Take an exclusive peek inside The Grimoire of Agatha Harkness
Magic isn’t always explained well in Marvel Comics or the MCU, where it’s hard to distinguish it from other sources of incredible power like mutations, superscience, and alien gods. Authors Andrea Hannah (Where Darkness Blooms) and Danny Lore (Bloodline: Daughter of Blade) aim to change that with The Grimoire of Agatha Harkness: A Magical History and Spellbook, which will be released on Nov. 11.
The book is framed as a text on magic written by the witch Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn in WandaVision and Agatha All Along), with annotation from Dr. Strange and Wanda Maximoff. The book draws on decades of stories from comic series including Werewolf by Night, Fantastic Four, and Young Avengers to explain the origins of magic and how it can be used to do everything from mindreading to extending a lifespan. Agatha also spends plenty of time explaining the Darkhold, a dangerous book that has been a major source of conflict in the MCU.
The back and forth between Agatha, Wanda, and Strange brings clashing perspectives to the lessons on chaos magic and siphoning power from otherworldly beings that reflect the history and morality of the three magic users. The book delves into Marvel edge cases, explaining how Illyana Rasputin is both a mutant with the power to teleport and a sorcerer, while Nightcrawler is a mutant with a mystic heritage. It also delves deep into Agatha’s long history, including surviving the Salem witch trials, supporting the Underground Railroad, and fighting alongside Captain America in World War II.
The Grimoire of Agatha Harkness blends original art from Brittany Horn with comic illustrations from dozens of artists including Jack Kirby, Javier Rodriguez, and John Byrne. Ahead of the book’s November release, publisher Insight Editions gave Polygon an exclusive look at three of the spreads showing how magic is used by Doctor Doom, Enchantress, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Scarlet Witch.
