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Scarlet Witch (2015)
La Sorcière Rouge, Tome 1: La route des sorcières
La magie est en péril et la Sorcière Rouge est bien décidée à la sauvegarder. Pour y parvenir, elle entreprend un périple jusqu'au bout du monde au cours duquel elle affronte de vieilles connaissances et de nouveaux adversaires. Cependant, une question demeure : quel est l'esprit machiavélique à l'origine de cette machination ?
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2016
98 people are currently reading
1856 people want to read
About the author
James Robinson
1,265 books236 followersJames Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
April 27, 2021
I read the Marvel Comic books Scarlet Witch #1-5, story by the usually amazing James Robinson but in this case he doesn't do not enough to really create a captivating story despite it still being really well written, and drawn by a plethora of artists! Witchcraft is dead, so Wanda seeks out to fix it, and faces tough challenges including her own past. This is the best rendition of Wanda, probably ever though! 6 out of 12
August 25, 2016
James Robinson’s pitch for a new Scarlet Witch series isn’t the strongest: er, just have her wander the Earth, fighting evil spirits and such? Its arbitrary, uninspired nature is why this first volume doesn’t leave much of an impression.
The revolving door of artists, though giving it an inconsistent look, is the best part of this title. Marco Rudy’s painted art on the Greek issue where Wanda goes to battle the Minotaur is stunning and I was pleasantly surprised to see Steve Dillon drawing an issue as well. Javier Pulido draws the final issue in his usual simple, elegant style with gorgeous colours from Muntsa Vicente. The David Aja covers are wonderful too.
Robinson’s stories though are so forgettable – episodic and pointless, like a crap Marvel version of Supernatural. Robinson tries establishing a nemesis for Wanda with the Emerald Warlock who is as lame as the name suggests and the attempt completely falls flat.
Scarlet Witch, Volume 1: Witches’ Road is yet another terrible James Robinson book and a bore to read. I wouldn’t recommend it even if the constantly changing visuals from some of the best artists working today are quite something.
The revolving door of artists, though giving it an inconsistent look, is the best part of this title. Marco Rudy’s painted art on the Greek issue where Wanda goes to battle the Minotaur is stunning and I was pleasantly surprised to see Steve Dillon drawing an issue as well. Javier Pulido draws the final issue in his usual simple, elegant style with gorgeous colours from Muntsa Vicente. The David Aja covers are wonderful too.
Robinson’s stories though are so forgettable – episodic and pointless, like a crap Marvel version of Supernatural. Robinson tries establishing a nemesis for Wanda with the Emerald Warlock who is as lame as the name suggests and the attempt completely falls flat.
Scarlet Witch, Volume 1: Witches’ Road is yet another terrible James Robinson book and a bore to read. I wouldn’t recommend it even if the constantly changing visuals from some of the best artists working today are quite something.
February 6, 2020
This story of the Scarlet Witch drew me in. Wanda is so powerful that it's difficult to think that she can actually be beaten. It's more about seeing who she is. My favorite story is when she goes to Ireland and has to battle the Emerald Wizard - love that name. He is killing the land of Ireland and it lost its green, so you know I'm rooting for Wanda and how she wins is wonderful.
She also heads to a possessed monastery to help there.
I'm even more excited to see WandaVision now. This is going to be exciting In this story, not the movies, she considers herself a witch.
I don't know if I will go on with the series because it's not easy to get, my library doesn't hold it. This was a good stand alone.
She also heads to a possessed monastery to help there.
I'm even more excited to see WandaVision now. This is going to be exciting In this story, not the movies, she considers herself a witch.
I don't know if I will go on with the series because it's not easy to get, my library doesn't hold it. This was a good stand alone.
December 10, 2018
I was hoping James Robinson was back after reading Airboy but this was a return to Robinson phoning it in. The Scarlet Witch is traveling the world because something is "broken" with magic. The stories are all really boring. Robinson was trying to establish an arch-villain for the Scarlet Witch but it clearly didn't work.
Each issue is drawn by a different artist so we get a mixed bag of good and poor art. It was nice to see Steve Dillon get to draw Ireland one last time before he passed away. Javier Pulido draws a mostly silent issue. It was like trying to read hieroglyphics. The silent storytelling did not flow at all.
Each issue is drawn by a different artist so we get a mixed bag of good and poor art. It was nice to see Steve Dillon get to draw Ireland one last time before he passed away. Javier Pulido draws a mostly silent issue. It was like trying to read hieroglyphics. The silent storytelling did not flow at all.
October 13, 2016
The premise of this new Scarlet Witch book seems to be the same as the new Dr. Strange book: magic is broken, protagonist must find out why and sort it out. I could accept this if it was supposed to be two sides of the same story, told from different characters' perspectives, but it seems to be unrelated, as the cause of magic being up the spout is different in each book.
This book hasn't been done half as well as the Dr. Strange book, either, which is bound to lead to unfavourable comparisons. The Scarlet Witch book isn't helped by the fact that each issue is illustrated by a different artist. This has obviously been done deliberately (much like Dark Horse's recent 'The Tomorrows' book) but the overall effect is to make the book feel really patchy and thrown together.
Don't get me wrong; it's not awful, and some issues are much better than others, but it could have been a lot better.
This book hasn't been done half as well as the Dr. Strange book, either, which is bound to lead to unfavourable comparisons. The Scarlet Witch book isn't helped by the fact that each issue is illustrated by a different artist. This has obviously been done deliberately (much like Dark Horse's recent 'The Tomorrows' book) but the overall effect is to make the book feel really patchy and thrown together.
Don't get me wrong; it's not awful, and some issues are much better than others, but it could have been a lot better.
October 3, 2017
The artwork is lovely, the stories might not be groundbreaking but they are still pretty good. I read this volume as a reader who doesn't know much about the Scarlet Witch but I can still easily read through the whole thing. 4 stars.
May 3, 2020
A very mixed bag to say last, luckly the irish/witchcraft issues drawn by late Steve Dillon and Javier Pulido saved the day for me.
'Nuff said.
September 21, 2016
Great art, especially on the covers, but the story is almost painfully uninspired. What's the point of doing a Scarlet Witch series if you aren't going to say anything interesting, or really anything at all, about her history of going off the deep end? But this is the Marvel Universe, and attractive redheads get free passes, so.
June 2, 2022
*Rubs temples* So, sometime in the last 5-10 years, writers decided to just say "Fuck it" as far as continuity goes? They just depict Wanda displaying random power, attribute all of it to "magic," and just forego talking about her previous status as a mutant altogether?
This was just painful to read for someone who has been reading comics since 1993.
In my subconscious, I typically picture Wanda during the Kurt Busiek years. Maybe wearing some traditional Romani garb, but for the most part, I think of the classic Scarlet Witch. A mutant, daughter of Magneto, capable of affecting probability. The writers previously experimented with giving her powers a boost via connection to magic, so sometimes she would pull off some improbable display of power because of ill-defined "magic." But throughout, there was still a foundation of mutant probability hexing at the root of all she does.
Alas, that status quo is no more.
The artwork was meh. Some panels were better than others. Sometimes the artwork felt unnecessarily messy. But the story? Oh my God. Wanda is now omnipotent, and she goes through life with a bland, impassive look on her face. She meanders through the story at a walking pace. She keeps describing how she senses things, feeling magic in the air, without explaining where the Hell all these new powers came from.
Agatha Harkness hangs around Wanda as a ghost because, well, Agatha was a really popular character on WandaVision.
Yes, Agatha Harkness did teach Wanda some stuff about magic in the late 80s and/or early 90s. Even in that Busiek era of the Avengers I just referenced, Wanda visited Agatha Harkness. That is how Wanda was informed that the magic in Mount Wundagore influenced her at birth, altering how she otherwise would have been an energy-wielding mutant, like her father. (That paraphrasing is close to a direct quotation, by the way.)
But, for most of her history, Wanda typically had very little actual magical knowledge. She didn't gather spell books and sit down to study magic at the Avengers mansion, a la Hogwarts. That just... never happened. The writers are acting like there was a period where Wanda talked about her magical studies over coffee, and we watched her casting intermediate spells with funny effects, like accidentally turning Hawkeye into a rabbit. ... That never happened.
We saw Wanda call upon some "half-forgotten magic lessons" when she fought Morgan le Fay around 1998. That was less about actual magical knowledge, and more about Wanda summoning up all her energy for a dramatic display of power wrestling with le Fay. No actual skill or finesse or anything.
But in this book, Wanda acts as if she knows everything there is to know about magic. She gives magical history lessons about Paris in the 1700s to an anonymous New York detective. She talks about sensing magic in the air in Ireland. That is setting aside the question of, "Since when could Wanda sense anything? She has never had sensory powers before."
Now, we are led to believe that Wanda's powers are entirely magical in nature. This book suggests either her magic comes from studying (that we never saw Wanda actually do), or else magical skill she inherited from her mother.
... What happened to biology? For that matter, if we are supposed to think her powers are just from all this never-before-seen magical study, what the Hell did the High Evolutionary actually DO to Wanda?
I'm aware that comic books have a history of retcons. I'm just not used to writers taking a bullheaded, "I'm just going to power forward and tell a story the way I want to, regardless of whether it makes any sense given the character's actual history" stance.
I feel dirty for having read this. Although, it might explain the bizarre way Wanda acted in "The Trial of Magneto."
Also-- the villain of this book, the "Emerald Warlock" had the last name of "Dane." Just like Polaris, whose real name is Lorna Dane. And Lorna also wears a lot of green, and has green hair. ... This seems like an intentional parallel, maybe suggesting that Lorna is related to this guy somehow, but none of it makes any sense. I'm pretty sure "Dane" was the name of Lorna's adoptive father, since we have committed to the whole, "Magneto is Polaris' biological father" retcon from 20 years ago. (I still hate that change.) So, someone with the last name of "Dane" wouldn't be biologically related to Lorna. And that is setting aside the fact that the more recent retcon from Hell, the one making Wanda no longer Magneto's daughter, makes it weird to bring up Lorna in Wanda's book at all.
*shudders* I feel filthy.
This was just painful to read for someone who has been reading comics since 1993.
In my subconscious, I typically picture Wanda during the Kurt Busiek years. Maybe wearing some traditional Romani garb, but for the most part, I think of the classic Scarlet Witch. A mutant, daughter of Magneto, capable of affecting probability. The writers previously experimented with giving her powers a boost via connection to magic, so sometimes she would pull off some improbable display of power because of ill-defined "magic." But throughout, there was still a foundation of mutant probability hexing at the root of all she does.
Alas, that status quo is no more.
The artwork was meh. Some panels were better than others. Sometimes the artwork felt unnecessarily messy. But the story? Oh my God. Wanda is now omnipotent, and she goes through life with a bland, impassive look on her face. She meanders through the story at a walking pace. She keeps describing how she senses things, feeling magic in the air, without explaining where the Hell all these new powers came from.
Agatha Harkness hangs around Wanda as a ghost because, well, Agatha was a really popular character on WandaVision.
Yes, Agatha Harkness did teach Wanda some stuff about magic in the late 80s and/or early 90s. Even in that Busiek era of the Avengers I just referenced, Wanda visited Agatha Harkness. That is how Wanda was informed that the magic in Mount Wundagore influenced her at birth, altering how she otherwise would have been an energy-wielding mutant, like her father. (That paraphrasing is close to a direct quotation, by the way.)
But, for most of her history, Wanda typically had very little actual magical knowledge. She didn't gather spell books and sit down to study magic at the Avengers mansion, a la Hogwarts. That just... never happened. The writers are acting like there was a period where Wanda talked about her magical studies over coffee, and we watched her casting intermediate spells with funny effects, like accidentally turning Hawkeye into a rabbit. ... That never happened.
We saw Wanda call upon some "half-forgotten magic lessons" when she fought Morgan le Fay around 1998. That was less about actual magical knowledge, and more about Wanda summoning up all her energy for a dramatic display of power wrestling with le Fay. No actual skill or finesse or anything.
But in this book, Wanda acts as if she knows everything there is to know about magic. She gives magical history lessons about Paris in the 1700s to an anonymous New York detective. She talks about sensing magic in the air in Ireland. That is setting aside the question of, "Since when could Wanda sense anything? She has never had sensory powers before."
Now, we are led to believe that Wanda's powers are entirely magical in nature. This book suggests either her magic comes from studying (that we never saw Wanda actually do), or else magical skill she inherited from her mother.
... What happened to biology? For that matter, if we are supposed to think her powers are just from all this never-before-seen magical study, what the Hell did the High Evolutionary actually DO to Wanda?
I'm aware that comic books have a history of retcons. I'm just not used to writers taking a bullheaded, "I'm just going to power forward and tell a story the way I want to, regardless of whether it makes any sense given the character's actual history" stance.
I feel dirty for having read this. Although, it might explain the bizarre way Wanda acted in "The Trial of Magneto."
Also-- the villain of this book, the "Emerald Warlock" had the last name of "Dane." Just like Polaris, whose real name is Lorna Dane. And Lorna also wears a lot of green, and has green hair. ... This seems like an intentional parallel, maybe suggesting that Lorna is related to this guy somehow, but none of it makes any sense. I'm pretty sure "Dane" was the name of Lorna's adoptive father, since we have committed to the whole, "Magneto is Polaris' biological father" retcon from 20 years ago. (I still hate that change.) So, someone with the last name of "Dane" wouldn't be biologically related to Lorna. And that is setting aside the fact that the more recent retcon from Hell, the one making Wanda no longer Magneto's daughter, makes it weird to bring up Lorna in Wanda's book at all.
*shudders* I feel filthy.
December 19, 2016
Compare this to Wytches or Rachel Rising on the witch meter and this falls short. It's plodding and mired in getting us background, a mistake for a first volume. I like the idea of a witch working with a nun on stuff. What is the relationship between the spiritual and the psychic. It's almost a good enough for me to keep reading it. Almost. Maybe. Tell me if it gets better.
December 10, 2018
Interesting enough for me to want to continue with the story, but this was a bit of a mixed bag. The art was drastically different in each issue, with issue 4 easily my favourite. That entire chapter was beautiful, and probably the strongest storyline wise. Issues 3 and 5 were the weakest for me. I want to see where it's going to go, but the next volume isn't going to the top of my 'books to buy ASAP' list either.
September 5, 2022
HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY FAVOURITE WITCH?
the story could be much, much better. and it had the potential, to be honest, but it seemed like the writer was trying too hard to make it sound interesting. he failed, fyi.
I don't know how I must feel about the art. the first issue was just HORRIBLE, the second was pretty amazing, the rest was just okay. (by okay I mean it looked like it wasn't finished and the artist was going to add more layers... but he didn't :/) and the fifth... even worst than the first *crying emoji* the cover images were pretty tempting though and judging the book by its cover, I expected something phenomenal.
unbelievable. this could be the best scarlet witch solo series that make everyone drool and jump from excitement but instead it turned out to be just another boring marvel superhero comic.
September 18, 2017
Kocham tę serię. Uwielbiam to, że Wanda Maximoff dostała wreszcie solową serię i to bez obciążającego, patologicznego związku z Visionem (zasadniczo doceniam koncepcję związku wiedźmy z androidem, ale Marvel nie umie tego pisać).
Moim największym problemem z tym, jak Marvel pisze Scarlet Witch jest ten straszny seksistowski schemat "kobieta obdarzona wszechpotężną mocą okazuje się niestabilna emocjonalnie i nie może jej kontrolować", co jest zresztą ulubionym tropem Marvela, jeśli chodzi o mutantki (vide: Jean Gray), który sprawia, że Wandzie dopisuje się choroby psychiczne. I tu jestem rozdarta, bo wspaniale byłoby mieć atypową postać superbohaterki, ale nie jeśli wynika to ze seksistowskiej kliszy scenariuszowej, jak to ma miejsce ze Scarlet Witch. I seria mniej więcej sobie z tym radzi, pozwalając Wandzie na chwilę oddechu od głupich propozycji innych scenarzystów. Wanda leczy się, bierze leki i ma się lepiej. Gdyby chociaż konsekwentnie to prowadzić, być może by wybrnęli z gówna, w które sami się wkopują. Ale Marvel i konsekwencja rozmijają się mniej więcej tak, jak republikanie i prawa człowieka.
W każdym razie, mamy solową serię, gdzie Wanda wreszcie może się rozwinąć jako postać i pokazać, że ma osobowość. Każdy zeszyt odnosi się do innego systemu wierzeń i akcja dzieje się w innym miejscu na świecie, od Grecji po Irlandię. Coś złego dzieje się z magią i Scarlet Witch wyrusza na krucjatę, aby odkryć co i to naprawić. Wciąż jest Avengerem, ale są rzeczy, których tylko ona może dokonać.
Pojawia się wiele osobistych wątków. Bardzo podoba mi się duch Agathy Harkness, mentorki Wandy, wciąż czuwający nad swoją podopieczną. Zachwyca mnie moment, w którym Wanda ma okazję spotkać własną matkę, czy też jej echo, na astralnych ścieżkach. Już pierwsze pięć zeszytów wiele wnosi do kanonu Scarlet Witch.
Serię cechują też wyjątkowo piękne okładki, ale czego innego spodziewać się po Aji. Większość rysunków przywodzi na myśl raczej nowele graficzne niż klasyczne superbohaterskie komiksy, co ma sens, biorąc pod uwagę, że klimat też przypomina pomieszanie Marvelowskiego komiksu z Sandmanem czy Lucyferem. W zasadzie wychodzi na plus, że w tym przypadku Marvel nie traci tożsamości, zmieniając się w coś Constantinopodobnego. To wciąż dobrze rozpoznawalna marka, ale przywodząca skojarzenia z gatunkiem urban fantasy w równej mierze, co komiksowym.
Moim największym problemem z tym, jak Marvel pisze Scarlet Witch jest ten straszny seksistowski schemat "kobieta obdarzona wszechpotężną mocą okazuje się niestabilna emocjonalnie i nie może jej kontrolować", co jest zresztą ulubionym tropem Marvela, jeśli chodzi o mutantki (vide: Jean Gray), który sprawia, że Wandzie dopisuje się choroby psychiczne. I tu jestem rozdarta, bo wspaniale byłoby mieć atypową postać superbohaterki, ale nie jeśli wynika to ze seksistowskiej kliszy scenariuszowej, jak to ma miejsce ze Scarlet Witch. I seria mniej więcej sobie z tym radzi, pozwalając Wandzie na chwilę oddechu od głupich propozycji innych scenarzystów. Wanda leczy się, bierze leki i ma się lepiej. Gdyby chociaż konsekwentnie to prowadzić, być może by wybrnęli z gówna, w które sami się wkopują. Ale Marvel i konsekwencja rozmijają się mniej więcej tak, jak republikanie i prawa człowieka.
W każdym razie, mamy solową serię, gdzie Wanda wreszcie może się rozwinąć jako postać i pokazać, że ma osobowość. Każdy zeszyt odnosi się do innego systemu wierzeń i akcja dzieje się w innym miejscu na świecie, od Grecji po Irlandię. Coś złego dzieje się z magią i Scarlet Witch wyrusza na krucjatę, aby odkryć co i to naprawić. Wciąż jest Avengerem, ale są rzeczy, których tylko ona może dokonać.
Pojawia się wiele osobistych wątków. Bardzo podoba mi się duch Agathy Harkness, mentorki Wandy, wciąż czuwający nad swoją podopieczną. Zachwyca mnie moment, w którym Wanda ma okazję spotkać własną matkę, czy też jej echo, na astralnych ścieżkach. Już pierwsze pięć zeszytów wiele wnosi do kanonu Scarlet Witch.
Serię cechują też wyjątkowo piękne okładki, ale czego innego spodziewać się po Aji. Większość rysunków przywodzi na myśl raczej nowele graficzne niż klasyczne superbohaterskie komiksy, co ma sens, biorąc pod uwagę, że klimat też przypomina pomieszanie Marvelowskiego komiksu z Sandmanem czy Lucyferem. W zasadzie wychodzi na plus, że w tym przypadku Marvel nie traci tożsamości, zmieniając się w coś Constantinopodobnego. To wciąż dobrze rozpoznawalna marka, ale przywodząca skojarzenia z gatunkiem urban fantasy w równej mierze, co komiksowym.
July 2, 2016
With Vision getting his own solo series once again, it's only fair that Scarlet Witch does too, and whilst Wanda's title isn't quite as innovative as her ex-husband's, it's still well worth a look, especially since the magical side of the Marvel Universe doesn't get nearly enough love.
James Robinson teams with a multitude of artists to give Wanda a new status quo as she discovers witchcraft is broken, and only she (and the ghost of Agatha Harkness) can fix it. This leads her across the world as she tries to solve numerous problems which seem to be quite separate, but are actually intrinsically linked.
Marvel have wisely included Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 here, which is written by Robinson and reintroduces the Emerald Warlock, a villain who battles the Avengers and then reappears as a foe for Wanda here. Usually Marvel collect these things in the wrong place, but they seem to have thought ahead for a change.
Robinson has a single artist per issue, but he gets some top talent along the way. Vanessa Del Rey, Marco Rudy, Chris Visions and Steve Dillon (who share two issues), Javier Pulido (whose issue is basically a 'Nuff Said) and Marguerite Sauvage are all on display here with their unique talents well-suited for the stories they're given. I'm not usually a fan of this kind of approach for artists, but it really works with Scarlet Witch, and they all get to give Wanda's magical world their own spin. Oh, and the indomitable David Aja draws the covers, which are also beautiful.
I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again - Marvel's secondary titles are a hell of a lot better than their main books.
James Robinson teams with a multitude of artists to give Wanda a new status quo as she discovers witchcraft is broken, and only she (and the ghost of Agatha Harkness) can fix it. This leads her across the world as she tries to solve numerous problems which seem to be quite separate, but are actually intrinsically linked.
Marvel have wisely included Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 here, which is written by Robinson and reintroduces the Emerald Warlock, a villain who battles the Avengers and then reappears as a foe for Wanda here. Usually Marvel collect these things in the wrong place, but they seem to have thought ahead for a change.
Robinson has a single artist per issue, but he gets some top talent along the way. Vanessa Del Rey, Marco Rudy, Chris Visions and Steve Dillon (who share two issues), Javier Pulido (whose issue is basically a 'Nuff Said) and Marguerite Sauvage are all on display here with their unique talents well-suited for the stories they're given. I'm not usually a fan of this kind of approach for artists, but it really works with Scarlet Witch, and they all get to give Wanda's magical world their own spin. Oh, and the indomitable David Aja draws the covers, which are also beautiful.
I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again - Marvel's secondary titles are a hell of a lot better than their main books.
April 11, 2017
The Scarlet Witch as some kind of spiritual detective out to save magic is a cool concept and the ever changing art keeps things interesting when the plot drags a bit.
I'm a long time fan of the character and I'd heard so many positive things about this book that I admit I might be grading on a curve, but I'm looking forward to where the story is going.
This might be hard sell for someone who isn't familiar with the character, because past knowledge about her and her world seem to be a given even with a lot of background revelations included in the story. Agatha never gets explained neither do Wanda's reasons for atonement and I feel like that's a big part of what drives the characters.
I'm a long time fan of the character and I'd heard so many positive things about this book that I admit I might be grading on a curve, but I'm looking forward to where the story is going.
This might be hard sell for someone who isn't familiar with the character, because past knowledge about her and her world seem to be a given even with a lot of background revelations included in the story. Agatha never gets explained neither do Wanda's reasons for atonement and I feel like that's a big part of what drives the characters.
September 14, 2016
3.5 stars
Every issue of this series has a different artist...
Issue one: Definitely leaves something to be desired.
Issue two: Goes with the trippy water color art that I tend to love (see:Weirdworld, Vol. 0: Warzones!).
Issues three and four: Are partially done by the amazing Steve Dillon, part by someone else.
It was quite the surprise to see Dillon's current art here having just read Preacher, Book 4.
Issue five: With art by Javier Pulido (of She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Law and Disorder)
Interesting start to the series here. Much like with Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird, I want to see more of what some of Marvel's "magical" heroes are up to.
Every issue of this series has a different artist...
Issue one: Definitely leaves something to be desired.
Issue two: Goes with the trippy water color art that I tend to love (see:Weirdworld, Vol. 0: Warzones!).
Issues three and four: Are partially done by the amazing Steve Dillon, part by someone else.
It was quite the surprise to see Dillon's current art here having just read Preacher, Book 4.
Issue five: With art by Javier Pulido (of She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Law and Disorder)
Interesting start to the series here. Much like with Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird, I want to see more of what some of Marvel's "magical" heroes are up to.
March 21, 2021
A truly uninspiring and episodic adventure sending the Scarlet Witch on a mission around the world to try and find out why witchcraft is broken. The artwork is absolutely distracting, especially as it changes from one issue to another, forcing us to revel in unappealing artistic styles, occasionally original but mostly annoying.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
October 30, 2021
This was one of those love-it or hate-it Marvel books. It's a very introspective and wandering volume, with the premise that magic is broken and maybe Wanda is broken and she sets up to fix it, fighting badness as she meets it along the way... and it never goes where you expect. There's a different artist on each section, with different styles and different levels of success. I thought it was a very interesting experiment... 'nuff said... Excelsior!
December 19, 2016
The title started out pretty strong, but further and further down the road it got less and less focused, to the point of just being boring episodic crap. Sadly, yet another James Robinson fail.
March 15, 2017
Not bad but nothing memorable... if you want amazing witch stories go read Rachel Rising :p
Maybe I'll read vol 2...
Maybe I'll read vol 2...
May 14, 2020
This book was really boring. I kept reading along like, ok this will get interesting any moment now....it never did. Plus when I saw that there was a different artist for each issue, I knew that wouldn’t be good either. Shame because I really like Wanda and was hoping for something good.
June 5, 2022
must be the season of the witch
January 9, 2018
Es un tebeo mezcla de la tradición de los supers con el estilo de novelas que Agatha Christie, compatriota del guionista, creó para Miss Marple o Poirot. Es decir, una señora que viaja solucionando los problemas de otros países. Porque ella es la mejor, lo más. Porque en Irlanda, España o Grecia, países con mucha tradición mágica, necesitamos que venga Wanda. Todo esto con Inquisición Española, que fue una vergüenza para España, no para Europa como todos sabemos. Y monjas homeópatas de Logroño. Porque entre las virtudes de Robinson está confundir la farmacia de hierbas tradicional, cuando no había otra cosa, con la homeopatía.
El tema de que la Revolución Francesa fue un demonio que se metió en la mente de los pobres para causarles envidia ya no sé ni qué decir. Un clasismo que me tiene con arcadas todavía.
A nivel gráfico el fondo rojo de algunos bocadillos me ha dificultado muchísimo su lectura.
Sin embargo las portadas, de David Aja, el dibujo y el color, que tienen en cada grapa a un autor diferente, han tenido momentos excelsos.
El tema de que la Revolución Francesa fue un demonio que se metió en la mente de los pobres para causarles envidia ya no sé ni qué decir. Un clasismo que me tiene con arcadas todavía.
A nivel gráfico el fondo rojo de algunos bocadillos me ha dificultado muchísimo su lectura.
Sin embargo las portadas, de David Aja, el dibujo y el color, que tienen en cada grapa a un autor diferente, han tenido momentos excelsos.
April 2, 2021
I'd read anything starring Scarlet Witch. But this collection of comics right here ain't it.
Instead skip straight to Vol #2. World of Witchcraft.
Instead skip straight to Vol #2. World of Witchcraft.
June 15, 2025
3.75 stars
Oooh, this one gave me Hellboy vibes, especially the last issue!
So, I've been seeing good comments about the current Scarlet Witch run, and when I was looking which volume to start with I saw a lot of people recommending this fifteen issue series too. And, when comixology used to be available internationally (oh, those were the times!) I remember seeing these amazing covers by David Aja every month and being so intrigued, so I just decided to choose this one as my first Scarlet Witch comic. And it was a great decision.
This series (so far) is very episodic. Every issue has a different artist and it takes place in different countries fighting different supernatural entities. The beginning of this volume sets up a Wanda who feels guilty about her past and decides to make up for it by using her magic to help. Thing is, as a white witch, every time Wanda uses her magic her soul takes the price and ages a little. When she sees her reflection in a mirror, she's old and wrinkled so she doesn't know how much time she has left. Now, in New York City, she's feeling good about being alone, not part of the Avengers. With the ghost of Agatha Harkness to confide in, she feels trouble in the city. Witchcraft is being affected by outside influences and the cause is unknown. From New York to Greece, to Ireland and Spain, Wanda is looking for answers, helping people out with the power of the Scarlet Witch.
I thought I was going to struggle with the switch of the artwork a lot more, and though some styles are a bit too messy for me, I really liked every new take in this supernatural adventure. The styles contrast a lot, some simple, some muddy, some grotesque, yet the writing is so strong that it feels cohesive. Last issue, however, is drawn by Javier Pulido and the coloring is so different from the other four issues collected, it's a bit of a shock, BUT, it was my favorite issue out of them all. Sure, the style is simplistic, with bright plain colors and character designs that are not too pretty, yet I love Pulido's layouts. There's a mini silent montage where Wanda is seeing the past, the Spanish Inquisition, and the way this sad story is drawn is so cool and fresh, yet so impactful, I really loved it. This issue of Wanda travelling to Spain to help with an exorcism gave me the biggest Hellboy vibe and I loved it.
Excited to continue with this series and to keep reading from this character. A solid first volume.
Oooh, this one gave me Hellboy vibes, especially the last issue!
So, I've been seeing good comments about the current Scarlet Witch run, and when I was looking which volume to start with I saw a lot of people recommending this fifteen issue series too. And, when comixology used to be available internationally (oh, those were the times!) I remember seeing these amazing covers by David Aja every month and being so intrigued, so I just decided to choose this one as my first Scarlet Witch comic. And it was a great decision.
This series (so far) is very episodic. Every issue has a different artist and it takes place in different countries fighting different supernatural entities. The beginning of this volume sets up a Wanda who feels guilty about her past and decides to make up for it by using her magic to help. Thing is, as a white witch, every time Wanda uses her magic her soul takes the price and ages a little. When she sees her reflection in a mirror, she's old and wrinkled so she doesn't know how much time she has left. Now, in New York City, she's feeling good about being alone, not part of the Avengers. With the ghost of Agatha Harkness to confide in, she feels trouble in the city. Witchcraft is being affected by outside influences and the cause is unknown. From New York to Greece, to Ireland and Spain, Wanda is looking for answers, helping people out with the power of the Scarlet Witch.
I thought I was going to struggle with the switch of the artwork a lot more, and though some styles are a bit too messy for me, I really liked every new take in this supernatural adventure. The styles contrast a lot, some simple, some muddy, some grotesque, yet the writing is so strong that it feels cohesive. Last issue, however, is drawn by Javier Pulido and the coloring is so different from the other four issues collected, it's a bit of a shock, BUT, it was my favorite issue out of them all. Sure, the style is simplistic, with bright plain colors and character designs that are not too pretty, yet I love Pulido's layouts. There's a mini silent montage where Wanda is seeing the past, the Spanish Inquisition, and the way this sad story is drawn is so cool and fresh, yet so impactful, I really loved it. This issue of Wanda travelling to Spain to help with an exorcism gave me the biggest Hellboy vibe and I loved it.
Excited to continue with this series and to keep reading from this character. A solid first volume.
April 11, 2022
Scarlet Witch: Witches Road
By James Robinson (Writer) and a fuck ton of artists
Published by Marvel, 2016
Synopsis: Witchcraft is broken and Wanda Maximoff is on the journey around the world to investigate it.
Review:
An episodic book with villain of the week style writing. For some, this will be fine. But for me, its a real point of frustration throughout the series. There is this lack of progression in terms of the overarching story. You could even say that the "witchcraft is broken" story-line isn't even the main focus. Its Wanda reconnecting with her lost lineage. Wanda's interactions and monologues with her ghastly companion Agatha Harkness are fun. Like an old master talking to the apprentice who clearly outshines her. The art in this book is to be enjoyed, it has great art by Marco Rudy and some of the last art of the great Steve Dillon.
Star Rating = 3 stars out of 5
A decent book that fails to deliver into telling a overarching format. The episodic nature of the book hurts it more than it should.
By James Robinson (Writer) and a fuck ton of artists
Published by Marvel, 2016
Synopsis: Witchcraft is broken and Wanda Maximoff is on the journey around the world to investigate it.
Review:
An episodic book with villain of the week style writing. For some, this will be fine. But for me, its a real point of frustration throughout the series. There is this lack of progression in terms of the overarching story. You could even say that the "witchcraft is broken" story-line isn't even the main focus. Its Wanda reconnecting with her lost lineage. Wanda's interactions and monologues with her ghastly companion Agatha Harkness are fun. Like an old master talking to the apprentice who clearly outshines her. The art in this book is to be enjoyed, it has great art by Marco Rudy and some of the last art of the great Steve Dillon.
Star Rating = 3 stars out of 5
A decent book that fails to deliver into telling a overarching format. The episodic nature of the book hurts it more than it should.
November 20, 2017
Wanda Maximoff globe-hops like an international P.I., busting spiritual heads, taking names, and righting wrongs. The first two issues had mediocre artwork and thin stories, though there was a refreshingly human moment where she speaks of using medication for her depression. Things improve when she squares off with THE EMERALD WARLOCK! ("as he likes to yell at the top of his lungs," cracks SW) in the Irish countryside (of course) and then unofficially assists the Catholic Church - represented by the delightfully progressive-thinking Sister Lorenz ("Like my savior, I keep an open mind on all things") - with a possessed former nunnery in Spain.
August 25, 2016
Scarlet Witch: Witches’ Road puts a creative spin on a long-running character in her first ongoing series.
After several turbulent years, erstwhile Avenger Wanda Maximoff settles into a role as a solo adventurer focusing on mystical threats. Wanda begins to detect that witchcraft is “broken” and, with the ghost of her mentor Agatha Harkness as her companion, begins traveling the world to investigate. Along the way she encounters mythological threats, a deadly new enemy in the form of a powerful warlock and an unexpected encounter with her own heritage.
Writer James Robinson successfully works a complex structure with Scarlet Witch. Each installment provides a complete adventure for Wanda, but also serves as a part of a larger story that Robinson brings along at a deliberate pace. The writer is doing some of his best work in ages on this book. He has a very strong take on Wanda, using her complicated past to good effect to inform who she is in the present. He shows her struggles in a dramatically engaging way and comes up with some really neat twists on her mythos, including the toll that using magic takes on her.
Witches’ Road, at its best, evokes Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, with its mix of mythology, folklore, theology and fables. Wanda provides an appealing focus for Robinson’s story, as the writer carves out a unique niche in the Marvel Universe for his heroine. Agatha’s ghost is the perfect foil, bringing some lighter elements to the proceedings. It’s a great direction for Wanda and demonstrates how effective she can be as a solo lead after decades seen mostly in a team setting.
One of the more striking aspects of Scarlet Witch is the use of a different art team for each issue. The arc collected in Witches’ Road includes contributions from Vanessa Del Rey, Jordie Bellaire, Marco Rudy, Steve Dillon, Frank Martin, Charles Visions and Javier Pulido. The styles represented vary wildly, giving each chapter a unique feel that stands out from the others. The artists bring out different shadings of Wanda’s character and approach the supernatural action in some distinctive and surprising ways. Rudy’s chapter might be most striking, with its swirling blend of images and hazy colors. Such drastic shifts in visual tone could be an issue in another series, but the episodic nature of Scarlet Witch is a good fit for this multi-artist approach. For good measure, David Aja contributes some absolutely stunning covers, all crafted from a palette of black, white and red.
While knowledge of Wanda’s history provides helpful context that enhances the depth of these stories, it’s not strictly necessary. Robinson makes Scarlet Witch friendly for newcomers, with enough allusions to her past to set the stage effectively. It’s an impressive, engaging series that injects new vitality into its veteran heroine.
After several turbulent years, erstwhile Avenger Wanda Maximoff settles into a role as a solo adventurer focusing on mystical threats. Wanda begins to detect that witchcraft is “broken” and, with the ghost of her mentor Agatha Harkness as her companion, begins traveling the world to investigate. Along the way she encounters mythological threats, a deadly new enemy in the form of a powerful warlock and an unexpected encounter with her own heritage.
Writer James Robinson successfully works a complex structure with Scarlet Witch. Each installment provides a complete adventure for Wanda, but also serves as a part of a larger story that Robinson brings along at a deliberate pace. The writer is doing some of his best work in ages on this book. He has a very strong take on Wanda, using her complicated past to good effect to inform who she is in the present. He shows her struggles in a dramatically engaging way and comes up with some really neat twists on her mythos, including the toll that using magic takes on her.
Witches’ Road, at its best, evokes Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, with its mix of mythology, folklore, theology and fables. Wanda provides an appealing focus for Robinson’s story, as the writer carves out a unique niche in the Marvel Universe for his heroine. Agatha’s ghost is the perfect foil, bringing some lighter elements to the proceedings. It’s a great direction for Wanda and demonstrates how effective she can be as a solo lead after decades seen mostly in a team setting.
One of the more striking aspects of Scarlet Witch is the use of a different art team for each issue. The arc collected in Witches’ Road includes contributions from Vanessa Del Rey, Jordie Bellaire, Marco Rudy, Steve Dillon, Frank Martin, Charles Visions and Javier Pulido. The styles represented vary wildly, giving each chapter a unique feel that stands out from the others. The artists bring out different shadings of Wanda’s character and approach the supernatural action in some distinctive and surprising ways. Rudy’s chapter might be most striking, with its swirling blend of images and hazy colors. Such drastic shifts in visual tone could be an issue in another series, but the episodic nature of Scarlet Witch is a good fit for this multi-artist approach. For good measure, David Aja contributes some absolutely stunning covers, all crafted from a palette of black, white and red.
While knowledge of Wanda’s history provides helpful context that enhances the depth of these stories, it’s not strictly necessary. Robinson makes Scarlet Witch friendly for newcomers, with enough allusions to her past to set the stage effectively. It’s an impressive, engaging series that injects new vitality into its veteran heroine.
March 1, 2017
Ah, this is the James Robinson I recall from his DC and Ultraverse work. Good solid story telling, some nice characterization, and his trademark creation of new, but interesting minor characters.
More importantly Robinson takes a character that has pretty much been a loser for most of her life at Marvel Comics and makes her powerful and interesting (see what he did with Geoff Johns and David Goyer with DC's Hawkman/JSA return). Wanda is finally someone I WANT to read about. She admits her mistakes, but is seeking to make things better, including the state of witchcraft in the world.
The tale actually begins in the far past, moves to the 1940s, before making it to 2016. Avoiding spoilers Robinson gives the reader new and interesting players in the Emerald Warlock and Ghost Dancer, and gives Agatha Harkness a personality (one similar to the one I think her co-creator would have done if Jack Kirby had been a better writer).
The tale also gets the reader out of NYC and to Ireland and Spain (with nice Steve Dillon artwork for the Ireland piece).
A fun and worthwhile read. Much better than his recent Invaders and Squadron Supreme work for this company.
More importantly Robinson takes a character that has pretty much been a loser for most of her life at Marvel Comics and makes her powerful and interesting (see what he did with Geoff Johns and David Goyer with DC's Hawkman/JSA return). Wanda is finally someone I WANT to read about. She admits her mistakes, but is seeking to make things better, including the state of witchcraft in the world.
The tale actually begins in the far past, moves to the 1940s, before making it to 2016. Avoiding spoilers Robinson gives the reader new and interesting players in the Emerald Warlock and Ghost Dancer, and gives Agatha Harkness a personality (one similar to the one I think her co-creator would have done if Jack Kirby had been a better writer).
The tale also gets the reader out of NYC and to Ireland and Spain (with nice Steve Dillon artwork for the Ireland piece).
A fun and worthwhile read. Much better than his recent Invaders and Squadron Supreme work for this company.
Read
March 26, 2017James Robinson is an erratic writer, but even by his standards this is all over the place; a panel in which Wanda is being splendidly bitchy will be followed by one with painfully lumpy exposition, or clunky repetition. The premise (witchcraft is broken) may dovetail with the similar plot in Doctor Strange, or may simply overlap awkwardly with it - by the end of this volume, it's not yet clear which. But it's worth reading for the art. Each issue or segment has a different art team, and if some of them could be clearer about the storytelling, all of them come up with gorgeous new angles on the story, from the Paul Pope shabbiness of Vanessa del Rey's New York to the Palomar touch of Pulido's Basque country.
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