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A review by quetzelish
Scarlet Witch, Vol. 1: Witches' Road by Chris Visions, Kei Zama, Mike Perkins, Marc Laming, Annie Wu, David Aja, Steve Dillon, Marguerite Sauvage, Marco Rudy, Jose Giles, Javier Pulido, Vanesa Del Rey, Joëlle Jones, Leila del Duca, Tula Lotay, Vanesa Del Ray, James Robinson, Chloe Poillerat
4.0
I'm a bit conflicted with this one because it is definitely closer to a 3.5 than a 4. Volume one of Scarlet Witch is very much a diamond in the rough. It has all the elements of being a really interesting (both visually and story wise) book but it falls flat on clarity and pacing.
I'm going to start with the art because this is another book whose artist changes from issue to issue which has always made for a jarring experience. But it does work in this volume, as each artist takes on a different location and if they return to it, the previous artist and returns as well. It gives a visual clarity to locations and events which I really appreciate. Unfortunately, all the art not done by Dillon (who's art is always very realistic and clear) feels muddy, beautiful to look at but hard to follow. Which may be the point. Everything is fractured and unclear, themes that run throughout the book. I just wish that it was easier to figure out what was happening panel to panel in those sections. Books with magic in theme should be striking and colorful (which this is) but also clear so we, the readers, can figure out what to focus on and to follow the action behind the spells (which this volume lacked, but not fully).
The best issue of the volume is definitly the final one. It's a one and done story that uses the art style to its advantage and tells not only a solid story, but does it in a really odd but cool manner. But thay only shows how oddly bad the story was for the rest of the volume. Its so uneven, sometimes setting up the idea that witchcraft is broken but then going on an adventure with a second rate villain that feels forced into the book. And maybe this is all because the scarlet witch is a post here. She has no discernable personality, rarely showing emotions beyond "grrr" or struggling with spell. Again, the most emotion she shows is when Dillon draws her. We see the intricacies of her facial expressions and that helps a lot. But it's obvious this volume is just starting to build to something so hopefully it will get better from here. As it stands, this is a beautiful but very uneven entry into scarlet witch's catalogue of comics.
I'm going to start with the art because this is another book whose artist changes from issue to issue which has always made for a jarring experience. But it does work in this volume, as each artist takes on a different location and if they return to it, the previous artist and returns as well. It gives a visual clarity to locations and events which I really appreciate. Unfortunately, all the art not done by Dillon (who's art is always very realistic and clear) feels muddy, beautiful to look at but hard to follow. Which may be the point. Everything is fractured and unclear, themes that run throughout the book. I just wish that it was easier to figure out what was happening panel to panel in those sections. Books with magic in theme should be striking and colorful (which this is) but also clear so we, the readers, can figure out what to focus on and to follow the action behind the spells (which this volume lacked, but not fully).
The best issue of the volume is definitly the final one. It's a one and done story that uses the art style to its advantage and tells not only a solid story, but does it in a really odd but cool manner. But thay only shows how oddly bad the story was for the rest of the volume. Its so uneven, sometimes setting up the idea that witchcraft is broken but then going on an adventure with a second rate villain that feels forced into the book. And maybe this is all because the scarlet witch is a post here. She has no discernable personality, rarely showing emotions beyond "grrr" or struggling with spell. Again, the most emotion she shows is when Dillon draws her. We see the intricacies of her facial expressions and that helps a lot. But it's obvious this volume is just starting to build to something so hopefully it will get better from here. As it stands, this is a beautiful but very uneven entry into scarlet witch's catalogue of comics.