Marvel has spent the last few years doing two important things. One of them is fixing Scarlet Witch as a character, ejecting the old school ideas of her as an agent of magical chaos and making her into a more well-rounded character. The other is making the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme important again, using stories like Blood Hunt and One World Under Doom to show the kind of power that the Sorcerer Supreme has. All of that comes to a head with Sorcerer Supreme #1, a tale that sets readers on the road to an all-new magical epic that could have dire consequences for the future of the Marvel Universe.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Writer Steve Orlando has been in charge of building up Scarlet Witch over the last few years, and he’s been doing a pretty good job. One of the problems with Scarlet Witch over the years is that creators have only given her a few kinds of stories. She’s usually either too powerful and gets driven to evil, or her adventures are defined by the men around her. Orlando has changed that, making Wanda into a character that is more than just sexist ideas of what a female superhero is. Sorcerer Supreme #1 continues this, and it’s one of the many enjoyable parts of the issue. Scarlet Witch becoming Sorceress Supreme isn’t a huge surprise — Marvel has been working to lift her profile for a while — and this issue develops why this is actually a good idea.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Sets up a lot of cool new ideas for Marvel’s magical corner | If you haven’t been following Orlando’s Scarlet Witch work, some aspects of her characterization may not land for you |
| Orlando nails Scarlet Witch’s characterization | |
| The art is amazing throughout the issue |
Orlando has moved Scarlet Witch away from the villain turns that have defined the character, but this issue still shows why her being the Sorceress Supreme may not be the best idea. The book establishes that she’s certainly powerful enough, but also shows that Wanda’s independent streak, developed after years of being used by others, could be a problem with her tenure. Orlando establishes some really cool ideas that show how different she is from someone like Doctor Strange, and plants seeds for the future. I’ll be honest — I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. Orlando moves away from the clichés that have held Wanda back and gives readers a well-paced, well-plotted story that has a lot of cool surprises. The ending does a bit of MCU synergy, but it fits this issue like a glove.
Bernard Chang’s Art Is Magical
Bernard Chang is the artist for this issue, and he knocks it out of the park right from the beginning. It starts with a battle between Scarlet Witch and Dormammu, showing off just how powerful she’s become since taking the mantle of Sorceress Supreme. His art brings this magical battle to life wonderfully, and I think that’s the best way to describe the art in this issue in general: he brings it all to life wonderfully. Russell Dauterman has been giving readers some of the best Scarlet Witch art ever with his covers over the years, and I feel like Chang is able to make the character look nearly as great as Dauterman does.
His character acting sells the emotion of the various scenes, and his detail is exquisite throughout. Chang’s work on this issue does exactly what it needs to do — bringing it to all life with aplomb — and every page has another image that will sell why this story is so great. I love the Romani outfits Wanda wears in the parts where she isn’t in her fighting togs; it honestly reminds me of her outfits from the George Perez issues of Avengers (Vol. 3). Much like the writing in this issue, I didn’t expect the art to be as great as it. It’s the kind of pleasant surprise that makes reading comics so much fun.
The legacy of the Sorcerer Supreme has been a key part of the last few years of Marvel stories, and Sorcerer Supreme #1 continues that heartening trend. I’ve written off a lot of the Scarlet Witch stuff Marvel has done in the last few years, assuming that it was empty MCU synergy, and this issue changed that opinion. Orlando’s Scarlet Witch is everything the character should be, without losing the edge that has always made her an interesting hero. I love the plots he set up in this issue, and hopefully, he’ll be able to keep it up throughout this series. Chang’s art is perfect for this issue, giving readers some compelling imagery while doing everything right. I wasn’t in love with the idea of Sorcerer Supreme #1 until I read the issue, and now I’m locked in for this mighty Marvel magical story.
Sorcerer Supreme #1 is on sale now.
What do you think? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
Most Viewed
-
Courtesy of TOHO Animation -
Courtesy of Crunchyroll
