Madam Satan is back (and badder than ever) in Archie Comics' upcoming sequel to 2021's Chilling Adventures in Sorcery one-shot.
At this time, CBR can reveal an exclusive preview of Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1, which is slated to hit comic shops next Wednesday, Oct. 26 as part of Archie Horror's Month of Mayhem. The anthology one-shot comes from the team of writers Eliot Rahal, Sina Grace and Casey Gilly; artists Vincenzo Federici, Corin Howell and Liana Kangas; colorists Matt Herms and Glenn Whitmore; and letterer Jack Morelli. It features a main cover by Julius Ohta, as well as a variant cover by Afterlife with Archie artist Francesco Francavilla.
"Madam Satan escaped Hell a fugitive and hated woman by Satan and his thralls," the official synopsis for Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery reads. "She's now principal of Baxter High and Hell has come to Earth. With each classroom acting as a portal to the different circles in Hell, Madam Satan must recruit similar tortured souls if she has any chance of survival... all leading up to a Madam Satan and her army vs. Satan and his in this highly-anticipated follow-up to last year's hit Chilling Adventures in Sorcery!"
Chillin' Like a Villain
"When I saw that I'd been paired with the incredible Liana Kangas, I knew I wanted to create a story that played to her sense of style, aesthetics, and our mutual history as gothy teens," Casey Gilley, writer of the one-shot's "Thirst Trap" story, said. "Enter Shrill Prisston, a tragically underused Archie character with similar sensibilities, and you have our kinda sexy/kinda gross/kinda cursed addition to this fantastic book."
"Feeling the urge to check your texts is a relatable feeling, but wait until you see the consequences in Casey Gilly's and my newest short, 'Thirst Trap,' this Halloween week," artist Liana Kangas herself added. "It's certainly fun and terrifying, and may have you thirsty for more!"
Regarding the story "Blood Moon Lilith," writer Eliot Rahal said, "It's a super simple great idea -- Archie meets Creepshow. A classic horror show set-up featuring two chilling tales, but the host (Madam Satan) gets her own story. So, it's really a three-in-one dressed up like a double feature with Madam as the host. At least that's how I thought about it. And I used to do a lot of stand-up comedy. And one of the rules of hosting is to make everything, hopefully, feel seamless. That was my entire mission here, to create transitions that help the other stories achieve their goals while simultaneously propelling the narrative that Madam Satan escaped Hell to become Principal of Greendale High but in doing so accidentally ushered in the Apocalypse and now (Regular) Satan reigns supreme. Did I mention, Happy Halloween?"
Finally, writer Sina Grace discussed "Dressed to Kill." "This was my first time writing a story with Veronica Lodge as the main character, and I had a sadistically good time showing the lengths Roni will go to for the perfect look," he said. "Artist Corin Howell took that horrific glee and amped it to 11!"
A History of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery
Chilling Adventures in Sorcery began life as a short-lived series titled Chilling Adventures in Sorcery as Told by Sabrina, which Archie Comics first published in 1972. The anthology-style series featured various horror-themed stories narrated by none other than Sabrina Spellman, aka Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Chilling Adventures in Sorcery as Told by Sabrina was canceled after only two issues, though Archie Comics relaunched the title as simply Chilling Adventures in Sorcery under its Red Circle Comics imprint in 1973, with three additional issues being produced.
The new Chilling Adventures in Sorcery dropped Sabrina as the narrator and implemented a more mature art style, as opposed to the lighthearted Archie style. The publisher again relaunched the book in 1974, this time as Red Circle Sorcery, with six more issues being produced. Red Circle Sorcery concluded in with issue #11 in 1975. Chilling Adventures in Sorcery as Told by Sabrina #1-2, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #3-5 and Red Circle Sorcery #6-7 were ultimately collected in 2018's Chilling Adventures in Sorcery trade paperback, which featured new cover artwork by the aforementioned Francavilla.
Of course, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery also inspired Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which launched under the Archie Horror imprint in 2014 as a dark retelling of the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch comics that featured Madam Satan -- a long-running character -- as its main villain. The comic itself inspired a live-action Netflix series of the same name, which ran for two seasons split across four parts from 2018 to 2020.
Archie Comics eventually brought back the Chilling Adventures in Sorcery title for last year's anthology one-shot, which itself served as a follow-up to 2020's Madam Satan one-shot. With Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, the publisher once again returns to the horror title that started it all.
Written by Eliot Rahal, Sina Grace and Casey Gilly, illustrated by Vincenzo Federici, Corin Howell and Liana Kangas, colored by Matt Herms and Glenn Whitmore and lettered by Jack Morelli, Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1 goes on sale Oct. 26 from Archie Comics.
Source: Archie Comics