Is There GPS On The Witch’s Road? — Reviewing ‘Scarlet Witch’ #3

The enemy of your friend is potentially the only true hope to take down the friend’s newer deadlier magical enemy. Darcy Lewis really should ask for a raise of some kind, as Wanda Maximoff’s friend puts it all on the line for her.

A dark journey of death and rebirth nears its conclusion in Scarlet Witch #3. Another trip down memory lane of sorts from Steve Orlando, Russell Dauterman, Jacopo Camagni, Matthew Wilson, Frank William, and Ariana Maher.

This series continues to be in that space where it somehow mixes highs and lows for a tepid middle ground. Gorgeous artwork really makes the magical feeling of this book come to true life. Coupled together with writing that is simultaneously solid and far too reliant on showing off how much the writer knows the deep (often forgotten) canon of the character (and world).

One of the best things Orlando did with the first volume of this series was try and detach Wanda from her past. It gave a sense of moving on from the trauma and darker aspects in order to really hone in on her heroic tendencies and personality. Things aren’t backtracking, per se, here, but there is just so much focus on the past and the things that tore at Wanda it becomes burdensome.

To be fair, Orlando still has her stand above these hard pasts and issues. That being said, there is no reason to keep playing out how tough she has become, when we could just see her being strong and living in the present. Sure, we all sometimes have to deal with our pasts unexpectedly, but it’s happening way too much with Wanda.

Lore (Wanda’s long-forgotten AU evil doppelganger from the character’s 1990s miniseries) and the montage of overcoming trauma are just too much. All the rest though is very solid. Even if the Witch Road bit feels somehow timed to fit with the upcoming Agatha Harkness streaming series, Agatha All Along, which heavily features the road.

It’s always a delight when we get to see Dauterman tackle interior pages, which happens very rarely. It’s just  beautiful artwork that really feels alive and magical in all respects. It works quite well with the work that Camagni is doing on the issue as well. Both are very lively, detailed, and emotionally charged. Flowing together in a way that showcases their complimentary nature.

Both Wilson and William bring the vibrant and charged color palettes to play. The palette is full of popping, over-the-top bright colors nestled alongside the more natural grounded feeling ones. This gives the whole world a deep and electric sort of feeling.

The nature of the story and the various realms definitely gives everyone on the art team space to get creative. From paneling choices that really let things slide around the page, to colors that expand beyond out normal realm of reality. Even the lettering gets in on it, which is natural for Maher, who always brings the best to the page. This lets the various words, be they dialogue or captions, punch with powerful emotive energy and clearly readable tone and volume.

Throwing in various modifiers that allow the bubbles, boxes, and font themselves exudes fun. Colors and style shifts allow us to read things in an accurate voice while also just being visually pleasing.

Scarlet Witch #3 is now available from Marvel Comics.