Nico Minoru returns in Strange Tales #1, written by Jeremy Whitley with art by Bayleigh Underwood and colors by Jim Campbell. Nico is desperately searching for her friends and former Runaways/Young Avengers teammates Karolina Dean, Billy Kaplan, and Teddy Altman (AKA Princess Justice, Wiccan and Hulkling) when they disappear while playing a roleplaying game. With Billy missing, you know big mama Scarlet Witch is getting involved, and she and Nico make a great duo as they work on solving the mystery of finding the lost kids while battling through hordes of fantasy monsters and beasts.
Bayleigh Underwood’s art and Jim Campbell’s colors deliver the high-fantasy concepts splendidly and make all the action scenes dynamic and vibrant. I loved Wanda’s look and outfit here, which gives a nod to her gypsy heritage with her beads, flowing red dress and equally flowing red hair, all complemented by a black belt and magical jacket. It’s classy, gorgeous and never gets in her way during a battle.
Marvel
The book incorporates elements of Dungeons & Dragons throughout, making the story feel like Nico and Wanda are trapped inside a massive game session, with a 20-sided die their constant friend and enemy as they move through parallel dimensions. There are even remnants of Nico and Wanda’s character sheets at the end of the book and Wanda’s Ego score is off the charts!
I loved the relationship between Wanda and Nico, with Nico’s wide-eyed amazement at everything and impatience perfectly tempered by Wanda’s calm mastery of her power and the magic forces around them. Writer Jeremy Whitley writes them almost like a mother and daughter. I’ve always loved Nico’s character and she has some nice moments throughout the issue, but Wanda, who has always been one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, dominates the book. She seems like the magical equivalent of Iron Man at certain points in the story, pulling out customized spells and magic devices to deal with various enemies the duo faces, culminating in a showdown with one of Doctor Strange’s legendary arch-enemies.
The issue teases the entry of another Marvel hero into the fray next issue, setting up a fun crossover between an unusual mix of heroes. Marvel should keep this Strange Tales series going after the conclusion of the Nico/Wanda story. It’s a perfect book to highlight the magical and bizarre corners of the Marvel Universe, and if all the stories are as enjoyable as this one, it’d be a book at the top of my pull list each week.
