Continued from Part 1.
The previous Holly G version of Sabrina transitions to the manga version with an intro no less.
I wrote a review of a small trade (four issues) of the manga Sabrina in 2009 that I posted on MySpace.
Review of Sabrina-The Magic Revisited
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 the Young Sabrina (animated version), how long could I resist trying
this version?
I blame Johanna at Comics Worth Reading for getting me to try it
due to her exuberant reviews.
Interview with Tania
Review of trade paperback
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.
I wish they’d reprint the omnibus volumes of this material. (They’re out-of-print.) I’d probably buy it. This version was definitely more about the drama and had continuing storylines and mysteries. I did get my request for a “Sabrina Through the Years compilation” fulfilled. Thanks to this volume, I did learn when Shinji was introduced to the series.
Not to say there wasn’t some humor. In this story, Salem gets turned back into a guy, but finds out he’d prefer to be a cat.
I love Gisele’s artwork. I wish Archie would have retained her as a regular artist for the series. This story definitely has Aunt Hilda’s best makeover. (Still has a terrible personality.)
Then we have this strange interlude with Jughead and Sabrina dating. They have had interactions before and he was the only one in the Archie gang that knew she was a witch. (I think.) Their best crossover was the epic Jughead #200. It’s not so much the concept of this story; it’s the all too self-aware execution that makes this kind of insufferable. I admit it is kind of funny. Sabrina tries to use magic to get back at Jughead for a lousy date and it completely backfires.
There is a reprinting of the first issue of the last Sabrina series, which was another reboot. I’ve covered that (12-30-19) and bought the trade with it, though I didn’t pick up the sequel or the Holiday Special last year. This was sort of a horror-themed version, but still safe for kids (and squeamish adults). None of the horror Sabrina stuff is in this book, which was the inspiration for the Netflix show. I am totally okay with that.
Of course Archie has dated Sabrina. The first issue of that miniseries was reprinted here. I have read a later issue in the series. All I have to say about it is that it is very slow paced.
Finally, a couple of fairly recent classic Sabrina stories are reprinted. Dan Parent’s version is pretty cute.
Yeah, if you’re a fan of the teen-aged witch, buy this immediately. (Since it’s on discount, it may be gone soon.) Once again, I’m staggered by the number of permutations Sabrina has gone through over the years, yet still maintained her lasting charm.
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