Wendigos And Krackens And Dragons, Oh My! – Sabrina #3 Reviewed

Allen isssss gone…

At the time I didn’t take the “demon dragon beast” seriously, but what if it was telling the truth about Allen? When you can transform into a kraken, a dragon doesn’t seem like much of a stretch, and what are the chances a dragon and a kraken would go to Sabrina’s high school? By “Allen isssss gone…” I thought the dragon meant possessed and that Allen was no longer in control of his body, but what if the dragon and kraken are separate people? What brings them to Greendale at the same time?

Sabrina #3 may get away with not explaining how the dragon transported Sabrina out of Greendale High without getting noticed, or how long Sabrina was unconscious that it’s already night when she wakes up in the woods, but the question of the dragon’s identity won’t be dropped so easily, nor does writer, Kelly Thompson, show any sign of wanting to drop it.
Sabrina’s aunts know what’s going on but getting them to talk won’t be easy (especially with Zelda shooting her silencing glare). As reassurance that the answer will be worth the wait, though, I like that one of the few things Hilda lets slip goes back to issue two, and why the kraken didn’t show up on their map as a magical disturbance. Whatever they’ve figured out is going to resolve that mystery and it means the series cares about building on what’s come before.
Sabrina’s frustration is understandable, but there’s a lot to love about this dramatic side to her aunts that artists, Veronica and Andy Fish, bring out (and which Sabrina must’ve inherited to a certain degree, going by her entrance into the room where they’re sitting). It’s both over the top without losing credibility. Too much yet you can believe they’re serious – that they’re not exaggerating the threat. Letterer, Jack Morelli’s, speech bubbles underline the fact that it’s two against one, with the aunts’ dialogue coming in from the left and Sabrina’s coming in on the right, but what most comes across in their dialogue is love. They wouldn’t be so careful with their words if they didn’t love each other and they wouldn’t keep Sabrina in the dark if they didn’t think it was necessary.
Other cool things that happen this issue:

• Thanks to Sabrina’s showdown with the dragon, we get to see her think on her feet while also learning a lot more about how magic works in this world. The coloring for when she’s invisible is excellent, like a faded glow stick, slightly transparent.
• Sabrina might’ve been more focused on her co-pilot, but those were some beautiful waterfront views she passed on the back of Ren’s motorcycle. Also, should we be reading into the full moon that’s behind them? The texture only draws your eye to it more.
• Ren might possess a leather jacket but he’s not a bad boy, which makes the love triangle that’s brewing feel like even more of a waste of time.
• Funny moment: Salem misreading how Sabrina ended up with leaves in her hair.

Sabrina #3 went on sale June 19th from Archie Comics.