Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

Wanda's traveling the world, trying to fix Witchcraft.   Witchcraft seems to be separate from magic, by the way, as Wanda defines it as being used by women and something men are afraid of in the first issue.   (Unless, perhaps, subverted by a man as the end of this issues implies.)  In this issue, she starts to realize just how broken Witchcraft is, although there are some revelations about her that are just as important to this storyline.

Wanda meets Goddess Hekate again, and they speak of the Minotaur terrorizing the streets at night.   Would Wanda be interested in stopping this, especially if it meant Hekate would be in her debt?

Of course, Wanda takes on the Minotaur, but not necessarily because it means she's owed anything.   The debt is left there, on the table, without Wanda pocketing it.   (Although I suspect she will need to cash in that chip in the future, possibly quite soon.)  Wanda goes because people are dying and someone is messing with the magic she uses: this cannot be something she lets slide, not for her own sake.   Because she's a hero.   It certainly can't be something she lets slide, because she cares too much about the innocent people the Minotaur is slaughtering.

I do, however, like the self-care in this comic.   When Hekate offers her wine, Wanda declines: she's on medication.   For what, you ask?

She's seeking treatment, getting it, and admits that what she does as far as where she lives and what battles she chooses - and how she chooses to fight them - are for her as well as for others.   She balances what she needs to do for herself with what she needs to do with others, at least so far.

It's nice to see.   Often times the fact that altruism has benefits for the giver is ignored, especially in comics.   It makes Wanda feel good to do for others, and she's in enough of a bad space in her own head, she can use all the feel-good she can get.   This is always in the back of my mind when reading this, in a really good way.   Because no matter if this is pure altruism or sacrifice with side-benefits, Wanda's still saving people and fighting the good fight.   She's still putting herself at risk for others, and the fact that she's doing it to stay sane, to feel whole, doesn't negate the good she does - or the other reasons she protects magic and people.   (Because she's kind, because she's a hero, because of her morals.)   When she talks about the side effects of magic, she says that people who don't sacrifice themselves make the people around them pay.   At this point, she's not worried about magic, or about anything precious to her.   She's worried about the power of the magic being used, that someone so unscrupulous won't pay the piper themselves, and about the people caught in the crossfire.   Innocents, but also strangers.   Because, y'know, that's the kind of thing she worries about, and this is one of the reasons I'm falling deeper in love with the character and the series.

And the artwork in this issue is gorgeous: 

So remember when I said she was older and wiser last review?   That's still true, but it hinted at the price she's paying for her spells.

It's heartbreaking to see this, because it shows how much she sacrifices.   What's more heartbreaking is that it's not because she doesn't think she's worth saving or helping; she's proven that she thinks otherwise by getting help for her depression, and by putting her own mental health as a priority when it comes to how she lives her life.   

This is her saying 'the world needs me to do this, and only I can do it, so I'm going to pay the price myself.'

I'm so, so into this series right now.