I suppose my biggest issues with the manga universe of Madoka Magica mainly revolve around how mediocre and almost unlike the original anime it is. The signature dark atmosphere and nihilistic themes of Gen Urobuchi's screenwriting for the show doesn't really seem to be found in the manga, and much of the characters in the manga universe lack that special edge that made the original five girls stand out.
Luckily, this wasn't the case for The Different Story. The Different Story is certainly a different story in how it captures the spirit and style of the anime from which it was inspired by - for a manga spinoff, that is. The volume's dark tone was well done in a way that was not below subpar, nor overly pretentious. The storytelling was also executed fairly well, as it returns to much of the (wo)man vs. (her)self nature of the show rather than straying far from it.
The characterization was the selling point of this volume for me. I, for one, was glad that this manga decided to instead focus on the original five girls rather than introduce a whole new team. Since the anime didn't give her much screen time, I really liked seeing Mami get more time to grow and develop as a character. I also was really impressed with Kyoko's development from an inexperienced yet well-meaning magical girl who wanted the best for her family to a callous lone-wolf-type figure. The character dynamics between Mami and Kyoko were beautifully written, since neither of them seemed to be out-of-character at all.
The last thing I shall comment on is the art. The art style is well drawn and very expressive when it came to showing the emotions of the characters. The Witches, however, aren't nearly as impressive and Nightmare-inducing (bad attempt at a joke) in the manga as they were in the anime. Although I hear many fans saying how much they prefer the art of the manga than the art of the anime, I must admit that I like both styles equally.
In other words, The Different Story is a worthy installment to the canon of Madoka Magica, and is a must-read for any and every Madoka Magica fan out there. I highly recommend it to anyone who was disappointed (as was I at one point) with other Madoka Magica spinoffs. Kudos Magica Quartet!
