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Doctor Strange Omnibus #1
Doctor Strange Omnibus, Vol. 1
Vain, greedy and prideful, Dr. Stephen Strange was a world-renowned surgeon until a car accident crippled his hands. Broken and destitute, he journeyed to Tibet in search of a legendary healer. He found not a man of medicine, but the venerable Ancient One -- and the path to the mystic arts! From Doctor Strange's eerie house on a Greenwich Village corner, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko unleashed new dimensions and otherworldly terrors -- stories that remain as influential today as they were on 1960s counter-culture. Now, Marvel is proud to offer this Omnibus collection of the complete Lee/Ditko Doctor Strange run! In one beautifully restored hardcover volume, experience the iconic first appearances of Baron Mordo, Eternity, Dormammu and the Mindless Ones, as well as Wong and the lovely Clea!
Collecting: material from Strange Tales 110-111, 114-146 & Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2
Collecting: material from Strange Tales 110-111, 114-146 & Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2
409 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1966
33 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,566 books2,334 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 9, 2016
After 400+ pages of Stan-Lee-in-his-prime dialogue, I’m contemplating changing the way I talk, at least at work, to mirror Stan’s writing—that is, I’m going to conclude every sentence with, at a minimum, one exclamation point! Or, I might even use two!! If warranted by the circumstances—say, an emergency like running out of staples—I might even use three!!! EVERYONE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY PRAISE MY ENTHUSIASM, THE VISHANTI INCLUDED!!!!
(I kid, Stan—you know I love you.)
Doctor Strange was a weird addition to the burgeoning Marvel Universe, a curiously arcane figure who debuted after the underwear-on-the-outside, human-emotions-on-the-inside likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men (one wonders what it would be like to wear one’s underwear on the inside…hmmm…perhaps one shouldn’t wonder so much). Rather than cosmic rays, a mutation, or clever use of technology, the good Doctor derived his powers from enchanted objects and mystical mumbo jumbo, and, even by the end of this run—which collects the initial collaboration of Lee with legendary artist Steve Ditko, who pulled double duty as penciller and plotter—he was still an awkward fit alongside those heroic luminaries. That said, he had come into his own as a character, with his own mythology, burgeoning rogue’s gallery, and stylish visual flair that would guarantee his popularity—if not his sales success—to the present day, when inexplicable international sex symbol and presumed advocate for the discontinuation of surnames Benedict Cumberbatch is poised to send interest in this red-robed bastion of arcane abilities careening across dimensions and all the way into the domain of the Dread Dormammu.
The most interesting part of reading Doctor Strange’s early adventures was watching the character evolve from a generic back-up story cipher to a fully formed (and unique by the measure of his cape-wearing colleagues) character capable of carrying his own book (albeit with only sporadic success…I suggested in a review of another Doctor Strange book that he’s a tough character to write a monthly series for because the stakes are too high; if he loses, Earth—and the Marvel U—are essentially kaput, so there’s a paucity of dramatic tension ). Even more than his character developed, however, his look evolved, with Ditko upping his game each issue and producing a look and feel that was entirely its own, whether Strange was relaxing in his Greenwich Village sanctum sanctorum or projecting his spirit self through the ethereal plane.
Are the stories themselves a little repetitive? Sure. There are only so many times you can read about a character succeeding through the use of exceptional willpower before you start to wish the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth would knock back a few tequila shots and become the Whorish Hosts of Hoggoth so we could have a sexy time interlude (one wonders if said Hosts met Mr. Cumberbatch whether they would do just that…but, again—one shouldn’t wonder so much). Still, Stan and Steve created a character that has stood the test of time and, by virtue of his uniqueness, has acted as a fulcrum in major storylines that have transformed various aspects of the Marvel Universe.
And, come on, let’s be honest with ourselves…if you could have a cloak of levitation and a manservant and pull off a goatee without looking like someone stapled a diseased wolverine to your face (as this author discovered he could not do when he made the unfortunate decision to rock a goatee consistently during his collegiate years; to be fair, though, that was more a result of laziness with respect to shaving than it was because I thought I was as sexy as Doctor Strange), you’d do it.
(I kid, Stan—you know I love you.)
Doctor Strange was a weird addition to the burgeoning Marvel Universe, a curiously arcane figure who debuted after the underwear-on-the-outside, human-emotions-on-the-inside likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men (one wonders what it would be like to wear one’s underwear on the inside…hmmm…perhaps one shouldn’t wonder so much). Rather than cosmic rays, a mutation, or clever use of technology, the good Doctor derived his powers from enchanted objects and mystical mumbo jumbo, and, even by the end of this run—which collects the initial collaboration of Lee with legendary artist Steve Ditko, who pulled double duty as penciller and plotter—he was still an awkward fit alongside those heroic luminaries. That said, he had come into his own as a character, with his own mythology, burgeoning rogue’s gallery, and stylish visual flair that would guarantee his popularity—if not his sales success—to the present day, when inexplicable international sex symbol and presumed advocate for the discontinuation of surnames Benedict Cumberbatch is poised to send interest in this red-robed bastion of arcane abilities careening across dimensions and all the way into the domain of the Dread Dormammu.
The most interesting part of reading Doctor Strange’s early adventures was watching the character evolve from a generic back-up story cipher to a fully formed (and unique by the measure of his cape-wearing colleagues) character capable of carrying his own book (albeit with only sporadic success…I suggested in a review of another Doctor Strange book that he’s a tough character to write a monthly series for because the stakes are too high; if he loses, Earth—and the Marvel U—are essentially kaput, so there’s a paucity of dramatic tension ). Even more than his character developed, however, his look evolved, with Ditko upping his game each issue and producing a look and feel that was entirely its own, whether Strange was relaxing in his Greenwich Village sanctum sanctorum or projecting his spirit self through the ethereal plane.
Are the stories themselves a little repetitive? Sure. There are only so many times you can read about a character succeeding through the use of exceptional willpower before you start to wish the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth would knock back a few tequila shots and become the Whorish Hosts of Hoggoth so we could have a sexy time interlude (one wonders if said Hosts met Mr. Cumberbatch whether they would do just that…but, again—one shouldn’t wonder so much). Still, Stan and Steve created a character that has stood the test of time and, by virtue of his uniqueness, has acted as a fulcrum in major storylines that have transformed various aspects of the Marvel Universe.
And, come on, let’s be honest with ourselves…if you could have a cloak of levitation and a manservant and pull off a goatee without looking like someone stapled a diseased wolverine to your face (as this author discovered he could not do when he made the unfortunate decision to rock a goatee consistently during his collegiate years; to be fair, though, that was more a result of laziness with respect to shaving than it was because I thought I was as sexy as Doctor Strange), you’d do it.
November 3, 2016
"Dr. Strange: Master of Black Magic!"
Collecting Strange Tales issues #110-111, 114-146 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2, Doctor Strange Omnibus Volume 1 takes us way back to July 1963 through July 1966. At 409+ pages of incredibly redesigned classic comics, this is totally worth owning!
And damn, what a long book! Somewhat exposition heavy, but fun and enjoyable. These are the oldest comics I've read, and they hold up fairly well for being 53 years old! (I've read newer and far worse!) It's a bit sci-fi campy, as Stan Lee makes it up as he goes along, and Dr. Strange always wins in the end. But take it in context and you'll enjoy yourself. Doctor Strange's "indomitable will," his wit, the alliterative incantations, the outlandish foes, and the brilliant modern art of Steve Ditko make this a great read.
A five page feature in the back of Strange Tales #110, featuring The Human Torch, is where Doctor Strange makes his first appearance in comic history. It was decided by readers' letters to continue the series, and so "Dr. Strange" appeared again in Strange Tales #114 with the return of Baron Mordo and the Ancient One. That's how it all began!
Dean Mullaney writes in the introduction: "The series incorporated themes of Eastern mysticism with the multidimensional planes of science fiction, all wrapped within the near-psychedelic landscapes that the straightlaced Ditko brought to the page."
What I enjoy about the world of Dr. Strange is that it rides the line between indie and superhero comic. Instead of heroics and feats of strength, it's mysticism and wit, spells and dimensional travel, monsters and evil magicians. And there's even a pretty girl or two! It's refreshing to read a comic that's so quintessentially Marvel in its levity and sci-fi wackiness, but there's no spandex! And though the stories always start in reality, you never know where they'll go.
As this book literally collects individual comics, it's interesting how the covers progress for Strange Tales. At first there's no mention of Doc Strange. Strange indeed! Then tiny boxes tagged "also starring" show up after a few issues.
Not until #121 does Strange get the bottom 1/4 of the cover. And #124 he gets half the cover. #126 and 127 are interesting issues for two reasons: they feature a huge special detailing Strange's voyage to the Dark Dimension and his battle with the Dread Dormammu, and at the end of #127 it's revealed that Strange has essentially been promoted and gets a new costume. In #128 he gains his now well known red cape of levitation and a more powerful round amulet!
In #130 Dr. Strange gets nearly a full cover while The Human Torch is a feature. Ha! Only at #146, the big finale between the Dread Dormammu and Eternity, does Strange finally get the whole cover! By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!
It's also interesting how these short and infrequent comics are relatively self-contained yet draw upon a larger universe over time. Each battle with his enemies gets greater and more epic as they learn each others' weaknesses, and sly Stan Lee has to increase the danger and hyperbole. Nightmare, Baron Mordo, and the Dread Dormammu are awesome villains! Can't wait to see them in future books!
So overall a great book and time machine into mid-century Marvel Comics. Light humor, great adventure, and creative, engaging storytelling make Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange a timeless classic.
April 27, 2022
3.25 stars. This ended up being not too bad. Pretty cool witnessing Doctor Strange’s first adventures. Besides Strange, there were other first appearances as well, Baron Mordo, Clea and Eternity. Plus Steve Ditko’s artwork dealing with magic and other dimensions was awesome. This was before Doctor Strange had his own comic so he was sharing the Strange Tales book with The Human Torch first and then later Nick Fury. This omnibus only contains the Doctor Strange parts with his portion being 8 to 9 pages per issues. With these older comics, those 9 pages takes me the same amount of time as it does to read a 25 page current comic. 😂 About half the book were one off stories, quick small adventures. Those were ok. Nothing too crazy. It was funny tho how every other issue Mordo would show up with a new scheme to take out Strange. I’m like, dude give it a rest. You can’t beat him 😂. But later, it got into and ongoing arc for several issues. That’s when the book got pretty cool. Trying to fight off Mordo who was given more power by Dormammu, trying to keep the injured Ancient One hidden, trying to find Clea all while being chased all over the globe by Mordo’s henchmen. It was cool seeing how much the first Doctor Strange movie pulled from this run. Well, on to volume 2!!
December 13, 2016
I decided to crack open the recently published Marvel Doctor Strange Omnibus, which has all of Lee/Ditko's Strange Tales stories plus the team up between Doc & Spidey in Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2. Original comics are the best, but this oversized format is superb, I love the larger page format. While many of the original comics listed Ditko as only the artist, the index page here clearly states that he was the plotter for the entire run. His genius on this series seemed to expand every few issues, designing new characters and dimensional vistas. By the middle run Ditko embarks on a multi chapter saga with the Ancient One deliriously sick & Doc on the run as Mordo, powered up by Dormammu, pursues him across Asia. Reading this in the early 70s was frustrating because the stories were scattered across different reprint titles like Marvel's Greatest Comics & Marvel Tales - I had to wait years to find out how Doc got out of an iron mask / manacles because I missed a reprint. Having them all collected in one volume is fantastic. It also contains reprint covers & illustrations from other artists.
October 20, 2016
I haven't read much of Silver Age comics, but this definitely was one of the best I've ever read. Loved all the crazy stories and love even more the art by Steve Ditko.
July 4, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
I'm not quite sure if I've spent so much time writing a review in my head whilst reading a book before. And if I am, that's usually not a good thing. Usually because I'm thinking of how many different and amusing ways I can tear a book a new asshole. Needless to say, if this thing didn't pick up just over half way through (though dipped again on occasion), There would be a lot more blasphemy and swearing contained herein. Not that this is going to be fawning praise either, because a lot of what this book did, wasn't too my liking.
This is my second foray into the Stan Lee written silver age, and I'm pretty sure it's never going to quite be my cup of tea. If you're a silver age lover, than I could heartily recommend this one to you with little fear of reprisal. Though if you're not, this is almost certainly not about to change your mind.
The first half of this is absolutely dreadful. Stan opens the book in his introduction, talking about his love of stories of magicians when he was growing up. So in other words, stories from the 1920's, 30's or possibly even earlier. Needless to say, for the opening to this book, it seemed he was simply rehashing said stories, inserting little identity of his own. Needlesser to say, this was some of the cheesiest, corniest shit I've had the severe displeasure to have read. People with n intolerance to lactose (which should be all of us because were not baby cows), shouldn't appear within the same zip code as this thing, lest it affect them in all sorts of unpleasant ways. The dialogue is stiffer than a tree on viagra, and as exposition laden as it could possibly be. This is the silver age on steroids and crack all at once. Maybe it was Stan finding his feet (same for Steve Ditko too, because his early issues here are terrible). I seriously considered stopping at one point, though thankfully, as I mentioned, it picked up after page 200 or so, both in terms of world building, narrative and art, though it never scaled to any supreme height.
My other main gripe is, despite the topic of black magic, sorcery and the like being repeatedly mentioned throughout the book, this thing is about as dark as a picnic on the sun. Yes, I get it, it was the early sixties, and you weren't going to get away with the things you could these days, but come on. Stan mentions that readers used to ask him if he was quoting actual black magic rituals in his writing. And I thought kids these days were dumb. Did people actually mate with moist bags of concrete back then? It certainly would explain comments like that. Nobody could honestly think this was anything less than corny, fictional dreck. It was about as evil as a magician party tricks at a six year olds party.
Anyway, I'm rambling now. I can't foresee me ever reading this again. It was decent when it pushed the boat out far enough, but for the most part, it was a kinda hokey sorcery/superhero comic from the early sixties. I was expecting better. If volume two isn't much better, I'll sell both of them. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
I'm not quite sure if I've spent so much time writing a review in my head whilst reading a book before. And if I am, that's usually not a good thing. Usually because I'm thinking of how many different and amusing ways I can tear a book a new asshole. Needless to say, if this thing didn't pick up just over half way through (though dipped again on occasion), There would be a lot more blasphemy and swearing contained herein. Not that this is going to be fawning praise either, because a lot of what this book did, wasn't too my liking.
This is my second foray into the Stan Lee written silver age, and I'm pretty sure it's never going to quite be my cup of tea. If you're a silver age lover, than I could heartily recommend this one to you with little fear of reprisal. Though if you're not, this is almost certainly not about to change your mind.
The first half of this is absolutely dreadful. Stan opens the book in his introduction, talking about his love of stories of magicians when he was growing up. So in other words, stories from the 1920's, 30's or possibly even earlier. Needless to say, for the opening to this book, it seemed he was simply rehashing said stories, inserting little identity of his own. Needlesser to say, this was some of the cheesiest, corniest shit I've had the severe displeasure to have read. People with n intolerance to lactose (which should be all of us because were not baby cows), shouldn't appear within the same zip code as this thing, lest it affect them in all sorts of unpleasant ways. The dialogue is stiffer than a tree on viagra, and as exposition laden as it could possibly be. This is the silver age on steroids and crack all at once. Maybe it was Stan finding his feet (same for Steve Ditko too, because his early issues here are terrible). I seriously considered stopping at one point, though thankfully, as I mentioned, it picked up after page 200 or so, both in terms of world building, narrative and art, though it never scaled to any supreme height.
My other main gripe is, despite the topic of black magic, sorcery and the like being repeatedly mentioned throughout the book, this thing is about as dark as a picnic on the sun. Yes, I get it, it was the early sixties, and you weren't going to get away with the things you could these days, but come on. Stan mentions that readers used to ask him if he was quoting actual black magic rituals in his writing. And I thought kids these days were dumb. Did people actually mate with moist bags of concrete back then? It certainly would explain comments like that. Nobody could honestly think this was anything less than corny, fictional dreck. It was about as evil as a magician party tricks at a six year olds party.
Anyway, I'm rambling now. I can't foresee me ever reading this again. It was decent when it pushed the boat out far enough, but for the most part, it was a kinda hokey sorcery/superhero comic from the early sixties. I was expecting better. If volume two isn't much better, I'll sell both of them. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
January 26, 2018
This volume collects the earliest Doctor Strange stories, from the two-in-one comic Strange Tales. I had read a few of them in earlier reprints, but most were new to me. Reading this collection was at first a wondrous experience of sixties psychedelia. Artist Steve Ditko, though never a favorite of mine, was at the top of his game, and one has to appreciate his original renderings of other-dimensional realms and magical effects. As the book wore on, though, Stan Lee's voluminous verbiage--and let me be clear here, I adore Stan and often refer to him as "my real dad"--began to wear on my brain. It probably would have been better to read a few issues at a time and then put it down for a while--except that I didn't want to put it down. They start to feel samey after a while, especially as the eeeevil Baron Mordo (never forget that he is evil) keeps returning time and time again to destroy Doctor Strange. So by the second half of the book (it may not seem like a large volume, but each episode is only about eight pages on average, with a lot of writing packed into each page) I was enjoying myself a bit less. Recommend you take 2-3 chapters and then call on the Doctor again the next evening.
October 20, 2016
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby laid the foundations of the Marvel Comic universe in the 1960s in a succession of seminal series. Lee and Ditko's most famous creation was, of course, The Amazing Spider-Man; Doctor Strange would have to count as a somewhat distant runner-up. This Omnibus collects the entirety of Lee and Ditko's collaboration, issues #110-111 and 114-146 of Marvel's Strange Tales split book (the good doctor shared the book with, by times, the solo adventures of the Human Torch and later Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.).
The aforesaid split books means that any individual Doctor Strange tale is at most half the length of a standard solo issue from the period, and in turn that means this is easily the shortest Omnibus of a major run (it amounts to about 400 pages; comparatively, something like the Lee/Ditko Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus exceeded 1000 pages). It shows, in some respects, in the stories themselves. It's easy to see why Stephen Strange never made it above the B-tier of Marvel's superhero characters, even in the hands of his most storied creative team. Many of the signature aspects of Marvel's innovative 1960s superhero comics are wholly absent here: Strange has no personal life at all (neither friends nor love interests, though by the series' end a prospective one has finally appeared in the form of Clea), no duel between person and superheroic demands on his time, and minimal supporting cast.
The first half of the run is decent, if somewhat formulaic. Strange spends the bulk of his time fighting just one villain: Baron Mordo, a rival former student of the Ancient One, Strange's mentor. These schemes recur frequently enough that at one point a reader wrote into the letters column to complain. Mixed in are other Marvel villains such as a memorable one-shot appearance by Loki (which establishes, for the record, that Lee and Ditko consider Loki far more powerful than Strange), and a few appearances by Nightmare. However, things markedly improve in the second half, as Lee and Ditko create a huge serialized storyline pitting Strange once again against Mordo, but a Mordo now backed by the Dread Dormammu, a powerful sorcerer from the Dark Dimension (who is also, confusingly, invoked repeatedly earlier in the series as a source of Strange's power).
This lengthy storyline features some of Ditko's more expressive and imaginative artwork, particularly the design for the character of Eternity. And the magical combat gradually becomes more interesting to watch, as the creators get the hang of creating strategic challenges for Strange, a man whose powers often seem infinite.
The aforesaid split books means that any individual Doctor Strange tale is at most half the length of a standard solo issue from the period, and in turn that means this is easily the shortest Omnibus of a major run (it amounts to about 400 pages; comparatively, something like the Lee/Ditko Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus exceeded 1000 pages). It shows, in some respects, in the stories themselves. It's easy to see why Stephen Strange never made it above the B-tier of Marvel's superhero characters, even in the hands of his most storied creative team. Many of the signature aspects of Marvel's innovative 1960s superhero comics are wholly absent here: Strange has no personal life at all (neither friends nor love interests, though by the series' end a prospective one has finally appeared in the form of Clea), no duel between person and superheroic demands on his time, and minimal supporting cast.
The first half of the run is decent, if somewhat formulaic. Strange spends the bulk of his time fighting just one villain: Baron Mordo, a rival former student of the Ancient One, Strange's mentor. These schemes recur frequently enough that at one point a reader wrote into the letters column to complain. Mixed in are other Marvel villains such as a memorable one-shot appearance by Loki (which establishes, for the record, that Lee and Ditko consider Loki far more powerful than Strange), and a few appearances by Nightmare. However, things markedly improve in the second half, as Lee and Ditko create a huge serialized storyline pitting Strange once again against Mordo, but a Mordo now backed by the Dread Dormammu, a powerful sorcerer from the Dark Dimension (who is also, confusingly, invoked repeatedly earlier in the series as a source of Strange's power).
This lengthy storyline features some of Ditko's more expressive and imaginative artwork, particularly the design for the character of Eternity. And the magical combat gradually becomes more interesting to watch, as the creators get the hang of creating strategic challenges for Strange, a man whose powers often seem infinite.
November 10, 2016
This was pretty good. I've read enough of classic Stan Lee writing to expect a certain type of story, but this was even a little bit better. There are a couple one-off stories in the beginning, introducing his main nemeses Baron Mordo and Dormmamu, then fairly quickly moves into a multipart duel between them. Along the way you see the origin of Clea and even Eternity and also see the moment when Strange receives his cloak. It's all a really nice introduction to Dr. Strange.
September 29, 2016
Shockingly slim for an Omnibus. Not sure why it's called an Omnibus, honestly, other that it's the craze. It's barely 450 pages. And that's only because Ditko used fat ink. Should have been called an OHC instead.
August 5, 2017
Going back this far is never a good idea when it comes to comics. It's like a meet your heroes situation, or seeing a picture of the love of your life when they were in the 8th grade. Most of the time, its just an ugly awkward precursor to the beautiful thing you love right now. That's about how I'm feeling with this book.
Its fun to see Dr. Strange when he was still a vignette in Strange Tales, battling Mordo and Dormammu in ten pages an issue sandwiched between The Human Torch and Nick Fury back when he was white. It was nice seeing the origins of Strange, back when he was just a black magic sorcerer and not the Sorcerer Supreme. Clea, Dormmamu, Wong was in like two panels. This was fun. It just wasn't good.
This is supposed to be a remastered HD Bluray recolored version of these old comics and it still mostly looks like crap. The stories are ok, but they're a lot better when they do them again in Dr. Strange or in Dr. Strange Sorcerer Supreme. Here in Strange Tales though, they're kinda crap.
For me, personally, its ok, its a fun read. I can imagine nine out of ten people would give this a negative star review, and the people who would actually enjoy this comic are a very rare breed. If you actually want to jump into Dr. Strange, definitely go for any of the collected Dr. Strange or Dr Strange Sorcerer Supreme stories, those are great. Skip Strange Tales unless you like Silver Age stuff. I've enjoyed very little Silver Age stuff and even as a Strange fan this is definitely more on the meh side.
Its fun to see Dr. Strange when he was still a vignette in Strange Tales, battling Mordo and Dormammu in ten pages an issue sandwiched between The Human Torch and Nick Fury back when he was white. It was nice seeing the origins of Strange, back when he was just a black magic sorcerer and not the Sorcerer Supreme. Clea, Dormmamu, Wong was in like two panels. This was fun. It just wasn't good.
This is supposed to be a remastered HD Bluray recolored version of these old comics and it still mostly looks like crap. The stories are ok, but they're a lot better when they do them again in Dr. Strange or in Dr. Strange Sorcerer Supreme. Here in Strange Tales though, they're kinda crap.
For me, personally, its ok, its a fun read. I can imagine nine out of ten people would give this a negative star review, and the people who would actually enjoy this comic are a very rare breed. If you actually want to jump into Dr. Strange, definitely go for any of the collected Dr. Strange or Dr Strange Sorcerer Supreme stories, those are great. Skip Strange Tales unless you like Silver Age stuff. I've enjoyed very little Silver Age stuff and even as a Strange fan this is definitely more on the meh side.
August 26, 2022
Magnificent quality and content. The epic story of Dr Strange from his earliest appearances, urban fantasy long before Jim Butcher was even born. Diko's bizarre, creative art and the wild writing by Stan Lee and Ditko creates an entirely new genre and unheard of settings. Dr Strange begins his career as a sorcerer, encounters the wicked Mordo, then Dormammu, and a host of odd and eerie enemies until finally the catastrophic clash that ends with the defeat of his enemies and saving the lovely and alien Clea.
March 19, 2023
Na Wielkiego Dormanum
Podróż ciekawa, chociaż męcząca w niektórych momentach, ile razy można walczyć z tym lub tamtym, który łaknie zemsty na Dr.Strange bo pokrzyżował im szyki, a potem przeżywają to do końca świata i wszechświata 😮💨
Podróż ciekawa, chociaż męcząca w niektórych momentach, ile razy można walczyć z tym lub tamtym, który łaknie zemsty na Dr.Strange bo pokrzyżował im szyki, a potem przeżywają to do końca świata i wszechświata 😮💨
August 14, 2023
Świetny komiks!
August 29, 2018
I dig Doctor Strange! He's far-out, inventive, and introduces more of a mystical cosmology to the Marvel Universe early on than I would have guessed. There's no denying that we owe most of this to the recently-departed Steve Ditko, whose artwork conjures up a trippy pop-art surrealism that informs the entire series, and his hand in plotting these adventures is clear. That's not to say that Stan the Man is off the hook; his love of language, the more over-the-top the better, lends a cadence and rhythm to Strange's stories, and, at his best, an inscrutable sort of majesty and nobility.
This collection of stories is very thin on the usual tropes that Marvel leaned on in the Silver Age. There's not a communist to be found, and sci-fi style extraterrestrial menaces are in equally short supply. Oh, sure, the various extra-dimensional entities fulfill essentially the same role; but their status as mystical threats, beyond the conception of the science-minded like Reed Richards or Bruce Banner, adds a chilling, almost Lovecraftian sort of inscrutability to their methods and motives. The earliest Strange tales, indeed, dip into 50's-style twist-ending occult tales that Ditko, in particular, was so good at crafting.
But the storytelling really takes off when Lee and Ditko introduce a narrative concept that I haven't seen yet in the Marvel canon so far: the ongoing, multi-part, continuous story--and it is glorious. I don't know how much of a risk this format must have been in the era it appeared--maybe not so much of one, since the good doctor was the B-story to the Human Torch and, later, Nick Fury--but it feels pretty momentous, introducing a pattern that Marvel and the rest of the industry would make such heavy use of in the decades hence, for better or worse. Whatever your personal opinion of the multi-part epic generally, you've got to admit this one's a great example: you've got a real challenge for the hero, with some built-in dramatic irony in that while we, the audience, understand the true threat he's facing, he's mystified about the source of his enemy's sudden power-boost; there's mystery, in the question of what, or who, is "Eternity;" and there's peril for two supporting characters, one a captive, the other ailing and hidden away from hunting villains. Strange himself if on the run through most of the story, which is thrilling in itself; it's unusual to see a hero depicted as a fugitive, especially for such an extended period, as his headquarters is invaded and his allies scattered. There are daring escapes, nail-biting duels, and hints of the mighty Marvel cosmos to come. Oh, sure, it gets a little flaccid in the middle, and it's clear that toward the end there were either disagreements about the direction of the story, or else fill-in issues required to make up for delays, but for the most part the story stands as a very successful epic.
This collection is also notable for its treatment of non-white characters. I'm not sure we've met any Asians before the point who aren't villains and/or subjugated victims; even the nobel Professor Yinsen from Iron Man barely registers as more than a plot device. This changes in Dr. Strange with the introduction of the Ancient One, Strange's mystic mentor and a formidable sorcerer despite his advanced age. Certainly he owes much to less-than-pleasant stereotypes, but he's depicted, for the most part, with respect and dignity; Strange's travels to the Ancient One's realm and throughout the world, moreover, allow for sympathetic portrayals of other characters of color. There's even an African-American doctor depicted in one of the later issues--surely an eye-catching choice in 1965.
All told, Dr. Strange is an intriguing and exciting read with a lot of new ideas and cool characters. The psychedelic artwork and amazing character designs simply must be experienced.
LADYWATCH: AN interesting edition of Ladywatch here today; this collection is light on the ladies, and the most significant of them (Clea) goes unnamed until its very end, after spending many issues in captivity. Still, she's a pretty decent character, having earned her imprisonment by bravely aiding Sr. Strange. Another issues features a powerful female villain, opposed by her somewhat timid sister.
BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: This collection is dominated by the twin threats of Baron Mordo and Dormammu, the latter of whom sports one of the all-time great character designs. The cosmology of mystic Marvel provides plenty of kotivation for villainous threats, as dabblers in the dark arts seem primarily concerned with one-upping each other and gaining power by acquiring some new artifact or bit of spellcraft; Doctor Strange will have none of that, of course. But threats like Dormammu--extra-dimensional and beyond mortal ken--exist merely to dominate, subjugate, or destroy. An interesting addition is the Mindless Ones, who are less supervillain than force of nature, living on the edges of Dormammu's realm and serving primarily as a check on his power, seemingly an attempt to head off readers before they can ask, "If Dormammu's so all-powerful, why doesn't he just wreck everything with a snap of his flaming fingers?" Of course, there are some magical turkeys here among the proud eagles of villainy; Mister Rasputin springs to mind, because no Silver Age run of comics can go too long without impugning the reputation of at least one eastern European. (I guess Mordo fits that category as well, but at least he's got self-respect.) Special shout-out to Mordo's ethereal servitors, who flit around hunting Strange very creepily in a way that made me think of J.K. Rowling's Dementors.
COSMIC ENCOUNTERS: Though first appearing here in a supernatural setting, the mighty figure of Eternity, embodiment of all that is, will go on to be featured primarily among Marvel's cosmic pantheon. Of course, the line between the cosmic and the mystic has always been rather porous for Marvel.
HOSTS OF HOGGOTH: This series lays the foundation for pretty much all of Marvel's mystic wing, as best expressed by the various wizards' use of cool-sounding epithets that may or may not get fleshed out in future stories. Among them are the eponymous Hosts of Hoggoth, the Flames of the Faltine, the Roving Rings of Roggador, and the ever-lovin' Vishanti. Mystical implements introduced here are the Eye of Agamotto and the Wand of Watoomb.
SUPERHERO TEAMUP: Doctor Strange meets Spider-Man in the annual that concludes the collection. Spider-Man handles his introduction to magic with decided equanimity, and makes a good friend of the Doctor.
CONTINUITY NOTES: Another of the mystic watch-words introduced here is the "crimson bands of Cytorrak;" these will play an important role in X-Men history via their Cytorrak-empowered foe, the Juggernaut. Strange's long ongoing story-arc raises an interesting question for the first time: how much time passes within and between issues of a comic book? At various points in the story, Strange mentions being on the adventure for weeks and then months, but in my headcanon it's no more than a matter of days. This may have been hard for readers, and even creators, to conceptualize in a process that would take over a year to complete. Meanwhile, Stan makes liberal use of asterisked continuity notes, though sometimes admits to being unsure of which issue the events referenced took place in; they must not have kept back issues around the office for long.
This collection of stories is very thin on the usual tropes that Marvel leaned on in the Silver Age. There's not a communist to be found, and sci-fi style extraterrestrial menaces are in equally short supply. Oh, sure, the various extra-dimensional entities fulfill essentially the same role; but their status as mystical threats, beyond the conception of the science-minded like Reed Richards or Bruce Banner, adds a chilling, almost Lovecraftian sort of inscrutability to their methods and motives. The earliest Strange tales, indeed, dip into 50's-style twist-ending occult tales that Ditko, in particular, was so good at crafting.
But the storytelling really takes off when Lee and Ditko introduce a narrative concept that I haven't seen yet in the Marvel canon so far: the ongoing, multi-part, continuous story--and it is glorious. I don't know how much of a risk this format must have been in the era it appeared--maybe not so much of one, since the good doctor was the B-story to the Human Torch and, later, Nick Fury--but it feels pretty momentous, introducing a pattern that Marvel and the rest of the industry would make such heavy use of in the decades hence, for better or worse. Whatever your personal opinion of the multi-part epic generally, you've got to admit this one's a great example: you've got a real challenge for the hero, with some built-in dramatic irony in that while we, the audience, understand the true threat he's facing, he's mystified about the source of his enemy's sudden power-boost; there's mystery, in the question of what, or who, is "Eternity;" and there's peril for two supporting characters, one a captive, the other ailing and hidden away from hunting villains. Strange himself if on the run through most of the story, which is thrilling in itself; it's unusual to see a hero depicted as a fugitive, especially for such an extended period, as his headquarters is invaded and his allies scattered. There are daring escapes, nail-biting duels, and hints of the mighty Marvel cosmos to come. Oh, sure, it gets a little flaccid in the middle, and it's clear that toward the end there were either disagreements about the direction of the story, or else fill-in issues required to make up for delays, but for the most part the story stands as a very successful epic.
This collection is also notable for its treatment of non-white characters. I'm not sure we've met any Asians before the point who aren't villains and/or subjugated victims; even the nobel Professor Yinsen from Iron Man barely registers as more than a plot device. This changes in Dr. Strange with the introduction of the Ancient One, Strange's mystic mentor and a formidable sorcerer despite his advanced age. Certainly he owes much to less-than-pleasant stereotypes, but he's depicted, for the most part, with respect and dignity; Strange's travels to the Ancient One's realm and throughout the world, moreover, allow for sympathetic portrayals of other characters of color. There's even an African-American doctor depicted in one of the later issues--surely an eye-catching choice in 1965.
All told, Dr. Strange is an intriguing and exciting read with a lot of new ideas and cool characters. The psychedelic artwork and amazing character designs simply must be experienced.
LADYWATCH: AN interesting edition of Ladywatch here today; this collection is light on the ladies, and the most significant of them (Clea) goes unnamed until its very end, after spending many issues in captivity. Still, she's a pretty decent character, having earned her imprisonment by bravely aiding Sr. Strange. Another issues features a powerful female villain, opposed by her somewhat timid sister.
BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: This collection is dominated by the twin threats of Baron Mordo and Dormammu, the latter of whom sports one of the all-time great character designs. The cosmology of mystic Marvel provides plenty of kotivation for villainous threats, as dabblers in the dark arts seem primarily concerned with one-upping each other and gaining power by acquiring some new artifact or bit of spellcraft; Doctor Strange will have none of that, of course. But threats like Dormammu--extra-dimensional and beyond mortal ken--exist merely to dominate, subjugate, or destroy. An interesting addition is the Mindless Ones, who are less supervillain than force of nature, living on the edges of Dormammu's realm and serving primarily as a check on his power, seemingly an attempt to head off readers before they can ask, "If Dormammu's so all-powerful, why doesn't he just wreck everything with a snap of his flaming fingers?" Of course, there are some magical turkeys here among the proud eagles of villainy; Mister Rasputin springs to mind, because no Silver Age run of comics can go too long without impugning the reputation of at least one eastern European. (I guess Mordo fits that category as well, but at least he's got self-respect.) Special shout-out to Mordo's ethereal servitors, who flit around hunting Strange very creepily in a way that made me think of J.K. Rowling's Dementors.
COSMIC ENCOUNTERS: Though first appearing here in a supernatural setting, the mighty figure of Eternity, embodiment of all that is, will go on to be featured primarily among Marvel's cosmic pantheon. Of course, the line between the cosmic and the mystic has always been rather porous for Marvel.
HOSTS OF HOGGOTH: This series lays the foundation for pretty much all of Marvel's mystic wing, as best expressed by the various wizards' use of cool-sounding epithets that may or may not get fleshed out in future stories. Among them are the eponymous Hosts of Hoggoth, the Flames of the Faltine, the Roving Rings of Roggador, and the ever-lovin' Vishanti. Mystical implements introduced here are the Eye of Agamotto and the Wand of Watoomb.
SUPERHERO TEAMUP: Doctor Strange meets Spider-Man in the annual that concludes the collection. Spider-Man handles his introduction to magic with decided equanimity, and makes a good friend of the Doctor.
CONTINUITY NOTES: Another of the mystic watch-words introduced here is the "crimson bands of Cytorrak;" these will play an important role in X-Men history via their Cytorrak-empowered foe, the Juggernaut. Strange's long ongoing story-arc raises an interesting question for the first time: how much time passes within and between issues of a comic book? At various points in the story, Strange mentions being on the adventure for weeks and then months, but in my headcanon it's no more than a matter of days. This may have been hard for readers, and even creators, to conceptualize in a process that would take over a year to complete. Meanwhile, Stan makes liberal use of asterisked continuity notes, though sometimes admits to being unsure of which issue the events referenced took place in; they must not have kept back issues around the office for long.
December 11, 2016
This omnibus edition reprints the early appearances of Doctor Strange - from his start as the back-up story in Strange Tales (the main feature was solo stories of the Human Torch) through to the period when he was sharing equal space - having outlasted the Torch, Strange Tales was now co-featuring Nick Fury. It also includes the story where Doctor Strange co-starred with Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2. It does not include Doctor Strange's guest appearance in any other Marvel comics, nor does it include the other characters stories from Strange Tales.
In the 60s, the dominant creative forces at Marvel were Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Kirby was doing the artwork on Marvel's flagship title, Fantastic Four, and Ditko was bringing his ability to invoke weirdness to Marvel's most popular character - Spider-Man. He also provided the artwork for Doctor Strange and his style was an excellent fit for the mystic mayhem of Doctor Strange. The scripts are much simpler (and often much cornier) than current day fare.
The omnibus starts with Doctor Strange's origin and introduces the main characters - Doctor Strange, the Ancient One, and Baron Mordo - who are all portrayed reasonably accurately in the movie. The initial stories are pretty much stand alone until about halfway through, when the long running story pitting Doctor Strange against Mordo and Dormammu, and it's conclusion ends this omnibus. This story also introduces another important character, Clea, although we don't discover her name until the last few pages of the final issue.
If the movie has piqued your interest, and you want a crash course in the Doctor Strange universe, this is an excellent place to start. Unfortunately, there is no volume 2 in this omnibus series, and it doesn't seem that there will be anytime soon.
In the 60s, the dominant creative forces at Marvel were Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Kirby was doing the artwork on Marvel's flagship title, Fantastic Four, and Ditko was bringing his ability to invoke weirdness to Marvel's most popular character - Spider-Man. He also provided the artwork for Doctor Strange and his style was an excellent fit for the mystic mayhem of Doctor Strange. The scripts are much simpler (and often much cornier) than current day fare.
The omnibus starts with Doctor Strange's origin and introduces the main characters - Doctor Strange, the Ancient One, and Baron Mordo - who are all portrayed reasonably accurately in the movie. The initial stories are pretty much stand alone until about halfway through, when the long running story pitting Doctor Strange against Mordo and Dormammu, and it's conclusion ends this omnibus. This story also introduces another important character, Clea, although we don't discover her name until the last few pages of the final issue.
If the movie has piqued your interest, and you want a crash course in the Doctor Strange universe, this is an excellent place to start. Unfortunately, there is no volume 2 in this omnibus series, and it doesn't seem that there will be anytime soon.
May 16, 2022
So all I can really say is WOW! This Omnibus for me was an experience, a perfect 9/10 experience. Ditko’s art is truly mesmerizing with the psychedelic style, and amazing colors of different dimensions and whatnot. Stan Lee’s writing is phenomenal. The book shows how great of a character Strange is. Sure some of the early appearances were hit or miss depending on which villain Strange fought, but once they found their footing the 20+ maybe less issue arc of Dormammu and Mordo Vs. Strange was some of the best storytelling. Sure there was some filler in between, but it was great filler. This Omnibus is a must buy.
July 30, 2017
By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth! Stan Lee and Steve Ditko at their mind-numbingly mystical best. Maybe all the stories haven't aged so well, but they're important for introducing Doctor Strange and his offbeat adventures. The long arc against Mordo and Dormammu in pursuit of Eternity is a real highlight.
May 17, 2017
The entirety of Ditko's run on Strange is collected here. It doesn't really get going until the Eternity sequence midway through. Also for some reason Stan Lee doesn't give half these characters names... Clea appears at least ten times before they name her. So odd.
November 12, 2020
A good, entertaining run, even if the stories felt the same. If the formula works, why change it.
Lee and Ditko managed to pack a lot of punch in these early stories of Doctor Strange. All of these stories were basically one-half of Strange Tales issues, and so they run about 10 pages each with above 6-9 panels per page. (The other half of these issues, which don't feature Doctor Strange) are not included).
As usual for Silver Age comics, there's a lot of dialogue to help explain the action. This is normally OK for a few issues, but maybe not for a collection like this one, where it becomes stale when read in succession.
There also isn't much of an arc in this collection, although Strange fights ongoing battles with Dormammu and Mordo, primarily. There is kind of chain of stories that have to do with Stephen saving his master, which involves Eternity, who takes on a larger role, of sorts, as the stories go on. The final battle between Eternity and Dormammu showcases what Ditko could do on one page with little of Lee's narrative help; in fact, that one page highlights how confining the medium must have been for someone of Ditko's talent. In any event, Lee and Dikto together created a fitting climax to this collection.
I use the term "climax" loosely here, because it implies a narrative thread here that isn't so grand and doesn't seem intentional at all points. Most of the stories involve either Mordo, Dormammu, or both trying to kill Strange so they can kill the Ancient One and take over this reality. Of course, that never happens, and I'm not sure I always understood how Strange got himself out of his jams, but suffice it to say he always does. Usually, the battles are between the two magic users standing in the same frame shooting magic bolts at each other, but some of the stories do have clever twists, or at least attempts at clever twists. At least, Lee made me believe that they were clever, but I'm not always sure that they really were when I read them again.
Even so, the battles felt samey. I tried not to think too hard about the times Strange performs mind control or a memory wipe. I wasn't sure if Lee was giving Strange a dark edge, but more probably Lee wasn't thinking too hard about it, and neither should we.
In any case, the Doctor Strange staples are introduced in this early work. The origin story, which hasn't changed much if at all, although the Manhattan dock workers Strange overhears talking about the Ancient One have morphed over time. The mansion in Greenwich Village. Clea (seen throughout but revealed in the last issue). The cloak. The amulet. His classic sayings. It's interesting to note that as the series developed, the hand gestures were established as the primary way Strange conjured spells; the painful rhymes of later eras were not present in these early issues. In this way, the MCU movie is more like these original stories than some of the later comics.
While the Ancient One is present, Wong is not. Too, Strange doesn't show much growth in these stories; the relationships and his arrogance of later Strange runs are absent here, not that I would expect them to be, given the period these were produced.
When seen as the Silver Age romps that they were intended to be (alongside stories with Storm and Thing endlessly fighting), these stories work. This is underscored by the contemporary letters, written mostly by young people when these stories were printed, and the responses by Marvel staff. Altogether, this collection reminds us of a time when comics were meant to be fun.
Lee and Ditko managed to pack a lot of punch in these early stories of Doctor Strange. All of these stories were basically one-half of Strange Tales issues, and so they run about 10 pages each with above 6-9 panels per page. (The other half of these issues, which don't feature Doctor Strange) are not included).
As usual for Silver Age comics, there's a lot of dialogue to help explain the action. This is normally OK for a few issues, but maybe not for a collection like this one, where it becomes stale when read in succession.
There also isn't much of an arc in this collection, although Strange fights ongoing battles with Dormammu and Mordo, primarily. There is kind of chain of stories that have to do with Stephen saving his master, which involves Eternity, who takes on a larger role, of sorts, as the stories go on. The final battle between Eternity and Dormammu showcases what Ditko could do on one page with little of Lee's narrative help; in fact, that one page highlights how confining the medium must have been for someone of Ditko's talent. In any event, Lee and Dikto together created a fitting climax to this collection.
I use the term "climax" loosely here, because it implies a narrative thread here that isn't so grand and doesn't seem intentional at all points. Most of the stories involve either Mordo, Dormammu, or both trying to kill Strange so they can kill the Ancient One and take over this reality. Of course, that never happens, and I'm not sure I always understood how Strange got himself out of his jams, but suffice it to say he always does. Usually, the battles are between the two magic users standing in the same frame shooting magic bolts at each other, but some of the stories do have clever twists, or at least attempts at clever twists. At least, Lee made me believe that they were clever, but I'm not always sure that they really were when I read them again.
Even so, the battles felt samey. I tried not to think too hard about the times Strange performs mind control or a memory wipe. I wasn't sure if Lee was giving Strange a dark edge, but more probably Lee wasn't thinking too hard about it, and neither should we.
In any case, the Doctor Strange staples are introduced in this early work. The origin story, which hasn't changed much if at all, although the Manhattan dock workers Strange overhears talking about the Ancient One have morphed over time. The mansion in Greenwich Village. Clea (seen throughout but revealed in the last issue). The cloak. The amulet. His classic sayings. It's interesting to note that as the series developed, the hand gestures were established as the primary way Strange conjured spells; the painful rhymes of later eras were not present in these early issues. In this way, the MCU movie is more like these original stories than some of the later comics.
While the Ancient One is present, Wong is not. Too, Strange doesn't show much growth in these stories; the relationships and his arrogance of later Strange runs are absent here, not that I would expect them to be, given the period these were produced.
When seen as the Silver Age romps that they were intended to be (alongside stories with Storm and Thing endlessly fighting), these stories work. This is underscored by the contemporary letters, written mostly by young people when these stories were printed, and the responses by Marvel staff. Altogether, this collection reminds us of a time when comics were meant to be fun.
September 19, 2020
A fantastic journey into the mystic arts with Doctor Strange’s origin story!
Stan Lee’s Doctor Strange Omnibus compiles the majority of his comic issues written in Strange Tales from the early 1960’s throughout that decade, including the fascinating origins of Doctor Strange himself! It’s pretty comprehensive and took me back to reading my grandfather’s reprint issues of Doctor Strange comics about a magical wizard defending Earth from the forces of evil. It’s the first truly out there series of magical, metaphysical, surreal, and imaginative on another level for Marvel Comics. Lee’s mind was so expansive as he creates new worlds with an unique phrase or new terminology that has persisted for decades in comic book lore and history. Doctor Strange is one of my all time favorite Marvel superheroes and this series is a fun camp comic like Adam West’s Batman with a smarter philosophical center thanks to Stan Lee’s writing.
Lee’s writing is intriguing as he defines magic on new terms with spells being cast across dimensions with mystic amulets, flying capes, and strange tales. Stan Lee was a godsend to the comic world and for every boy and girl dreaming of a more interesting world with magic everywhere. Doctor Strange succeeds because he is clever, witty, and intelligent with rational choices being made with his awesome powers. Stan Lee knew this man had to be as smart as any Avenger and more cunning than any comic book villain. Rest in peace, Stan Lee. Thank you for your stories and ideas. I’ll always love Doctor Strange.
Steve Ditko is the other key element to Doctor Strange’s narrative brilliance as his gorgeous, colorful illustrations bend your mind in entirely new ways. His groundbreaking artwork for Doctor Strange herein is astonishing in scope, creatively, vibrance, and originality. Rest in paradise, Steve Ditko and thank you for your incredible paintings, drawings, and mind. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko deserve equal praise and credit for their outstanding, timeless, influential, and downright cool work on creating Marvel’s most odd and jaw-dropping superhero only comparable to Jim Starlin’s Adam Warlock to be completely honest.
I highly recommend this rare Doctor Strange Omnibus, if you can get your hands on a copy. Doctor Strange will live in my memories forever as a joyous part of my childhood and a cherished aspect of my adulthood. Godspeed Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Thank you for the magic.
Stan Lee’s Doctor Strange Omnibus compiles the majority of his comic issues written in Strange Tales from the early 1960’s throughout that decade, including the fascinating origins of Doctor Strange himself! It’s pretty comprehensive and took me back to reading my grandfather’s reprint issues of Doctor Strange comics about a magical wizard defending Earth from the forces of evil. It’s the first truly out there series of magical, metaphysical, surreal, and imaginative on another level for Marvel Comics. Lee’s mind was so expansive as he creates new worlds with an unique phrase or new terminology that has persisted for decades in comic book lore and history. Doctor Strange is one of my all time favorite Marvel superheroes and this series is a fun camp comic like Adam West’s Batman with a smarter philosophical center thanks to Stan Lee’s writing.
Lee’s writing is intriguing as he defines magic on new terms with spells being cast across dimensions with mystic amulets, flying capes, and strange tales. Stan Lee was a godsend to the comic world and for every boy and girl dreaming of a more interesting world with magic everywhere. Doctor Strange succeeds because he is clever, witty, and intelligent with rational choices being made with his awesome powers. Stan Lee knew this man had to be as smart as any Avenger and more cunning than any comic book villain. Rest in peace, Stan Lee. Thank you for your stories and ideas. I’ll always love Doctor Strange.
Steve Ditko is the other key element to Doctor Strange’s narrative brilliance as his gorgeous, colorful illustrations bend your mind in entirely new ways. His groundbreaking artwork for Doctor Strange herein is astonishing in scope, creatively, vibrance, and originality. Rest in paradise, Steve Ditko and thank you for your incredible paintings, drawings, and mind. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko deserve equal praise and credit for their outstanding, timeless, influential, and downright cool work on creating Marvel’s most odd and jaw-dropping superhero only comparable to Jim Starlin’s Adam Warlock to be completely honest.
I highly recommend this rare Doctor Strange Omnibus, if you can get your hands on a copy. Doctor Strange will live in my memories forever as a joyous part of my childhood and a cherished aspect of my adulthood. Godspeed Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Thank you for the magic.
June 19, 2025
The initial run of the Doctor Strange feature in "Strange Tails"--beginning with Issue # 110--is a high-water mark in the Silver Age of Comics. The character is unique and the artwork by Steve Ditko is brilliant, particularly when Doctor Strange begins visiting other dimensions.
The earliest stories in this Omnibus edition are mostly stand-alone tails, that introduce us to the character, give us a sense of his powers, and establish some of his most formidable enemies, including Baron Mordo, Nightmare, and arch-foe, Dormammu.
But the true highlight of this edition is the epic serialized conflict with Dormammu and Baron Mordo, who have combined their powers. It begins in "Strange Tails" #130 and concludes in "Strange Tails" #146. Steve Ditko outdid himself with the artwork on these stories. Ditko rarely went big with his panels--he preferred packing a lot of detail into smaller panels. But the concluding chapter of the serial features two spectacular one-page panels, featuring Dormammu battling an even more powerful cosmic figure, Eternity.
To top it off, this Omnibus edition reprints a story from the 2nd Spider-Man King Size Annual, which teamed Spidey with Doctor Strange.
At first Doctor Strange shared "Strange Tails" with co-features starring The Human Torch and then Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although the covers for these issues are reprinted in this Omnibus Edition, they rarely featured Doctor Strange. One nice bonus of the Omnibus Edition is that it includes covers illustrating many of the Doctor Strange stories when they were later reprinted. The Doctor Strange covers drawn especially for the reprint comics include artwork by Gil Kane, Ed Hannigan, Dan Adkins, Klaus Janson, Dick Giordano, Gene Colan, John Byrne and others.
We also get several Doctor Strange pinups by a variety of artists, including one by Michael Golden focusing on Clea--the other dimensional silver-haired beauty with the wild yoga pants--who was first introduced in these stories.
There are a lot of comic book reprint books labeled as "essential" that aren't really all that essential. "Doctor Strange Omnibus, Volume 1" truly is an essential for anyone interested in comic art.
The earliest stories in this Omnibus edition are mostly stand-alone tails, that introduce us to the character, give us a sense of his powers, and establish some of his most formidable enemies, including Baron Mordo, Nightmare, and arch-foe, Dormammu.
But the true highlight of this edition is the epic serialized conflict with Dormammu and Baron Mordo, who have combined their powers. It begins in "Strange Tails" #130 and concludes in "Strange Tails" #146. Steve Ditko outdid himself with the artwork on these stories. Ditko rarely went big with his panels--he preferred packing a lot of detail into smaller panels. But the concluding chapter of the serial features two spectacular one-page panels, featuring Dormammu battling an even more powerful cosmic figure, Eternity.
To top it off, this Omnibus edition reprints a story from the 2nd Spider-Man King Size Annual, which teamed Spidey with Doctor Strange.
At first Doctor Strange shared "Strange Tails" with co-features starring The Human Torch and then Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although the covers for these issues are reprinted in this Omnibus Edition, they rarely featured Doctor Strange. One nice bonus of the Omnibus Edition is that it includes covers illustrating many of the Doctor Strange stories when they were later reprinted. The Doctor Strange covers drawn especially for the reprint comics include artwork by Gil Kane, Ed Hannigan, Dan Adkins, Klaus Janson, Dick Giordano, Gene Colan, John Byrne and others.
We also get several Doctor Strange pinups by a variety of artists, including one by Michael Golden focusing on Clea--the other dimensional silver-haired beauty with the wild yoga pants--who was first introduced in these stories.
There are a lot of comic book reprint books labeled as "essential" that aren't really all that essential. "Doctor Strange Omnibus, Volume 1" truly is an essential for anyone interested in comic art.
October 5, 2025
what can i even say? it's great!
steve ditko creates a rich mythos here with art that is much moodier and more surreal than most comics of its era offer. all the strange rules about incantations and mystical artifacts are incredible, i love when a wizard has to follow wizard rules. not to mention the inventiveness of the spells!
this is also one of the earliest attempts at anything serialized in marvel comics. the eternity saga and all that follows with clea and dormammu is extremely compelling. i love when marvel dips into the spirituality of the cosmos. eternity is a being that wields diety-level abilities and who controls so many aspects of life and the universe that he is about as close to a literal god as it gets. and yet he is depicted as containing all of space within him, lacking much in the way of a physical form, he is a person-shaped metaphysical collection of all there is. such a concept is so evocative! and the final battle between eternity and dormammu, an all-powerful demonic entity which inhabits a dimension born of literal darkness, feels like an angry god awoken from an eternal slumber by a tantruming child. and yet the resulting cataclysm leaves them both in a vague state of nonexistence.
i love how grandiose everything in this book is, the tone of it all is maybe the best possible match to the overly verbose and flowery prose of 1960s marvel comics. here it feels less like a product of its time and more like an intentional leaning in to the kitschy mysticism. its like the comic itself is a recently uncovered ancient scroll inscribed with mysterious incantations.
in the name of the omnipotent oshtur. by the hoary hosts of hoggoth. by the vishanti my will be done. i call upon the twelve moons of munnopor. witness the vapors of valtorr. powers of the ancient one rise in me. i summon the might of the dread dormammu.
steve ditko creates a rich mythos here with art that is much moodier and more surreal than most comics of its era offer. all the strange rules about incantations and mystical artifacts are incredible, i love when a wizard has to follow wizard rules. not to mention the inventiveness of the spells!
this is also one of the earliest attempts at anything serialized in marvel comics. the eternity saga and all that follows with clea and dormammu is extremely compelling. i love when marvel dips into the spirituality of the cosmos. eternity is a being that wields diety-level abilities and who controls so many aspects of life and the universe that he is about as close to a literal god as it gets. and yet he is depicted as containing all of space within him, lacking much in the way of a physical form, he is a person-shaped metaphysical collection of all there is. such a concept is so evocative! and the final battle between eternity and dormammu, an all-powerful demonic entity which inhabits a dimension born of literal darkness, feels like an angry god awoken from an eternal slumber by a tantruming child. and yet the resulting cataclysm leaves them both in a vague state of nonexistence.
i love how grandiose everything in this book is, the tone of it all is maybe the best possible match to the overly verbose and flowery prose of 1960s marvel comics. here it feels less like a product of its time and more like an intentional leaning in to the kitschy mysticism. its like the comic itself is a recently uncovered ancient scroll inscribed with mysterious incantations.
in the name of the omnipotent oshtur. by the hoary hosts of hoggoth. by the vishanti my will be done. i call upon the twelve moons of munnopor. witness the vapors of valtorr. powers of the ancient one rise in me. i summon the might of the dread dormammu.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2020
I quite enjoyed my time reading these original Dorctor Strange comics. I find something satisfying in seeing an idea evolve over time and shape into something really memorable. This is the case with this collection of comics. Dr Strange starts out really as a little anthology series featuring unconnected adventures with the Doctor essentially going around solving supernatural problems plaguing the world. Whether this is a haunted house that traps a local daring news reporter within its walls, or an interdimentional alien race plotting a secret invasion of our world, Doctor Strange is not too far behind ready to combat with his black magics. What stood out to me was that it was not that Doctor Strange is more powerful than most of the adversaries that he encounters, but his intelligence and the fine control of the powers he does have access to are used to such great effect, be manages to believably outsmart or surprise his foes into defeat.
As characters, themes, and storylines begin to form, this collection takes on long-form storytelling. Essentially the second half of the omnibus is all one long story - a pretty great one if you ask me - which pushes Strange to the limits of his magics and mental capacity as he faces down Gods and Abstract entities of the cosmos.
I adored the 60s comic art and, surprising to me, the corny dialog did not detract, rather it enhanced the reading experience and overall atmosphere. Great fun to leisurely read through over a couple months.
As characters, themes, and storylines begin to form, this collection takes on long-form storytelling. Essentially the second half of the omnibus is all one long story - a pretty great one if you ask me - which pushes Strange to the limits of his magics and mental capacity as he faces down Gods and Abstract entities of the cosmos.
I adored the 60s comic art and, surprising to me, the corny dialog did not detract, rather it enhanced the reading experience and overall atmosphere. Great fun to leisurely read through over a couple months.
March 29, 2021
Je supr koukat jak se v obou svých titulech Ditko vykresluje a laťka stoupá. Titul představil kultovního marveláckého magiče numero uno a společně s ním Prastarého, Dormammu, Morda a pár dalších. A fakt myslím pár. Titul si na rozdíl od spider-mana nebere servítky s osobním životem Stephena Strange. Netuším, jestli má matku nebo jestli je naklonovaný, jestli má přátele... Na začátku krátkého desetistránkového segmentu začne magický problém, na konci se vyřeší (On totiž strange vycházel jak "bonus" v strange tales...). A s tím není problém, problém je s tím, že Mordo chce vytlouct z Prastarého zakázané vědění Magie a vlastně nic jiného a nevíme co ho vlastně žene. Dormammu se chce dostat do naší reality, protože proto, ale má tendenci se kvůli hazardu dostat do pozice, kdy musí přísahat, že nechá Zemi být. Nightmare chce zajmout Strange ve snové říši, ale je to zkrátka omezenej idiot a tak se mu to nikdy nepovede. Dobrý doktor má i jiné záporáky, těžko zapamatovatelné. Démon, Rasputin... Mimozemšťané... Jo a jednou Loki! Ale to je jedno. Schéma je vždy stejné. Přijde problém, honička astrálních těl, konfety a lejzry střílející z prstů, triumfující Strange. Světlou vyjímkou je boj s Dormammu, kde se autoři dopustili alespoň náznaku nějakého dilematu. A druhá půle, slavná Eternity Saga, taky měla své momenty ale to hlavně kvůli ambicióznější ucelenější struktuře ságy, jejíž části nejsou jen samostatné epizodky typu: "přijde takhle jednou Strange za Prastarým..."
February 17, 2022
With all due respect to Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, for my money, when it comes to The Silver Age of Comics, it doesn’t get any better than Doctor Strange in Strange Tales by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Ditto’s art in the early issues is rather pedestrian but it progresses rapidly into a wild experience of surrealistic cosmic mysticism that my jaw dropped several times by the end of the book.
Stan Lee is his usual self as writer but his style lends itself so greatly to Doctor Strange stories that I didn’t experience any lag or fatigue that I usually run into with Silver Age stuff.
This is a rather slim Omni as it purely collects the entirety of Lee and Ditko’s run. Being that Strange Tales was a shared titles with Human Torch and The Thing and later Nick Fury, 400 pages gathers 35 issues of ST plus a team-up issue with Spider-Man, and Ditko had the talent to tactfully cram as much story into each issue as possible, that you don’t feel cheated but the relatively slim book. It would have been nice to include Doctor Strange’s guest spots in Fantastic Four #27 and Thor #108 as bonus content, but seeing as how those were Lee/Kirby books, I can kind of understand why they were omitted. However, since this wasn’t branded as Dr Strange by Ditko, it still would’ve been nice to have them included. C’est la vie.
Ditto’s art in the early issues is rather pedestrian but it progresses rapidly into a wild experience of surrealistic cosmic mysticism that my jaw dropped several times by the end of the book.
Stan Lee is his usual self as writer but his style lends itself so greatly to Doctor Strange stories that I didn’t experience any lag or fatigue that I usually run into with Silver Age stuff.
This is a rather slim Omni as it purely collects the entirety of Lee and Ditko’s run. Being that Strange Tales was a shared titles with Human Torch and The Thing and later Nick Fury, 400 pages gathers 35 issues of ST plus a team-up issue with Spider-Man, and Ditko had the talent to tactfully cram as much story into each issue as possible, that you don’t feel cheated but the relatively slim book. It would have been nice to include Doctor Strange’s guest spots in Fantastic Four #27 and Thor #108 as bonus content, but seeing as how those were Lee/Kirby books, I can kind of understand why they were omitted. However, since this wasn’t branded as Dr Strange by Ditko, it still would’ve been nice to have them included. C’est la vie.
January 26, 2025
i want to be so nice but this was more of a 2.5 than a 3. i think this is Stan Lee at his worst when it comes to writing. the first half of this was so tedious and stuffed with over-exposition that i considered putting it down. i will say, i don’t love silver age comics, i believe as modern writing goes we’ve progressed beyond what was being pioneered then. but that doesnt really explain the slog of bland stories that is littered throughout the beginning.
i will say, steve ditko saved this book for me. when strange gets his red cape and new amulet i felt the stories getting better. it all culminated in the reveal of eternity which i believe is ditko’s best drawn comic. the one pager of eternity drawn in that pop art made me so excited that i forgot the tedious hours spent reading the previous 200 pages.
the heights of dormammu’s story arc don’t last long though. stan lee reverts back to boring repetitive story arcs which made issues 143 and 144 nightmares to deal with.
honestly again if ditko wasn’t drawing these i would’ve put them down. at least i can say i finally read ditko’s run on doctor strange.
i will say, steve ditko saved this book for me. when strange gets his red cape and new amulet i felt the stories getting better. it all culminated in the reveal of eternity which i believe is ditko’s best drawn comic. the one pager of eternity drawn in that pop art made me so excited that i forgot the tedious hours spent reading the previous 200 pages.
the heights of dormammu’s story arc don’t last long though. stan lee reverts back to boring repetitive story arcs which made issues 143 and 144 nightmares to deal with.
honestly again if ditko wasn’t drawing these i would’ve put them down. at least i can say i finally read ditko’s run on doctor strange.
June 19, 2019
Silver Age Marvel is my favorite era of comics, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and more were firing on all cylinders delivering the best products possible. What the Marvel bullpen was doing at the time was unmatched by anyone else in the industry. Pure creativity. Steve Ditko’s place as one of the architects of this period in Marvel’s history is accepted by most fans of the medium but it’s usually his 38 issue (and one annual and amazing fantasy issue!) stint on Amazing Spider-Man that people talk about. I’d argue however that his Strange Tales is better in almost every way. Ditko’s Doctor Strange is a run filled with pure creativity, especially after Dormammu is introduced. Dormammu’s introduction in Strange Tales #126 led to a 20 issue arc culminating in Strange Tales #146. It’s an epic nearly unmatched in the Silver Age. Ditko crafts these charming, psychedelic inter-dimensional landscapes that are mesmerizing to look at.
April 18, 2023
A classic run, and an essential starting point for anyone who wants to read Doctor Strange comics. Lee's scripts are hammed up for sure, with tons of silly incantations invoked by Strange such as "By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!" or "By the Ruby Rings of Raggadorr!" taking up a significant chunk of the dialogue. But the stories are inventive and interesting, and it does help that a lot of the early Strange Tales issues only dedicated 8-10 pages for the story (I really miss proper anthology style comics with compressed storylines).
Of course, the real draw to this collection is Ditko's artwork, which is at the top of his game. The panel compositions are impeccable, and the sheer creativity it took to bring concepts like Nightmare, Eternity, Dormammu, etc. to the page will never fail to blow my mind. This isn't just essential Doctor Strange read, it's essential comics reading in my opinion.
Of course, the real draw to this collection is Ditko's artwork, which is at the top of his game. The panel compositions are impeccable, and the sheer creativity it took to bring concepts like Nightmare, Eternity, Dormammu, etc. to the page will never fail to blow my mind. This isn't just essential Doctor Strange read, it's essential comics reading in my opinion.
February 25, 2019
The essentialy trippiness of this book has been overstated. Or at least it does not appaer that strong looking back.
This feels a lot like other books of the era except that Ditko has the wisdom not recycle an endless series of stock villains. He sticks primarily with two, which keeps the story purposeful.
In most of the issues, Strange just wins because he's more powerful. When he's not more powerful, he usually splits into multiple people, plays rope-a-dope, and/or uses his astral form at the last second. Some clear rules would have helped make the stories feel a little less silly. (It seems like the amulet can always win whenever it's used, for instance>)
This feels a lot like other books of the era except that Ditko has the wisdom not recycle an endless series of stock villains. He sticks primarily with two, which keeps the story purposeful.
In most of the issues, Strange just wins because he's more powerful. When he's not more powerful, he usually splits into multiple people, plays rope-a-dope, and/or uses his astral form at the last second. Some clear rules would have helped make the stories feel a little less silly. (It seems like the amulet can always win whenever it's used, for instance>)
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