Wanda Maximoff is in deep trouble in this week’s Scarlet Witch #3. Not only is she dead, but cosmic entropy has come for her home and the people she holds dear. Steve Orlando, Russell Dauterman, Jacopo Camagni, Matthew Wilson, Frank William, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Alanna Smith are the creators behind this latest installment. At once barreling to the conclusion of the series’ opening arc and also treading a bit of water, this issue does its best to finish setting the table for the series proper.
Orlando and Dauterman have been the primary creative custodians for the Scarlet Witch for nearly two years now, a feat in the current landscape of corporate comics publishing. Thanks to them, 2023’s Scarlet Witch series found Wanda adopting a strong new look and having succinctly addressed matters such as Chthon and the events of Avengers: Disassembled and House of M. These factors have largely derailed any relevant character work for the Scarlet Witch for nearly two decades. Under Orlando’s pen with collaborators like Dauterman and Sara Pichelli, Wanda was given the space to showcase her personal growth and display how her brand of superheroics adds to Marvel’s greater tapestry. With that foundation laid, this spring’s Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver mini escalated the level of threats Ms. Maximoff faces as well as weaving elements of the Scarlet Witch’s history that have long been ignored: chief among these is her status as a nexus being. All of this leads us to today’s Scarlet Witch #3.
Dauterman and Wilson are legendary collaborators at this point, but new interior art from them is rare these days. Scarlet Witch #3 delights by tasking the pair with the majority of the issue’s interior art, detailing Wanda’s journey in the Witches’ Underworld and beyond. Inventive paneling, pairing high beauty with high body horror, and supplemented by Maher’s stellar lettering, the result is an embarrassment of riches. The Scarlet Witch’s final rejection of Moridun and her encounter with Lore still suffers though, as it’s forced to pace itself alongside the Lotkill plot on Earth.
In terms of action, Wanda’s battle against Lore is well paced, but not so much in the context of the larger narrative structure. The various challenges Lore presents to Wanda are key, both as the version of Wanda people fear she could be as well as disguising herself as Dark Phoenix. Both serve to remind the audience of how far Wanda has come in her personal healing while also knitting in added connective tissue with the deepening Ultimate Nexus plot. However, all this is going on while Quicksilver, Polaris, and Darcy are defending Lotkill from the Griever at the End of All Things. The problem goes both ways, as Wanda’s interplanar journey could benefit from more breathing room, while the more page time given to Lotkill, the more the reader’s suspension of disbelief is strained by the supporting cast stalling Griever for two issues now.
Credit: Marvel
Orlando’s main plot focuses on integrating his vision for the Scarlet Witch with her greater destiny as a nexus being. On the other hand, the ongoing Earth plot exists to ensure that the rest of what made Scarlet Witch (2023) special doesn’t get swept away. Darcy, Wanda’s renewed connections with Lorna and Pietro, and the enigmatic antagonist Hexfinder are instrumental to Wanda’s return and keeping Lotkill safe while she does so. Still, the issue may have felt more balanced if a page or two were given up from this plot and added to Wanda’s.
As much as I’ve praised Dauterman and Wilson’s contributions to Scarlet Witch #3’s art, I would be a fool to not recognize Camagni and William’s job well done. Paneling the Lotkill plotline in contrast to the more free flowing art of the netherrealms adds a sense of gravity and realism. Also, Pietro’s bitchy little seated pose mid melee with Griever is just perfect. To top it all off, the final page splash of the newly resurrected Scarlet Witch is a real stunner.
SUMMARY: Scarlet Witch #3 is full of action, magic, reflection, and reconstruction. However, there are signs of strain from an imbalanced pace that makes the penultimate piece of this opening arc fit in just a tad awkwardly. Camagni and William have some standout moments, which is quite the challenge when sharing interiors with the likes of Dauterman and Wilson. Hopefully now that Orlando has gathered the various segments of Wanda Maximoff lore he intends to work with, future installments coalesce a dash more clearly.
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