Posted in: Archie, Comics, Comics Publishers, Recent Updates | Tagged: archie, Archie Horror, Chilling Tales of Sabrina, HRL, Jack Morelli, Robert Hack, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, sabrina the teenage witch

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina #7 Review: The Origin Of Sabrina's Father

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is frankly one of the best series Archie Comics has put out in years. I would happily trade all of the modern reboots for more horror Archie lines, that's how good they've been. Yet despite my ardent adoration of both this and the Afterlife series, they are published few and far between, which is a disservice to the reader. I've been reading both series since they first started — long before I wrote for here — but with the inconsistent publishing schedule, I honestly forgot what happened in the issue prior. And you know, I'm not alone in that either.

Anyhow, we have Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #7! Here we learn about Sabrina's father — Edward Spellman — who's a real son of a bitch. Since Sabrina's first appearance, we really never got to know her parents. Obviously we all know Hilda and Zelda, but they're only her aunts. Her father, as a child, was busy conjuring demons and learning about the dark arts. We can see how he started to gain power and respect at such a young age. We also see how he himself is being corrupted by the adults in his life, and how it would ultimately shape him. It's easy to feel bad for the young Edward, and it's positively refreshing to see him get his revenge on those who wronged him.

The story is great. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an established writer who has given a lot of these characters new life. In this single issue, I felt both rage and joy for Edward, even though I know he's not exactly a good guy. There's also a great deal of dark humor sewn throughout the story. When Edward marries Diana (Sabrina's mother), the officiant ends the ceremony with, "I know pronounce you witch and wife. You may defile the bride." I sincerely laughed out loud. Hilda and Zelda are also total badasses, even if it takes them a while to finally do the right thing. The development in this one issue alone is worth picking up the series.

With accompanying art by Robert Hack and Jack Morelli, this book is solid. Hack and Morelli know how to play up dark, brooding imagery without making them too muddy. The characters are clear and defined, and somewhat beautiful to look at. I can't pick out a single panel I don't enjoy, but I will say, seeing Satan for the first time wasn't what I was expecting; but it was cool all the same. And kind of funny. It probably wasn't meant to be funny.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #7 is a great starting point to those new to the series, but I implore you to read the other issues leading up to this. You will not be let down.

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