Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Creative Staff:
Story: Eliot Rahal
Art: Julius Ohta
Colors: Matt Herms
Letters: Jack Morelli
What They Say:
From the world of the hit series CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA comes MADAM SATAN. The Queen of Hell has had enough playing second fiddle to the Devil himself and is ready to take matters into her own hands! Will Madam Satan prove herself to be the most powerful being of the Underworld? Find out in this terrifying one-shot tale!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The King is dead. All hail the Queen.
Madam Satan, the bane of Sabrina Spellman’s existence, has achieved victory. She sits on the dark throne of Hell, resplendent in her beauty and her wickedness, adorned by a mantle of fire. She married the Devil hisself, and on their wedding night she stabbed him in the heart and trapped him forever in a magickal prison. The act culminated years of planning and sacrifice, but not all are happy about this new order in Hell, least of all Madam Satan.
She was prepared for the power, but not the responsibility that came with it (that old chestnut). Ruling Hell required far more administration than she anticipated, and it turns out that ruling is far less satisfying than the scheming it took to attain the throne.
Her rule might not last long, though. Not if King Paimon has his way. To display his displeasure at the administrative change, he expands his borders into the neighboring duchies and kingdoms. Madam Satan goes to deal with him on her own, and it doesn’t go well for the King.
That should be the end of it, but all it provides is a momentary diversion from the ennui that threatens to undo Madam Satan. She retires to a reflecting pool and has a long discussion with her advisor Uzza, bringing her to a drastic decision which I won’t ruin here, but I’d bet good money it means something bad for Sabrina.
Eliot Rahal writes a solid one-shot here that serves as a self-contained story that also provides important backstory, and a possible glimpse of what’s to come in Sabrina’s life. That’s no mean feat, by any means. Rahal also writes some killer dialogue. My favorite part of the entire comic is Madam Satan and Uzza’s conversation by the reflecting pond, where Uzza more-or-less reframes Lucifer’s (and Madam Satan’s) position within cosmology. It’s very much pop theology, but it’s fun pop theology and certainly elevates an already entertaining comic.
Julius Ohta’s art is excellent. Ohta makes Hell frightening, but also feel like a real, living (so to speak) place. There’s a rough quality to the linework that matches the overall tone and subject matter, and Matt Herm’s colors beautifully take over where the line work leaves off by using a diverse and robust color palette that brings out the emotional overtone of each scene.
In Summary:
Madam Satan One-Shot #1 is a damn-fine single issue that works for both long-time Sabrina fans, and those new to the world and story. It was quite enjoyable to read and it teases some fascinating trials in the future for everyone’s favorite teenage witch. Dr. J gives this an…
Grade: A
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Archie
Release Date: October 21st, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
