Robert Aguirre-Sacasa has one of the best narrations in comics with this series. I mean he writes the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina like a novel and I’m eating up every page of it. For my money you can’t find a better horror comic being published. Harvey has walked in on the witches preforming a ritual with Sabrina at the center of it. She casts a spell on him to run and run he does. Aguirre-Sacasa then walks us through Harvey’s memories as he recalls the last time he ran for his life through these very woods. It’s a simple flashback, but it adds so much personality to Harvey and this world that I clung to every word.
The thing about this series is that it’s never pulled a punch. It’s been dark and demented from the very beginning and no character is safe, much like Afterlife with Archie. That said, you should probably guess what happens in this issue, but it’s how that really matters and the consequences afterwards. The events bring in the Riverdale gang for a nice cameo and our young witches Betty and Veronica make an appearance and will possibly play a role in the larger story. Our scorned lover then makes her move on Sabrina at the end of the issue and it’s a dozy of a deal.
I really want to talk about this issue more, but it’s just something you should experience as fresh as possible. Nothing is “just because” in this story. Aguirre-Sacasa uses every little detail to push the larger story and so you really have to pay attention to all of the details. Again, the narration is just fantastic and never too much. It’s like reading an old school horror story which is probably exactly what Aguirre-Sacasa was going for. He succeeded.
Robert Hack’s artwork continues to be phenomenal on this series. His witches in particular are disgusting and amazing at the same time. There’s an intensity to his artwork that elevates the story. Because of the narration there’s plenty of times that the art is working on its own without dialogue to support it and Hack nails the visuals. I personally love it when comics do that, when the narration tells one part of the story and the art tells another. It makes for a wonderful cohesion between story and art and gives you a reason to pay attention to both.
If you haven’t checked out this series or perhaps you’ve given up on it due to its bi-monthly nature, then I would encourage you to stick around. I can’t think of one other horror title out there that can compare or beat this series so it’s worth the extra effort to follow it. Who would have thought that Sabrina would be the best horror series on the market? But it is.
Score: 4/5
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #4 Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Artist: Robert Hack Publisher: Archie/Archie Horror Price: $3.99 Release Date: 7/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital