[BOOK REVIEW] Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: The Crucible Volume 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Title:  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: The Crucible Volume 1

Author:  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa  

Artist:  Robert Hack 

Genre:  Horror / Drama / Romance / Witches / Family

Year Published: 2016

Year Read:  10/31/2018

Publisher:  Archie Comics

Series: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 15+ (Scary Content and Some Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Introduction:

After reading “Afterlife with Archie,” I was definitely looking forward to reading “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and see how this compares to the “Afterlife with Archie” series. I also wanted to read this graphic novel because I wanted to read it before I watch the new Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!”  Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the same writer of the “Afterlife with Archie” series, along with artwork by Robert Hack, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Volume One: The Crucible” is definitely worth the read!

What is this story about?

Sabrina Spellman is not your average teenage girl.  She is actually a half witch (her father was a warlock who married a mortal woman).  According to her aunts Zelda and Hilda, Sabrina has to be baptized on her sixteenth birthday in order to become one of the Devil’s handmaidens.  But, there are a couple of things that will complicate Sabrina’s demonic ceremony.  One of them is her love for a mortal teenage boy named Harvey Kinkle, as she cannot tell him that she is really a witch and that she will be celebrating a forbidden ceremony for witches. Another one is that an enemy named Madam Satan is going after Sabrina and is doing everything in her power to make Sabrina’s life miserable, due to Sabrina’s father choosing a mortal woman over her.  With her sixteenth birthday fast approaching, Sabrina must decide about what she really wants in her life and what she is willing to sacrifice to get the life she really wants.

What I loved about this story:

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s writing:  Wow!  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has done it again with his stellar writing on the darker retellings of the characters from the Archie Comics!  When it comes to darker retellings of the characters from the Archie Comics, I believe that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is probably the best suited at writing these characters due to making the characters so intriguing!  I am also usually shocked at how dark Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa can make these characters as I would not believe that these characters from the Archie Comics would do such heinous crimes, if it was not for the fact that these are darker retellings of the characters.  I also really liked the dark and mysterious atmosphere of this story as the witches are shown in a much more menacing and frightening light here than with what you would see in the regular “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” series.  The fact that Satan is the being that the witches worship makes this story even darker in tone.  I also liked the way that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa made the story extremely emotional, especially for Sabrina since I really wanted to see Sabrina and Harvey stay together through all the terrifying events going on in this volume.

Robert Hack’s artwork:  Robert Hack’s artwork was just so gorgeous and frightening to look at!  I loved the way that Robert Hack made all the characters look extremely realistic, especially with their facial expressions.  I also loved how detailed the images can be during scenes of horror and violence and I found myself cringing a bit at some of the artwork because of how realistic they looked.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like scary content, this volume has a surprising number of terrifying moments such as a witch ripping off the face off a person or a satanic ritual with the witches. 

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Volume One: The Crucible” is a truly fantastic graphic novel that manages to make a darker retelling of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” worth the read!

You might also like:

• Archie Volume 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid

• Jughead Volume 2 by Chip Zdarsky and Ryan North
• Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

[BOOK REVIEW] Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Title:  Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume 1  

Author:  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa  

Artist:  Francesco Francavilla  

Genre:  Horror / Drama / Zombies / Alternative Universe / Friendship

Year Published: 2014

Year Read:  10/28/2017

Publisher:  Archie Comics

Series: Afterlife with Archie #1

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 15+ (Gory Violence and Some Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

Introduction:

Alright, so I will admit that I have not read many Archie Comics where the gang is put into a darker situation that is different from the “wholesale family entertainment” adventures that they are usually in (and this was BEFORE the reboot came along, although the reboot was not as dark as this comic).  So, since Halloween is around the corner, I just had to pick this graphic novel up called “Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume One” which is written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa along with artwork by Francesco Francavilla, where Archie and the Gang end up in a for real zombie apocalypse!

What is this story about?

The story starts out with Hot Dog, Jughead’s beloved dog, being run over by a car and Jughead ends up going to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, to see if she can help his dog.  Unfortunately, Sabrina’s aunts tell Jughead that there is nothing they can do for Hot Dog and that he should let Hot Dog stay dead.  But then, Sabrina decided to help out Jughead anyway and she ends up resurrecting Hot Dog.  Unfortunately, it turns out that when Sabrina brought Hot Dog back to life, Hot Dog became a zombie dog and he ended up biting Jughead, which turned Jughead into a zombie! So, when Jughead went to the school dance, he ended up affecting most of the school by biting most of the students, with the exception of the main cast, which consisted of Archie, Dilton, Midge, Moose, Reggie, Betty, Veronica and many others.  The remaining students ended up going to Mr. Lodge’s mansion in order to protect themselves against the zombies, while also trying to see if there are any survivors from the zombie apocalypse.

What I loved about this story:

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s writing:  Wow!  I never would have thought that I would live to see the day where there would be a graphic novel series that has Archie and the gang getting involved in a zombie apocalypse!  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has done a fantastic job at giving the usual sweet natured Archie Comics a darker and scarier tone in this graphic novel and it never felt so out of place to me that the Archie gang in this story are portrayed in a much more mature and cynical way, since they are stuck in a zombie apocalypse and it is appropriate for this type of story.  I also loved the way that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa created a different spin for each of the main characters, such as Betty and Veronica being more antagonistic with each other rather than be good friends with a small rivalry with each other, Sabrina and her family being more realistic and intense versions of witches and Nancy and Chuck…well, I will let you find out for yourselves what is going on with Nancy and Chuck in this comic!  I really loved the fact that this comic is much more serious and frightening in tone since the gang are facing a zombie apocalypse and I found myself a bit creeped out by some of the moments in this comic, such as the zombified citizens of Riverdale attacking the main protagonists.

Francesco Francavilla’s artwork:  Francesco Francavilla’s artwork fits the scary and serious tone of this comic quite perfectly as the zombies in this comic are quite terrifying to look at such as the images of the zombified Hot Dog.  I loved the fact that the art style is much more realistic in this comic as it really captures the mature and serious nature of this story. I also loved the way that Francesco Francavilla did the coloring of this book as the colors are mostly in red, black, orange and grey that greatly convey the horror elements of this story.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Anyone who does not like language or gory violence might be a bit uncomfortable with some of the gory violence and language in this comic.  The language in this comic is not as strong as some of the more mature comics as only the “h” word is uttered in a couple of sentences and as for the gory violence, there are many images of zombies biting into people which is pretty graphic.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume One” is a fantastic graphic novel that anyone who loves both the Archie Comics and zombies will easily enjoy!

* 2014 Harvey Awards Nominee for Best New Series

* 2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee for Best Lettering (for Jack Morelli), Best Cover Artist (for Francesco Francavilla)

You might also like:

• Archie Volume 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid

• Jughead Volume 1 by Chip Zdarsky
• American Vampire Volume 1 by Scott Snyder and Stephen King

[BOOK REVIEW] The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg

Title:  The Widow's Broom

Author:  Chris Van Allsburg

Genre:  Horror / Witches / Halloween 

Year Published: 1992

Year Read: 2010

Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin Company

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+  (Intense Themes of Witchcraft)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“The Widow’s Broom” is a haunting story from the great mind of Chris Van Allsburg and it is about how a lonely widow named Minna Shaw finds a friend in a witch’s broom, but is threatened by the villagers to get rid of the broom because the know that it is witch crafted.  “The Widow’s Broom” may have some controversial material about witchcraft, but it is a brilliant read for children who love haunting stories.

Chris Van Allsburg makes this story haunting yet memorable at the same time as it details the story of friendship between a widow and her broom and the bond that Minna Shaw and the broom share together will definitely show children about the importance of friendship even in the worse of times such as when the broom was being harassed by the villagers because it was witch crafted.  Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrations are highly beautiful and haunting at the same time as the images are mainly in black and white giving the story a haunting and old fashioned feel since this story probably took place during the 1700s and the image that stood out the most was the image of the broom itself as its handle actually curves when it is doing the work for Minna and because the broom looks so innocent and friendly, many children would actually like the broom instead of fear it.

Parents should know that the theme of witchcraft in this book might be too sensitive to readers who do not approve of witchcraft, even though personally, this subject does not bother me so much since I am a huge fan of Harry Potter, but the broom in this book was friendly and he only threw up the Spivey boys and the dog because they were harassing the broom.  Depending on your views on the subject on witchcraft, parents should talk about this book with their children and see how they handle the witchcraft theme.

“The Widow’s Broom” is a brilliant book about the importance of true friendship and will be an instant treat for children who love reading haunting books.  I would recommend this book to children ages five and up due to the witchcraft theme might be scary for smaller children.

You might also like: 

• The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

• Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi

• Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam

[BOOK REVIEW] Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep by Jack Prelutsky

Title:  Nightmares:  Poems to Trouble Your Sleep

Author:  Jack Prelutsky

Artist: Arnold Lobel

Genre:  Horror / Poetry / Halloween / Monsters

Year Published: 1976

Year Read: 2009

Publisher:   Greenwillow Books

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 7+  (Some Scary Imagery and Graphic Dialogue)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Nightmares” is a book of poems written by Jack Prelutsky along with illustrations by Arnold Lobel.  This book contains poems about various monsters, wizards and ghosts doing horrible things to unsuspecting people.  “Nightmares” might be too scary for smaller children, but older children will love the macabre content of this book. 

Jack Prelutsky’s writing is dramatic and intense as he brings true horror to these poems.  Each poem describes a monster doing horrible acts towards their victims and Jack Prelutsky brings great detail to how these victims are tortured, such as in “The Vampire” where Jack Prelutsky describes how the Vampire bites down on its victim and licks the blood off its lips.  Arnold Lobel’s illustrations are the center of attention here as they are in black and white coloring, giving the story a gothic feel to it.  The image that stood out the most was the image of the Dragon of Death having seven heads and vicious looking eyes in the poem “The Dragon of Death.” 

“Nightmares” is surely one of Jack Prelutsky’s most haunting books he ever created since it talks about how monsters torture their victims to death.  I would recommend this book to children ages seven and up since there are too many advanced words that young children might not understand and because of the macabre content displayed vividly in this book.

You might also like: 

• In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz

• Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi

• Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam

[ARC REVIEW] Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas by Jun Asuka (@TOKYOPOP)

Title:  Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas


Author:  Jun Asuka (Original Script by Tim Burton)


Artist:  Jun Asuka

Genre: Horror / Adventure / Romance / Halloween / Christmas / Adaptation 


Year Published: 2004


Year Read: 2017

Publisher: Tokyopop


Source: eARC (NetGalley and Edelweiss)



Content Rating:  Ages 8+ (Some Scary Images and Scary Situations)


Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I would like to thank NetGalley, Edelweiss and Tokyopop for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction:

Now, I will start going into fangirl mode here since I will be talking about one of my most favorite animated movies of all time!   I will admit that when I was little, I was actually terrified of Tim Burton’s classic animated movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” due to the scary visuals presented in the film.  But, when I started watching this film way back in high school, I suddenly fell in love with this creepy yet memorable movie and it has become one of my most favorite films to watch during Halloween (next to “Hocus Pocus,” of course)!  So, when both NetGalley and Edelweiss gave me a copy of the manga adaptation of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which was adapted by Jun Asuka, I was jumping around with glee since I never would have thought that a manga version of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” would ever be made!

What is this story about?

Based off the classic animated film, Jack Skellington is the scariest creature in Halloween Town, but unfortunately, he has started to get tired of doing the same old things every year for Halloween and he goes out into the woods to discover more things to do.  One day, while he was out in the woods, he discovers a door that has a Christmas tree on it and he ends up going through the door and discovering Christmas Town and Santa Claus.  It was then that Jack decided to become Santa Claus that year and deliver some “presents” to all of the girls and boys in the world.  Unfortunately, Sally, the ragdoll that loves him, has a terrible premonition about Jack’s Christmas turning into a disaster and Sally has to stop Jack from becoming Santa Claus and delivering the presents to the kids before it is too late!

What I loved about this story:

The story:  Wow!  I was quite impressed with this story!  “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has always been one of my most favorite animated movies of all time and I was so excited to finally be able to check out the manga version of this movie!  As I come to expect, the manga version of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was completely faithful to the original movie, from the dialogue to the situations that happened in the film.  I loved revisiting the movie in manga format since it was quite unexpected for me to see this movie in manga form rather than in a regular graphic novel format and it just made this manga so original to read through!  I also loved the fact that this manga focused more on Jack and Sally’s relationship with each other than the movie did and I loved the fact that we get more focus on Sally’s perspective of the whole situation in this manga since I wanted to see more from her character in the movie and this manga did a great job at fleshing out Sally’s character even further.

Jun Asuka’s artwork:  Jun Asuka’s artwork was both creative and adorable to look at!  I loved how Jun Asuka’s artwork was faithful to original designs of the characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” movie as they look just as creepy as in the movie, but with a bit more anime style added for effect!  I also loved the way that Jun Asuka designed Sally in this manga as Sally is drawn in a much cuter style than in the movie and it makes her into a more endearing character to read about in this manga!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a point from the star rating was because the copy I got seemed a bit incomplete.  It seemed like the bottom half of the pages were cut off a bit and there was a bit of dialogue that I ended up missing because it got cut off at the bottom.  Luckily, I have seen the movie enough times to figure out what is going on and I probably would have given this manga a five-star rating if I had not received an incomplete copy of this manga.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” manga is a joy to read if you are a fan of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and of manga in general!  I would highly recommend it to manga and horror fans alike!

You might also like: 

• Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix Volume 1 by Shiro Amano

• Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix Volume 2 by Shiro Amano

[BOOK REVIEW] In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz

Title:  In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories

Author:  Alvin Schwartz

Artist:  Dirk Zimmer

Genre:  Short Stories / Horror / Drama / Monsters

Year Published: 1984

Year Read:  2017

Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 6+ (Death and Some Scary Imagery)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Now, I have been introduced to Alvin Schwartz’s works before through his famous and controversial “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” series and after I found out that Alvin Schwartz had written another pair of horror stories for children called “In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories,” of course I had to give this series a whirl!

This is a collection of horror stories for children and there is a total of seven stories being told in this book.  The stories featured in this collection are:

1. The Teeth
2. In the Graveyard
3. The Green Ribbon
4. In a Dark, Dark Room
5. The Night it Rained
6. The Pirate
7. The Ghost of John

Wow!  Alvin Schwartz really knows how to create stories that are both scary and tame for any child and all of these horror stories contain a mixture of humor and horror that made me both smile and cringe at the same time.  I loved the fact that Alvin Schwartz did some research on these stories and allows the readers to understand where these stories came from as he mentions it in the “Where the Stories Come From” section at the end of the book as I wanted to know where these stories came from.  I also enjoyed many of the stories in this book with my favorites being “The Green Ribbon” and “In a Dark, Dark Room” as I believe that those are the creepiest stories in this collection, especially “The Green Ribbon!”  Dirk Zimmer’s artwork conveys both horror and comedy in this book as the characters have exaggerated features which includes some of the characters have large noses and wide eyes and I also loved the way that the characters look so pale and frightened in most of the images as it shows what kind of horrors the readers will be introduced to when they start reading this book!

The reason why I took off a half point from the star rating was because I felt that there were too many abrupt endings in each story and I wanted to see some closure in these stories, although given the short length of this book, that was to be expected.  Also, even though I have enjoyed Alvin Schwartz’s work on “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” I felt that this collection of horror stories was not as scary as “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.” Maybe it is because the artwork was not as scary as Stephen Gammell’s artwork in “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” and that took away the creepiness of the stories, although stories like “The Green Ribbon” still remained creepy no matter how the illustrations looked like.

Overall, “In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories” is a great collection of horror stories that children will gladly enjoy during Halloween time!  I would recommend this book to children ages six and up since there are some scary stories in this book that might creep out younger readers.

*  1992 North Carolina Children's Book Award

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You might also like:

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

• More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

• Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz