“Truth be Told”
Writer: Tania Del Rio
Artists: Tania Del Rio (p), Jim Amash (i), Jason Jensen (colors)
Publisher: Archie Comics
Well, she’s finally done it. In the issue fans have been waiting for, Sabrina finally tells her mortal boyfriend Harvey that she’s a witch. Tania Del Rio has been teasing readers with this possibility since she took over the book with issue #58, and it’s good to see how well it’s handled. There is excitement and trepidation on Sabrina’s part, as well there should be. It’s difficult to open up to others and once done, there’s no going back. All teens know this. It’s just that in true shoujo manga style, the stakes are much higher when Sabrina does it.
The big “reveal” isn’t the only complication Del Rio throws Sabrina’s way this issue. The young witch has discovered a secret about her magic tutor Batty Bartholomew, a secret that ties him to the original Four Blades who tried to overthrow the Queen of the Magic Realm. Or did they? The Four Blades plotline is another one that Del Rio has been playing with for some time. It has yet to get stale. She has a way of adding new twists, such as the one in this issue, then letting it simmer for a few issues before returning it to the forefront.
Sabrina is also dealing with her feelings about her “ex,” Shinji. He’s apparently very happy with a new witch, leaving Sabrina wondering how he really felt about her. A variation on this theme was played out not too long ago when Shinji was dating Sabrina’s best friend, but Del Rio has tweaked it a bit this time around, pairing Shinji with a complete stranger who could spell trouble.
For all that it deals with magic and conspiracies, Sabrina is probably the most accurate portrayal of teenagers on the comic shelves today. Del Rio totally nails the ever-shifting relationships kids find themselves in: friends one day, not speaking the next. Wondering if the boy you like likes you and if he’ll still like you when he sees the “real” you. Walk down the halls of any middle or high school and you’ll see Sabrina’s stories being played out in real time.
Another facet that makes this book so appealing is that Del Rio has the advantage of being her own artist. Her characters’ expressions always convey exactly what she wants them to. Speaking of expressions, Sabrina can show more on one page than some characters do in a whole book. Del Rio also uses conventional manga tropes to great effect. Hearts and flowers will float about Sabrina in one panel, and in the next, she’ll be surrounded by roaring flames as her mood changes. Bartholomew the magic tutor, who for some reason reminds me of a younger Happosai from Ranma ½, can be an ominous figure in one panel, be racing toward the reader in the next, and then flying through the air in the next. There’s a very Tezuka feel to the panels when this character is present.
A word needs to be said about Jason Jensen’s coloring. It’s beautiful. Sabrina is one of the brightest books on the stands with its pinks, lavenders, yellows, greens, and blues, yet within those shades it manages to convey a multitude of deep emotions. The color isn’t a flat, slapped-on afterthought. It’s part of the story.
Despite the fact that this issue is mainly made up of character moments that play off of what has come before, anyone who is drawn in by the sweetly romantic cover and picks it up on a whim won’t be lost. A nicely done “The story so far” page brings new readers up to speed on the main points, while the clear, well-written story fills them in on the rest.
If you or a shoujo fan you know hasn't given the new Sabrina a try yet, do as the cover says and “Catch the Magic!” You won’t be disappointed.
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