Marvel-Verse: Doctor Strange

Marvel-Verse

by Len Wein, Stan Lee

Collects Uncanny Origins (1996) #12, Doctor Strange (1974) #55, Marvel Adventures Hulk (2007) #5, Marvel Adventures Super Heroes (2008) #5; material from Strange Tales (1951) #126-127. The Sorcerer Supreme stars in some of his most magical adventures! Discover how renowned surgeon Stephen Strange's search for a cure for his damaged hands led him instead into a world of magic and mystery! Join him in a mind-bending interdimensional battle with the Dread Dormammu as only Stan Lee and Steve Ditko could present it! A sorrowful Doctor Strange tackles the demonic D'Spayre and learns what life would have been like if he never mastered the mystic arts! The villainous Nicodemus sets his sights on Strange's soul! And when a cosmically powered creature wreaks havoc, can Spider-Man help Doctor Strange web up the holes in the fabric of reality?

Genres: Marvel, Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Anthologies

120 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Len Wein was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men (including the co-creation of Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus). Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.

Wein was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My apologies. I get so caught up in the mystical realms that I forget that not everyone knows about them. I'm Dr. Strange, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme." -- Dr. Stephen Strange

"We have a Sorcerer Supreme? I mean, I think that pepperoni is considered Earth's Most Favorite Pizza, but Earth having a Sorcerer Supreme is news to me." -- Spider-Man

Ever since learning of the Marvel Verse series - a digest-sized version offering a half-dozen often unrelated stories from throughout a specific character's print run - earlier this month via the Black Panther edition I'm making an effort to read as many as can I find at the local public libraries. (These books have sort of a probably intentional dual purpose - either to attract new readers OR for purely a nostalgia factor. Admittedly, I fall into the latter camp.) As for the Dr. Strange volume . . . I thought it was just okay. After the perfunctory origin story (a newer 90's retelling of it, that is, now complete wth some childhood trauma which makes it now seem too similar or imitative to various other origin stories) and some rather clunky, dialogue-heavy mystical tales from the mid-60's and/or early 80's the book finally came to life with two amusing 21st century team-up adventures featuring Hulk and Spider-Man. In fact, I want to coin a new rule that adding the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler to ANY Marvel yarn pretty much automatically increases its entertainment value tenfold.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own this book.

These Marvel-Verse books are essentially collects of 5-6 key issues that relate to key characters in the Marvel Universe. Doctor Strange is a character that has obviously gained a recent popularity due to the MCU but he's a character I haven't really taken lots of interest in outside of the movies. I picked this up to have a nosey and while I enjoyed this volume, it did highlight that he isn't my favourite Marvel character. I think I prefer his character when he's with other popular characters such as we see him with Bruce Banner and Spider-Man. I do think he obviously holds tremendous value in the Marvel world, he just isn't my favourite.

[meera · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was very creative but i didnt love any of the art styles. some were decent and some were just not nice.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat overview of Dr. Strange and his origin story (told in different stories 2 times too many - once was enough). Has of course Steve Ditko's finest work as a penciler/inker. He was the originator of the lurid psychedelic art-work that would become the emblem of Dr. Strange stories over the years. I liked the recent stories about the Hulk and Spider-Man that story-wise were fairly decent and had terrific art, even if they had tons of people working on it. It's slick and professional but still has a sense of humor about it. This would be a fine introduction to a 8-9 year old kid (even though weirdly the back cover gives "10 and Up" as an age group for reading), hell it would be fine for 5-7 yr olds too, if they can't read it they can wow their ever-lovin' eyes w/the very colorful art. I don't think it would give them too many nightmares. I, myself, was introduced to Doctor Strange in the seminal Origins of Marvel Comics (1974) when I was 12 or so. Thinking back I probably would've been bored by Doc Strange & his shenanigans at an earlier age but that's me, I was all about the Hulk, Spider-Man and Superman. At 12 I was able to dig it fine though. Well, enough about all that, it's good for middle-aged idiots too!

[M. J. Fabula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and intriguing collection of comics centered around Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. Strange was one of the lesser-known Marvel superheroes up until his recent introduction into the MCU, but I now find him one of the more fascinating Marvel heroes thanks to his incredible power, his entertaining arrogance, and sporting a rogues gallery unlike most others in the Marvel Universe. And just like any Marvel character, he's just as human as the rest of us, as this comics collection illustrates. The collection spans both more recent comics and some of his very first ones that detail his origin story and very first battle against his arch-enemy, the Dread Dormammu. So it's really cool to check out both retro comics and modern comics in this collection. Not to mention the very interesting juxtapositions shown between his team-ups with The Hulk (anger-fueled brute strength vs. powerful mystic arts) and Spider-Man (a relatively ordinary high schooler vs. The Sorcerer Supreme) in certain parts of this collection. Short but sweet, and worth an eventual re-read for me.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esses volumes dessa coleção Marvel-Verse estão saindo melhores que a encomenda! O intuito deles é apresnetar a um público novo um pouco dos personagens da Marvel que estão em voga na mídia por causa de suas adaptações para o audiovisual. O escolhido da vez foi Stephen Strange, o Doutor Estranho. Neste encadernado temos a origem de Estranho recontada por Len Wein e o brasileiro Marc Campos, depois a estreia da amante de Estranho, a feiticeira Cléa da Dimensão Sombria, por Stan Lee e Steve Ditko, seus criadores. Em seguida, uma história de Estranho contra Desespero, na magistral fase de Roger Stern. Por fim duas histórias da linha "Marvel Adventures", em que Estranho encontra e faz parecerias com Hulk e Homem-Aranha, respectivamente. Histórias muito legais, divertidas, interessantes tanto para novos leitores como para os seus antigos fãs.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of stories from long published life of Dr. Strange. It’s a perfect collection for people that want to be introduced to the character and some of his key stories. It’s not for long time fans or even collectors as they aren’t rare or easy to find in other collections. It’s for fans to give to family and friends or people that enjoy the movies but never read a comic.

[Francine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was never really into Dr Strange as a character in the MCU, though I did like the weird trippy reality-bending magic in those movies. I figured I would give this book a try, since I've enjoyed the Marvel-Verse series as a good starting place to get into comics. Sadly, still not a fan of Dr Strange. This collection also has a high level of re-explaining his origin story, which gets old fast.

[Cashie]

Overall, I enjoyed the imagination of these stories and the nobility displayed through them. I especially loved the first comic where Strange chooses to forgive his abusive father and the third where Stephen defeats depression. Also the last one with Spiderman is just plain hilarious.

Although it should be fair to point out, if Magic bothers you, don’t read this comic.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, 2.5 stars, these Marvel-Verse collections are hit or miss with a selection of earlier stories, but the problem with some of the very early stories just aren't as good, compared with more recent runs.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid collection: short and sweet, but also a pretty interesting and engaging snapshot of the titular character. My favorite story was definitely the last one, where Doctor Strange teamed up with Spidey and the two of them won the day through the power of bluffing!

[Luz Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*

[Noah Satern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is designed as a nice sampler of comics from different eras. We get ditko, Michael Golden and a couple other artists. It's good to introduce the character to kids.

[Tyler Marsolais · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic got a little boring

[blueygurl2016 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never read a Doctor Strange comic before, this was a good introduction. I liked the first two the best but the Spider-Man one had the best art.

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this comic

[Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good intro for Doctor Strange, with a pretty interesting mix of stories. Starts of with an updated origin story, then a classic Lee/Ditko tale containing Dormammu's first appearance, then over to the 80s and wrapping up with 2 light-hearted Marvel Adventures issues featuring Hulk and Spider-Man.

I think this is a good way of getting someone interested in Doctor Strange, if they've never had any contact with him before (although we're briefed about his origins a bit too many times (for a 120-page book)