W.I.T.C.H. (Volo)

(Volo, 2005)
™ and © 2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Will, the new girl in school, meets Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, all of whom (like her) are developing magical powers of their own. Together, they’ve been selected to be Guardians of the Veil to use their powers of air, earth, wind, and fire to protect the Earth.

It’s clear from the attractive art (a nice blend of manga influences and lush European comics style) and story that this is supposed to be a take on the Japanese magical-girl genre. But it’s a wonderfully fresh one in which, instead of being mortified by their powers or costumes, these girls relish them. They’re a lively group who always seem real when they talk—either among themselves or with their families. (For once, parents aren’t treated like tyrants or annoyances.) Without trying to be, they manage to be role models, unlike those cloth-headed, clothes-obsessed, boy-crazy girls. The only glaring error here is Volo declining to identify these talented creators. Here’s a comic for girls that girls might actually want to read.

— S. A. Bennett

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