Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 2

Essential Doctor Strange #2

by Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, Gene Colan

The Master of the Mystic Arts' earliest adventures continue as Strange stands as mankind's last, best hope against the dark otherworldly forces that conspire to steal the life of the conscious world - including Nightmare, Dormammu, Lord Nekron, and the Sons of the Satannish.

Collects: DOCTOR STRANGE #169-178 and #180-183, AVENGERS #61, SUB-MARINER #22, MARVEL FEATURE #1, INCREDIBLE HULK #126, and MARVEL PREMIERE #3-10 and #12-14.

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

608 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 1974

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Matthew J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag. Some of the stories, especially in the first half of the book, are pretty typical Marvel stuff of the day, and remain way over-written. Then there's the whole thing with Dr. Strange wearing a hood/mask, because they thought making him look more like other superheroes was a good idea. That was all nonsense. But then, after the comic failed and he started showing up in other characters' books, some cool stuff happened. And there's some Barry Windsor-Smith art, so that's nice. The latter part of the book brings Strange into contact with a lot of nutty, Lovecraft/Howard style weirdness, and that's where he certainly belongs. Frankly, Baron Mordo and even Dormammu are fairly lame villains with silly plans. Strange is better when he's put up against more cosmic weirdness. This stuff ain't great. Comics have come a long way since this era. Well, maybe Marvel & DC haven't come that far...

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Essential Doctor Strange Volume 2’ is similar to the second half of Volume 1 in that it’s more piecemeal with several different creative teams at the helm. Volume 1 had a long stretch of Steve Ditko to establish the character, beginning with five-page tales and slowly stretching to ten and then to long continued stories. This book follows the trend of long, epic stories, probably because Doc’s antagonists are cosmic entities difficult to dispense with in a mere twenty pages.

We open with the talented team of Roy Thomas writing and Dan Adkins on the art in issues # 169-170 for a retelling of the origin of Doctor Strange and a battle with Nightmare, his first foe from way back. In a strange switch, Adkins inks Tom Palmer for issue # 171, in which our hero summons the Herald of Satannish to show him whence Clea, who aided him against Dormammu, has been banished. This is the first introduction of a thinly disguised Satan into Strange’s universe and it may not have been a good idea.

The Herald of Satannish did herald a sort of Golden Age for the series as issues # 172-183 feature the supreme scripting of Roy Thomas and the peerless pencils of Gene Colan which are excellently embellished by Tom Palmer, possibly the best inker ever. While reading these issues, I was struck by the deathless dialogue of Thomas which featured ‘kaleidoscopic cosmos filled with shifting shapes’, ‘macabre minions’ who are sent to a ‘darksome doom’ accompanied by ‘monstrous mocking laughter’ as Strange has the ‘priceless privilege’ of facing Nightmare. I was starting to wonder if Roy had been bitten by a radioactive Frank Ochieng (SFCrowsnest’s fabulous film critic). When Doc teamed up with less magical mortals to combat Ymir and Surtur in Avengers # 61, the mortals spoke like normal men and I realised that he had been using dramatic dialogue to foster the otherworldly atmosphere subtly suitable for mystic mayhem. However, if it reads a bit corny it sounds very corny indeed on the screen (I think that’s why Ben Grimm doesn’t work in movies), so I hope the film doesn’t copy this technique.

Colan’s art is very good, although there are many large panels and lots of white space. Sometimes this is suspicious and one has to wonder if a man being paid by the page is not simply using a technique to turn them out faster. However, Colan was famously devoted to his work and it would be unseemly to accuse him of laziness. I suspect he had been influenced by European comics and was experimenting with the limits of graphic storytelling. All in all, it works pretty well.

So well that the series was cancelled with Strange Tales # 183 (November 1969). Personally, I blame the Sons of Satannish and that baddie himself. United Statemen are generally quite religious and don’t like their children reading unwholesome material. Early on Strange’s tagline was changed from ‘Master Of Black Magic’ to ‘Master Of The Mystic Arts’. As long as he tangled with new fabulous entities like Nightmare and Dormammu, he was not controversial but borrowing from Christian myth was probably a step too far. Of course, the college kids loved both the art and the story but did not sustain a title back then. The Silver Surfer suffered similarly. Doc was doomed.

Fortunately, the Marvel Universe is a homogenous whole and, even if a character doesn’t have his own title, he can still appear elsewhere and did in Sub-Mariner # 22 (February 1970) which served mainly to remind me that Marvel should release another ‘Essential Sub-Mariner’ as when Subby got his own title, it was really good for a while. The mystic next showed up in Incredible Hulk # 126 (April 1970) which was a continuation and conclusion of the Undying One’s story.

Doctor Strange came back in Marvel Feature # 1 and was the origin of the Defenders but there was also a back-up strip. The original Defenders were Dr Strange, the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner. The Master Of The Mystic Arts returned for a longer run in Marvel Premier # 3-14 (July 1972-March 1974). I have to say I am indebted to Wikipedia for the publishing dates because the ‘Marvel Essential’ doesn’t give them. The ‘DC Showcase’ editions list the date of publication of each issue in the contents pages which is very useful and Marvel would do well to follow their example if they do further reprints.

Anyway, this run started with a story plotted and drawn beautifully by Barry Smith, inked by Dan Adkins and scripted by Stan Lee. In issue # 4, the plot was taken over by Roy Thomas and the script by Archie Goodwin. New inker Frank Brunner didn’t do Smith’s pencils justice. Rascally Roy cleverly combined ideas from H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. There’s an isolated town in which all the inhabitants look similarly odd (think Innsmouth) with a cult trying to call up an ancient evil (think Cthulhu) but, in this case, it’s Sligguth, the old serpent god of Pre-Cataclysmic Valusia (think Kull). It all promises a gripping epic and then in issues # 5-8, it all goes to pot. Gardner Fox takes over the scripting and we get a parade of monsters. Sligguth is a big lizard. Strange beats him and somehow that awakens N’Gabthoth, a tentacle-headed fishy chap who breaks into the evil church after a chest which has a map of Stonehenge. Doc finds the map and goes to England to fight Dagoth, basically a muscle man with a funny head. Fox was sacked by DC around this time, along with other writers who wanted better terms and conditions. I’m assuming that Roy Thomas gave him some work out of respect for his long career in the field but being handed an unusual strip like ‘Doctor Strange’ in the middle of a story may have proven too much for the poor chap. Changing artists with every issue wouldn’t have helped.

This volume ends on a high note with Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner picking up the reins for Marvel Premier # 9-14 and concluding the Shuma-Gorath story before introducing Sise-Neg. This controversial epic ended with God and the creation of the universe, about as cosmic as you can get. Satannish was bad enough but featuring God himself in a comic book was going too far and it is rumoured when Stan Lee saw the story, he ordered Englehart and Brunner to print a retraction saying this was not the God but a God. They allegedly wrote a fake letter from a non-existent minister praising the story and the retraction idea was dropped. I am hedging a bit on this statement because while the truth is out there it isn’t necessarily on wikipedia.

As ever, I’m flabbergasted by the second-hand price of these cheap reprints on pulp paper. I bought them when they came out, to read not as an investment. This one can cost up to £60 now but hopefully, you can find it cheaper. Clearly, if you want to collect ‘Marvel Essentials’ or ‘DC Showcase’ reprints you have to snap them up quick.

This book is worth getting. The stories are usually engrossing and, by its very nature, the format calls for interesting visuals so the artists do fine work. Worth buying just for the Colan/Palmer pictures. The contributions by Barry Smith and Frank Brunner are of not inconsiderable merit. Fans of the audio/visual film experience currently in cinemas may also enjoy the textual/visual version rendered herein. Popcorn is optional but don’t spill a fizzy drink on it as the cheap pulp paper will soak it up.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/

[Surly Gliffs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was consumed by a mystic tome ! And now I am compelled to review it! Acted on by forces beyond the understanding of a mere mortal !

I struggled with this newsprint reprint of 60s and 70s Doctor Strange at first. The dialogue is portentous, absurdly baroque. And this was in the golden days of spoken exposition, when every character (villain or hero) would painstakingly describe each beat in the action, as well as any relevant exposition from the last issue or two. (With any loose ends painstakingly footnoted, see Marvel Premiere #3 - Studious Stan.) The plots largely follow a simple arc: villain acts; Doctor Strange is surprised, crippled, impaired; Doctor Strange overcomes impairment and defeats villain; stronger boss villain steps out of shadows.

Yet there's a reason this work endures. The formula works. The art (in this collection primarily Gene Colan and Frank Brunner) is consistently good and sometimes inspired. The writers mostly play it straight, avoiding the temptation of a story that's too campy or too arbitrary. In the 70s arc on Marvel Premiere by Gardner Fox, he borrows heavily from Robert Howard, who in turn is borrowing heavily from Lovecraft. How all this somehow remained compliant with the Comics Code Authority is utterly beyond me.

There are plenty of critiques here. Typical of that era's Marvel, women characters are stripped of agency, unless villainous. There are a few badly stereotyped Asian characters: "faithful retainer" Wong, "mystic mentor" The Ancient One. (More than one writer stumbles on the notion of an all-powerful character who's powerless to do anything helpful, which turns The Ancient One into a bit of a dick.) The assorted "gods" and "powers" are blandly appropriated and kicked to the curb as convenient. And you can't borrow from Lovecraft without there being some quaint, or quaintly awful, race politics at edge of frame.

There's going to be some comics fans, yours truly included, who find this run diverting. And there's going to be others, with good reason, who find it annoying or offensive. Recommended mostly for True Believers of a bygone era and historians of the same.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume of Doctor Strange stories were published from 1968-72. The Comics Code is beginning to relax it's rules on horror. During this time period, vampires, ghouls and demons are no longer on the no-no list. And Marvel Comics embraced these loosened guidelines with a gusto!

In volume 1, Doctor Stephen Strange battled demons like Dormammu. But those arcane foes were more outlandish like a Doctor Doom or The Red Skull. Their motivation was more power hungry than occultish. Now, we see the Master of the Mystic Arts take on the cultists who worship Doctor Strange's arch-enemies.

I like horror comics. But demons and devils just isn't my thing. And this collection is chock full of fallen angels. But, the stories were still pretty compelling as they are masterfully written by the likes of Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Artwork by Gil Kane and a host of others was rather good too.

I love the B&W beauties. But I found a print problem among the last dozen or so issues of the first series of Doctor Strange books. Those issues were originally illustrated and colored as a sort of reverse negative with white ghostly outlined renderings of either the hero or his opponents looming over the action. As a result, the retouch team had to reverse the negative yet again in order to be printed without color. This not only whitewashes the art, the excessive inks turn lovely streamlined works of art into blobbish works of art.

Remember that fresco of Jesus that some lady did a poor job retouching to the effect than the Christ looked more Muppet than Son of Man? That's what happened with those covers.

Along this time period, Doctor Strange was cancelled. Maybe the readers didn't like the newer, darker approach. It wasn't for almost 3 years until Strange would return to print in the first 10 issues of Marvel Premiere. When he does show up, his foes become even more demonic. But by now, the renaissance of Marvel Horror titles had gained full steam and it seemed that an America now enthralled by William Peter Blatty's Exorcist were ready for a more mature Doctor Strange.

Will the world be ready for another Doctor Strange title? Find out in volume 3!

[Bill Kte'pi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid three and a half stars. It’s hard to try to write dialogue like Stan Lee. Colan and Palmer are a little more successful at giving the book a distinct visual feel, but it’s hampered by Strange’s dumb mask and Ditko being an impossible act to follow.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly average stories that don't quite live up to the outrageous, but well done artwork.

[Michael Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Frank Brunner, Gene Colan, John Buscema, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Roy Thomas writing. No better comics creators exist. Equals, possibly... But not better. 'Nuff Said!

[Datagu · Rating 5 out of 5]

the ncomic will be absolutely fantastic.

[Steven Heywood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great art, wearisome storytelling. Doctor Strange, like the Spectre, is diminished by being anthologised: there's a limit to how much overblown peril defeated by deux ex machina can be repeated.

[JW David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Strange #169-178 and #180-183, Avengers #61, Sub-Mariner #22, Marvel Feature #1, Incredible Hulk #126, and Marvel Premiere #3-10 and #12-14.

[Monean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comic book is totally great!

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non sempre di facile lettura, infatti mi ha preso più tempo del previsto. La qualità è altalenante, nonostante Gene Colan ai disegni le prime storie, quelle che proseguono la numerazione di Strange Tales, non sono granché. Migliora, e parecchio, quando iniziano le storie tratte da Marvel premiere, in particolare ci sono un paio di gioelli disegnati da Barry Windsor-Smith; poi la saga di Shuma-Gorat e l'arrivo di Sise-Neg, stregone dal futuro, con una versione della Genesi tutta da gustare.

[PJ Ebbrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book showing the development of Dr Strange through the years. Lost of lovely Gene Colan art, maybe the stories are not up to the usual high standard. However, the latter ones by Steve Englehart, were impressive read as a whole. The Cthulu mythos ones were intriguing have seen the covers in the old FOOM magazine, but never getting my hands on them until now.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how dramatic these are, and I love the ridiculous use of alliteration. And I have to say, the last collection of comics, Marvel Premiere #12-14... Love it. Time travely-ness that goes circular? Makes me happy.

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ends with Dr. Strange witnessing the creation of the universe. In case you thought Marvel Comics couldn't get weird.