A Whole Lot Of Something: Reviewing ‘Scarlet Witch’ #4

Death cannot stop the Scarlet Witch (it keeps trying though) as she returns to face the Griever one final time. Well, as final as anything can be in ongoing comic book universes that keep moderately chugging along.

The end of the first arc comes with Scarlet Witch #4 from Steve Orlando, Jacopo Camagni, Frank William, and Ariana Maher.

I want to like this book. The first volume was hands down one of my favorites at the time. I’m almost scared to go back and read it now, worried that my issues with this current volume (and the in-between mini-series) will retroactively suck all the fun out of it.

Let’s start on a high this time.

Camagni is back fully after sharing the last issue with Russell Dauterman’s work. This is an art style that just easily works with a book based in magic, other-dimensional fantasy, and a touch of dark moody ominous vibes. There is a great balance between the heftier beats and those that are lighter, allowing some whimsical levity to creep into the mix.

Overall, the action flows pretty well and the character facial and emotional work is done fluidly. Imagery like the struggles of Griever and Wanda across landscapes and Pietro’s hardest/fastest run ever really stand out. Giving the book a bolt of energy and life.

It pairs well with the color palette that William has cultivated at this point. One that skews heavily towards the bright and vibrant (fitting for magic and fantasy) with just enough sprinkled in to setup the world in a familiar fashion. Using more neutral or toned-down colors to build up the spaces outside of the fantastical. Shifting just slightly to match the art tone energy without losing the style that has been setup through all these issues.

Words. So many words everywhere. Just walls of words, as characters monologue at one another as well as themselves. Maher makes it all at least flow on the page, unable to make it less overwhelming because there is just so much to place down. It has the right emotional and colorful spikes to create unique flavor and visuals. Easily done with shifts to the bubbles, font styles, colors, and more.

Now to the overall story beats.

I’ve not been a fan of this story, and as it wraps up, well I’m still not a fan.

One of my critiques with Orlando is just how much of his Marvel era work centers around playing some sort of reference bingo. Dumping characters, concepts, and short-lived ideas into one pot and using it to remind us of things. Aiming to get everyone to point at the proverbial TV when they spot something familiar upon it.

How Wanda and Pietro overcome the Griever is clever, albeit unearned in some respects. Everything here just felt hollow by the end, with the Griever not being all that much of a threat (not surprising since the Fantastic Four wiped the floor with her previously). As much as the whole death and clawing back thing is an intriguing concept, the fact that it was heavily just references and connections didn’t help. It made the whole arc just feel like a slog, which again, is sad compared to how the overall series (volumes be damned) began.

Next issues tease seems to indicate things might get back to adventure of the week style, but this reviewer is already wary. I don’t like writing month after month about not liking things, so my fingers are crossed for where the book is going.

Scarlet Witch #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.