Writer Steve Orlando

Artist Bernard Chang

Color Artist Ruth Redmond

Letterer VC’s Joe Sabino

Issue opens with Wong and Chthon having some tea, and boy time.  Then we get to the good stuff.  Wanda Maximoff, the current Sorcerer Supreme, versus, Madelyne Pyror, the Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo! 

Wanda arrive already on fire, due to the actions of Agatha Harkness from the previous issue.  Madelyne shows up, calling Wanda, The Great Pretender.  Bernard Chang and Ruth Redmond draw and color a beautiful Madelyne Pryor.  Steve Orlando really has her voice right too.  Letterer VC’s Joe Sabino makes everything so readable. 

Apparently, Agatha (the so-called official Sorcerer Supreme) made a deal with the Goblin Queen herself to take out Wanda.  Madelyne is also motivated as she’ll get a lot of cred for taking down Wanda. 

There is a telepath exchange, where they are in Limbo, then in Wanda’s mind, then in Madelyne’s.  It got a little confusing there.

Madelyne not only reminds Wanda that she comes from the strongest telepathic stock, but that Jean Grey always hated Wanda.  Which seems like an odd opinion for Jean to have.  Maybe when they first met in X-Men 4, Jean picked up on all of the boys really liking Wanda (maybe even Bobby too, adding to the insult?). 

Madelyne keeps getting early wins against Wanda, but then Wanda reveals there is such a thing as phrenomancy, the magic version of telepathy.  Wanda plays on Madelyne’s one weakness, her memories of Nathan, which I hate that this is Madelyne’s one weakness, thus, needs to be threaten every time.  She just got these memories back, that she worked so hard to obtain, in Dark Web X-Men 3, thanks editorial box, plus, we’ll be talking about Dark Web more this summer on the pod.  Just annoys me that this is even a thing Madelyne has to worry about.  She’s a mother, and deserves to have these memories be properly hers.  Madelyne tries to negotiate that Wanda is a mother, and this is a low blow from her.

Madelyne gives in, giving Wanda the cheapest of victories, I supposed there is an argument to be made that Wanda chose the road with less fighting, but the emotional damage, I don’t love that.

Wanda promises she’ll keep this a secret.  Two demons approach, and Madelyne quickly spins it so that she won the battle, and to spread word of the victory to everyone. 

Then we get to the ongoing plot again, but I loved the Madelyne Pryor Limbo pages so much.  We didn’t even get a reference to Magik, which I miss, but also love that Madelyne is the Queen of Limbo, and doesn’t need to mention Magik at all times.  One of the panels of memories of baby Nathan had Logan, Colossus, and Storm in it, but no Kitty Pryde.  I guess we really are waiting until X-Men United before we see Kitty in a monthly comic for more than a page. 

The Veshanti Trio are annoyed Agatha isn’t getting the job done.  I love the pages of the WandaVision family (my favorite family tree in comics, even after losing the Magneto branches – but I imagine we still keep those, just those are broken lines now? Maybe?).  I like Vision stating he needs to spend more time with his flesh sons. 

Agatha shows up to Strange’s old house, rips Wong from his tea party, but Wanda shows up in time to stop Wong from getting too hurt. 

Be nice if Madelyne Pryor will show up again in this series.  That’s how you’ll get me to stay interested.