W.I.T.C.H., Part I. The Twelve Portals, Vol. 1 by Elisabetta Gnone

W.I.T.C.H., Part I. The Twelve Portals, Vol. 1 Reviews

• 
  Natalie (CuriousReader)

  The W.I.T.C.H. series was published in volume format in the Swedish translation from 2003 and forward, I was reading them as they were being published - as a young teen myself, and loving every second of it. The same way people look fondly of their time reading super hero comics as young readers, I think of this series and the excitement I felt upon each new volume being released.
  
  When I saw that Yen Press had re-released the first few volumes, and had plans for 2018 to release the rest, I was thrilled. Not only has this comic been out-of-print for a long time, but I have never read the English version of it before so I was very much looking forward to returning to the Guardians of the Veil, and their adventures in Heatherfield and beyond.
  
  Rereading this was even more nostalgia-filled than I had expected. Within these pages, my twelve year old self had been preserved; not only did I remember myself reading the comics but things about myself and my life at the time that I thought I'd forgotten. Putting all the nostalgia and background history with this comic aside - this is a genuinely entertaining comic, a story filled with magic and adventure to set the world-order right, the battle for friendship and protecting what is important, the strength in these young girls as they push their own boundaries and what they ever thought they were capable of. The comic itself is, I think, a tribute to Sailor Moon and other series like it while keeping a original tone throughout with an inclusion of the girls families as important characters and who shape the main characters lives and their characters crucially (which certainly, cannot be said for many comics of this era - where families I think are mostly absent).
  
  Another thing I love about this comic is that while the girls discover they have magical powers, they stay true to their character even as they as discovering their new limits. Cornelia being one for logic, has a hard time accepting what she doesn't understand, even when her own eyes witnesses the impossible. Irma, happy and spontaneous, uses her powers irresponsibly to hang out with a guy she likes. Will, with her own inner turmoil, a new home, new friends, new life and her mother's new partner, shows this confusion through her dreams (nightmares), her unwillingness to take charge despite getting the 'leader' role for their group, and indecisiveness in her choices and actions.
  
  These are girls of thirteen and fourteen years old, like with the Sailor Moon cast, but they seem to me in many ways more identifiable as teens, dealing with school, crushes, arguments over petty things, irritation towards younger siblings, while these things are not taken to extremes but rather as a nice contrast to their fantastical adventures in other dimensions.
  
  I am definitely going to be continuing on rereading these volumes as they are released through the year, seeing them both through a nostalgic lens and with fresh eyes as an adult reader.
• 
  rowanthorn ✨

  I loved these graphic novels when I was younger, and honestly loved them just as much rereading them now! The illustrations are gorgeous and then story is so fun for all ages.
• 
  menna

  this cartoon was my entire childhood and I'm so glad I'm finally reading the comics
• 
  Adela Cacovean

  Rereading my favorite childhood comics because I've never actually finished the story and I want to have the full experience from an adult's perspective. So far, I am enjoying it a lot more than I hoped to, brings back so many memories... Might re-watch the cartoon as well.
• 
  ekin

  yeah. my annual w.i.t.c.h. reread... and who's gonna stop me
  
  (again)
• 
  Ecmel Soylu

  mental sağlığım için milyonuncu reread
• 
  Florence

  J’ai eu l’impression d’avoir exactement 9 ans comme quand j’ai découvert W.I.T.C.H et c’était si chouette de se replonger dans cet univers qu’il me tarde de continuer les autres tomes !
• 
  Nessa [October Tune]

  It's so great to relive my youth again with these comics! I'm definitely going to pick up the other volumes asap, and then pick up part 2 as well! Fingers crossed that they're going to release all the W.I.T.C.H. comics that exist, because there are a lot and I've literally only read this first story!
• 
  Irene Doda

  Down on memory lane.
  Best comfort reading ever ♒
• 
  Lena

  Окей самое большое признание 2021-го: кажется, я не Ирма. Я — Вилл.....
• 
  Panda

  This series has been one of my favourite comics for as long as I can remember and no matter how old I get it will always have a special place in my heart. I am so happy these new editions exist; they're gorgeous.
• 
  Parker J

  One of childhood favorites! So glad Yen-Press is doing a re release of the series. I'm loving re reading this gem of a series
• 
  Aušrinė

  VAIKYSTĖ!
  
  Aš nežinau, kaip šitie komiksai atrodytų suaugusiam žmogui, savu metu jų nepirkusiam ir neskaičiusiam, bet man čia yra netikėtai galvon dingtelėjęs lobis - kaip gerai, kad prisiminiau! Ir kaip nuostabu, kad šiais laikais jie taip patogiai skaitosi per tam specialiai pritaikytas programas (nors turbūt smagiau būtų aplankyti senelių sodą ir rasti krūvas apčiuopiamų žurnaliukų kokiam apdulkėjusiam spintos kampe...).
  
  O ir pati istorija su savo personažais turi kažką tokio... Nežinau, ar tai tik itin subjektyvi nuomonė, atkeliavusi dar iš vaikystės, bet man atrodo, jog W.I.T.C.H. yra labai nusisekusi komiksų serija. Čia beveik klasika, kaip koks Sailor Moon.
• 
  ribbonknight

  Very happy for this rerelease, and really looking forward to the story arcs I never had a chance to read! The art alone makes this series worth it.
• 
  Earnest

  One of the very first graphic novel series that i got into. It's a magical comic that perfectly captures the ups and downs of being a preteen/teenager. We follow 5 girls as they go through school, crushes, and parents. Plus the ocassional villain along the way.
  
  I like that the series created a rich mythology of its own without needing to resort to direct references to classical stories. It gives originality. I enjoyed adventuring in the different worlds shown and Heatherfield seems like a city I want to live in.
  
  My favorite out of the five is Will. In every aspect her story is always the most interesting. Her relationships with her mom and love life is the most fleshed out and as the series progress we delve even more into them. We also get to see her growth as a leader among other chracters whose personalities are stronger than hers.
  Nevertheless, almost all the major characters get a spotlight of their own. This is not a solo hero's quest story. In some ways it is a slice of life drama, others a magical girl story adventure story.
  
  One gripe that I have with this series is that it is a case of diminishing returns. Halfway through the series' 139 issue run the steam seemed to have ran out with the plots becoming either repetetive or boring. Maybe the authors didn't map out the long term story and just winged it as the popularity of the series demanded a longer run.
• 
  Anna

  Na pewno nie jestem tak emocjonalnie zaangażowana w tę serię jak za dzieciaka (plus z dorosłej perspektywy wiele z problemów dziewczyn to kwestia niedostatecznej komunikacji, ale hej--kto z nas nie był kiedyś humorzastą nastolatką?), ale wciąż miło się to czyta. Nostalgia 9/10.
• 
  Narra

  I loved this as a kid and I still love it. Can't believe I found this comic again. Full review on the first book followes soon.
  
  A 5 star book for me
• 
  ShipFloreas

  Quel plaisir de pouvoir replonger dans l'univers des W.I.T.CH, qui plus est en anglais!
• 
  Mad Soul Child

  я как будто посмотрела несколько серий мультфильма, шикардосина
  издание офигительное, тяжелое, яркое и красивое, много деталей, сцен, шутеек, очень здоровско
  не перестану говорить как я тащусь от Ирмы, ну и от приключений девчонок
  жду не дождусь появления Калеба и вонючки =D
• 
  Emma

  The nostalgia! Such a cute read. Love the art style and colours. So glad they're doing a re-print of this series!
• 
  Soobie's heartbroken

  I've been wanting to read the whole story again. I waited for ages for the Italian publisher to reissue a sort of W.I.T.C.H. collection... They did publish the first series a couple of years ago but they were two very expensive huge tomes. I really hope they would, you know, complete the series. They didn't. I don't know why: were the tomes too expensive to reach a big audience? Yes, they were. Didn't they sell lots of copies? No idea.
  
  And then I found out JY is publishing W.I.T.C.H. again. The whole 155 issues. The one I still have all tied up in bundles on my shelves. So, I'm going to read an Italian series in English for lacking of a proper Italian edition.
  
  So, what to say about W.I.T.C.H.? I really loved it when I was a teen. Well, when it started in 2001, I was already seventeen but I was eagerly waiting for any new issue. I even had a subscription and I probably have most of the gadgets that came with the magazine. Most of them are probably in their plastic little bag. Since frogs are my animal, I love all the gadgets with little frogs on them.
  
  Then, suddenly, I couldn't keep up with the story anymore: sixty pages per month weren't enough for me. I just hope JY will be able to publish all nine parts.
  
  Back in 2001, W.I.T.C.H. was a huge thing. I mean, it was one of the first Italian comics made for girls. The story was captivating, albeit way too similar to Sailor Moon, and the art was so beautiful. I fell in love with it at once. A part of me wanted so much to have Will's ability to speak with domestic appliances... :-)
  
  Sad to say, but I don't remember who was my favorite character. Not Cornelia, that's for sure. Will's dormouse was one of them. It was so funny. Cornelia's love interest, probably, the one with the scarred face. And then?
  
  Well, it's high time to rediscover one of my favorite series as a kid.
• 
  Lilamedusa

  Solía leer estos comics obsesivamente y dibujar a las WITCH obsesivamente en todas mis libretas cuando era chica. Todavía recuerdo la emoción de llegar a la librería para buscar el nuevo número y ahorrar cuidadosamente lo que me daban de domingo. Cuando los vi por error flotando por la web supe que NECESITABA volverlos a leer porque la nostalgia es lo mío,
  
  Esta primera saga es todo lo que necesitaba el día de hoy sin saberlo. ¡Me divertiré mucho las siguientes semanas releyendo!
• 
  Mira

  So much nostalgia for a series of comics I originally picked up in Dutch years ago. And don't get me wrong, I still love it, along with the girls! But a lot more comes to my attention and is clearer this time around, so consider some opinions changed
• 
  Carmen (TheReadingTrashQueen)

  4.5/5
• 
  valdi

  I cannot find the exact edition I read but I actually enjoyed it.
• 
  Mia

  I loved the magazines as a kid, so this was a lovely trip down nostalgia lane!
• 
  ant

  my childhood :] <333 re reading this is so so fun. I'll probably never not love w.i.t.c.h
• 
  Ann Emelie

  This was so much fun!
  Read a lot of this series as a kid and wanted to revisit the world to see how much I remembered..
  Brought back loads of good memories! I'm definitely reading on!!
• 
  Laura - Random Utopias

  I know this is a biased review. In all honestly it's probably a 4 star, considering the age it was written to, I'm not sure. But I just love this story so so so much! I can't help giving it a 5 star rating. Even at my age I find this story very well written and the comics are just lovely, so I'm just excited to be able to keep on reading the comics to the end.
• 
  delilah ☾*

  I was obsessed with this series as a kid. I would go to the library almost every day to just read the whatever book they had. Re-reading it is so nostalgia.