The SuperS manga is frequently ignored by those who disliked the anime version of events. Why would they want to read a story that they hated on television? Sounds logical enough. The only problem with this snap judgment is that the SuperS manga is about as similar to the anime as my cocker spaniel is to the neighbor's cat.

A thorough side-by-side comparison of the SuperS manga and the SuperS anime is virtually impossible to compile. The differences are simply too vast. After all, the anime is only loosely based on the manga storyline. Very loosely. In fact, as loosely as The Lion King is based on Hamlet. Sure, they're related, but... Not.

Imagine a SuperS world with no dream mirrors.... Where the Amazon Trio are merely monsters of the day.... Where Neherenia is more than just a random evil queen -- she is the dark reflection of Queen Serenity herself.... Where Usagi and the inner senshi are just as important as Chibiusa.... Where the outer senshi return to Tokyo and kick some serious butt.

The appearance of the outer senshi in the manga resolves the most common gripe about the SuperS anime. After a near overdose of outer senshi goodness in Sailor Moon S, the fourth season seemed strangely empty. The older, sexier, sterner, more violent sailor warriors were gone, and the void they left behind was a gaping wound in the side of the SuperS animated series. Once given a taste of the four outer senshi, no one wanted to go back to the old days.

The SuperS manga gives fans of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn their true desire. The outer senshi are developed with such exquisite care that they nearly outshine their inner counterparts. The sweet promise rings exchanged by Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka; the adorable favorite dress that Hotaru insists on wearing; the trials and tribulations of raising a precocious child; the violin lessons; the broken dishes; even Setsuna's annoyance at having to babysit -- all are adorable, real life touches that are unparalleled in Sailor Moon manga. It has often been said that a superhero's true strength only comes out when the battles are over. If this is the case, then the SuperS manga proves the outer senshi to be titans. Loving family by day, vigilantes at night, these four characters manage to single-handedly carry the SuperS manga into the realm of raving success.

This is not to say that the inner senshi are neglected. In fact, the SuperS manga takes pains to give each inner senshi a chance to stand in the spotlight. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus -- each is given her own special chapter in which her dreams are explored and she discovers the power within herself. It is worth noting that the inner senshi are the only ones who become super under their own power -- the outer senshi, by contrast, are only able to power-up under the auspices of Sailor Saturn. What this says about the two groups is debatable. Some claim that it means the inner senshi have stronger hearts, while others view Saturn's power-up gift as a reflection of the strength of familial love. Which explanation is right? It doesn't matter. Both interpretations fit the spirit of the manga, where anything can happen -- and usually does.

Usagi and Chibiusa are of the course the true stars of the SuperS manga, and they do not fail at the task. Their relationship is far more balanced than in the anime, where Usagi was often relegated to the role of comic foil. In the manga version of events, the mother and daughter are equally important. For every moment spent on Chibiusa's thoughts, an equivalent amount of time is spent with Usagi. It is a fine line to tread, but the SuperS comic manages it with style, allowing the two characters to play off one another with a higher level of success than in any previous series -- manga or anime.

It should be noted that Chibiusa's annoyance factor is far lower in the comic than it is in the television show. Perhaps it's that the black-and-white manga pages prevent the pinkness from overwhelming the reader. Perhaps it's that we can't hear her high-pitched voice. Or maybe it's just that she's not in our faces during every single scene. Whatever the reason, even those who despise Chibiusa will find that she is both palatable and sympathetic in the manga -- or at the very least, more palatable than the was in the anime.

Mamoru's character is also reinvented in a better light. More or less a colorless plot device in the anime, Mamoru serves an important role in the SuperS manga. His connection with Elysion and Helios is revealed earlier and is developed more deeply than in the animated version. His secret illness and intense love for Usagi make him an affecting figure -- someone with whom readers can identify, as well as someone who can be admired. After three previous manga series, it was past time for Mamoru to become a character in his own right, and SuperS delivers.

With all this swell characterization going on, it comes as a bit of a disappointment that the majority of the SuperS villains are left so flat. It is the manga's one downfall. While Neherenia receives an interesting backstory, the rest of the evil folk are left in a two-dimensional state. The Amazon Trio merely serve as monsters of the day. Their most charming and recognizable personality traits are nowhere to be seen. The Amazoness Quartet fare better, but barely. They are so underdeveloped that their sudden switch to the side of good is somewhat unbelievable. How can we accept that their souls are good when we know next to nothing about them?

To be fair, the characterization of bad guys was never Naoko's strength. The forces of evil are the weak link in the SuperS chain of events, but this is also the case in the rest of the Sailor Moon manga. The Amazoness Quartet and friends come off no worse than the antagonists in the other Sailor Moon series. In fact, most would say they fare better. At least they benefit from a clever plot twist that makes then senshi in their own right.

Plotwise, the SuperS manga is tightly choreographed. There are no filler stories as in the anime. Every page is critical, every occurrence with purpose. Most of the material is unique to the manga, but those scenes that are shared are almost invariably the ones that were the most loved in the anime. The age-switching of Usagi and Chibiusa is particularly notable. If you loved it animated, you'll love it twice as much in the manga, where it is handled more evenly and with much more poignance.

It is worth noting that many of the popular scenes from the animated Stars series were in fact borrowed from the SuperS manga. The inner senshi's first day of high school, Chibiusa's abortive attempt to return to her time, the second childhood of Sailor Saturn, and the appearance of Eternal Sailor Moon all occur in the SuperS comic, while the anime places these events during the Stars timeline.

All these similarities aside, it is the plot elements that are unique to the SuperS manga that make it truly worthwhile. The three cats become human. The senshi travel to Elysion itself, rather than merely fighting in Tokyo. Most impressive of all, the Dead Moon Circus actually uses its power over nightmares, rather than merely talking about it all the time. And what a marvelous usage of the power it is. What better way to shake the image of SuperS as sticky-sweet than to present a dream sequence in which Sailor Moon is killed and decomposes in the arms of a horrified Sailor Venus?

For those that hated the television series, the SuperS manga is exactly what the doctor ordered. Hated it in the anime? Chances are that it's not a factor in the comic version. Loved it in the anime? Chances are that it's still there. All this, Naoko Takeuchi's exquisite art, and a bag of chips. It's a story that shouldn't be missed.

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