'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch' is a rather weird, eclectic and random collection of comic issues featuring the Scarlet Witch.
Scarlet Witch isn't really the protagonist of any of the stories collected in 'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch'. It mostly consists of classic Marvel issues (which are very wordy on dialogue, thought balloons, and narration, I tell you), and a few strange, 'Sabrina' and 'Bewitched'-style 'X-Men' stories from the 2000s.
In Marvel comics editorial, I have no idea how the process works when choosing comics for these 'Marvel-Verse' books, and why, when they are meant as a jumping-off point, and to entice new readers with "introductions" to Marvel superheroes; sometimes the comic issues are barely related to the heroes they are supposed to be about. In this case, it's like "Which witch is the Scarlet Witch again?"
Still, this 'Marvel-Verse' is mostly entertaining. As well as Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, it stars Jean Grey (in those 2000s children's 'X-Men' comics, she is mainly called Marvel Girl, and she is youthful and childlike, but is besties with Wanda, so I'm not mad), Wanda's twin brother Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Professor X, the Mole Man, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, Nick Fury, H.Y.D.R.A., the Thing/Ben Grimm, Stingray/Walt Newell, Triton, Agatha Harkness (in her best portrayal as Wanda's witch mistress mentor and mother figure in every comic she appears), Doctor Strange, Wong, Dracula himself (oh yeah, there are vampires in this!), Edwin Jarvis, Hannibal King, Monica Rambeau (called Captain Marvel here, which may confuse readers only familiar with the MCU), Wanda's synthetic robot husband Vision (there is a 'Wanda and Vision' story included, even though there is already a 'Marvel-Verse' book for those), and demons and nightmares from her past.
My favourite story in 'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch' has to be the last one, 'Women of Marvel #1', aka 'Patty Prue in "Real Witches"'. It is about Scarlet Witch connecting with a grieving, lonely, insecure, stubborn, and complex young POC wannabe-witch, Patty Prue. It's the kind of witchy, occult story I like, and it is about female friendships! It's like 'The Craft' and 'Spell on Wheels'.
So while 'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch' isn't that great, or even that accurate to what its title promises, it is good enough for me, as a fan of witches and superheroes in general. It is a guilty, magical, mystical pleasure.
And I now own a 'Scarlet Witch' comic on my shelf. I've never been impressed by any of her solo titles.
It's just that the Scarlet Witch is the kind of character I should adore. I want to adore her. She's a super-powerful redhaired witch, and a sympathetic, relatable victim of the worst of societal ostracisation and prejudice - she's been through hell and back - what's not to love? But I keep being disappointed by her various appearances and how she is written, well, everywhere (do not get me started on her portrayal in the MCU, that's another matter (and rant) entirely).
And is she a mutant anymore, or not? I hate it when the MCU influences the canon Marvel comics.
But I like some of the tales in 'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch', so, yey, go Wanda!
Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff - the most powerful sorceress, female magician, illusionist, and reality-warper in the Marvel universe, and one of the most powerful women in the Marvel universe...though she's hardly ever written as such, or competently, or not as an "overemotional woman" who is "too powerful for her own good and needs to be subdued and controlled by powerful men who feel entitled to her autonomy". Stupid superhero media sexism.
Now that I think about it, it makes every bit of sense that Wanda and Jean Grey are friends.
Thus concludes my reading of the 'Marvel-Verse' books, about the women of Marvel. They have been mixed at best, but I enjoyed the following:
'Marvel-Verse: Captain Marvel'
'Marvel-Verse: Ms. Marvel'
'Marvel-Verse: She-Hulk'
'Marvel-Verse: Jane Foster, The Mighty Thor'
'Marvel-Verse: America Chavez'
Final Score (for 'Marvel-Verse: Scarlet Witch'): 3.5/5
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