Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1

The opening of the new Sabrina the Teenage Witch series (by Archie Comics) might give you some serious Chilling Tales of Sabrina vibes, but don't confuse it with its horror comic counterpart. This new Sabrina series is a part of the new rebranding Archie Comics has been doing since 2015. The rebranding has been a mostly successful effort to modernize Riverdale and its residents. So while Archie may still be a kindhearted walking-disaster, he's been spending less time agonizing over the Betty/Veronica debate and more time dealing with modern high school problems.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 follows that same vein. While the story may appear less campy than the older Sabrina comics, at its heart it's still about a girl stuck between two worlds and trying her best to fit into both of them. You learn early in the comic, via banter with her familiar Salem, that Sabrina has sworn off using magic to solve her problems. At least, that's what she's told herself, as she quickly uses a simple spell to disguise her naturally white hair as blonde. When Salem questions this Sabrina waves him off, saying she hasn't sworn off magic completely. We also learn that this will be Sabrina's first day at her new school, as some form of mishap (implied to be magical) forced her family to relocate.

Sabrina's aunts only show up briefly in the comic, and retain most of their modern adaptation traits. Zelda is still a severe, practical witch who bites back a comment about Sabrina's hair upon seeing it. Hilda is still kindly and whimsical, and offers Sabrina a few words of encouragement before she leaves for school. The two feel, in both writing choice and design, heavily inspired by their counterparts in Netflix's Chilling Tales of Sabrina.

Once at school Sabrina's "no magic" rule is quickly put to the test as she bumps into another girl. Dropping most of her things, the girl rudely tells Sabrina to be more careful, causing Sabrina to repeat "don't curse the mean girl" until the impulse fades. Sabrina's first day of school is full of the typical teen drama firsts: she meets her main love interest, flirts with a leather jacket-wearing "bad boy," befriends the friendless nerdy girl, and she comes into conflict with the mean girl from the story's opening, resulting in her getting detention on her first day of school (a pretty common trope in teen drama at this point).

What makes Sabrina different from other teen drama is the obvious: she's a witch. While flirting with Ren, the aforementioned "bad boy," she casts a spell on his apple. When confronting Radka, the mean girl, she curses her. And while these two events seem as if they are (or should be) completely unrelated, a reveal towards the end of the book implies Sabrina's irresponsible use of magic has already put her new life in peril.

If you're a fan of either classic Sabrina the Teenage Witch or Chilling Tales of Sabrina I'd recommend you check this book out. Sabrina is at once relatable in her desire to be more responsible and her desire to use her power irresponsibly to be accepted. After all, if you could have cursed your high school bullies can you honestly say you wouldn't? :)