I was so pleased to discover this book is available this week. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue, I had feared it would be delayed by due to the outbreak, like many of my other favorites. Thankfully, I got to check in with Sabrina and the gang sooner than expected. Let’s take a look at this issue, shall we?
Picking up where last issue left off, we find Sabrina at a crossroads. She’s always felt stuck between the human world and the world of witches, but that divide has never seemed more apparent than it does now. This miniseries is diving even deeper into Sabrina’s feelings of alienation, with the latest twists reminding me a bit of the sense of betrayal the kids in Runaways dealt with in the early issues. There’s a hope that things can be set right, but Sabrina’s unwillingness to confront her family keeps any kind of resolution from occurring.
Rather than being frustrating, however, this is one the issue’s biggest strengths. Sabrina continues to be an incredibly relatable character, even in her fear of confrontation. She may occasionally go about it in childish ways (the sequence where she runs straight to her room gave me a chuckle), but it ultimately feels very sweet and genuine.
While I was a little wary of the prospect of exploring the Sabrina/Harvey/Ren love triangle any further, Kelly Thompson’s script makes a great case for why this dynamic actually works for the character. Taking things beyond Sabrina’s teen soap opera roots, the differences between the two boys and what Sabrina sees in them further illustrates her fears of being an outcast. Sabrina already feels like she’s stuck between two worlds; this is just another reminder of that. It also gives us an insight into Sabrina’s hopes and fears for her future. It’s exactly the kind of thing that a high schooler would consider to be a matter life and death, but in this case, it eventually could be.
Veronica and Andy Fish knock the visuals out of the park yet again. Even in a less flashy issue comparatively, there are plenty of fun magical illustrations to enjoy. Of particular note is the scene where Sabrina’s new acquaintance Della teaches her how to play the magical card game Savoir Faire. This scene features some brief fantasy battles that have almost an anime flair to them. Not only is the sequence entertaining, but it goes a long way towards showing Sabrina’s newfound determination, particularly through body language and facial expressions.
The only part where the issue lags a bit is in the brief conversation with Harvey. While it does feel necessary to show Sabrina’s indecision, it does feel a little bit like a conversation we’ve already seen between the two of them more than once. There just doesn’t seem to be much to Harvey beyond “nice,” but perhaps that’s why Sabrina feels drawn to him.
This issue continues the strong character work seen in the previous issue and sets up an intriguing new mystery. Things keeps getting more complicated for our favorite witch and I can’t wait to see her get to the bottom of it all!
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