Why did I buy this?

Given that I’m a big fan of the “Classic” and “Updated” Sabrina looks, as well as the humor of Young Sabrina (animated version), how long could I resist trying this version?

I blame Johanna at <http://comicsworthreading.com/>> for getting me to try it due to her exuberant reviews.
 
Interview
http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/08/07/interview-with-tania-del-rio-on-sabrina-plans-oel-manga/


Review
http://comicsworthreading.com/2006/12/24/sabrina-the-teenage-witch-the-magic-revisited/


And also this linked review by another reviewer.

http://www.the-isb.com/?p=1144


How was it?

I will sum this volume up in three words: labor of love. 

Tania del Rio clearly has love and respect for the Sabrina character and has married it with her enthusiasm for the manga style of art and storytelling. There are plenty of teen girl witches in Japanese comics, so it’s really a natural fit. 

In places, the art reminds me of Adam Warren, one of my favorites.  If you don’t appreciate the style, it’s at least well done in its own style.  I would actually add that it’s probably technically better and more detailed than most modern Archie artwork. My only critique would be that Sabrina’s lips are sometimes overdone.  Jim Amash’s inks handled the myriad details and emotions well.  Jason Jenson’s bright, vivid colors certainly enhanced the art.

Tania’s used the TV show as a starting point to tell her own story and added quite a bit to Sabrina’s mythology. The issues in this volume are self-contained, but there is a continuity to them.  There’s also clearly some stuff going on in the background that will apparently payoff later, kind of a “Harry Potter” vibe.  Bravo to Archie Comics for not just trying something different, but following through with it and letting Tania tell her whole story. 

Sabrina is however still a typical teenager.  Even if her situations have a supernatural bent to them, the issues are easily relatable for kids and parents.  I definitely liked that the issues were full comic book length stories.  I wish there was more of this in the entire Archie Comics line.  As to my favorites in the volume, I liked the first and last stories the best as they featured the most Salem.  The cat is always reliable comedy.   

I wonder where the Shinji character, Sabrina’s other love interest, came from.  He was introduced like he wasn’t a new character.  I had some trouble getting past his name.  I kept thinking of the protagonist from “Evangelion.”  Thankfully, the two just have the name in common and nothing else. 

I can see how manga Sabrina sort of fell through the cracks.  The look likely turned off most Sabrina fans.  That it was in color, not Japanese, first published in floppy form, and featured an Archie character probably kept manga fans away from it.  This trade might also have seemed a bit thin, and even with the coloring, overpriced, compared to a typical manga volume.     

Hopefully, Archie will go ahead and publish more of manga Sabrina trades.  There has been a suggestion of a format change for further reprints.  Please just don’t continue the series in such a way that would force me to essentially buy Volume 1 again. (Even better, publish a Sabrina Through the Years trade.  Even more better, a complete anthology DVD like the Bronze Age Series.)

This is the kind of material that Archie fans should support.  It’s okay, if you don’t like the manga style.  What I’m talking about isn’t so much about experimenting with the look of the characters.  But rather, allowing writers and artists more of a free reign in producing stories and art and putting their own unique stamp on the characters.  Don’t worry about the characters ever changing for good.  In this volume, manga Sabrina was still very much in the tradition of every other version of Sabrina, and it was good fun for readers of all ages.       


Overall?

In spite of my love for the character, I was as skeptical as anyone else here about a manga version of any Archie character, especially one of my favs. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, even with the good reviews, and was fully prepared to rip the people who recommended it if it was bad.  Well, I not only recommend it, I express regret that I hadn’t tried this before Tania’s run ended.  Luckily, you can still get this volume to try it out.  If you do, post your opinions on it.  And I suspect they will be positive. 

Thanks, Aya

I can't vouch for the entire manga run, but the issues in the trade were great.  Really, give it a shot. 

Archie Comics does offer the back issues of Sabrina by year.

http://archiecomics.stores.yahoo.net/sabrinastuff.html

Glad you liked it.