This Comic Is Good - Sabrina the Teenage Witch

While we wait for Joe's latest Media Review, I figured I'd take the opportunity to highlight a book that came out this week that I doubt that Joe is reading (heck, checking the total sales on it, I doubt many people are reading it at all), which is Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which came out with #64 this week.

Since #58, Sabrina has been an experiment by Archie in a different type of comic book. Instead of 4 short stories, it is one long story. It is also a serialized story. Finally, it is told in a "manga" style by the American artist/writer Tania Del Rio.

And I think it has been quite good.

This week's issue, a Valentine's Day issue, told a simple story about Sabrina accidentally casting a spell in her sleep that allowed her to see what people at her high school have a "love connection," and she then plays "Cupid" for the kids of her school. Meanwhile, the two guys in her life decide that this will be the day that they have Sabrina choose between them.

It's such a simple story, but Del Rio adds a level of emotional depth that is quite rare to see in American comics, let alone Archie comics. Rarely do you see phrases like "I didn't think it would hurt this much to see them together" in an Archie comic. Rarely do you see such complicated psychological stories such as the fella who "falls back" on his second choice, knowing that she has a crush on him, to get over the girl he REALLY likes.

Meanwhile, throughout the book, Del Rio has a bunch of nice little manga touches, with bits that are straight out of a stereotypical manga comic.

I think this experiment by Archie has paid off well.

Has anyone else given Archie's manga experiment a chance at all?

Let me know what you think, if you did!