Wanda Maximoff – the Redeemer, the Living Darkhold, the Scarlet Witch – has spent months now working in an apothecary shop in the small town of Lotkill, NY, helping the denizens of the quaint town while also battling for the forces of good through the use of the Last Door. Scarlet Witch, written by the acclaimed Steve Orlando with art from Sara Pichelli and Lorenzo Tammetta, is an emotional, beautifully illustrated, and growth-centered series that many considered a real underrated gem in current Marvel Comics. Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 2: Magnum Opus is an impressive collection of Scarlet Witch tales that pack a punch, featuring her son Wiccan and his husband Hulkling, the return of her father’s clone Joseph, and a series of enthralling magical fights against true villainy.
Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 2: Magnum Opus collects the final five issues of Orlando’s Scarlet Witch, and includes no real bonus content besides the Strange Academy Eva Quintero backup in Scarlet Witch #9. Yet, this doesn’t feel like the TPB is lacking anything, in fact, some collections get derailed by a random annual or backup, so I was glad that this was a more simple collection of Wanda and Joseph’s journey together. The fantastic story by Orlando is grounded in some of the most beautiful illustration and color work I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing in ages, from Sara Pichelli, Lorenzo Tammetta, and Frank William.
Marvel Comics
Collecting the second half of Scarlet Witch into one volume wonderfully ties together the emotional journey that Wanda and Joseph took throughout their adventures together, as well as making the buildup of Hexfinder’s introduction, which first happens in Scarlet Witch #7, flow really well. Joseph’s mysterious return, after the tragic death of Magneto, was a fascinating way to see Wanda process her grief, externalize the work she has done to become “the Redeemer,” and continue to increase the agency in her life.
The emotional arc of Joseph truly bonding and connecting with Wanda, betraying her at Zosimos’ hand, to eventually sacrificing his life to save Wanda and help people is beautiful to witness. Some other major highlights of the collection include the Scarlet Witch’s “busy week” that she brings Joseph on in Scarlet Witch #9, basically a mini Scarlet Witch series within the issue, as well as Wanda and Loki’s fascinating and revealing game of lies in Scarlet Witch #8.
I was really glad that the second half of Scarlet Witch included a “big bad,” and not only a series of “Monster of the Week” battles, and I think that Nicola Zosimos – the Hexfinder – has the chance to become a truly engaging and terrifying villain when she inevitably returns to battle Wanda once again (perhaps in the upcoming Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver!). Spending even more on-page development of her background and motivations before the final issue could have served the character well, since she has such iconic potential, and I was sad we only really got to see her in one major battle. I wanted more Hexfinder! Her design is amazing, and her creation and manipulation of Joseph was perfect for the story, making her a great addition to the series and a well-crafted villain for Wanda with an exciting debut.
The art in this book is simply incredible. Pichelli, Tammetta, and William create such a vibrant, rich, enchanting world for Wanda, Darcy, and Joseph to play within, and I know I will be returning to this collection simply to appreciate the stunning illustrations throughout. The entire Scarlet Witch series is so successful partially because it blends emotions and action better than most, balancing a character’s development with kickass fight scenes every issue, and the artists’ engaging movement and action sequences are a major part of how this balance works.
Marvel Comics
From a “trade paperback” standpoint, Magnum Opus is a beautifully designed book, featuring Russell Dauterman’s breathtaking covers for Scarlet Witch #10 on the cover and Scarlet Witch #9 on the back. Dauterman is one of my favorite artists to depict Wanda, especially after his gorgeous redesign of her current Scarlet Witch look. The opening page has a brutal illustration of Wanda after Joseph slices off several of her fingers at the behest of Hexfinder, a brilliant way to set the tone of the book, and the opposite side of that page includes a beautiful design of Wanda’s “Last Door” from Anthony Gambino. Just like Scarlet Witch Vol.1, Magnum Opus includes many variant covers in the back, but they are all again quarter-page-sized images, a disappointing change from other Marvel TPBs that have several full-page variants in the back.
Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 2: Magnum Opus is a beautiful, gut-wrenching, exciting tale of Wanda Maximoff passing on the knowledge she has gained through her growth and development to people she loves, like Darcy and Joseph. In the end, it is a book about redemption, change, and family, and it perfectly sets up the upcoming Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver series, from the same brilliant creative team. Magnum Opus is well worth the purchase if you are a Wanda Maximoff fan, love well-rounded and well-written emotional journeys, or simply enjoy looking at some truly breathtaking artwork.
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