Steve Orlando and Sara Pichelli’s Scarlet Witch title was one of Marvel’s best comic book series in 2023. It helped to establish Wanda Maximoff as a solo hero. One of the major things the series tackled was Wanda’s relationship with her family, both extended and blood-related. Now to follow up on the series Orlando, along with artist Lorenzo Tammetta, is returning with Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver. How will Wanda and Pietro Maximoff’s sibling dynamic work after they’ve been doing their own thing for such a long time? Let’s find out with Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Lorenzo Tammetta
Colorist: Frank William
Letterer: Ariana Maher
SOLICITATION
“Old Rivalries and New Mysteries! The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have been heroes, friends, family heads, and occasionally villains, but, above all, they are twins who look out for each other. So when Wanda receives a letter from the recently deceased Magneto that would upset Pietro, she burns the letter before her brother can read it.
But her choice drives them apart at the worst possible time: a new threat heralded by the Wizard—with a horrifying eldritch upgrade—is coming for their heads, and if they can’t find a way to repair their damaged bond, it will cost them their lives. Join the fan-favorite SCARLET WITCH creative team as they celebrate sixty years of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver with this new chapter in the twins’ storied legacy!” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
No one can push your buttons like a sibling. That is the baseline premise of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #1. That premise allows Steve Orlando and Lorenzo Tammetta to tap into the history between Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, both as family and individuals. That history proves to be what gets you bought into the potential of this mini-series.
Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver arguably have some of the most complicated history of any Marvel character. They have been all over the spectrum from hero to villain to everything in between. Throughout that time there have been some unkind creative choices, especially in the 2000s era. Whether we would like to forget or not, those events involving Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver happened.
Tapping into this is what makes the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver dynamic so intriguing. While they’ve repaired their relationship, old wounds still exist. Orlando works in how, while Magneto repaired his relationship with Wanda before his passing, he didn’t do the same with Pietro. That fact was enough to hit the cracks in Wanda and Pietro’s relationship that when a letter from him arrives at their doorstep, it breaks things.
Magneto’s letter acted as a great trigger to get Wanda and Pietro to be more honest about feelings they were burying about each other. Throughout their argument, you can tell that they pushed the past aside to try to rebuild their sibling bond. But the way they did it was by trying to forget and then going off to do their own things without actually talking about it. We see that with how they push each other’s buttons once things blow up between them. This is then extended into how they act once they go off on their own.
All of this sets up Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver to be where the long-needed foundation for Wanda and Pietro’s sibling relationship is to be reforged. They said things to each other that they can’t just reset at the end of this series. Orlando wrote their dialogue in a way that they do have to discuss things they’ve pushed to the side. It’s a strong sub-plot that gives additive layers to this story, so it’s not just superhero vs supervillain.
Establishing Wanda and Pietro’s dynamic made the reveal of The Wizard as the main bad guy of the series hit better. The Wizard using how distracted Wanda and Pietro are by their argument was a great way to establish the villain. He came across as the ultimate opportunist. This made his show of power have a bigger impact because of how he utilized the opening Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver unintentionally created.
Orlando also does a good job at continuing to make Darcy Lewis a great supporting cast member for Scarlet Witch. She is the friend that Wanda needs in her life. Darcy has a grounding effect because she is a normal person. She gives that outside perspective that Wanda needs when it comes to Pietro. Being a newer character gives Darcy this opportunity as she doesn’t come with the baggage of knowledge like others close to Wanda and Pietro have.
Lorenzo Tammetta artwork makes Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #1 stand out even more. Along with the colors by Frank William, Tammetta’s art pops off the screen. Whether its dialogue-heavy scenes during the sibling argument or during the Scarlet Witch vs Wizard fight, everything looks great. Tammetta also shows a great sense of motion when capturing how quickly Quicksilver is running. It proves that Tammetta is an artist to go to for any comic book with a speedster.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #1 fully taps into the potential of Wanda and Pietro’s dynamic. Steve Orlando and Lorenzo Tammetta embrace the history of both characters to create a story that brings in fans of both characters. This is a Marvel comic book to have on your pull list.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
