While Mike Carey was an avowed fan of Joss Whedon television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, he stated most of the ideas for the Spellbinders comic book series came from brainstorming sessions with editor Mackenzie Cadenhead, and his recent reading of Garth Nix's Abhorsen fantasy novels.

On her first day she meets neighbour Chad Barrow, who tells her she'll be fine in school - as long as she isn't a nerd or a 'wick'.

Her first day at school is rough; she is attacked by an air elemental, but is saved by two wicks, Mink and Liza Beth.

Shapeshifter Renata changes into another wolf creature, and the two fight until the thing sees the rest of the witches arriving, turns into a flock of birds and flies away.

Along the way, Kim realises that witches have been dying in unusual circumstances involving their powers backfiring and killing them.

He explains that mutations within the humans of Salem built up over years of interbreeding with the witches eventually culminated in a new Thief.

[17] When the group wakes up, they find themselves in a washed-out world, where their magics won't work fully.

Kim does so; magical energy shoots out of the remains of the Pillar and the pair find themselves in a white space where a line of corpses are guarded by flying skeletons.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group encounters the original Thief but escape by pooling their powers and teleporting back to Salem.

They tell Kim that she is the Gatekeeper, chosen by the Pillar to guard the way between the lands of the living and dead and mend breaches made by magic.

[19] Mario McKellop of FanSided highlighted the Spellbinders comic book series in their ""5 Obscure Marvel Comics that Could Be Great TV Shows" list as a potential standout for adaptation into television, noting its blend of young adult genre elements such as secretly malevolent romantic interests, coming-of-age drama, and high school events set against apocalyptic backdrops.

[24] The Spellbinders comic book series was nominated for the Great Graphic Novel Award at the 2006 Young Adult Library Services Association.