Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review: Oni Press and Archie Comics Cast a Fresh Spell on Greendale
Sabrina Spellman returns with teenage attitude, supernatural trouble, Halloween chaos, and a fresh visual identity as Oni Press and Archie Comics launch a new era with Corinna Bechko and Kano’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1.
Being a teenager is complicated enough.
Being a teenager who also happens to be a witch means that school, friendships, parties, relationships, and family drama can turn supernatural without warning.
That collision between ordinary teenage life and magical chaos has always been at the heart of Sabrina Spellman, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 embraces it from the opening pages.
Published by Oni Press in partnership with Archie Comics, the new series arrives in comic shops on October 7, 2026, with writer Corinna Bechko and artist Kano introducing readers to a refreshed Greendale filled with familiar faces, teenage frustrations, supernatural complications, and plenty of personality.
Rather than trying to completely reinvent Sabrina, the creative team builds from the character’s greatest strength: Sabrina wants the freedom to enjoy being a teenager, but being a witch makes normal life nearly impossible.
And sometimes all it takes is one Halloween party and a few unexpected rats to prove it.
Sabrina Spellman Begins a New Era at Oni Press
Sabrina has remained one of Archie Comics’ most adaptable characters because her world can shift between comedy, fantasy, romance, supernatural adventure, and horror without losing its identity.
That versatility gives Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 plenty of room to establish something new while still feeling recognizably Sabrina.
The new series arrives as part of the larger collaboration between Oni Press and Archie Comics, which has been introducing new creative teams and fresh approaches to Riverdale and its surrounding characters.
Readers who have been following the buildup can revisit our coverage of the broader Archie Comics 2026 relaunch with Oni Press, which laid the groundwork for this new publishing era.
Sabrina feels especially suited for that approach.
She exists close enough to Riverdale to remain connected to Archie’s larger world while having an entire supernatural mythology of her own to explore.
That gives Bechko and Kano enormous storytelling freedom.
Corinna Bechko Keeps Sabrina’s Teenage Life at the Center
Writer Corinna Bechko immediately understands one of the most important rules of Sabrina storytelling:
The magic should complicate Sabrina’s teenage life, not replace it.
Sabrina still worries about school.
She still wants to go out with her friends.
She wants some independence from her aunts.
She wants to attend parties without every decision becoming a supernatural lesson.
Unfortunately, magic does not always cooperate.
The early pages show Sabrina moving through conversations with the energy of someone caught between two identities. She is a teenager who wants independence, but she is also still learning the consequences of being a witch.
That tension gives the book its personality.
Sabrina can be sarcastic, confident, embarrassed, stubborn, excited, and uncertain within the same sequence.
Those emotions feel grounded because they are familiar teenage reactions, even when the circumstances around her are anything but ordinary.
Readers can also revisit our earlier Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 first look for more of the buildup surrounding Bechko and Kano’s new take on the character.
Halloween in Greendale Is Never Completely Normal
Setting part of the opening story around Halloween is an inspired choice.
For most teenagers, Halloween means costumes, decorations, candy, parties, and maybe some harmless scares.
For Sabrina Spellman, Halloween exists in a world where witches, monsters, magic, and supernatural creatures are not decorations.
They are part of reality.
That difference allows the creative team to play with the absurdity of Sabrina attending a costume party while possessing actual magical abilities.
The sample pages show Sabrina heading out with friends, arriving at a crowded Halloween gathering, and attempting to enjoy herself like everyone else.
Then the rats begin appearing.
One rat might be ignored.
Several become suspicious.
An infestation at a Halloween party in Sabrina’s world immediately feels like something more dangerous.
The sequence works because it moves naturally from comedy into mystery without abandoning the lighter tone that makes Sabrina appealing.
There is an immediate question hanging over the story:
Is this simply a disgusting Halloween disaster, or has someone brought real magic into the party?
With Sabrina around, the safe bet is usually magic.
Kano Gives Sabrina a Fresh Visual Identity
Artist Kano gives the new series an energetic visual personality that fits Sabrina particularly well.
Sabrina’s expressions communicate just as much as the dialogue.
Her body language shifts constantly depending on whether she is dealing with her aunts, preparing to leave the house, talking with friends, or realizing that something supernatural may be happening.
That expressiveness is critical for a character like Sabrina.
The book needs to sell both comedy and supernatural tension, sometimes within the same page.
Kano manages that balance by keeping the character acting clear and readable.
The Halloween party pages are particularly effective because the environments feel busy without becoming difficult to follow. Costumes, decorations, conversations, food, drinks, and background characters create a genuine sense of activity while Sabrina remains the visual anchor.
There is also a welcome mixture of contemporary design and classic Archie storytelling sensibility.
This Sabrina looks modern, but the comic still feels connected to the broader Archie universe.
Sabrina, Her Friends, and the Chaos of Greendale
One of the most promising aspects of Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 is that Sabrina is not isolated from the people around her.
Her friendships matter.
Her conversations matter.
Her desire to experience a relatively normal teenage night matters.
That makes the supernatural interruptions more effective because they disrupt something readers already understand.
Sabrina does not wake up hoping for another magical crisis.
She wants to go to a party.
She wants to enjoy herself.
She wants to be treated like a teenager instead of a walking supernatural emergency.
That makes every strange development feel personal.
The rats entering the Halloween celebration are funny at first, but they also represent exactly the kind of disruption Sabrina cannot escape.
Normal life and magic keep colliding.
And Sabrina is stuck somewhere in the middle.
Salem Still Knows Who the Real Star Is
No Sabrina comic would feel complete without Salem.
The famous black cat remains an essential part of Sabrina’s world, and the promotional artwork makes his opinion on the matter very clear.
One image even gives Salem the opportunity to remind everyone who he believes should be starring in the comic.
That attitude fits perfectly.
Salem works because he can function as comic relief, companion, supernatural observer, troublemaker, and judge of Sabrina’s decisions depending on what a scene requires.
Sometimes he only needs one expression to steal the page.
The relationship between Sabrina and Salem has always added personality to her stories, and keeping him close to the action should provide Bechko with another strong source of humor throughout the series.
Oni Press and Archie Comics Expand the New Riverdale Era
The arrival of Sabrina also strengthens the larger line of new Archie projects being developed through Oni Press.
September brings the new Archie #1, while Sabrina takes center stage in October before the darker side of the Archie universe expands further.
That positioning gives Sabrina an interesting place within the publishing line.
Archie can represent the optimistic heart of Riverdale.
Archie Horror can embrace outright terror.
Sabrina can move between both.
One storyline might be mostly comedy.
Another could become a genuine supernatural mystery.
A third could lean heavily into horror without feeling out of place.
That flexibility makes Sabrina potentially one of the most important characters in this new publishing era.
For additional background, our earlier Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 coverage looks at the series as part of Oni Press and Archie Comics’ growing collaboration.
A Midnight Release Worthy of the Witching Hour
Oni Press is giving Sabrina’s return an appropriately theatrical launch.
Participating comic shops can celebrate the release beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7, turning the arrival of the new series into a literal midnight event.
That celebration also includes the special Pyre Satanic Variant by Chloe Brailsford, created specifically for participating retailers holding midnight events.
Our earlier report on the Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 midnight release has more information about the event and variant program.
For a comic built around witches, Halloween, and supernatural mischief, a midnight release feels entirely appropriate.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Has a Massive Variant Lineup
Collectors will have plenty of choices when the issue reaches stores.
The full lineup includes:
- Cover A: Kano
- Cover B: Marguerite Sauvage
- Cover C: Naomi Franq
- Cover D: Caroline Cash
- Foil Variant: Kano
- Foil Variant: Caroline Cash
- Pyre Satanic Variant: Chloe Brailsford
- 1:10 Teaser Variant: Kano
- 1:20 Legacy Variant: Dan Parent
- 1:50 Variant: Erica Henderson
- 1:100 Variant: Mahmud Asrar
- 1:250 Black-and-White Variant: Kano
It is a deep lineup, but Sabrina is also a character who lends herself extremely well to different artistic interpretations.
Some covers emphasize teenage attitude.
Others lean into supernatural imagery.
The Dan Parent variant connects directly to Sabrina’s Archie Comics legacy, while the Kano covers help define the visual identity of the new ongoing series.
Collectors looking for even more background can revisit the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 announcement.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review Verdict
Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 gets the most important part right: Sabrina feels like Sabrina.
Corinna Bechko does not bury the character beneath complicated mythology before readers have the opportunity to reconnect with her personality.
Instead, the story begins with teenage life and allows the supernatural complications to grow around it.
Kano’s expressive artwork gives the book energy, humor, and visual clarity while establishing a modern look that still feels completely at home beside Archie Comics.
The Halloween setting is also an excellent launching point.
Costumes, parties, witches, suspicious rats, supernatural uncertainty, and Sabrina trying desperately to have a normal night provide exactly the kind of combination this series needs.
There is enough familiarity for longtime fans and enough accessibility for someone picking up a Sabrina comic for the first time.
Why You Should Pick Up Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1
This issue has several audiences working in its favor.
Longtime Sabrina readers get a fresh interpretation that respects the character’s core appeal.
New readers receive a straightforward entry point without needing decades of continuity.
Archie Comics fans get another major chapter in the Oni Press publishing partnership.
Collectors get an unusually large selection of variant covers.
And readers who simply want a supernatural comic with humor, personality, friendship, and teenage chaos have plenty to work with.
Most importantly, the first issue establishes a direction capable of supporting many different types of Sabrina stories.
That may ultimately be the series’ greatest advantage.
Book Details
Title: Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1
Publisher: Oni Press / Archie Comics
Writer: Corinna Bechko
Artist: Kano
Pages: 32
Format: Full Color
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 7, 2026
Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Comedy, Teen
Final Thoughts
Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 feels like a confident beginning for a character who has always thrived on reinvention.
Corinna Bechko understands that Sabrina’s supernatural abilities are most entertaining when they collide with her desire to simply live her life.
Kano gives that conflict personality through expressive artwork and energetic storytelling.
Together, they create a Sabrina who feels modern without abandoning what has kept the character popular for generations.
She wants freedom.
She wants friends.
She wants a normal night out.
Unfortunately for Sabrina Spellman, normal rarely survives for very long in Greendale.
And that is exactly why we keep coming back.
Join the Discussion
Are you picking up Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 on October 7?
Which cover are you adding to your collection?
Would you rather see this series focus more heavily on supernatural comedy, teenage drama, or horror?
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