What fools these half-mortals be!
Creative Staff:
Story: Kelly Thompson
Art and Colors: Veronica Fish and Andy Fish
Letters: Jack Morelli
What They Say:
Sabrina Spellman has always had her aunts to guide her, but with nobody to trust, and time running out, she’ll have to see what she’s made of all on her own if she’s to save her friends, and Greendale itself from the clutches of a magic-based serial killer. But is it already too late? Has Sabrina already fallen into the killer’s trap herself?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After being attacked by persons or powers unknown in the woods, Sabrina is saved by her sorta-crush Ren, the twin brother of Sabrina’s frenemy Radka. If you remember, Radka and Ren merge together and turn into a Wendigo. Once Radka discovered that Sabrina was a witch, she blackmailed her into helping lift the curse. Sabrina’s been working on it, but her results have been, let’s say, mixed at best. When Ren arrives, he does so sporting antlers, red eyes, and fur. It’s a look not even a handsome guy like him can pull off.
Things would be easier if Sabrina could ask her aunts for help, but a recent spell indicated that they were the ones who placed the curse on Ren and Radka in the first place, so our favorite half-mortal teenage witch is working solo on this one.
To make matters worse, Sabrina’s other crush, Harvey stumbles upon Sabrina and Ren. Sabrina can’t tell him why they’re hanging out in her room, and Harvey walks away, hurt. As Zelda says to Hilda: “I told you this half mortal teenager thing was going to get weird fast.”
There’s no time for Sabrina to explain things to Harvey, as Ren has a possible lead on their situation. Unlike Radka, Ren sometimes has visions while they were merged in their Wendigo form. Although he never remembered being the Wendigo, he does remember the visions, which he merely wrote off as dreams. The three follow the breadcrumbs to a house in the woods (never a good place in these type of stories), and they discover the person who might be the true architect behind their misfortune. Who is that, you ask? Well, go read the issue. I’m not doing everything for you.
I know I’m a broken record when it comes to these reviews, but these Sabrina comics are just so damn good. Every element just works, and they combine together to create something delightful, instead of wicked. The mix of Sabrina’s mortal issues and her problems as a witch create a great Spider-Man duality and complicates the stories in the best of ways. Sabrina also acts like a teenager in a believable way. She makes mistakes and assumptions, and tries too much to do everything on her own. Under a less-talented writer, she could come off as foolish or bratty, but Thompson writes Sabrina with such heart and depth that her mistakes feel right and proper to her character and the situation.
Veronica Fish and Andy Fish always bring their A game, and this comic is just so much fun to look at. Their style is cartoony, but in a way that better brings to life the emotion of the scenes. Their line work and inking are minimalist, but not simplistic. Instead, every stroke counts, and the littlest line can do wonders in conveying emotion and character. And I adore their color palette—it’s rich and vibrant and, again, brings the emotional core of each scene to wonderful life.
In Summary:
Sabrina: Something Wicked #4 is another home run for this team. I hope that Kelly Thompson and the Fishes keep making these comics, because they have such a wonderful take on the character and her world. Dr. J gives this an…
Grade: A+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Archie Comics
Release Date: 25 November 2020
MSRP: $3.99
