Tyler Davis
Marvel Comics has been on the upswing recently with soft resets that have kept the publisher fresh, diverse, and entrenched in quality comic book storytelling. One of the sleeper hits of this unspoken refresh is the ongoing Scarlet Witch series written by Steve Orlando and featuring art by both Sara Pichelli & Russell Dauterman. The book has recently hit the end of its first major arc, wrapping together a story for Wanda Maximoff that has taken big steps in tone, characterization, and thematic plotting to move her far and away from her time in the 2000’s as an event comics punching bag.
However, Orlando’s run has been more than just reconstructive filler. There’s a tendency for runs that come after years of mis-characterization or bold status quo’s to play it safe, providing an all to familiar and at times boring status quo in order to wash away supposed bad tastes. Instead, Orlando and the team have crafted a new world around Wanda, one that is rich with atmosphere and character that she can play in for a very, very long time. Not unlike Moon Knight’s recent Midnight Mission, Wanda has opened up a small shop full of magic and trinkets that acts as home base for The Last Door, a magical portal that draws in those in desperate need of help. Alongside Darcy Lewis, a mysterious girl harboring a big secret from Wanda, she acts as a witch doctor to fix problems that science or regular superheros can’t quite.
This framing device has done wonders for the story. Wanda hasn’t had much constructive storytelling as of late, but with The Last Door, every issue acts as a new story for her to grow thorough and experience. Orlando’s characterization and narrative devices craft tales of emotion, fun, and thanks to the masterful art styling of Sara Pichelli and Russel Dauterman, visually outstanding. Sarah Pichelli has never been this good, and that’s saying a lot as she rarely ever has a bad day on art.
Cover for the upcoming Scarlet Witch #7
This is a series that instantly put a smile on my face after reading it. It holds the kind of story that can only be done in comics with the way it is paced and the visual lengths it goes to in order to truly visualize Wanda’s magic. That alone is the mark of something special in this medium.
Orlando isn’t afraid to dive into Wanda’s long history, and make gold out of it here in the modern day. She helps family members such as Polaris and Viv alongside total strangers. Every facet of Wanda’s history is being pulled together and explored, but in such a way that someone completely new to the mythos would get just as much out of it as a longtime reader would.
There’s a significant lack of decompression tied alongside character focused storytelling that readers have been asking for as of late when it comes to their cape comics. Every page of this series is beyond satisfying to read, and it isn’t too late to play catch up. With five issues out, a trade on the way, and an upcoming event titled Contest of Champions spinning out of this wonderful title, I can’t help but encourage you to check this series out. While Orlando hasn’t set out to radically change the character through gimmicks and mandates, him and his team have wound paving a bright future for Wanda that has all the necessary ingredients to go down as a classic run for the Scarlet Witch.
For more details and in-depth thoughts on the series, check out our official Comic Watch reviews written by site veteran B. Radtz: Scarlet Witch #1 Review