Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #2
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Robert Hack
Letters: Jack Morelli
Half a year, six and one-quarter months, twenty-seven weeks, one-hundred and eighty-nine days; no matter how you look at it, the return of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been plagued by constant delays and rumors of its demise. With such a lengthy production time, how could the series possibly resurrect with all its charm intact? According to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #2, by the hand of Madam Satan. Yes, the introduction of the delightfully pulp horror of Madam Satan is a welcomed addition to the Archie Horror cast of characters, and drew me straight back into a series I thought might disappoint.
Upon first seeing the name Madam Satan, I found it oddly familiar, and after a quick Google search recognized it as a 1930s film we had discussed in one of my college film classes. Seemed a little strange to me to base the villain of a 2015 horror comic on a somewhat obscure film from 1930 so I dug a little deeper and discovered that she was not only based on a previously existing comic book character, but that the character had a bit of history with our pals in Riverdale. A little history for you, Madam Satan first appeared in Pep Comics #16 during the Golden Age of comics, 1941 to be specific. Pep Comics #21 would be her final issue as she had her series replaced by with a humor series following a group of American teenagers. Some of you comic book historians may recognize Pep Comics #22 as the first appearance of the beloved Archie Andrews. So there it is, Madam Satan back for revenge on the series that booted her out the door, which, for me at least, makes the book just all the more incredible.
While the issue spends much of its page count highlighting the reappearance of Madam Satan, Sabrina, too, gets some love, as we focus on her home life, as well as her and her boyfriend Harvey’s upcoming auditions for the school’s rendition of Bye, Bye Birdie. Aguirre-Sacasa does a marvelous job of blending the classic charm we come to expect from an Archie comic with the unmitigated horror established in Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1.
My only gripe with the issue was its lengthy stay in production hell. That said, with the newly established Archie Horror imprint, I can’t see it being problematic in the future.
Art: Robert Hack
Letters: Jack Morelli
Half a year, six and one-quarter months, twenty-seven weeks, one-hundred and eighty-nine days; no matter how you look at it, the return of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been plagued by constant delays and rumors of its demise. With such a lengthy production time, how could the series possibly resurrect with all its charm intact? According to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #2, by the hand of Madam Satan. Yes, the introduction of the delightfully pulp horror of Madam Satan is a welcomed addition to the Archie Horror cast of characters, and drew me straight back into a series I thought might disappoint.
Upon first seeing the name Madam Satan, I found it oddly familiar, and after a quick Google search recognized it as a 1930s film we had discussed in one of my college film classes. Seemed a little strange to me to base the villain of a 2015 horror comic on a somewhat obscure film from 1930 so I dug a little deeper and discovered that she was not only based on a previously existing comic book character, but that the character had a bit of history with our pals in Riverdale. A little history for you, Madam Satan first appeared in Pep Comics #16 during the Golden Age of comics, 1941 to be specific. Pep Comics #21 would be her final issue as she had her series replaced by with a humor series following a group of American teenagers. Some of you comic book historians may recognize Pep Comics #22 as the first appearance of the beloved Archie Andrews. So there it is, Madam Satan back for revenge on the series that booted her out the door, which, for me at least, makes the book just all the more incredible.
While the issue spends much of its page count highlighting the reappearance of Madam Satan, Sabrina, too, gets some love, as we focus on her home life, as well as her and her boyfriend Harvey’s upcoming auditions for the school’s rendition of Bye, Bye Birdie. Aguirre-Sacasa does a marvelous job of blending the classic charm we come to expect from an Archie comic with the unmitigated horror established in Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1.
My only gripe with the issue was its lengthy stay in production hell. That said, with the newly established Archie Horror imprint, I can’t see it being problematic in the future.
A Look Inside
