Witchcraft has been saved. Now Wanda has an even harder thing ahead of her – planning her life now her task is done.  But first she must face a witch-demon who possesses a young boy with a bloodline connection to witches of yore.  Join us as Wanda must battle evil both in present-day New York…and Havana, Cuba in 1954!!

Scarlet Witch was a title I was very excited about when I heard of it’s debut, and Wanda has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters.  Over the years, writers have taken liberties with her powers; some focusing on her mutant ‘hex’ power, others delving into her ‘chaos magic’.  This series took Wanda’s abilities more in a supernatural direction, really showing this character as a witch.  It was an intriguing endeavor, Wanda out on her own to fix witchcraft and find the person or persons who were destroying it.  The series definitely had its high points and low points, but I think any fan of Scarlet Witch would say they enjoyed the ride.

James Robinson gives a nice ending story to close out this series.  It really shows how the character has changed as a result of her journey, and how she’s ready to face her future.  We see a more confident Wanda, not second guessing herself or apologizing anymore for past mistakes.  On the road to fix witchcraft, Wanda has also managed to heal herself and Robinson ends this series showing us that Wanda knows what she wants for herself and she is going after it, promising that we definitely have not seen the last of the Scarlet Witch.

Vanessa Del Rey’s art definitely adds to the supernatural feel of this issue.  Most panels are very dark and muted, except for Wanda and her signature color, which conveys her power and presence thanks to color artist Jordie Bellaire.  The art has a very “sketch” feel to it, but really lends itself to the mood of the issue, even though some of the faces look awkward in some panels.

Overall, this was a good story to send Wanda off onto the next chapter of her adventures.  It shows us Wanda is more confident in her powers and how she has come into her own, no longer relying on her brother Quicksilver to be her protector and no longer being weighed down by the guilt of things that happened in her past (her mental breakdown in Avengers Disassembled; her uttering ‘no more mutants’ in House of M).  Wanda’s story that begins this issue, the ending of her tale and who she is with at the end of the story shows us that Wanda knows exactly what she wants her life to be and she is no longer going to hide away but embrace who she is.  I am very excited to see where Wanda turns up next, and I look forward to seeing her in action again.

Story: James Robinson Art: Vanessa Del Rey Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25 Recommendation: Read

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review