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Doctor Strange (2015) (Collected Editions) #1-4
Doctor Strange by Jason Aaron & Chris Bachalo Omnibus
Only Doctor Strange can protect our world from the darkness beyond — but every spell he casts comes with a cost! Now, witness the full toll taken on Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, courtesy of the comic book wizardry of Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo! Dark forces are destroying everything mystical in the Multiverse, and their sights are set on this dimension. The Empirikul are coming. Magic’s days are numbered. Doctor Strange — and his fellow practitioners of the mystical arts — are not ready! And as Strange finds himself at the weakest he’s ever been, his greatest foes return from the shadows ready to strike — starting with his oldest rival, Baron Mordo! Can Stephen survive his lethal rogues’ gallery? Plus: the spellbinding debut of the Sorcerers Supreme!
COLLECTING: Doctor Strange (2015) 1-20, Doctor Strange Annual (2016) 1, Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic (2016) 1
COLLECTING: Doctor Strange (2015) 1-20, Doctor Strange Annual (2016) 1, Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic (2016) 1
576 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2017
6 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,360 books1,682 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 20, 2022
This 2015 Doctor Strange run is so incredibly fun. Doctor Strange has never been an A-list character. Hell, his popularity probably crested in the 1970s as a B-lister at best. Unfortunately for the Sorcerer Supreme, he is better as a supporting character who can provide background and backup than the title character. There are certainly good reasons for this. First, having a character who is a master of all magic in superhero comic books, a genre that is defined by its ability to do whatever it wants, in whatever way it sees fit, makes him immediately too powerful, and not rewarding to read. No matter what happens, Doctor Strange will win it out by pulling out a super-secret spell or inventing a new form of magic, or whatever magical Deus ex Machina that is needed to defeat the bad guy. Second, and this is a recent development, the 2008 Iron Man movie, and Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stole the Doctor Strange persona and pasted it on RDJ’s Tony Stark.
In general, the comic book Tony Stark never goes all good. He is continually an insufferable know-it-all. Sure, over the years Tony Stark is humbled here or there, but it never sticks beyond a writer’s run on Iron Man. At various points in the last 30 years of Iron Man comic books, Tony Stark has become the Secretary of Defense, has tried to implement a Superhero Registration Act, sent his superhero friends to an extra-dimensional gulag, and has been the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The comic book Tony Stark is what should pop in your mind when Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm says “…so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
What does Tony Stark have to do with Doctor Strange? As I said, Doctor Strange of the comic books is the Iron Man of the MCU. If you have seen Doctor Strange movie, a lot of the beats are the same. Hyper proficient, hyper arrogant surgeon Doctor Strange gets into a car accident of his own doing and loses the ability to do what he is best out. He defined himself as a surgeon, and suddenly he was incapable of that. He futilely tries to get his hands back and eventually realizes it’s impossible. That is Tony Stark in the cave. Eventually Doctor Strange finds the Ancient One (a terrible stereotyped Asian wise man trope) who teaches him humility. And how to do kick-ass magic. Tony Stark had Yinsen, who also evened out some of Tony’s harsher edges, and died. Both events result in the humbled hero. Except that when it came for Doctor Strange to come to film, his story was already told, and they had to alter him. I enjoy MCU Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch does an incredible job, but it is 100% understandable why people would pick up a Doctor Strange comic book and feel like they are reading RDJ slinging spells.
What about this run of Doctor Strange, now that an entire single-spaced page of the preamble is out of the way? What does this book do to stand out? First, it shows the costs of magic, and what Doctor Strange sacrifices, and continues to sacrifice, to maintain his power, and keep the world safe. Second, it finds a clever way to depower Doctor Strange, so we avoid the secret hyper spell class X of whatevermancy trope as a Deus ex Machina. Third, Doctor Strange stays true to the classic Doctor Strange character and doesn’t try to avoid the RDJ mantel that was taken from the character.
This omnibus collects the fourth volume of Doctor Strange comics, starting in 2015. It collects issues 1-20, an Annual, and a one-shot called Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic. All of them were written by Jason Aaron, and the majority of the issues were penciled by Chris Bachalo with a couple of guest artists scattered in for good measure.
The tone of this volume is immediately set with the first issue, titled “The Way of the Weird”. Instead of regulating Doctor Strange to a classic magic user, surrounded by magik artifacts, well-worn tomes, and dusty scrolls, both Aaron and Bachalo go right for the weird jugular. The Marvel Multiverse has infinite universes, and each of those universes has infinite dimensions. This conceit allows Bachalo to draw whatever he wants when it comes to cool magical creatures and gives Aaron the leeway to create incredible depth with Doctor Strange.
I want to cover the art first. I love it. I don’t know what style you would call it but it’s a funky, quirky cartoony vibe that meshes incredibly well with the magical, ghostly, paranormal, occultic Doctor Strange. The Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Strange’s headquarters, gets the most benefit from this art style. In other comics where a hero must consult Doctor Strange, the weirdness of the place is never seen in-depth, only obliquely alluded to. Bachalo is allowed to go 120mph down the highway. A library filled with fussy books, a refrigerator that holds dimensional horrors, randomly moving doors to different realities, it's so much fun. The creature design is just as weird and includes demons, nightmare creatures, a dude with a giant eyeball as a head, Dread Dormammu, and an amorphous goo-glob joker.
The art is dope, is what I am saying.
The story is equally fun. Over the 22 issues in this omnibus, it is paced incredibly well. The one-shot and annual provide context and thematic texture to the volume as a whole, but the placement of the annual at the end is confusing, as it clearly happens in the middle of the story as a whole. Looking past that minor aside, Jason Aaron decides to avoid 6-issue arcs in favor of shorter 4-5 issue arcs, which moves things along nicely.
This omnibus follows a 4-act structure, with each arc forming one of the acts. First is the anticipation, then the conflict, then the aftermath, and then, what I am referring to as, the reflection. The anticipation is exactly that, an introduction to Jason Aaron’s version of Doctor Strange, and seeding the major plot elements of the omnibus. That leads directly into the conflict arc, which features a very cool new villain in the Imperator, the leader of the Empirikul. It’s a fairly basic opposite in a conflict story, in this case, magic vs science, but it draws in a lot of fun magical Marvel characters and drastically changes the status quo. This is a case of a classic trope done incredibly well and in an engaging manner.
After the conflict arc, we have the aftermath. The aforementioned change in the status quo warrants examination, and we follow Doctor Strange along for the ride. The Empirikul had a great art style, but this segment of the omnibus is where Bachalo gets to go 666% weird, and I love it. Finally, we have the reflection. All of the dangling plot threads are resolved, and Doctor Strange has to confront himself, and his place in the world, both literally and figuratively. The 20th issue is both an epilogue to Aaron’s run on the series and leaves enough doors open to serve as a prologue to whoever takes up the mantle afterward.
I choose to read this in the lead-up to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and that was a great choice. I would highly suggest this to anyone who has an interest in Doctor Strange, as it is fun, doesn’t rely on the reader having a deep history with the character, and concludes in a satisfying manner. Some might argue that it is better to start with the Lee/Ditko era from the 70s, but those can be a bit inaccessible to the modern reader in both style and format. This version and volume are a 5/5.
In general, the comic book Tony Stark never goes all good. He is continually an insufferable know-it-all. Sure, over the years Tony Stark is humbled here or there, but it never sticks beyond a writer’s run on Iron Man. At various points in the last 30 years of Iron Man comic books, Tony Stark has become the Secretary of Defense, has tried to implement a Superhero Registration Act, sent his superhero friends to an extra-dimensional gulag, and has been the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The comic book Tony Stark is what should pop in your mind when Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm says “…so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
What does Tony Stark have to do with Doctor Strange? As I said, Doctor Strange of the comic books is the Iron Man of the MCU. If you have seen Doctor Strange movie, a lot of the beats are the same. Hyper proficient, hyper arrogant surgeon Doctor Strange gets into a car accident of his own doing and loses the ability to do what he is best out. He defined himself as a surgeon, and suddenly he was incapable of that. He futilely tries to get his hands back and eventually realizes it’s impossible. That is Tony Stark in the cave. Eventually Doctor Strange finds the Ancient One (a terrible stereotyped Asian wise man trope) who teaches him humility. And how to do kick-ass magic. Tony Stark had Yinsen, who also evened out some of Tony’s harsher edges, and died. Both events result in the humbled hero. Except that when it came for Doctor Strange to come to film, his story was already told, and they had to alter him. I enjoy MCU Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch does an incredible job, but it is 100% understandable why people would pick up a Doctor Strange comic book and feel like they are reading RDJ slinging spells.
What about this run of Doctor Strange, now that an entire single-spaced page of the preamble is out of the way? What does this book do to stand out? First, it shows the costs of magic, and what Doctor Strange sacrifices, and continues to sacrifice, to maintain his power, and keep the world safe. Second, it finds a clever way to depower Doctor Strange, so we avoid the secret hyper spell class X of whatevermancy trope as a Deus ex Machina. Third, Doctor Strange stays true to the classic Doctor Strange character and doesn’t try to avoid the RDJ mantel that was taken from the character.
This omnibus collects the fourth volume of Doctor Strange comics, starting in 2015. It collects issues 1-20, an Annual, and a one-shot called Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic. All of them were written by Jason Aaron, and the majority of the issues were penciled by Chris Bachalo with a couple of guest artists scattered in for good measure.
The tone of this volume is immediately set with the first issue, titled “The Way of the Weird”. Instead of regulating Doctor Strange to a classic magic user, surrounded by magik artifacts, well-worn tomes, and dusty scrolls, both Aaron and Bachalo go right for the weird jugular. The Marvel Multiverse has infinite universes, and each of those universes has infinite dimensions. This conceit allows Bachalo to draw whatever he wants when it comes to cool magical creatures and gives Aaron the leeway to create incredible depth with Doctor Strange.
I want to cover the art first. I love it. I don’t know what style you would call it but it’s a funky, quirky cartoony vibe that meshes incredibly well with the magical, ghostly, paranormal, occultic Doctor Strange. The Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Strange’s headquarters, gets the most benefit from this art style. In other comics where a hero must consult Doctor Strange, the weirdness of the place is never seen in-depth, only obliquely alluded to. Bachalo is allowed to go 120mph down the highway. A library filled with fussy books, a refrigerator that holds dimensional horrors, randomly moving doors to different realities, it's so much fun. The creature design is just as weird and includes demons, nightmare creatures, a dude with a giant eyeball as a head, Dread Dormammu, and an amorphous goo-glob joker.
The art is dope, is what I am saying.
The story is equally fun. Over the 22 issues in this omnibus, it is paced incredibly well. The one-shot and annual provide context and thematic texture to the volume as a whole, but the placement of the annual at the end is confusing, as it clearly happens in the middle of the story as a whole. Looking past that minor aside, Jason Aaron decides to avoid 6-issue arcs in favor of shorter 4-5 issue arcs, which moves things along nicely.
This omnibus follows a 4-act structure, with each arc forming one of the acts. First is the anticipation, then the conflict, then the aftermath, and then, what I am referring to as, the reflection. The anticipation is exactly that, an introduction to Jason Aaron’s version of Doctor Strange, and seeding the major plot elements of the omnibus. That leads directly into the conflict arc, which features a very cool new villain in the Imperator, the leader of the Empirikul. It’s a fairly basic opposite in a conflict story, in this case, magic vs science, but it draws in a lot of fun magical Marvel characters and drastically changes the status quo. This is a case of a classic trope done incredibly well and in an engaging manner.
After the conflict arc, we have the aftermath. The aforementioned change in the status quo warrants examination, and we follow Doctor Strange along for the ride. The Empirikul had a great art style, but this segment of the omnibus is where Bachalo gets to go 666% weird, and I love it. Finally, we have the reflection. All of the dangling plot threads are resolved, and Doctor Strange has to confront himself, and his place in the world, both literally and figuratively. The 20th issue is both an epilogue to Aaron’s run on the series and leaves enough doors open to serve as a prologue to whoever takes up the mantle afterward.
I choose to read this in the lead-up to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and that was a great choice. I would highly suggest this to anyone who has an interest in Doctor Strange, as it is fun, doesn’t rely on the reader having a deep history with the character, and concludes in a satisfying manner. Some might argue that it is better to start with the Lee/Ditko era from the 70s, but those can be a bit inaccessible to the modern reader in both style and format. This version and volume are a 5/5.
June 30, 2023
This was the comic that got me into reading comics. Is it the beat story in the world? No. But it is what brought me into this world of stories. The art is beautiful, I love the character development and how aaron creates a world, and the last days of magic story is an amazing story and helps develop doctor strange as more than just a character who shoots magic from his hands. The idea of every spell having a cost and the whole "thing in the cellar" are amazing ideas for a story and it felt very fleshed out. This will always be one of my favourite comic book stories
April 12, 2022
I really liked the stories in this omnibus. The quality of the book is pretty good too, though the pages are a little thin. Some folks might take issue with that.
You can read my in-depth review over at Lightgun Galaxy.
https://lightgungalaxy.com/2022/04/11...
You can read my in-depth review over at Lightgun Galaxy.
https://lightgungalaxy.com/2022/04/11...
May 29, 2022
I'm probably alone in this, but I preferred the latter half of the book to the first half. Don't get me wrong, the villain of the first half was good--but was also incredibly similar to Gorr the God Butcher from Aaron's Thor run. That part was a little disappointing. That being said, it was a good story, and I really enjoyed Zelma's journey. She and Wong are awesome. (Although I think I prefer the Wong in the MCU.)
October 4, 2024
Really enjoyed Aaron's run on Doctor Strange.
Recommend
Recommend
July 31, 2021
Decent Enough Ending
OVERALL RATING: 2.25 stars
Art: 1.75 stars
Prose: 3.5 stars
Plot: 2 stars
Pacing: 3 stars
Character Development: 2 stars
World Building: 2 stars
Avoid! You've been warned.
OVERALL RATING: 2.25 stars
Art: 1.75 stars
Prose: 3.5 stars
Plot: 2 stars
Pacing: 3 stars
Character Development: 2 stars
World Building: 2 stars
Avoid! You've been warned.
December 22, 2023
Начинал когда-то этот ран, но на полдороге отвлекся и забросил. Сейчас же, после прочтения Аароновского рана Тора, начал снова и с большим удовольствием проглотил. Именно тут впервые появляются многие персонажи, которые потом мелькали второстепенными героями в "Академии Стрэнджа" - Зельма Стэнтон, Мистер Мизери, Имперор. Очень хороший ран, хотя и короткий (но Донни Кейтс продолжил тоже отлично).
January 21, 2023
Firstly I should say that after Spider-Man, Doctor Strange is my favourite Marvel character. And having read a number of Doctor Strange over the years it's become clear how difficult a character he is to write for. Many miss the mark with some exceptions like The Oath and thankfully Aaron's run exceeds expectations.
Aaron's creates a Endgame level threat to Magic. A battle in which to win has massive consequences to Strange and his fellow Magical sensitive brethren and delves into the cost of magic itself.
We are introduced to new characters and is a great starting point for any fans that wish to get into Doctor Strange.
The artwork is sublime and at times helps to confuse the reader which helps grasp the magical world.
Aaron's creates a Endgame level threat to Magic. A battle in which to win has massive consequences to Strange and his fellow Magical sensitive brethren and delves into the cost of magic itself.
We are introduced to new characters and is a great starting point for any fans that wish to get into Doctor Strange.
The artwork is sublime and at times helps to confuse the reader which helps grasp the magical world.
October 22, 2022
Whoa. There is a lot in this volume. The death of magic is a cool premise and it was interesting to see how it disappearance affected thebworld (& also where they go hunting for the little bits of it that are left). The art is this is the best part of the book. It is infinitely fascinating and some of the pages are laid out in really clever ways. It is visually A LOT. The actual narrative begins to drag a bit as you work your way through the volume, but you can always set it down and pick it back up when you're ready to re-enter the world of Dr. Strange.
January 22, 2023
Sains dan mistik biasanya akan selalu jadi dua kubu dalam sebuah perdebatan. Ada orang-orang yang ketika berpikir selalu menggunakan pendekatan saintifik, tapi nggak jarang juga ada orang yang sangat percaya pada hal-hal mistikal. Doctor Strange adalah karakter Marvel yang menarik karena dia ada di dua dikotomi tersebut.
Di dalam run-nya sepanjang 20 issue yang dijilid satu buku omnibus ini, Jason Aaron memosisikan Stephen Strange sebagai garda terakhir pertahanan dunia magis dan mistis. Doctor Strange dan sekutunya berhadapan dengan Empirikul, villain yang hendak menghapus semua hal-hal berbau mistis di semua jagat dengan pasukan serta teknologi saintifik yang dia buat.
Buat saya yang baru mengikuti Doctor Strange, komik ini memberikan porsi yang cukup buat mengenal hero-hero mistis di jagat Marvel seperti Scarlet Witch, Professor Xu, Doctor Voodoo, Shaman, dan Talisman. Ya walaupun pada akhirnya Doctor Strange-lah yang akhirnya jadi penentu battle magic vs science ini (secara ini komiknya dia ya).
Ada momen-momen keren pula di komik ini ketika pasukan mistis terdesak dan semua item atau hal-hal magis menghilang, Stephen Strange dipaksa bertarung dengan cara yang lebih physical. Pembaca kan sering melihat aksi Strange menggunakan kapak, panah, sampai tangan kosong menghadapi pasukan Empirikul.
Karena ini omnibus mengover semua issue run-nya Jason Aaron, Emipirikul bukanlah satu-satunya villain yang akan ditemui pembaca. Musuh ikonik Doctor Strange seperti Dormammu dan Baron Mordo plus satu villain dengan wujud seperti Venom-like juga muncul di sini. Bagaimana dengan supporting characters? Sepanjang omnibus ada dua yang paling menonjol. Mereka adalah Wong (tentu saja, siapa lagi?) dan juga Zelma Stanton, sang librarian yang sepertinya bakal berperan penting di cerita-cerita Doctor Strange ke depan (pembaca komik on-going please let me know). Relasi Strange dan Wong ini udah ibarat seperti Bruce Wayne & Alfred Pennyworth. Cuma ya kadang Stephen Strange sering nggak sadar betapa vitalnya Wong sampai sesuatu terjadi padanya.
Soal visual, saya sebenarnya kurang begitu suka gaya art-nya Chris Bachalo yang jadi main artist di buku ini. Doctor Strange jadi tampak seperti bocah dengan kumis. Cuma ya saya kira dengan plot melawan makhluk-makhluk dari yang sifatnya multiversal sampai magis di cerita ini, art style dia rasanya cocok.
Oh ya, di komik ini Stephen Strange akan kembali jadi dokter bedah. Cuman kali ini dia ditemani salah satu karakter saintis yang punya kemampuan magis juga. Menarik banget!
Not bad for my first Doctor Strange Omnibus!
Di dalam run-nya sepanjang 20 issue yang dijilid satu buku omnibus ini, Jason Aaron memosisikan Stephen Strange sebagai garda terakhir pertahanan dunia magis dan mistis. Doctor Strange dan sekutunya berhadapan dengan Empirikul, villain yang hendak menghapus semua hal-hal berbau mistis di semua jagat dengan pasukan serta teknologi saintifik yang dia buat.
Buat saya yang baru mengikuti Doctor Strange, komik ini memberikan porsi yang cukup buat mengenal hero-hero mistis di jagat Marvel seperti Scarlet Witch, Professor Xu, Doctor Voodoo, Shaman, dan Talisman. Ya walaupun pada akhirnya Doctor Strange-lah yang akhirnya jadi penentu battle magic vs science ini (secara ini komiknya dia ya).
Ada momen-momen keren pula di komik ini ketika pasukan mistis terdesak dan semua item atau hal-hal magis menghilang, Stephen Strange dipaksa bertarung dengan cara yang lebih physical. Pembaca kan sering melihat aksi Strange menggunakan kapak, panah, sampai tangan kosong menghadapi pasukan Empirikul.
Karena ini omnibus mengover semua issue run-nya Jason Aaron, Emipirikul bukanlah satu-satunya villain yang akan ditemui pembaca. Musuh ikonik Doctor Strange seperti Dormammu dan Baron Mordo plus satu villain dengan wujud seperti Venom-like juga muncul di sini. Bagaimana dengan supporting characters? Sepanjang omnibus ada dua yang paling menonjol. Mereka adalah Wong (tentu saja, siapa lagi?) dan juga Zelma Stanton, sang librarian yang sepertinya bakal berperan penting di cerita-cerita Doctor Strange ke depan (pembaca komik on-going please let me know). Relasi Strange dan Wong ini udah ibarat seperti Bruce Wayne & Alfred Pennyworth. Cuma ya kadang Stephen Strange sering nggak sadar betapa vitalnya Wong sampai sesuatu terjadi padanya.
Soal visual, saya sebenarnya kurang begitu suka gaya art-nya Chris Bachalo yang jadi main artist di buku ini. Doctor Strange jadi tampak seperti bocah dengan kumis. Cuma ya saya kira dengan plot melawan makhluk-makhluk dari yang sifatnya multiversal sampai magis di cerita ini, art style dia rasanya cocok.
Oh ya, di komik ini Stephen Strange akan kembali jadi dokter bedah. Cuman kali ini dia ditemani salah satu karakter saintis yang punya kemampuan magis juga. Menarik banget!
Not bad for my first Doctor Strange Omnibus!
October 19, 2024
This was so fun and one of my favorite runs I have read the years and I love the start of it and like here you see Stephen dealing with random threats and the opening issues and all that, then meeting Zelma and then the big threat of the Empirikul and how they're taking down magic users across dimensions and you meet the Imperator and then Stephen vs him which is awesome plus by the cost of magic and what wong did.. big status quo shifts plus whats happening to others.
Then there is the final battle between Imperator and Dr strange and how he uses mr misery and well the other magicians pitching in too and a little look at Stephen's origin and the return of Baron Mordo then vs him then vs Nightmare which was fun then vs Satana and it was kinda funny issue, then enter the orb and Mordo again and finally Dormammu and how it builds to this big fight and how it shows even with Stephen losing power and all he always comes back and will always be the hero and that shows why he is the Sorceror Supreme!
And I love the way this ends and there is this big fight vs Dormammu and the way it ends is awesome and you see Stephen having to free his friend Wong from Mr Misery control and its a fun face off and it builds the friendship between the two and highlights it really well. Then there is a fun look into the life of Dr strange and what he has to deal with, rescuing Zelma and her becoming his apprentice and a Clea backup which was okayish but it does lead to a change in Status quo and reading this after Jedc Mackays run I much prefer Clea and Strange together!
Overall its a fun run and has trippy art but works well for the book, strange dialogues like I said but it shows the life of Strange and also I love how it introduces a new villain who brings about the death of magic and kinda reminded me of Gorr and then also bringing in other classic Strange villains with this status quo of Stephen being less powerful but despite that our hero never loses and its kinda cool and shows you why he is the master of mystic arts!
Then there is the final battle between Imperator and Dr strange and how he uses mr misery and well the other magicians pitching in too and a little look at Stephen's origin and the return of Baron Mordo then vs him then vs Nightmare which was fun then vs Satana and it was kinda funny issue, then enter the orb and Mordo again and finally Dormammu and how it builds to this big fight and how it shows even with Stephen losing power and all he always comes back and will always be the hero and that shows why he is the Sorceror Supreme!
And I love the way this ends and there is this big fight vs Dormammu and the way it ends is awesome and you see Stephen having to free his friend Wong from Mr Misery control and its a fun face off and it builds the friendship between the two and highlights it really well. Then there is a fun look into the life of Dr strange and what he has to deal with, rescuing Zelma and her becoming his apprentice and a Clea backup which was okayish but it does lead to a change in Status quo and reading this after Jedc Mackays run I much prefer Clea and Strange together!
Overall its a fun run and has trippy art but works well for the book, strange dialogues like I said but it shows the life of Strange and also I love how it introduces a new villain who brings about the death of magic and kinda reminded me of Gorr and then also bringing in other classic Strange villains with this status quo of Stephen being less powerful but despite that our hero never loses and its kinda cool and shows you why he is the master of mystic arts!
January 20, 2023
There's not a lot of story here, but Bachalo's excellent art means I didn't really mind.
The plot is a condensed version, which is to say a better version, of Aaron's early Thor run: the hero must do without his regular powers when the villain steals them, until everyone prays to him and powers him up again. Then his old rogues gallery shows up for some lighthearted cameos. Then, he must deal with a dark secret from his past, while color commentary is provided by a sassy young woman with no powers. Then the story actually wraps up on time, which is refreshing for Marvel books.
The plot is a condensed version, which is to say a better version, of Aaron's early Thor run: the hero must do without his regular powers when the villain steals them, until everyone prays to him and powers him up again. Then his old rogues gallery shows up for some lighthearted cameos. Then, he must deal with a dark secret from his past, while color commentary is provided by a sassy young woman with no powers. Then the story actually wraps up on time, which is refreshing for Marvel books.
July 7, 2022
A librarian comes in to get a monster scab treated, deals with the end of magic, misery, nightmares, and a lot of creative magic
The art and pace of the action had me flying through this series- it looks so weird and wonky, it is perfect! The characters are all fitting, I enjoyed the lesser Magic of the world and how Strange used it during his battles. creative run on a creative character, good stuff!
Read
May 4, 2022I’ll be honest, I enjoyed this more reading it month to month as it came out back in 2015. Still dug it though. My introduction to Doctor Strange. In a perfect world Thor: Love and Thunder will be a huge hit, the world will celebrate Jason Aaron’s superhero prowess and Doctor Strange 3 will be this, cause the Empirikul and Mister Misery rule.
July 4, 2022
I remember liking this when I collected the first two trades, but I struggled to finish this. In fact, I didn't finish it as I knew it would be sitting for months on end until I did manage to finish it.
I didn't find the story that great, which is a shame as I love Aaron's Thor run. I agree with someone else's comment on here that one of the villains was very reminiscent of Gorr.
I didn't find the story that great, which is a shame as I love Aaron's Thor run. I agree with someone else's comment on here that one of the villains was very reminiscent of Gorr.
February 13, 2024
Bastante bueno el acercamiento, principalmente por la capitalización de la magia, siendo el arco de "The last days of Magic" el mejor de todo el compilado, sin embargo, por partes se siente apresurado y no aporta demasiado a la mitología de Strange, pues al volumen siguiente toda la capitalización de la magia se anuló radicalmente.
January 18, 2023
Really cool Doctor Strange book that has a heavy emphasis on the weird and the wild aspects of being the Sorcerer Supreme. There is also a heavy emphasis on the cost of being the Sorcerer Supreme. Thematically strong writing from Jason Aaron. Chris Bachalo provides his signature quirky, fun, and weird art that is almost... Beetlejuician(?) in this book. Perfect!
April 6, 2023
Hodnocení celého omnibusu:
Kniha jako jako ostatní Marvel Omnibusy je zpracovaná perfektně co se kvality týče. Samotné zpracování pořadí jednotlivých issues taky v pořádku. Jediné mínus je, že to má prostě málo stran a ta cena tomu neodpovídá.
Kniha jako jako ostatní Marvel Omnibusy je zpracovaná perfektně co se kvality týče. Samotné zpracování pořadí jednotlivých issues taky v pořádku. Jediné mínus je, že to má prostě málo stran a ta cena tomu neodpovídá.
July 12, 2022
I love Jason Aaron, but I don't like magic.
If you're a doctor strange fan you will probably love this. Just not for me.
If you're a doctor strange fan you will probably love this. Just not for me.
November 12, 2022
So good. Read it.
February 6, 2023
Am I…….becoming a comics nerd? That was extremely fun stuff.
February 28, 2023
I read this story a while ago and I loved it then but I didn’t finish everything in the series cause a lot of the stuff at the end was new to me but I still love this series so much!!!
May 23, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this Omni. I do love me some Jason Aaron and the art by Chris Bachalo was 👌🏼
October 16, 2023
I love the art style and the Empirikul as a foil to Dr. Strange. Kinda falls off in the second half, but the Empirikull arc is dope
May 11, 2024
This run started fantastically, but then it just peters out. After the last days of magic...what happened?Wong gets possessed...ugh...So many cool ideas just nothing done with them
August 14, 2024
This is a really strong Dr. Strange run.
I've never been a huge fan of the character, try as I might, but there's not a lot of super interesting stories with the character as the lead that I've read at the very least (some exceptions like "The Oath"). But this definitely exceeded my expectations.
A lot of people found the Empirikul to be the Dr. Strange version of Gorr the God Butcher, and while that's the case, I think I actually preferred it here. That could be because I don't particularly enjoy Thor or Thor comics, but I also think a lot of it is because Jason Aaron's got a few more years of experience, which you could definitely tell here.
Every character feels interesting, the story's exciting while also having incredibly tight pacing. I actually loved pretty much every minute of it. Wong's always been underrated as a character, and seeing him getting good representation has been really nice to see. I also love seeing the greater variety of Marvel sorcerers in here. Being a DC fan, I've only really ever been opened up to the magic superhero community of characters like Zatanna and Dr. Fate, but the magicians of the Marvel Universe are far more diverse in terms of design and general magic they perform.
Changing the status quo for Strange and magic as a whole was a benefit here. I think part of what makes Dr. Strange interesting is that every spell or incantation has an effect on him or ramifications as a whole. He doesn't just get to punch things at super strength or fly or shoot beams out of his hands without it taking a toll on him. Magic being destroyed and weakening those powers is something that works really well for Strange to work with. Its also a positive element of Strange being the only not super obscure magic user (excluding Scarlet Witch and Wong) in the Marvel Universe, so getting rid of magic doesn't BROADLY effect the rest of the Marvel characters. It'd have much deeper ramifications for the DC Universe with so many of them being based in magic abilities.
The art enhances the series a ton. Bachalo's art fits the weird elements in the day and the life of Stephen Strange, and everything is just fluid and dynamic. I love that Strange just wears sneakers essentially, it really adds to his origin of being a surgeon, and it gives the vibe of wearing scrubs and sneakers at a hospital. I don't know if anyone else felt the same about it because it is just such a small detail but I really liked that.
And Aaron gives Bachalo and the various artists for the series plenty to work with. Strange goes across different mystic realms, areas of New York, and even his home is just a character in itself. The Sanctum Sanctorum has this level of charm here, everything about it is whimsical and odd, and adds to the aesthetic.
As far as new characters go, Zelma is actually a really good entry. Introducing her to the magic world gives us a character that at times is easier to relate to since its all so new to her. I don't know if she sticks around for future runs with Waid or Cates at the helm, but I'm hoping that's the case because I really did like her.
Mr. Misery is actually a sick new villain too. I like the eeriness of them, as well as their imposing presence on the page. Every panel they're in you can feel how big they are in comparison to the rest of the characters. It just really immerses you in the fear inducing state that the protagonists are in.
Aaron at this point has created or changed the status quo of so many characters in Marvel Comics. So much so that he can use characters from multiple books he wrote, such as Jane Fosthor and The Orb as the new watcher. For me, knowing that those are both characters that he wrote before, I kinda didn't vibe with it as much. Jane Foster works significantly better teaming up with Strange, but the Orb felt mostly out of place, as unfortunate as that is. It never pulled me away from the story as a whole, BUT it definitely was something I noticed.
I'm glad I gave this a shot genuinely. It was a lot of fun, and it introduced me to a part of the Marvel Universe that I've largely ignored. Consider me a Dr. Strange fan at this point.
I've never been a huge fan of the character, try as I might, but there's not a lot of super interesting stories with the character as the lead that I've read at the very least (some exceptions like "The Oath"). But this definitely exceeded my expectations.
A lot of people found the Empirikul to be the Dr. Strange version of Gorr the God Butcher, and while that's the case, I think I actually preferred it here. That could be because I don't particularly enjoy Thor or Thor comics, but I also think a lot of it is because Jason Aaron's got a few more years of experience, which you could definitely tell here.
Every character feels interesting, the story's exciting while also having incredibly tight pacing. I actually loved pretty much every minute of it. Wong's always been underrated as a character, and seeing him getting good representation has been really nice to see. I also love seeing the greater variety of Marvel sorcerers in here. Being a DC fan, I've only really ever been opened up to the magic superhero community of characters like Zatanna and Dr. Fate, but the magicians of the Marvel Universe are far more diverse in terms of design and general magic they perform.
Changing the status quo for Strange and magic as a whole was a benefit here. I think part of what makes Dr. Strange interesting is that every spell or incantation has an effect on him or ramifications as a whole. He doesn't just get to punch things at super strength or fly or shoot beams out of his hands without it taking a toll on him. Magic being destroyed and weakening those powers is something that works really well for Strange to work with. Its also a positive element of Strange being the only not super obscure magic user (excluding Scarlet Witch and Wong) in the Marvel Universe, so getting rid of magic doesn't BROADLY effect the rest of the Marvel characters. It'd have much deeper ramifications for the DC Universe with so many of them being based in magic abilities.
The art enhances the series a ton. Bachalo's art fits the weird elements in the day and the life of Stephen Strange, and everything is just fluid and dynamic. I love that Strange just wears sneakers essentially, it really adds to his origin of being a surgeon, and it gives the vibe of wearing scrubs and sneakers at a hospital. I don't know if anyone else felt the same about it because it is just such a small detail but I really liked that.
And Aaron gives Bachalo and the various artists for the series plenty to work with. Strange goes across different mystic realms, areas of New York, and even his home is just a character in itself. The Sanctum Sanctorum has this level of charm here, everything about it is whimsical and odd, and adds to the aesthetic.
As far as new characters go, Zelma is actually a really good entry. Introducing her to the magic world gives us a character that at times is easier to relate to since its all so new to her. I don't know if she sticks around for future runs with Waid or Cates at the helm, but I'm hoping that's the case because I really did like her.
Mr. Misery is actually a sick new villain too. I like the eeriness of them, as well as their imposing presence on the page. Every panel they're in you can feel how big they are in comparison to the rest of the characters. It just really immerses you in the fear inducing state that the protagonists are in.
Aaron at this point has created or changed the status quo of so many characters in Marvel Comics. So much so that he can use characters from multiple books he wrote, such as Jane Fosthor and The Orb as the new watcher. For me, knowing that those are both characters that he wrote before, I kinda didn't vibe with it as much. Jane Foster works significantly better teaming up with Strange, but the Orb felt mostly out of place, as unfortunate as that is. It never pulled me away from the story as a whole, BUT it definitely was something I noticed.
I'm glad I gave this a shot genuinely. It was a lot of fun, and it introduced me to a part of the Marvel Universe that I've largely ignored. Consider me a Dr. Strange fan at this point.
July 10, 2023
Both writers create a really solid Doctor Strange run, wacky and fun. Aaron leans heavily into ideas that kicked off his Thor run, instead of a God Butcher, it's a magic butcher.
Cates continues the run solidly as well. Really what stands out is the absolute swarm of mad cap ideas throughout the run along with the tremendous art the accompanies it. Not much I'll remember too far from now, but a blast while it's happening.
Cates continues the run solidly as well. Really what stands out is the absolute swarm of mad cap ideas throughout the run along with the tremendous art the accompanies it. Not much I'll remember too far from now, but a blast while it's happening.
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