'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc, Vol. 1' - it's exactly what you'd expect if you've seen the original anime all the way through. Especially its ending.
The manga is supposedly set between the original series and the 'Rebellion' movie, and it aims to explain how the events of the latter came to be.Strangely, Homura Akemi barely appears, and she's front and center on the cover. Though she takes center stage at the end, in a gigantic wraith battle mirroring Walpurgisnacht.
The first volume is mainly about the magical girls Mami Tomoe, Kyouko Sakura and Sayaka Miki trying to work as a team as they fight the wraiths in their city. Mami is the levelheaded leader, though she has questionable and even manipulative motives, and Kyouko and Sayaka are constantly fighting each other, physically and verbally. It is ultimately about Sayaka dealing with her own issues and heartache (Kyousuke and Hitomi remain key players.)
Yet again, it is about a magical girl's loneliness...
Madoka is a goddess-like presence, a symbol of hope and light, rarely seen but always there, always felt, regardless.
Only poor Homura remembers her, and believes in her, and cannot stand to lose her again...
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc, Vol. 1' is an enjoyable yet bittersweet manga story for any 'Madoka Magica' fan. The action is awesome, as are the characters and their development. Of course it doesn't hold a candle to the original anime - nothing can ever match that self-contained package of perfection, I don't think. But it's a good, fulfilling story in its own right.
For more of my 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' reviewing and gushing, read these links:
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 1'
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 2'
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 3'
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story, Vol. 1'
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story, Vol. 2'
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story, Vol. 3'
Final Score: 4/5
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