Story-
A seemingly normal girl discovers she has powers on her 16th birthday and begins her enrollment at the Alfea school for fairies. Of course, that’s just the one sentence summary. The main character, Bloom, feels under-appreciated, like she needs more independence, and must complete the difficult task of figuring out who she is. After being outdone by a particularly impolite neighbor with a new scooter, Bloom speeds off on her new bike to find herself in a park. Here, she witnesses something that will change her life forever, a mysterious girl in yellow is fighting an ogre, with magic! As impossible as this seems for Bloom, some of the dark creatures helping the ogre attack her, and she fends them off with powers of her own. This comic is just like the TV series, except faster to read/watch and without voices and animation.
Writing-
The writing is easy to read, and makes sense. All the characters are presented with distinct personalities that make it more interesting to read, and all the magic is easily introduced. Bloom’s particular struggle with her new powers is also emphasized, something completely believable and can be relatable even when most people can’t use powers. Another thing commonly touched upon is the power girls have. The girls can face almost anything the story throws at them once they’ve transformed into fairies. Good character and morals are praised as being good traits for a fairy, fairies being the ‘good’ characters rather than ‘evil’ characters.
Art-
The art is done in the style of American comics and is in full color. The panel flow can be choppy in some places, but it’s overall easy to read. Lines are clearly drawn and shading is done well. Sound effects are used, especially in scenes with battles or magic involved, and is always colored in specially to emphasize the mood of the scene, or show who the castor was. In a certain scene, a panel is designed to show a special change of location. When magic is invoked, it’s easy to see due to the distinct graphic effects it’s shown with.
Age and Warning-
VIZ rates this as A, for All Ages, and I agree with that rating. The only thing to warn about is the fact that there’s some fighting, but there’s absolutely no blood and all of it’s done with magic. This series is geared towards girls, so expect some romance, fashion and makeup.
WINX Club Vol. 1
by Iginio Straffi
ISBN: 9781421541594
Viz Media LLC, 2012
Publisher Age Rating: A (All ages)
