Thank you to Random House Worlds for sending a copy of Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? in exchange for an honest review.
If you were a fan of WandaVision, the prose novel Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? by Seanan McGuire is for you. Don’t get me wrong, there are other Marvel fans who will enjoy this book, as well. Not only does Peter get time to shine, but there are solid parts for other Marvel superheroes as well, especially Doctor Strange. However, for those who have followed along and related to Wanda’s story, this novel will be especially exciting.
Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?
In Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch become adoptive siblings and are both raised by Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Among other alterations, this means that Wanda grows up in a supportive and loving environment. And it also means that Peter isn’t raised as an only child, which affects his personality as he grows.
Wanda doesn’t just have the support of the Parker family, either. Because it’s important to Wanda and May for Wanda to learn more about her heritage, Wanda is connected with a Romani restaurateur (Django) who provides both language and cooking lessons. And when it comes time to hone her magical abilities, Peter’s Avengers connections lead to Wanda being tutored by Strange. Both Django and Strange are caring and protective mentors and their influence has a profound effect on Wanda’s evolution.
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As implied above, it is Wanda who is the focus of this novel, not Peter. But this isn’t to say Peter and his backstory don’t play a huge role in the story. I don’t think I will be spoiling anyone’s reading experience by revealing that Uncle Ben faces a similar fate in this continuity as he does in the Sacred Timeline. But given that Spider-Man has been the focus of countless “What If…?s,” I appreciated the focus on Scarlet Witch instead.
This isn’t to suggest Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? neglects Marvel continuity. As such, the character arcs undertaken by Wanda and Peter are well-informed by their journeys in the 616. And this includes a meta element that incorporates aspects of the characters’ shared history, like the sales-boosting team-ups between Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man that have transpired over the years.
Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch
One aspect of this novel that I especially enjoyed is the way its content is informed by the medium. When it comes to Marvel Comics What If…?s, most of the stories are just one issue long. Although there was a multi-issue What If…? story about Spider-Man and the symbiote that was released a few years ago, with the promise of additional long-form What If…? tales, those additional tales never came to fruition.
You can understand why What If…? stories have historically been limited to just one issue. They are meant to offer the taste of a (sometimes wacky, sometimes dark) parallel timeline. But there are some things that you simply can’t accomplish in fewer than 25 pages. And while the hypothetical longer-form What If…? stories could ameliorate some of this, prose offers a singular opportunity for the exploration and examination of characters’ interiorities and relationships.
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Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? takes full advantage of this opportunity to provide a story that digs into the interpersonal dynamics between the two Parker siblings. Along the way, supporting characters from both superheroes’ prime timelines play significant roles. I especially enjoyed the jokes about Peter and his “friendship” with a certain flaming Fantastic Four member.
But I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed seeing Strange in a mentorship position for Wanda. Perhaps this was because he proved so protective, without ever being oppressive or attempting to usurp Wanda’s power for his own. While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have demonstrated what this pair being antagonists looks like, seeing them as allies in Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? will change your ideas about their relationship.
Multiverse of Gladness
And finally, another aspect of this novel I very much enjoyed was the role America Chavez played as Watcher. I’m not sure if this is part of an ongoing storyline between What If…? prose novels, as this is the first I’ve read. However, additional context was unnecessary to embrace America’s role in the story. Like the reader, she is outside the narrative, and reacting to it herself. This gives a nice intermediary between the characters and the audience and allows for a better understanding of how this change to continuity deeply affects Wanda, Peter and others whose lives are adjacent to theirs.
My only complaint about the novel is a personal one. There is one character from Wanda’s backstory who does not make an appearance, although I was hoping she would. Without being too obvious, it would make sense for this character to enter Wanda’s narrative when she’s a little further developed, magically speaking. But I would have enjoyed seeing a story that had this particular character present… all along (OK, maybe that is too obvious).
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But at the end of the day, this novel is for Wanda fans. Are you also sick of seeing Wanda be mistreated by those who are supposed to care for her? Then this novel will read like a salve. I’d be very interested in seeing more books by McGuire that continue the continuity from What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? With this kind of foundation, who knows what heroics Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch might get up to next?
Marvel: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? is available at a bookstore and/or public library near you.
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