziełami sztuki. ale... jest za dużo tajemnic, które nadal nie są rozwiązane, prawdopodobnie nie będą (gdyż jest to poboczna seria i 9 zeszyt wyszedł w 2021) i to pozostawia okropny niedosyt i frustrację.
za mało tu dla mnie Salema:(( Ambrose wydaje mi się totalnie niepotrzebny, wszystko to, co tutaj robi, mógłby zrobić Salem. ironicznie, że w serialu Salem nie mówi, a jego więź z Sabriną jest jakoś lepiej zarysowana niż tutaj. i cóż... i guess we have to adress the elephant in the room. what the fuck with the incest, Roberto. postać Edwarda była już odrażająca dostarczająco, nie trzeba było... dodawać tego.
w każdym razie, czy ja, self-proclaimed największy fan Sabriny, polecam ten komiks? tak. choćby dla samego klimatu, serio. bardzo chciałabym zobaczyć zakończenie tej serii, ale jeśli nie da rady... i tak cieszę się, że położyłam na nim swoje łapki.
za mało tu dla mnie Salema:(( Ambrose wydaje mi się totalnie niepotrzebny, wszystko to, co tutaj robi, mógłby zrobić Salem. ironicznie, że w serialu Salem nie mówi, a jego więź z Sabriną jest jakoś lepiej zarysowana niż tutaj. i cóż... i guess we have to adress the elephant in the room. what the fuck with the incest, Roberto. postać Edwarda była już odrażająca dostarczająco, nie trzeba było... dodawać tego.
w każdym razie, czy ja, self-proclaimed największy fan Sabriny, polecam ten komiks? tak. choćby dla samego klimatu, serio. bardzo chciałabym zobaczyć zakończenie tej serii, ale jeśli nie da rady... i tak cieszę się, że położyłam na nim swoje łapki.
March 22, 2021
It started really good and promising - real witches eating human flesh, woods, Satan.
But then I got extremely annoyed by all Church of Night stuff. In comic book it's basically Christian church with different words - lead by puritan old men, with extremely strict stupid rules which everyone follows for no clear reason.
I expected being witch and worshipping Satan to be much more fun but it's very boring and it's a mystery why anyone doing that. Madam Satan ditches all Church bullshit and does whatever she wants and everything is alright - other witches should take a page from her book.
I think Afterlife with Archie is much better horror comic book but it looks abandoned at this point.
But then I got extremely annoyed by all Church of Night stuff. In comic book it's basically Christian church with different words - lead by puritan old men, with extremely strict stupid rules which everyone follows for no clear reason.
I expected being witch and worshipping Satan to be much more fun but it's very boring and it's a mystery why anyone doing that. Madam Satan ditches all Church bullshit and does whatever she wants and everything is alright - other witches should take a page from her book.
I think Afterlife with Archie is much better horror comic book but it looks abandoned at this point.
March 19, 2020
10⭐️! I think I actually enjoyed this more than The Walking Dead series. Super dark, creepy, and horrific. I’ve read some of “The Stand” graphic novels by Aguirre-Sacasa, so I knew I’d probably enjoy it, but it was so much better than I expected! I loved the extras included in this edition, such as a story from the original Sabrina comic and alternate illustrations.
May 8, 2021
Closer to 3.5 stars. This story wasn't quite for me. I enjoy a good witchy book, but some things in this rubbed me the wrong way.
August 8, 2021
Definitely prefer the show 🤷🏼♀️
December 30, 2021
DNF. I read the first four volumes and decided that this wasn't for me. A little too dark and the art was a little too rough.
December 15, 2022
3.5 to 3.75 ish… this kind of did for me what lucifer and the sandman couldn’t lmao
September 26, 2023
very dark, very gory series. and very well done! i was fear i was bamboozled into thinking the series finished lol
June 12, 2020
Loved loved loved this. It was just dark enough, just sweet enough, and had just enough Riverdale ties. The artwork was also GORGEOUS. It's been too long since new issues were published, and I'm concerned with the fact that the show has already gone past where the comics stopped. I WANT MORE! But in the meantime I will distract myself with the other dark Archie projects. Here we go!
August 19, 2020
When I saw the cover, I thought it was different but no. It was just two volumes of the comic that I didn't enjoy. I tried to give it another shot but turns out I still don't like it a year later. Yep.
January 10, 2021
Όχι ακριβώς αυτό που περίμενα...
Έχοντας δει πρόσφατα το 4ο και τελευταίο Part της ομότιτλης τηλεοπτικής σειράς του Netflix, αποφάσισα να διαβάσω και το συγκεκριμένο graphic novel, το οποίο συγκεντρώνει τα 8 πρώτα τεύχη -όσα έχουν κυκλοφορήσει μέχρι στιγμής δηλαδή- της κόμικ σειράς στην οποία βασίστηκε η τηλεοπτική Σάμπρινα.
Αυτό που κατάλαβα από το 1ο κιόλας τεύχος είναι πως οι δύο αυτές εκδοχές παρότι γραμμένες από τον ίδιο άνθρωπο(τον Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa), έχουν πολλές διάφορες μεταξύ τους. Πρώτη απ' όλες η διαφορά της χρονικής περιόδου στην οποία τοποθετείτε η ιστορία. Η τηλεοπτική Σαμπρίνα λαμβάνει χώρα στο παρόν, ενώ η Σαμπρίνα των κόμικ στην δεκαετία του 1960!
Οι διαφορές όμως δεν μένουν εκεί, καθώς διαφοροποιήσεις έχουμε και στην ίδια την ιστορία και στην πλοκή αυτής, όπως και στους χαρακτήρες, με κάποιους να παρουσιάζουν αλλαγές ως προς τον χαρακτήρα τους ανάμεσα στην τηλεοπτική και την χάρτινη εκδοχή τους. Επίσης κάποιοι χαρακτήρες που βλέπουμε στην τηλεοπτική σειρά δεν υπάρχουν στα κόμικ(π.χ. Νίκολας Σκρατς και Θίο Πάτναμ)!
Η ιστορία των κόμικ έχει την ίδια αισθητική με εκείνην της τηλεοπτικής σειράς και η Σαμπρίνα δεν είναι απλά μια έφηβη Μάγισσα -όπως ίσως την θυμούνται οι περισσότεροι από το τηλεοπτικό sitcom των 90s και τις σειρές κινουμένων σχεδίων-, αλλά εδώ βλέπουμε μια πολύ πιο σκοτεινή, μαύρη, ανατριχιαστική και βουτηγμένη στο αίμα ιστορία της.
Χωρίς να αναφερθώ σε περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες, θα πω τέλος, ότι ανάμεσα στα κόμικ και στην τηλεοπτική σειρά μου άρεσε περισσότερο η σειρά, η οποία θεωρώ ότι πολύ κακός σταμάτησε στο σημείο που σταμάτησε, αλλά αυτό είναι μια άλλη ιστορία! 😋
February 24, 2024
This version of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was difficult to swallow after loving the first 2 season of the show (don’t talk to me about 3 & 4, still mad). Admittedly, I couldn’t stop comparing the two.
I think the source material is poorly done, with lots of flaws. This collected edition felt more like a series of vaguely connected ideas than a fully realized story. Not to mention, the art style is visually unappealing.
Sabrina spends the entire comic chasing her loser creep of a boyfriend Harvey, and occasionally doing witchy things.
Madame Satan is there, but she’s not really a mentor to Sabrina. She’s an ex flame of Sabrina’s father. It’s unclear what her goals are.
Speaking of Edward and Diana Spellman…Edward is a narcissist dick in this one. He only had Sabrina with Diana to further the Spellman name. Then he gets her locked up in a psych ward. I prefer the version where they are deeply in love with each other.
There’s nothing holding Sabrina to the mortal world in this one. She goes to normal high school, but like…I don’t know why? Edward didn’t want her there. The aunts don’t want her there. There’s no reason for her to be at normal school in this one. She hates Roz and Theo doesn’t exist. She has no mortal friends and really only stays for Harvey?
Don’t get mr started on the pseudo incest and the rampant sexualization of minors. Both of which happen a bit in the show, but nowhere near bad as the comics.
I just think Netflix did it better (at least for the first two seasons).
Without the base knowledge and love of the show, this is only worth 2 stars.
I think the source material is poorly done, with lots of flaws. This collected edition felt more like a series of vaguely connected ideas than a fully realized story. Not to mention, the art style is visually unappealing.
Sabrina spends the entire comic chasing her loser creep of a boyfriend Harvey, and occasionally doing witchy things.
Madame Satan is there, but she’s not really a mentor to Sabrina. She’s an ex flame of Sabrina’s father. It’s unclear what her goals are.
Speaking of Edward and Diana Spellman…Edward is a narcissist dick in this one. He only had Sabrina with Diana to further the Spellman name. Then he gets her locked up in a psych ward. I prefer the version where they are deeply in love with each other.
There’s nothing holding Sabrina to the mortal world in this one. She goes to normal high school, but like…I don’t know why? Edward didn’t want her there. The aunts don’t want her there. There’s no reason for her to be at normal school in this one. She hates Roz and Theo doesn’t exist. She has no mortal friends and really only stays for Harvey?
Don’t get mr started on the pseudo incest and the rampant sexualization of minors. Both of which happen a bit in the show, but nowhere near bad as the comics.
I just think Netflix did it better (at least for the first two seasons).
Without the base knowledge and love of the show, this is only worth 2 stars.
September 29, 2023
I love this reimagining of Sabrina. I don't read comics often, but I watched the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, and then I watched Riverdale, and I just needed more Sabrina, so borrowed this book from the library. I'm glad I did!
My favorite issue was the one with Salem's backstory. I loved seeing him as a human and finding out what he did to become cursed to live as a cat. At least he wasn't cursed to be a snake, like poor Nag and Nagina. We also got Edward's backstory (Sabrina's dad), and wow, he was a piece of work.
The awesome book is creepy, dark, and full of emotion. The art and the story draw the reader in, making you want more. If only there was more. As other reviewers have said, this series was supposed to be 12 issues, but instead, there was only 8 at the time of this book's printing. Issue 9 was released after the publication, which I found online to read. (It was written a couple of years after the other 8, so unfortunately, there are some inconsistencies.) Hopefully, more issues will come out now that the TV shows are over.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book.
My favorite issue was the one with Salem's backstory. I loved seeing him as a human and finding out what he did to become cursed to live as a cat. At least he wasn't cursed to be a snake, like poor Nag and Nagina. We also got Edward's backstory (Sabrina's dad), and wow, he was a piece of work.
The awesome book is creepy, dark, and full of emotion. The art and the story draw the reader in, making you want more. If only there was more. As other reviewers have said, this series was supposed to be 12 issues, but instead, there was only 8 at the time of this book's printing. Issue 9 was released after the publication, which I found online to read. (It was written a couple of years after the other 8, so unfortunately, there are some inconsistencies.) Hopefully, more issues will come out now that the TV shows are over.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book.
August 3, 2023
Being a huge fan of the first seasons of “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” TV show (and not so great fan of the last season…) - and giving this comic book ample bookshelf time (purchased it on Pyrkon… or rather, few Pyrkons ago), finally the planets have aligned properly for me to have some time to read a non-ebook.
Wish I had read it sooner, as it was an excellent lecture (do note, I am writing this as a fan of “Preacher” and “Gideon Falls”) - but also wish I had waited a bit longer, because there will be more issues in future and I want them NOW.
For anyone who still remembers “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”, this would be a nice shocker. We’re talking a dark, brutal and twisted tale, with enough plot changes to make it surprising even for people who have watched the show adaptation with (excellent) Kiernan Shipka. Drawing style is maybe not that memorable - fits the overall vibe though; it’s the story that matters (and it’s great).
Bonus points for whoever has watched “Riverdale”, as there are far more references to it here than in the TV adaptation.
Wish I had read it sooner, as it was an excellent lecture (do note, I am writing this as a fan of “Preacher” and “Gideon Falls”) - but also wish I had waited a bit longer, because there will be more issues in future and I want them NOW.
For anyone who still remembers “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”, this would be a nice shocker. We’re talking a dark, brutal and twisted tale, with enough plot changes to make it surprising even for people who have watched the show adaptation with (excellent) Kiernan Shipka. Drawing style is maybe not that memorable - fits the overall vibe though; it’s the story that matters (and it’s great).
Bonus points for whoever has watched “Riverdale”, as there are far more references to it here than in the TV adaptation.
August 16, 2023
I watched the show as it came out but I was pleasantly surprised by how different this series was from the show. Where the show catered to more of the teen drama tropes this series taps into the horror and grey area that the show hinted at. I don’t normally read horror but I love witches and was curious about the world building introduced in the show so this didn’t disappoint.
That being said, there are some very dark themes in this book that will effect your enjoyment of the series based on your comfort level with each of the themes. What follows is my best attempt at listing trigger and content warnings in a spoiler free a manner as possible; references to and implied cannibalism, satanic rituals, off page sacrificing of an unborn child, teacher flirting with an underage student, a character being spelled and then placed in a mental hospital only to be later cured but cursed with the knowledge that she is not insane but with no hope of escape, and the usual horror blood, murder and gore.
This series is both more and less feminist than the show and it’s sad that something that had so much potential is just over and more than likely never continuing. It had all the potential to be a long running and well done comic series.
That being said, there are some very dark themes in this book that will effect your enjoyment of the series based on your comfort level with each of the themes. What follows is my best attempt at listing trigger and content warnings in a spoiler free a manner as possible; references to and implied cannibalism, satanic rituals, off page sacrificing of an unborn child, teacher flirting with an underage student, a character being spelled and then placed in a mental hospital only to be later cured but cursed with the knowledge that she is not insane but with no hope of escape, and the usual horror blood, murder and gore.
This series is both more and less feminist than the show and it’s sad that something that had so much potential is just over and more than likely never continuing. It had all the potential to be a long running and well done comic series.
February 8, 2025
3.75
well, i expected something quite different from what i read, but i liked it, though.
it was an exciting, magical story about Sabrina Spellman and witches, romance and the price you must pay for magic. the greater the magic performed, the greater the price you'll pay for it.
not gonna lie, i was expecting Nick Scratch to appear, but he didn't. he's in the cover so i thought that. anyways, it was a graphic novel full of magic, witchery and politicial machinery in some pages. besides, as far as i remember, some characters and backstories and quite different from the show, but i totally get it. there's a difference between the show and the comics. i love both versions, although i especially love the tv series.
i loved the details at the end of adding behind-the-scenes pictures of the show with the cast of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Kiernan, Gavin, Chance (<3), Tati, Abigail, etc,... its locations, like the Academy or the Spellman house.
well, i expected something quite different from what i read, but i liked it, though.
it was an exciting, magical story about Sabrina Spellman and witches, romance and the price you must pay for magic. the greater the magic performed, the greater the price you'll pay for it.
not gonna lie, i was expecting Nick Scratch to appear, but he didn't. he's in the cover so i thought that. anyways, it was a graphic novel full of magic, witchery and politicial machinery in some pages. besides, as far as i remember, some characters and backstories and quite different from the show, but i totally get it. there's a difference between the show and the comics. i love both versions, although i especially love the tv series.
i loved the details at the end of adding behind-the-scenes pictures of the show with the cast of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Kiernan, Gavin, Chance (<3), Tati, Abigail, etc,... its locations, like the Academy or the Spellman house.
February 23, 2020
When it comes to reinventions/ retelling’s of well known characters the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina shows exactly how to do it. Taking the characters created for Archie comics and giving them an extremely dark and twisted tale shouldn’t work as well as it does but the writing from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa paired with Robert Hacks beautiful art it can’t help but succeed. I initially read this series as it came out on single issue comic format but reading it as a collection is much more enjoyable. The way witches, warlocks and demons are handled is a perfect blend of creepy and horrific whilst not making them one note. If you’re dismayed by the TV series I still recommend reading this series.
If I had one minor niggle with this release then it would have to be the cover. I appreciate the need for a TV tie in cover but an alternative DM cover would’ve been much appreciated.
If I had one minor niggle with this release then it would have to be the cover. I appreciate the need for a TV tie in cover but an alternative DM cover would’ve been much appreciated.
January 9, 2022
Sabrina Spellman has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I watched the Melissa Joan Hart series on a daily basis in grade school, watched the animated series whenever I noticed it on, and watched the Netflix series as soon as it dropped. Each iteration has been different, and this is no exception, though it's closest to the Netflix series. The plotlines are interesting. The characters are interesting. The art is dynamic and dark (as is the comic itself). Learning more about these characters and really diving into some of their backstories is fascinating. There are some fun ties to Riverdale as well, and I love the late 60s setting. This edition features strips from the original comics introducing Sabrina and the antagonist, which is cool. It's definitely worth the read if you're interested in these characters.
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