Strange: Principio e Fine. Marvel Must-Have

Strange (2004) #1-6

by J. Michael Straczynski, Samm Barnes, Brandon Peterson

La vita di Stephen Strange ha subito un drammatico e radicale cambiamento. Quello che un tempo era un talentuoso ma arrogante chirurgo ora ha intrapreso un lungo viaggio dentro e fuori di sé. Dai recessi del suo cuore ai confini del creato, sono enormi le prove che il giovane dovrà affrontare per riuscire a dare un nuovo senso alla propria esistenza. Un team creativo straordinario alle prese con le origini dello Stregone Supremo. E il risultato riesce a superare le più alte aspettative…

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2005

About the author

Joseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Dr. Strange.
Or at least I think I do.
There's not a massive amount of comics specifically about just him.
Although, with a movie in the works, I would imagine that's going to change.



Over the years, I've read whatever I could get my hands on, but it still hasn't amounted to much. So when I ran across this, you can bet your ass I got a little bit excited.
And I know not everyone feels this way, but I happen to (usually) really like Straczynski's stuff, so it was a nice bonus for me when I saw that he was the author of this one!

Anyway, Beginnings and Endings is an origin story, which would make this the perfect place for someone who doesn't know much about Stephen Strange to start reading.
Now, since I've never read the original comics, I don't know how true this stays to the origins, but I would imagine it's been updated and tweaked quite a bit.

It starts with young (still in med school) Stephen on a trip to...somewhere in Asia. Sorry.
I can't remember exactly what country, but there was an old temple that used to house monks nearby. Yeah, that'll narrow it down.
He's still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with lots of lofty goals.
He wants to save the world, save the whales, and save a kid named Wong.
In the end, he only saves Wong.
Fine. He doesn't actually save Wong. He just sets his broken arm, and gives him a watch. And for some unexplained reason, Wong starts talking again.
I should probably mention that he hadn't talked since he witnessed the death of his family.
Strange also runs into an spry old man, while he was trying to visit an old conveniently placed abandoned temple, who gives him some cryptic fortune cookie advice.
The journey of a million miles, begins with the first step. And then a bunch more after that one. So start steppin', dumbass!
Anyway, Stephen promises to come back to the village to visit Wong and volunteer as a doctor as soon as he can, but (of course) he never does.

Fast forward a few years/issues and Stephen is working medical miracles!
Well...if you consider butt implants, tummy tucks, and boob jobs miraculous.
He's greedy, self centered, and having the time of his life!
Right up till he decided to go skiing at night to Clear His Head.
Ouch.


*Important Things Happen*

And that's how Dr. Strange becomes the Sorcerer Supreme!

I enjoyed the story quite a bit.
It's not the best thing I've ever read, but if (like me) you're interested in the character, then this isn't a bad choice at all.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Stephen Strange as a young man had the best of intentions. He was idealistic and wished to help people more than anything.

Instead of helping people, Stephen got absorbed into a superficial world of plastic surgery to the wealthy. He enjoyed his life until an accident left hands broken and his surgical skill lost.

He searched everywhere and spent all he had to fix his hands, but his journey led to somewhere and someone very unexpected.


Beginngs and Endings is a revised version of Dr. Strange's origin. Stephen didn't seem as pompous as I remember from earlier accounts about his life as an elite surgeon, but he's far more reckless. Rather than having a car accident causing the life altering damage to his hands, he instead went skiing at night and had an accident.

There were a lot of familiar scenes and elements in this story. At one point it seemed quite like Terminator, the protagonist Clea didn't say come with me if you want to live, but it was close enough with the speeding car and open door. There was also the world within the world which was somewhat akin to the Matrix. Some of these concepts are surely popular with tons of examples, some stood out significantly to me though.

Stephen Strange is an interesting character who has lived a complex life and Beginnings and Endings put it on display.

3.5 out of 5 stars

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το καημένο το κόμικ το είχα να κάθεται κάτι μήνες στη βιβλιοθήκη μου και να πιάνει σκόνη, αλλά σήμερα ήθελα να διαβάσω κάτι υπερηρωικό, έτσι επιτέλους έκατσα και το διάβασα. Αποτελεί την πρώτη μου επαφή με τον κόσμο του Dr. Strange και υποθέτω ότι δύσκολα θα μπορούσε να γίνει καλύτερη αρχή: Πολύ ωραίο κόμικ, ενδιαφέρον και καλογραμμένο, με ικανοποιητικότατο σενάριο, καταιγιστική ροή γεγονότων και κάμποση δράση. Θεωρώ, μάλιστα, ότι έμαθα όσες πληροφορίες χρειαζόταν να μάθω για την προέλευση του Strange, για τον οποίο ενδιαφέρθηκα σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό, όντας ικανοποιητικά σκιαγραφημένος. Από κει και πέρα, το σχέδιο είναι επίσης πολύ καλοδουλεμένο και σε σημεία απολαυστικό, με κινηματογραφικά πλάνα και πολύ ωραία χρώματα. Γενικά πρόκειται για ένα κόμικ που διαβάζεται νεράκι και προτείνεται άνετα σε αμύητους του συγκεκριμένου ήρωα (όπως εγώ), αλλά ίσως ακόμα και αναγνώστες που δεν έχουν μεγάλη εμπειρία με τα υπερηρωικά κόμικς.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umm yeah its certainly a different origin and quite fub tbh, JMS takes the SS route he took and reinvents these characters for modern times and it makes for a cool what if story!

So we pick up with Dr Strange and following his journey before he was a doctor and then meeting wong there and how he promised to come for him and years later what happened to him and he strayed away from that promise and then we see the downfall of the doctor and from there meeting Clea and learning of the ancient one (wildly different from the riginal) and their mission and learning of enemies in his former friends like Devon and ultimately battling Dormammu and Baron Mordo and becoming the sorcerer supreme!

Its an epic tale of downfall and re-rise and showing how the hero of the mystic arts was born and I love the way it plays out, the character feels more relatable and fresh and each of them have their own arcs and is fun and I like the adventure of Wong specifically and his camraderie and secrets and the end i particular was brutal but you also realize how far the character has come! Its amazing seeing the transformation of that and all plus the art is so good and makes the whole thing a great reading experience!

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I found my favorite second favorite Doc Strange comic.

This is the third one I've read and they've all retold the origin. It's no worse than a car crash, yet more pedestrian for a would-be Sorcerer Supreme. But Straczynsksi's writing is great, if a tad melodramatic. Like that moment when the character sits in an alley to symbolize their desperation. The bar called Tibet. The Joss Whedon dialog. It needs more humor, too. But oh well. You can't have it all.

Straczynski writes a more detailed cosmic war, which gets crazy around issue 4 out of 6, with a huge twist I wasn't expecting. At first Doc Strange is spiritually wandering, then he suddenly finds answers and his world gets turned the fuck upside down.



Stephen Strange's story and characterization is well done: an arrogant playboy surgeon who finds humility, meaning and wisdom after he loses everything. He's initially rich, proud, selfish, neglectful of his family. But he's not a bad person, just naive and misdirected. Although this coming of age story is far from new, it's totally true to character and exceptionally written.

The Ancient One, Wong, and his doctor best friend Devon are also greatly characterized, although I wish Devon had more background. We see a lot of Clea, but we find out next to nothing about her, because she turns out to be Female Stock Character who leads you, protects you, and kisses you goodbye. She should have been cut or developed, because she has massive potential.

Brandon Peterson's artwork is incredible, especially splash pages and any time it gets mystical or demonic. Seriously, this book is beautifully illustrated. With amazing colors from Justin Ponsor.

What it lacks in humor it makes up for with action, honesty, and characterization. While Brian K. Vaughan's Doc is more balanced and fun, J. Michael Straczynski takes this to another level of enjoyment. And the illustrations are among the best I've seen in any Marvel title ever.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

An updated (early 2000s) origin story for Strange that bends canon satisfactorily and lends an awful lot of DNA to the 2014 film.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another remake/retelling of Doc Strange origin tale, far darker than usual (so dark that this one could have been the storyline of the MCU movie if Disney not purchased Marvel, but they kept Stephen's magic hexes design at last) that inspired the "Doctor Strange: the Sorcerer Supreme" animated movie.
Not bad at all, but Doc Strange, Clea, Mordo and (above all) Dormammu where too much far different from the original characters to appeal this old Marvel Zombie here.

[Max Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was so good! I loved the insightful look into Stephen before he becomes Sorcerer Supreme. I just love this story.

[JB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know anything about Dr. Strange other than what I learnt through watching the Spider-Man animated series growing up and the Dr. Strange animated movie I saw a couple of years ago.
So when I saw this at a flea market I couldn’t leave it there. Plus it’s a Marvel Knights story, I always enjoy reading those!

This was just what I needed a quick reimagining of his origin. I kind of knew how he got to be the Sorcerer Supreme. But it was nice finally reading a comic about the character.

J. Michael Straczynski knows how to write a story. There were great lines that were used multiple times in different situations. I always love when they do that.

I really like these stories with spiritual and otherworldly aspects to it. And what Marvel character is more spiritual and otherworldly than Dr. Stephen Strange. The art and coloring is great too.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Strange or just want to check out another take on his famous origin story, I recommend you read this. I picked it up for those reasons and because I can’t leave a Marvel Knights or Marvel MAX book or comic if I find one. I just have to take it with me.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in part because I have liked what few Dr. Strange tales I have read and in part because Straczynski wrote it. I like that author, so this seemed like a good bet. It is an origin tale, meaning a retelling of the hero's origins. I happen to like the character of Dr. Strange because he is a sorcerer, so it's more like reading fantasy tales in contrast to more traditional superheroes. Anyhow, the art in this one is pretty good, and the story is well written. It is part of the Marvel Knight series. I won't give the ending away (fans probably know what happens), but it is a bit bittersweet. Still, a good tale of a hero's beginnings. Then again, any tale that starts with a reluctant hero and some wise old man who at first vanishes has to be pretty good, in my view. So it is one I think readers will like.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.O Me ha encantado la historia del Doctor Extraño, super adictivo

[Lewys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Te cuentan dos historias independientes. La primera es aceptable, sin muchos reconocimientos, pero amo a Doctor Strange y una anécdota de su vida es mejor que la mía entera. La segunda, digamos que se me ha quedado un poco meh.
No son las mejores historias sobre el personaje, PERO valía 3 euros en el carrefour y amo a Strange (segundo aviso).
Por estos motivos que carecen totalmente de objetividad, le doy cuatro estrellas.

Amo al viejo cachondo de Strange (tercer y último aviso).

[Marianna Botticchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Per essere il primo fumetto che leggo dedicato unicamente a Doctor Strange mi è piaciuto parecchio, le tavole sono molto colorate e la storia mi è piaciuta molto.
Praticamente dopo aver avuto un incidente Strange imparerà a utilizzare la magia e diventerà poi, il custotede della gemma del tempo.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es gibt Menschen, die sich mit irgendwelchen Substanzen bekleckern und ganz grün vor Wut werden. Oder solche, die schon mit telekinetischen Kräften geboren werden und zu Haarausfall neigen. Darüber hinaus gibt es natürlich noch jede Menge echter Sportler, die sich entweder zu Spionen ausbilden lassen oder überhaupt in einem selbst geschneiderten Kostüm durch die Nacht laufen um Prügel auszuteilen.

Und dann gibt es da noch Dr Stephen Strange, den bis zu seinem ersten Auftritt in einem Kino-Film kaum jemand beachtet hat. Mit "Anfang und Ende" wird uns der charismatische Egomane in einer Neuinterpretation vorgelegt, die seinen Werdegang einmal mehr erzählt. Wie immer sind die Figuren vorhanden; wie immer sind alle Eckpunkte geklärt: Am Ende muss Strange irgendwelche Dämonen dorthin zurückschicken, wo sie gerade herkommen. Was aber diesen Einzelband gegenüber anderen auszeichnet ist sicher, dass die Geschichte in sich abgeschlossen und (vor allem im Hinblick auf die Zeichnungen) stimmig ist.

So wird auf 144 Seiten das Leben eines Menschen erzählt, dessen Scheitern erst sein Aufblühen möglich machte. Wir erleben Dr Strange in seiner Zeit als Student, als er in Tibet noch aus reiner Herzensgüte Freundschaften schloss und Menschen zusammenflickte. Wir sehen alle Figuren wieder, die wir aus anderen Interpretationen kennen - und wir hassen die neuen und alten Gegner, die sich ihm in den Weg stellen, während er feststellt, dass im Leben scheinbar nichts aus reinem Zufall geschieht.

Ich empfehlen allen diesen Band aus verschiedenen Gründen. Wer sich noch nie mit dem Magier #1 des Marvel-Universums auseinander gesetzt hat, dem wird die Geschichte spannend und kurzweilig erzählt. Wer Comics überhaupt noch nie so recht getraut hat, dafür aber eine Schwäche für Urban-Fantasy hat, der kann mit Hrn. Strange in ein ganz neues Medium vordringen. Und wer Strange einfach mag, der ... ach. Vergesst es. Ihr habt es sowieso schon. ;)

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia de película. De hecho, salvo por el papel, las imágenes estáticas, la falta de sonidos y demás cambios de formato, casi parece pensado para ser película en vez de comic. ¿Qué tipo de película? De misterio-sobrenatural-superación personal. Tiene partes leeentas y aburridas y otras no tanto. Lo que sí me decepcionó fue la previsibilidad de todo. En un momento aparece un personaje del lado de los buenos del que enseguida pensé. "Uy, este los va a recontra traicionar. Aunque quizás nos lo quieren vender así para que después nos sorprendamos al ver que en realidad no es lo que parece que no va a parecer". La cuestión es que el tipo los traiciona y todo es como parecía que iba a ser. Pese a todo eso, no es un mal comic, ponerle dos estrellitas sería injusto ante una historia bien llevada y un dibujo correcto, que resalta mucho más en escenarios estáticos y tranquilos que en forzadas escenas de acción. Ahora, si me preguntan qué tanto me divertí leyéndolo, ahí sí que me tendría que poner más amarrete.

[C.E.C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars
I hate this lmao.

Around a third way through, likely a bit earlier, the thought popped into my head: "Doesn't this feel like a wannabe gritty The Matrix but mystic instead of cyber?" And Stephen may have gladly proved Clea wrong or whatever, but this comic didn't manage the same for me. Like, seriously, this is The Matrix but needlessly cruder at parts, borrowing a couple of things from Star Wars (lmao??), poorly developed, and all led by a Stephen Strange as played by Steven Seagal (at least in like, the second half).
Now, to be fair, both The Matrix and Doctor Strange follow the mold of The Chosen One, The Prophecised One, in one way or another, so, there are bound to be some similarities here and there - never mind how occasional and recurrent similarities are two different things, but I digress. Also, I can see both works inspiring one another at times througout the years, if only because they take some comparable ideas and concepts, simply putting different spins on them (I think I remember something about the visuals of the 2016 film being directly influenced by The Matrix), and, most importantly, I'm not the first one saying this, there's even a CBR (kind of hit or miss place, in my humble opinion) article that's straight up titled "When Doctor Strange Adopted the Origin of Neo from the Matrix" - yes, it's that bad, apparently.
But that's just the thing, the way they simply retrofitted Neo's story to work with Stephen Strange's character (and I say Stephen's character somewhat loosely, I believe) and certain elements of his story (who, by everything green and good on planet Earth, are David and Rachel Strange?) is just so in your face, one could only truly ignore it if a) the reader has never watched or been told about The Matrix, or b) the reader only watched/heard about The Matrix once, years, if not decades ago, and mostly forgot about it by the time they read this volume. Which, mind you, neither is the case for me, because the Matrix trilogy are some of the films I've rewatched the most in my life; say whatever you want about parts two and three, but those movies are one of the main reasons why I love sci-fi so much today, why I've loved it for well over a decade. And they straight up ripped off of it?

But let's take a step back for a second, let's try and give this disaster the benefit of the doubt, after all, creators are inspired by their fellows all the time, look at how The Matrix itself was inspired by works like Ghost in the Shell, Akira, or Metropolis for a moment... Except, I don't think I can.
I can't speak on the matter of Asian characters and any possible racism the volume may or may not incur in for a number of reasons, so I won't. What I can say is that all characters - all of them, for crying out loud - are either cliché or cliché adjacent, and the worst of them are, unfortunately, Clea and Baron Mordo. Now, I haven't read all that much with either of them yet, but from what I have, I've genuinely liked Clea, no, she's not always likeable or anything like that, but appeal is overrated anyways, and so far I've found her to be an interesting, complex character that may or may not be underused at points; here, she's a low budget Trinity, and they couldn't even pull that off in my opinion? Baron Mordo is just so meh here, when I feel like they could've tried and do something more compelling than the average, underdeveloped "jealous ally turned rival"; at least in the 2016 movie there's the more interesting motif of breaking the rules of nature and The Ancient One's lie, and in the Aaron run he was delightfully deranged.
After the first half or so, Stephen Strange starts sounding like a stereotypical male action lead in a low budget, c-tier blow-'em-up flick, and he even starts looking like it too, kind of. Which is a bummer because at one point there were a few pannels where his design took a turn into something more befitting of a classic villain - you know the type, kind of Bela Lugosi's Dracula but gaunt-ish? -, and it looked much neater and interesting, I dunno how else to explain it. Who knows, maybe I'll get some withered Stephen somewhere else, the man barely eats as is from what I understand.
I won't say anything else about the plot because, well, The Matrix, and eternal frustration. I will, however, say that there was one thing I enjoyed: the art. Not the character design, most of it was as stereotypical as the characterization, I feel, though at least it's nice to look at, I suppose. No, I mean most everything else. I particular, I genuinely liked the designs of Dormammu and the Walkers (I think that's what all the beings are called, they only mention the name once and in general the worldbuilding is kind of lacklustre), as well as that bird sort of shape Clea takes or is represented by in one of the fight scenes (I dunno, maybe if I read more main timeline I'll figure it out, won't be holding my breath either way); the Walkers in particular made me think of the picture I had of Barker's Nightbreed people while reading that book, kind of cool - for me, personally. The background art, especially of Tibet, the Sanctum, and the other New York (again, was it or was it not the Dark Dimension, because I haven't the faintest; I assume though), was genuinely lovely in my opinion. And last but not least: the suit. Damn, that thing is pretty, and fire, pretty and fire, I kind of want it and I don't really wear much red, and never yellow/gold. But yeah, that one star I'm giving this thing along with the basic half? That's basically all on the art.

Alright, I'm done ranting about this thing, now I'll try to never think about it again for the rest of my life.
TL;DR this is a The Matrix rip-off but mystical and "grittier", and all the characters are insufferable clichés, but at least some of the art is real nice?

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ ωραίο κόμικ! Πολύ πολύ ωραίο. Το ευχαριστήθηκα όσο λίγα υπερηρωικά. :) Δεν ξέρω τι μου έκατσε τόσο καλά, ίσως ο εναλλακτικός Στρέιντζ ή η βαρύτητα που δίνεται στην ανθρώπινη πλευρά του.

Τον Στραζίνσκι τον ήξερα από το Midnight Nation οπότε ήμουν έτοιμος για ένα τουλάχιστον αξιοπρεπές origin σενάριο, ενώ και το σχέδιο μου φάνηκε δουλεμένο και γεμάτο. Ειδικά προς το τέλος τα μονοσέλιδα σκίτσα ήταν να τα χαζεύεις. Αφού όταν το τελείωσα ενθουσιάστηκα τόσο με τον Dr. Strange ��ου άρχισα να ψάχνω και άλλα καλά run με δαύτον, και δεν συμβαίνει συχνά. Έχει να προτείνει κάποιος κάτι καλό;

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really compelling origin story of Doctor Strange. We get to see his beginnings and a costume redesign and JMS did a wonderful script for this book. It seems that the animated movie that Marvel put out on Doctor Strange is greatly based on this book.

[La Revistería Comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomo extraño con principio y fin.
Jeh.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this.

[Nicci Trallafitti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie auch im Film durchlebte der Chirug Stephen Strange eine immense Entwicklung, die wahnsinnig interessant war. Zunächst wirkte er wie ein arroganter, egoistischer Frauenheld, dem Geld und Luxus das wichtigste im Leben waren, obwohl er damals auf einer Studienreise in Tibet geschworen hat, Menschen helfen zu wollen und vor allem zurück an den Ort kehren wollte. Erst nach einem dramatischen Unfall und gleichzeitig Schicksalsschlag kam er nach und nach zur Besinnung und fand seine wahre Bestimmung heraus. Auf seinem Weg begleiteten ihn diverse interessante Charaktere, allen voran der Altehrwürdige und Clea, die ihm gehörig den Kopf wusch. Aber auch Wong hatte eine spannende Rolle, die sich durch die Geschichte zog und letztendlich der Grund war, wieso Stephen Strange an einen bestimmten Ort zurückkehrte. Auch Wongs Entwicklung gefiel mir richtig gut, ich freute mich richtig darüber, ihn wiederzusehen.

Zwar habe ich bisher nicht sehr viele Comics gelesen, doch gab es bisher keinen, den ich so spannungsgeladen empfand, wie diesen. Es gab mehrere überraschende Twists und einige Kämpfe, sodass ich nur so durch die Seiten geflogen bin. Den Zeichenstil fand ich durch die vielen Details sehr angenehm, es gab wirklich viel zu entdecken. Sprachlich unterstützt wurden die Panels durch Sprechblasen, aber auch durch eckige Textanteile, in denen Situationen durch Gedankengänge einzelner Personen erklärt wurden. Dunkle Farben überwogen, Mimik und Gestik wurde realistisch dargestellt, was ich sehr gelungen fand.

Thematisch drehte sich die Story hauptsächlich um Stephen Strange und seinen Beruf als Chirug, den er nach einem Unfall nicht mehr so ausführen kann, wie zuvor. Über mehrere Umwege fand er letztendlich zu einem Ziel, welches er vorher zwar nicht gesucht hat, über jenes er aber sehr froh sein kann, da er endlich das gefunden hat, nach dem er jahrelang unbewusst suchte und strebte: die Erfüllung, den Menschen zu helfen, die es wirklich benötigen. Besonders gelungen fand ich die nötige Umkehrung der Vergangenheit und seines Schicksals zum Ende der Geschichte.

Beim Finale hätte ich mir ein paar Seiten mehr gewünscht, da die Auflösung recht flott kam und man ohne weitere Kenntnisse vermutlich nicht ganz hinter seine Fähigkeiten steigt. Ich habe jetzt Lust, den Film nochmal anzuschauen und mich noch intensiver mit seiner interessanten Geschichte auseinander zu setzen.

Doctor Strange: Anfang und Ende war für mich eine gelungene Darstellung seiner Herkunftsgeschichte und des Werdegangs. Ich mochte seine Entwicklung und die neue Aufgabe, ebenso gefielen mir die zur Geschichte passenden Farben und die spannenden Wendungen. Eine klare Leseempfehlung meinerseits, auch für Comiceinsteiger.

Vielen Dank an den Panini Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Desde luego que el sello Marvel Knights sirvió en buena medida para relanzar el Universo Marvel comiquero y buena parte de sus personajes acorde al cambio de siglo junto a la reimaginación total de Mark Millar mediante The Ultimates. Pero la propuesta de MK tiraba sobre todo de encarar el interés de gran parte de los lectores veteranos, los cuales acorde a su edad, seguían mejor otros cómics de editoriales independientes que podían tratar temáticas "adultas" o de contenido gráfico en este género sin ataduras. Marvel volvió a poner en primer orden personajes clásicos de ambientes callejeros que entraban en estas especificaciones, llegando a tener también por ahí el sello MAX. Pero si bien el Castigador, Shang-Chi y la Jessica Jones de Bendis estaban en su salsa en estas propuestas, no quería decir que la fórmula funcionase en todos los casos. Esta miniserie es el mayor de los ejemplos. Una reimaginación de la clásica historia de orígenes del Hechicero Supremo de Marvel que resulta una de las lecturas más lacónicas y perecederas que he podido presenciar. Arrastrando lo peor del cambio de siglo, aunque Straczynski (y su colaboradora "Samm” Barnes) llegue a respetar el esqueleto argumental propuesto por Dikto y Lee. Su interés de readaptación pasa por quitar toda la particular idiosincrasia mágica y de maravilla del Doctor Strange por cascarse una risible parafernalia de acción demoníaca "plantillera" que hace que esto parezca un storyboard de un intenton cinematográfico a la saga de la trilogía de Blade con Weasley Snipes o un guion perdido de serie spin-off de Witchblade o otra cabecera de Top Cow.

Y lo cierto es que de cara las últimas páginas presenciamos una idea argumental que podría haber dado verdadero juego a esta oportunidad de relanzamiento del personaje a través de un nuevo aporte dramático a su ya particular labor superheroica, más que ver como Dormammu y su amenaza se reducen a algo más propio de un episodio de "Embrujadas". No sé hasta qué punto esta miniserie afectó a que el personaje estuviese dando vueltas por otras cabeceras o eventos hasta que Jason Aaron vino a poner orden y de verdad aprovechar el potencial del personaje o Jonathan Hickman le hiciese parte activa de su macro saga cósmica directa a sus Secret Wars. Pero no me extrañaría que fuese el principal motivo.

[Vircenguetorix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi época favorita de Marvel fueron los años 70. En ese transcendental momento histórico, el ciudadano cobra conciencia en Occidente y tiene una mentalidad crítica, es capaz de explorar nuevas vías, tiene. pasión por la cultura y el conocimiento, y hasta el hijo de un obrero tiene una enciclopedia en casa. De hecho la última generación inteligente en el mundo nació en los setenta. Lo dice el estudio de una universidad noruega, no yo. Luego llegaría la infantilización y derechización de los 80 de la mano del dúo dinámico Reagan-Bush.

"Doctor Extraño" es un personaje que pertenece a esos felices setenta, donde el erotismo, el medio ambiente, las drogas, el terror, la magia, la política, la ética, la religión y la filosofía empezaron a tener un nuevo protagonismo. Y a pesar de que tuvo un gran éxito, duró poco. En la década posterior casi desaparece literalmente, engullido por los personajes machitos boinas verdes y los consumidores niñatos fascistoides.

El doctor Extraño te dice que si te has dedicado a ganar pasta eres un gañán. Hoy posiblemente esté más de actualidad que nunca su mensaje. Posiblemente uno de los cómics de Marvel con mayor carga filosófica para debatir.

La versión que comento, fue una colección que sacó Marvel y Panini en 2004, y que llevaba el título los cómics de Marvel que debes tener, el top 100. En realidad este "Extraño. Principio y Fin" es un reboot, porque empieza desde el principio pero cambiando parte de la historia. Para algunos puristas es posible que sea molesta esa decisión. Yo creo que no pasa nada porque le den una pequeña vuelta de tuerca, sigue estando muy bien. La calidad del dibujo de Brandon Peterson es bastante buena, aunque no excelente. Y la historia se disfruta fenomenal, aunque en la segunda parte se desinfla claramente. Es un cómic mínimo de 6,5 sobre 10, y desde luego muy recomendable la historia de un médico que era tan pobre que solo tenía dinero, hasta que tuvo que tener un accidente para que cambiase de vida. Desgraciadamente los narcisistas como Stephen Strange se han multiplicado en los últimos años. y no creo que todos vayan a tener un accidente que les cambie la vida. Más bien se la cambiaran ellos a otros, jodiéndolos. Pero eso ya es otra historia.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Album zawiera zeszyty z mini serii Strange #1-6 (2004).

Początki i zakończenia to jeden z pierwszych tytułów, jakie rozwijający się Egmont wydał na polskim rynku w serii Marvel Classic. Była to też odpowiedź na zbliżający się wielkimi krokami film o tytułowym bohater, który zadebiutował na ekranach kin w 2016 roku.

Tak samo jak w filmie, komiks jest opowieścią ukazującą nam same początki Dr. Stephena Strange'a i różnią się one nieco od ekranizacji, choć główny mianownik pozostaje. Strange bierze udział w wolontariacie, który daje cenne doświadczenie młodym kandydatom na lekarzy, gdzieś pod podnóżami Himalajów. Ma zrozumiała motywację i cel. Stać się lekarzem. Najlepszym.

Mija kilka lat i ta inicjatywa zaczyna się zacierać, a zaczynają liczyć się pieniądze. W tych okolicznościach dochodzi do pewnego wypadku, ale ten nie dotyczy jeszcze samego bohatera. Połamane ręce przyjdą nieco później, w wyniku niefortunnego zjazdu na nartach. Od tej pory życie bohatera diametralnie się zmieni.

W poszukiwaniu sposobu na uleczenie rąk trafi na starożytną organizaje, która zajmuje się ochroną naszego świata przed tym innym, który chce położyć łapę na Ziemi i już prężnie realizuje swoje zamiary. Kto oglądał film ten poczuje się jak w domu. Baron Mordo, starożytny, Wong, Dormammu. To wszystko tu jest, aczkolwiek całości historii zabrakło nieco tej wyczuwalnej iskry.

To dobra historia, ale miejscami nużąca, bo ani Straczynski ani Barnes nie odkryli tu Ameryki. Album wygląda też bardzo ładnie jak na 2004 rok, ale to nadal też tylko rzemieślnicza przygoda. Fajna ciekawostka, pokazującą początki znanego już bohatera w nieco innym świetle, z odrobinę zmienonymi detalami w życiorysie.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMÉ ESTE CÓMIC.

La película de Doctor Strange es una de mis favoritas, así que cuando me enteré que se basó principalmente en este cómic, me emocioné muchísimo.

Uno de sus puntos más fuertes es el dibujo. Cada página de este cómic era un maravilla para mis ojos, la parte en la que nos muestran a Stephen con su traje de Hechicero Supremo, la pelea entre Clea y el mejor amigo de Stephen, el personaje de Dormammu... Todos los dibujos eran buenísimos e hicieron la lectura 1000 veces mejor.

Por fin he leído algo sobre Clea, nunca había oído hablar sobre ella, pero ahora por lo menos tengo una idea sobre cómo es. Aunque sé que la relación entre Stephen y Clea es una de las principales en la historia de Doctor Strange, siento que no había razón para que a él le gustara tanto ella con el poco tiempo que pasaron juntos en este cómic. Siento que su relación fue un poco forzada, pero espero que si leo otro cómic sobre ellos me gusten más.

También siento que esta historia fue un poco apresurada. Siento que la película hizo un mejor trabajo en mostrar el esfuerzo y desarrollo de Stephen como hechicero, pero aquí se sintió como si en una página era un hechicero malísimo y en la siguiente, como el Anciano estaba muriendo, de repente se convirtió en el hechicero más poderoso del universo.

Pero a pesar de estos aspectos, este cómic me encantó. Muy recomendado y espero leer muchos más cómics de Doctor Strange en el futuro.

[Satyam Singh Niranjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Strange: Beginning & Endings" should really be called 'Good Beginnings and Rushed Endings.' Issues #1-4 were so impressive, making me think I'd found a masterpiece. The art was well done, with particularly commendable hair, and the dialogues were so well-written in those early issues that it felt like a perfect comic. I was completely engaged and immersed in the story. I loved the depth of each character, especially the protagonist, who was really well portrayed as a high-and-mighty surgeon living in a lavish mansion, seeing the world only through the eyes of a rich man. It was only after he lost the crucial functionality of his hands in a skiing accident that things began to change for him. I also found the wisdom imparted by 'The Ancient One' to Strange very motivating and convincing; it almost felt like a classic movie.

However, after the first four issues, the story felt rushed. So many important events were crammed into just two issues, contrasting sharply with the depth and descriptiveness of the initial four. The ending was a disappointment for me due to these reasons. It could have easily been a 10-issue comic, and it would have done this series more justice. Otherwise, it's a great read if you want to know the story of how Dr. Strange became the Sorcerer Supreme.

[Juan Jesús · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque ya he leído más de un cómic, esta es la primera vez que me enfrento a uno de Doctor Extraño, a quien únicamente conocía de las películas y alguna que otra aparición puntual en las series animadas.

Y bueno, con sus más y sus menos, está bastante bien. Es el cómic que la película tomó como inspiración aunque sigue presentando diferencias puntuales que lo hacen totalmente único.

Pero, a fin de cuentas, viene a contar lo mismo, la necesidad de un hombre materialista de abrir los ojos ante una nueva realidad. Podemos ver como establece sus relaciones y como su personaje se ve obligado a evolucionar. Se agradece que tenga una historia que contar, sinceramente.

Visualmente está a la altura de las expectativas, el mundo de Strange presenta un mundo sin limitaciones creativas que saben aprovechar muy bien.

'Strange: Principio y fin' funciona muy bien para aquellos que deseen introducirse en el mundo mágico y oscuro de Marvel, uno donde la magia y la oscuridad estrechan las manos para darnos una más que aceptable historia de orígenes.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting alternate take on Strange's origins. For one, he seems a lot more of a sympathetic character than portrayed in most other iterations. I have a feeling that if the movie had been made in the 90s it would have come out something like this. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it's not a good thing either (It reminds me of the Matrix for some reason). What I do appreciate is that the Ancient One is a lot more like the original character in regards to mysteriousness, as that is the soul of his character.

*Minor spoilers!*

Doc's family is later shown never knowing who he was, and their lives are all worse off for it. Think It's A Wonderful Life but without the happy ending. I find this heartbreaking but at the same time it really shows us that Doc is a loner, something that again the original character showcased. He does not always choose to be alone, but he understands the burden he must carry.

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. An alternative (Marvel Knights) origin for Stephen Strange. There are some slight differences between this one and the one most are familiar with (skiing vs driving, plastic vs brain surgery), but the core message remains the same. A man who largely concerned himself with his ego and material success, loses everything and begins a quest to heal his hands, but really his soul. Straczynski is a really good writer, and that remains true here. The art is pretty good to boot. I do think the antagonist is lacking, and though there are a couple of surprises, this is relatively what you'd expect (I should add that I am a little over reading origin retreads atm, so make of that what you will). I don't like this Stephen more than our own, but this might be worth a read for a big Doctor Strange fan.

[Hannah Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was a fairly fast read (what isn't when you're at work all day with not much to do during the BookTubeAThon?), I still really enjoyed it! I've never really been a comics person per say, but I loved the Doctor Strange movie, and I'm so glad that I gave this arc a try! I'll probably just stick to either graphic novels or comics like Rat Queens for now, but I'm still glad I gave Stephen Strange a chance in comic form! The art was great, the pacing was good, and this definitely lines up more than a little with what went down in the movie! All in all, definitely probably not for beginners in the comics world, but still a decent place to start if you like Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal!