For my past thoughts on this series - a childhood favourite of mine - read:
My The Power of Five (W.I.T.C.H. Chapter Books, #1) review
My The Power of Friendship (W.I.T.C.H. Graphic Novels, #1) review
So Disney is reprinting the original Italian 'W.I.T.C.H.' comics - with three volumes together in a single trade paperback. I am glad this is happening, for it shows that the franchise has not been forgotten about; it has not received any attention in over a decade, though it isn't even twenty-years-old yet.
'W.I.T.C.H.' (the comics, not the cartoon) is to me what 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' is to the mass cultural landscape. An underrated and charming series about girl power, magic, and friendship - it is lathered and rinsed in them; foamy and bubbly but with added consequences, darkness and sharp violence (for a children's comic) to it as well.
'W.I.T.C.H.: Part I. Vol. 1 The Twelve Portals' is a straightforward beginning of the series, with a huge mystery element clouding and fogging it that is both frustrating (especially if you know everything that's going to happen already) and clever for making the reader want to find out more. Aside from the magical stuff reminiscent of fantasy series of old, what really sells 'W.I.T.C.H.' is the characters - the endearing, multilayered and likable cast, revolving around five pubescent girls.
Real world struggles for young girls and otherworldly, universe-threatening ones are mirrored and explored - heck, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin deal with brutish monsters and sorcerers far easier than they do school, family and boy drama, and keeping their friendship alive through so much. The five chosen Guardians of the Veil have each other, which is their greatest strength, never mind the Heart of Kandracar and the powers of water, fire, earth and air. They are pretty ordinary overall, yet they are extraordinary.
After reading this new release, I came to realize that I had talked a lot about 'W.I.T.C.H.''s theme of friendship before, but I haven't touched upon any other relationships the girls have. Specifically, Will's relationship with her mother. Susan wants to spend as much time as possible with her growing daughter, upon arriving in a new town to make a fresh start in their lives. They are loving, supportive friends as well as family, but between adjusting to a new life in Heatherfield and to her sudden duties as a Guardian and leader, Will doesn't have enough time anymore for her mum. She takes her for granted, not noticing the loving attention she gets, not appreciating the kindness and hard work Susan does for her. Add dating Will's school history teacher as the extra rust in the spanner in the works, and the mother and daughter bond seems tragically broken. They drift apart, much to Susan's dismay. But at the end of this volume, on the final page, their relationship, gradually tearing up throughout the comic, starts to repair itself, when mum sets up a candlelit dinner for herself and her complicated girl, rather than for her date. It is incredibly sweet and touching, and the most satisfactory conclusion to any of this volume's subplots. Susan is a nice, funny character in her own right, who has a life outside of care-giving motherhood, which works for the scene's favour, because the reader will want to see the two get along again, hence the vital emotional punch is successful.
Mother and daughter relations need more focus in media - a focus that is positive - and 'W.I.T.C.H.' shows that as well as friendships between girls in the same age group, friendships between mums and daughters are just as real, just as powerful. They contain a magic of their own. Bonus for teaching kids to appreciate their caring parents, and telling them they love them as often as possible!
'W.I.T.C.H.: Part I. Vol. 1 The Twelve Portals' - yes, there are plot holes and things that don't make sense in this graphic novel series (most notably concerning the "traitor" magical girl Elyon and her motivations), but the charm is present. It doesn't fade.
Creative, dramatic, funny and fun, I still love 'W.I.T.C.H.' with all my nostalgic heart.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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