Sabrina the Teenage Witch: 60 Years, 60 Magical Stories

What better way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of everyone’s favorite witch than to read this 512 page collection of some of her best stories!

Though it offers some behind the scene mentions, the intros are not exactly looking into the history and evolution of the character as Archie’s 80 Years, 80 Stories or Archie’s 75th Anniversary compendiums do. Rather they are quick anctedotes and mentions from various Archie contributors and some of Sabrina’s best writers/artists like Tania del Rio, Dan Parent and more.

The real meat comes from seeing the evolution in origin, and of course in style from the first introduction to Sabrina in 196 . She’s a modern witch, out with the black hats and warts, sent to hex and vex her schoolmates and cause unlucky magic. Then Sabrina’s world evolves, gone is the mandate that witches aren’t allowed to fall in love or lose their powers. Gone is some witchy superstitions like not being able to float. Sabrina wants to join the normal world while balacing her powers and that’s where all the fun starts.

As several contributors mentioned, Sabrina is wonderful for how she is able to magically fit into various genres from horror to humor to romance to anything in between. It’s what made her last so long, she’s relatable in her continuous coming of age tale while aspirational in having this fantastic powers and fun adventures in the Otherrealm.

Some interesting things I found was that Hilda has been a long mainstay though Aunt Zelda seems to have only started appearing in the (though that may just be a choice of which stories were included. The 60 stories are one from each year, there are 3 just from del Rio’s 2004 run for example. So the cream of the crop is more important than chronology). Her hair also sometimes appears as blonde in modern iterations instead of just green thanks to the influence of the sitcom. Salem also appears as orange rather than just black and white (also influence from the sitcom). It also features Sabrina’s kooky nemesis, Prof. Pither from Planet Pluto who is so despicable that the witches that usually play tricks on humans, command Sabrina to stop his evil plan of ruining the Riverdale Regatta.

What I most appreciate the breadth of stories involved here with the 60s more mischevious witch who freely uses her powers (Interestingly some of her mortal friends knew of her powers in several stories). Then comes the more standard 70s good Sabrina who flauts witch convention of doing good deeds with her powers despite her aunts and head witch’s reprimends.

But there’s also the brief run of Sabrina’s move to Gravestone Heights that give readers a chance to see a whole new cast of hip monsters like Chip Noggin, Cleara and others that let loose Sabrina’s freaky side focusing on the many uses of her powers and how she’d get into trouble with them. There’s Dan DeCarlo’s 4-part 90s tie-in with the Sabrina sitcom, Do You Believe in Magic?, bringing Sabrina’s new origin where she finds out her powers on her 16th birthday and goes to live with her aunts so she can gain control of them. Plus the time shifting Cleopatra Chronicles that shows why it’s ‘s favorites.

There’s also the Holly G. run that introduces spell school and a new rival for Harvey, Shinji who also comes into Sabrina’s affections. Then Tania del Rio jumps off that with her manga to further explore and add depth to Sabrina’s magical world and its politics.

Finally there’s the new, hilarious guest spots in Jughead as Sabrina reveals a genuine interest in the chowhound though the date leaves a lot to be desired; the fantastic Kelly Thompson volumes that I’ve previously reviewed (and I want it to return!) and it’s all just fantastic. It picks and chooses to give readers a great overview of all the strands that make up Sabrina mythos. If only it introduced Sabrina’s new rival, Amber Nightstone like in the #1 Sabrina Anniversary issue that unfortunately sold out before I could get my hands on it.

Alas, it does not but it more than makes up for it and there’s plenty of other Sabrina content to get into once you’re finished with it.

Luckily I got to read the anniversary special when they released more because of high demand. The brand new story by the iconic Dan Parent introduces Sabrina’s new nemesis, Amber Nightsone in Celebration Vexation. She’s a fiery half-mortal, half-witch and due to witch’s rules, only one can stay in the mortel realm. Now Amber wants her turn and has to get rid of Sabrina to do it. It’s an explosive addition to the cast which is always fun and I’m excited to see more of her. It also includes fun classic Sabrina stories like “Yarn, Yarn,” “Color Coordinated,” “Sun Fun” and others.

The Magic of Sabrina the Teenage Witch by Holly G.

This volume primarly collects Holly G’s magical stories of everyone’s favorite witch. If you’re not sure who Holly G is, her art is very recognizable as the bridge between “house” Sabrina iteration and manga iteration with manga-lite hair with the same Westernized features. Just look at the cover above. She even sneaks herself in as Golly O. in Model Witch.

It is also recognizable as the art used in the early 2000s in case the fashions and the story lingo doesn’t clue you in. Such mentions as the advancements in technology like email attachments and the Britney Spears/Justin Timberlake break-up. It’s very nostalgic in that sense.

As for the stories, it primarly includes humorous and exciting two-parters such as Sabrina Who? where a fight just before Salem’s Transformation Hearing leads to Head Witch Enchantra cursing the family to forgetting Sabrina. There’s also guests from the other realm such as an evil boyfriend-stealing mermaid in Danger from the Deep and Hilda brings some fairy pests into the house in All’s Fair-y.

This is also the collection that brings Sabrina to Charm school featuring such characters as Enchantra’s bratty daughter, Lillith, Sabrina’s South African shaman friend Llandra and Harvey’s potential witchy rival, Shinji.

Overall, a fun blast to the past with entertaining Sabrina adventures. But the stories included several interesting storylines like Zelda’s pre-nuptial agreement that necesitates her finding a husband or else her powers disappear, and other Charm School continuity mentions make me wish that this was a more selective volume, collecting stories that form an overarching narrative.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within by Tania del Rio

This exciting manga series is a wonderful addition to the Sabrina canon as it adds continuity, complexity, and drama to the world.

First off, del Rio takes the time in using the previously established Charm School to provide exposition and context for how the rules of the world work. There’s a formal government made up of Queen Seles and seven czarinas, all magic is derived from the Mana Tree, no one is able to make-up new spells, etc. With rules and structures, it makes the world more real and more immersive for the reader instead of the usual vague system that we just follow along in the regular Sabrina since it’s unconnected stories.

But since this is one big 4-volume saga, continuity is established to create suspenseful twists and mysteries for Sabrina to unravel as del Rio continues to build up the stakes and the suspense. She goes into “darker” themes in a sense, revolving around manipulation, mind wiping and propoganda concerning the Magic Realm’s history with the Four Blades Revolt. As you can guess from the word, propoganda, the truth of the Four Blades were fighting against is not what is told in the history books.

But the history of the Magic Realm isn’t the only gem in the series. It’s the characters that truly shine. Sabrina is the usual kind-hearted girl we all love, though she can get side-tracked by her own love life. I really enjoy how del Rio delivers a cool subversion of the chosen-one tropes and keeps Sabrina relatable when after she joins the new Four Blades movement, she still feels conflicted as she’s just 16 and doesn’t want to think about politics all the time, much less start a revolution.

Sabrina’s mortal crush, Harvey can be quite annoying here I must admit but I admire how del Rio takes the stand in order to add some conflict and personality to him instead of the clueless everyman he usually is. Even though he is always sending mixed signals to Sabrina, the history that binds them in childhood and his sweet normalcy does serve a good reminder of why Sabrina longs for the normal world.

There’s also a fun new mortal friend, Gwen who learns of Sabrina’s secret early on who’s really cool and I wish she was shown more. But even more surprising was that mean girl, Amy actually had a sympathetic moment and I felt bad for her. Del Rio made me feel bad for Amy, just wow.

As for Sabrina’s magical friends, it’s cool that del Rio introduces Llandra as having shaman roots in Brazil, specializing in plant magic which offers a little cultural diversity in the cast and in magic. Shinji is certainly an appealing love interest that provides a great foil for Harvey as he has his own flaws of obsessiveness, flirtiness and hot-head temper but his backstory that is so similar to Sabrina (we finally have a story for what happened to them!) gives them a greater connection.

Finally, the aunts Zelda and Hilda are their usual, supportive, sometimes mischevious self though Hilda gets most of the spotlight as her new job in the Magic Council brings her in conflict with some of Sabrina’s extracurricular activities. As for Salem. . . there’s a two part Salem backstory that’s just tragic yet funny yet perfect for him.

So a wodnerful series with not only a great storyline but bouncy, beautiful art and swoon-worthy kiss scenes.

Archie and Sabrina by Nick Spencer

The second volume of 4 issues in Nick Spencer’s run resolves Betty/Veronica/Cheryl’s Riverdale Bachalor scheme with a fitting twist that settles somethings but doesn’t lessen the mysteries of Riverdale. While Sabrina and Archie’s romance continues its peaceful secrecy, Sabrina’s aunts recriminations about Sabrina’s priorities and her own premonitions of an ominous future dampen the sweetness of new romance.

Meanwhile the unlikely detective duo of Reggie and Jughead continue to delve into Ricky Mantle’s disappearence and the secret that might be hiden in Fox Forest. Fox Forest which is the center to Sabrina’s dangerous omens and the boiling point to Betty and Veronica’s quickly disolving truce as Veronica plans to build a new film center there while Betty wants to preserve the delicate enviroment.

Weaving into the summer lovin of Sabrina and Archie meeting with the present that is growing more puzzling, Spencer continues to deliver what Riverdale should have been balancing the more mundane friendship problems with the tangled web of magic and conspiracy among all the characters. I do wish it continued but it seems it has stalled indefinately or cancelled outright due to COVID. Oh well, hopefully the next Archie arc continues this solid storytelling whoever leads it.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Sabrina Goes to Rome by Mel Odom

This is basically a novelization of the movie featuring Melissa Joan Hart and Drew Seely after the popular sitcom. Just as the title says, Sabrina goes to Rome and wherever Sabrina goes, magic is sure to follow. There’s some hijinks as Sabrina’s equally witchy roommate Gwen has the powers but her spells most often backfire liek turning a cute guy into a pigeon which she must find to change him back. But Sabrina has bigger problems like saving her Aunt Sophie who is locked in a missing locket and the couple of American boys who are determined to reveal Sabrina’s secret to the world. Plus Italian romance like any good Roman Holiday homage. The book doesn’t add anything the movie doesn’t show but its a nice read if you want to continue a Sabrina marathon for the season.

Young Salem by Ian Flynn

Technically it’s all about Salem here but Sabrina makes little cameos in the frame story of cat Salem talking about his younger days where we meet his mother, Felicia, his adventurous uncle Mort who had a large infuence on him and the malicious cursed warlock, Todricus. this four part story has gold, mischief and the quick-wit one would immediately associate with Salem and copious amounts of forshadowing that is just delightful for the readers that know where he ends up as he learns his lessons (somewhat. He kinda forgets it in later life Salem admits) and displays the vast power that made him of the most dangerous warlocks in the Magic Realm.