Review by Frank Plowright
Marvel Comics were placed in an awkward position with the Scarlet Witch when the film and TV arm decided first to star her in a domestic sitcom, then have her go mad and almost destroy the world. That’s the Scarlet Witch known to people who’ll watch the Marvel films, but have little interest in the comics. Is it worth having consistency just in case crossover develops?
Steve Orlando sidesteps that neatly by having the Scarlet Witch making a new start and mentioning in passing that she ought to have addressed her own issues before many people suffered. The new start is a bookshop with magical door to which people at their lowest ebb are guided. This is the Last Door of the title, and the first to come knocking on it has a problem with an old villain called the Corruptor.
On the last Scarlet Witch series a point was made by having the art predominantly produced by women. One day that won’t be an issue, and it shouldn’t be here with pages as phenomenally good as those supplied by Sara Pichelli. Her naturalistic approach to scenes without danger is elegant, and she ensures there’s a distinct difference between Wanda Maximoff as partner in a magic shop and the Scarlet Witch dealing with ne’erdowells. Her hair grows wilder and her cloak seems to become supernatural. Other small effects more occasionally serve to induce a mild otherworldliness, and that’s a mood sustained by the assorted places Scarlet Witch visits. All of which doesn’t even begin to let you know how beautiful some pages are, with Matthew Wilson’s colours very important.
Russell Dauterman is also excellent, but if he was just going to draw the single story, why was it the conclusion to the only two-parter featured? Chris Allen is also great on a bonus teaming with Storm, although Stephanie Phillips doesn’t match the intensity of the surrounding stories.
Orlando keeps ringing the changes, making good use of Wanda’s past and her connections, both regarding guest stars, of which there are plenty, and villains. This is a very confident Scarlet Witch, yet stopping short of being a substitute Dr. Strange. The locations are imaginative, although the threats are always mystical, yet varied in nature and the way they’re dealt with requires different skills.
The multitude of guest stars enables Orlando to use only the single supporting character, and the mysteries around Darcy Lewis don’t survive long and engage well. So does most of the remainder, although the odd ending doesn’t play out in Scarlet Witch: Magnum Opus, but in separate graphic novel Contest of Chaos.
