Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within, Vol. 1

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within #1

by Tania del Rio (Story & Pencils, Letters)

The magic returns like never before in Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within!

Sabrina Spellman is your average teenager by day, attending Greendale High where her major crush, Harvey, plays for the school basketball team. But by night, Sabrina enters the Magical Realm, where she hones her witchcraft and attends Charm School with the handsome and mysterious Shinji.

Start from the very beginning as Sabrina deals with her two eccentric aunts and her conflicting lives in the Mortal and Magic Realms . . . and stumbles into the beginnings of a plot that will reshape the magical world at its foundation!

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Magic, Romance, Witches

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2013

About the author

Hi, my name is Tania del Rio, author of the middle grade novel, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE ALL-SEEING EYE for Quirk Books. The sequel, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE WHISPERING WOODS comes out on March 21st, 2017! I’m also a professional comic book writer and artist with 10 years experience writing and illustrating for a young audience. My clients include Archie Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel. AOL Comics Alliance described my work on SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH as “One of the best and most underrated all-ages comics of the last 10 years”! Most recently, I am the author of DIARY OF A GIRL NEXT DOOR: BETTY, an illustrated novel for Archie comics. I’ve also edited MANGAKA AMERICA (Collins Design), a gallery and tutorial book featuring some of the hottest emerging North American manga artists of the time, and am currently working on another tutorial book for Focal Press on character design. I reside with three dogs in Los Angeles, California, where I can be found writing under a palm tree, expressing my inner teenager.

Reviews

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sometimes if you want something, you have to get it yourself!"

My Husband and I are kids of the Nineties. Recently, we binge watched the entire series of Sabrina the Teenage Witch from the 90s starring Melissa Joan Hart. It was amazing. I just love that show.

After binging that, my brain could think of nothing else except this show. I even found myself responding to people with, "woohoo!" And all I can say is.... if you know, you know.

This was a fun and cute addition to the Sabrina franchise. I wish it had a little more spunk and attitude but I’ll take what I can get.

[Sabrina Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s like 3.75! So cute and nostalgic it’s a great time c:

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and magical graphic novel featuring Sabrina! The good Sabrina that is!


Yes, I have little good to say of the Netflix show, I tried a few episodes but it just wasn’t my Sabrina. My Sabrina is the bubbly blonde haired girl who tries to get through puberty and life while also being magical, she has tons of fun and hilarious adventures with lots of romance. Much like in this book. This book definitely reminded me of the fun TV-show (this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina...) that I so loved.

Though I have to say that I am glad I know the TV-show, know Sabrina, because this comic/graphic novel has the same problem as many American comic/GN, you have to known the characters to get the story because you are dumped in the middle of it. At least that is how it felt. I just couldn’t get used to Shinji because of this as I just didn’t know him. He just came out of nowhere.

On that note, I don’t love love triangles. Those who know me know I hate IT even. And that was the same in here. Sabrina likes Shinji and Harvey and they, well at least Shinji is quite clear in his intentions, like her. Throughout the book we see her wonder who to date and who to like. I can tell you honestly that I wasn’t a fan of either of the boys. Harvey needs some balls because boy he is just so confusing. On the one hand he wants Sabrina, on the other hand he acts like a dick. Like with the ribbon? He could have made it romantic but he made it seem like they were just friends. Later on he seems to get better… only to revert back again. ARGH. Shinji just needs to stop thinking he is better than anyone, especially mortals. I hated what he did during the concert. Bah.
Plus, I did think it was kind of rude to both boys that she just couldn’t pick. I am so glad with one of the stories of the book as that addressed this one. I hope Sabrina has learned from it.

The council.. well they are just as touchy and weird and over the top as in the TV-show. I still think it is weird how hard they focused on Sabrina. Probably because of her aunt, but come on. She is a teen. Teens make mistakes.

Sabrina was just so fun and so bubbly. She is a bit more bubbly and a bit less responsible than in the show, but I still love the girl. I love seeing what she is wearing each day. I think it is admirable that she is doing two schools, magic and mortal. Then again, she probably has no choice given her aunts. Haha. This is definitely one of my favourite renditions of Sabrina.

Salem, he went from looking like a stiff fake cat in the TV-Show to a plushie that is alive. Haha, that is great, though I also feel sorry for him. I mean, getting changed into a cat is one thing, but a plushie? OH man, that is even worse. I guess he can commiserate along with Ioryogi from Kobato. 😛

The aunties were fabulous! I liked them just as much as I did in the Tv-show!

The stories (we get 10 issues in this one) are all very nicely written and I enjoyed them greatly. We see Halloween parties, evil witches, spells gone wrong, school time, and much more. While there was some darker (with the evil sorceress) and more serious (like with the Harvey/Shinji in the car or the Winter Dance) and some eye-rolling (with Harvey/Shinji drama) moments most of the GN is all cute and bubbly and I loved it.

The art… while not always the best (I mean what is up with their bodies and faces?) was still a style that fit well with the cute/bubbly style of the stories/this book. I have to say when I got used to it I started to like it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one! It brought me back some very fun and nostalgic feelings on the Tv-show that I so loved and I definitely want to continue reading this series! Recommended to all who, like me, prefer cute and bubbly Sabrina over depressing/demon-loving Sabrina.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't even know that the TV series was based on a comics series? Where on earth do you live, my dear Soobie?... In Italy!

Yeah, we got the TV series over here and I did watch some of the episodes and I missed most of them. There was a point when I didn't even know why Harvey wasn't onscreen anymore. Sabrina seemed too childish, in my opinion but I don't know if this depends on Melissa Joan Hart's acting or on the voice actress who provided her voice.

Anyway, I picked this up because it was cheap and I was curious.

I'm not sure I liked the art by Tania del Rio but I sure loved the colors: the manga isn't in black and white but there are tons of grey tones. Loved them! I also loved Salem: it was so kawaii!

I didn't like all the humans portrayed in this OEL manga. I can't stand Sabrina because she can't choose between Shinji and Harvey. I don't like Harvey because he's spineless. And Shinji is downright unpleasant, especially when he becomes a fashion model.

Still, I want to know why he doesn't want to show his chest and I'll buy the second one, as well. Then I'll decide if I should finish the series and drop it altogether.

[David Doel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a bit more than expected. The stories are well-told and the characters are likeable. This is meant to be like a manga, but there are differences; the flavor is more like an American comic book. I only have volume 1.

[Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. The art style is really cute (especially Salem).

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute and fun series in the Sabrina series! A heavy emphasis on the magic as well as the romance

[D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned to read by studying my elder cousins' tattered Archie comics. Seriously, until I figured out how speech balloons worked, I was a bit confused and thought Jughead was a pretty blonde girl with a ponytail. Oops.
The short stories with Sabrina were among my favourites, though the Melissa Joan Hart TV series didn't do much for me.
Neither did this, unfortunately. It may be a case of blemished nostalgia. The art was great, and is definitely a mid-'00s time capsule for youth fashion. In this iteration, Sabrina's flightier, sillier, and more boy-crazy. Is a love triangle really one of the prerequisites of shoujo? I've never enjoyed those, in reality or to read about.
In short, full points for effort. I'm no longer the target audience.

[Jessica G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS!!!
Ok, so I admit, I am a HUGE Sabrina the Teenage Witch fan. (The episodes when she is in high school)
So I found this very interesting and intriguing.
I did find though, that there was a bit too much text in some areas, and possibly Salem. I'd personally prefer him to be a plain black cat, but that's just my opinion.
But all in all, IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read a genre that was new to me for my summer library challenge. I opted to try Manga based on a recommendation from a local store owner. While I was pleasantly surprised, I cannot say I will continue the series. The art was good but I kept waiting for Speed Racer to appear.

Perhaps I was brainwashed by the cartoons of my youth?

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Archie comics forever, so I was excited to grab these Sabrina graphic novels off the library shelf. I really enjoyed the first volume. I feel like we always got bits and pieces of Sabrina's life in the Archie comics, but the graphic novels give us a much more comprehensive view of things.

[Jozie | Cozy Romantasy Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within, Vol. 1 was cozy, entertaining, and fast-paced. I enjoyed reading it.

Sabrina Spellman lives with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, in Greendale, where she attends high school with her childhood crush, Harvey. Since she is a witch, she also attends Charm School in the Magic Realm with her best friend, Llandra, and the handsome Shinji.

The illustrations were so cute, especially Salem’s. I will always love Salem; he was my favorite character in this comic. One minute, he was encouraging Sabrina to break the rules. The next, he was reminding her to do her homework. I was entertained while reading this comic, but this version of Sabrina was very annoying. She had a crush on both Harvey and Shinji. She said that she didn’t want to hurt either of their feelings by choosing one, but I felt like she just liked the attention from both of the boys and didn’t take into consideration who she was hurting. She needed one of them as a backup in case the other rejected her.

cozy • magic • romantasy • paranormal romance • supernatural • witches

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! It was funny and entertaining.

Sabrina is turned into a manga character in this volume. Salem has always been my favourite character and he was so funny in this book. He was even made into a popular toy in this book, but he didn’t enjoy the fame until it was over.

There was a love triangle in this book which reminded me of the Archie, Betty, and Veronica love triangle in Archie comics. Sabrina liked both Harvey and her wizard friend Shinji. She couldn’t decide between them, just like Archie can’t decide between Betty and Veronica. The choice is made for Sabrina when one of the boys gets another girlfriend.

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed so many times while reading it. I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Libbie Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

i first read this when they were coming out in half editions, and i’m pretty sure i was only 8 or 9 when i read it. so re reading it i was a little worried that i was going to find it a bit too childish for my taste, and while some of it was, i was overall pleasantly surprised!

i think that the sabrina character is just meant to be written as a selfish airhead teenage girl caught between the mortal realm and the magic realm. this was no different, and that’s okay. her moods were predictable, as were some of her actions, and despite the magicness of it all, it did take me back to being a sophomore in high school.

i love the little snippets we get of the magic realm with the different races and creatures that live there. so i’m hoping that we get more of that in the next 3 volumes.

[♡Kayla♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long time Sabrina and shoujo manga fan, this was kind of a match made in heaven for me.

I love how silly the stories and characters are, they always say the funniest things. There's definitely the start of a bigger plot brewing in the background, especially with that final chapter, but the majority of the book was otherwise pretty cozy and lighthearted, while still having an overarching narrative with the characters.

The art might be my favorite aspect though. It's so cute, vibrant, and an interesting mix of east meets west styles. And the fashion! It's so mid 00s, and I LOVE it. Sabrina has the best fits.

[Meghan Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a cutesy series with some interesting characters. Personally not a big fan of Shinji. Hate me if you want but I personally think he is snobby and full of himself. He very much seems like the male version of a pick me.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to continue with the rest of the series to see how it goes. Are Llandra and Sabrina still teetering? Are Harvey and her actually together? Etc…..

[lexi ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4

i think the idea of turning sabrina the teenage witch into manga is so awesome!! the art was amazing i loved all the illustrations & it really kept me intrigued & interested in the story. i did get a little tired of the love triangle, but thankfully there were other events in here that were not based on that.

[Jayce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t believe this Sabrina no longer calls her aunts “Aunt Hilda” and “Aunt Zelda.” So weird. Also, I think this version is too boy-crazy... what’s with the must-have-BOTH-boys attitude? Idk... I already have the two next books but might pass on those for now.

[Paolo Aguas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is simply good. Whether you are a Sabrina fan or just trying out you will have a lot of fun with this manga. The stores are fun and light and the characters are written extremely well as they are both relatable and likable so for sure give this a go and enjoy!

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of manga inspired adventures. SHe did a fine job telling a story per issue while still moving a larger narrative forward. Not my first choice of comic collections, but pretty decent

[Naymah Asmian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Magic Within was amazing! The plot kept me hooked from start to finish, and the world-building was incredible. I loved how the main character grew and discovered her true potential. This book is a must-read for fantasy lovers!”

[Jason Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, funny, and light. I loved it.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice spin on the tv show I grew up watching. A fun read.

[Mariia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Barry Hammock · Rating 5 out of 5]

It excellently introduces the main characters and sets up the seeds for potential conflict, both romantic and adventurous.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Trishla Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆☆☆.5
Cute & addictive.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really into graphic novels. But at least it’s like the comics I used to read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars