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Strange (2009) #1-4
Strange: The Doctor Is Out
No longer Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe, Stephen Strange must discover a new path to fulfillment and enlightenment. Unfortunately, that path leads through a bizarre, terrifying gauntlet of magical menaces - and if the former Master of the Mystic Arts is going to survive the journey, he'll need some assistance - in the form of a brand-new student! Collects Strange #1-4.
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2010
3 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Mark Waid
3,193 books1,289 followersMark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 10, 2015
Ok. Well, this just sort of sucked.
This may be a self-contained volume (or whatever it is), but if you don't know what the hell happened previously to the good doctor, then you're fucked.
And I didn't.
Yeah, I'd heard that he wasn't the Sorcerer Supreme anymore, but I've never really found out why. There was this little snippet of a panel with a weepy looking Strange moaning about losing his powers due to arrogance or some such nonsense.
Um, so... WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED ?
No idea.
Ok. Fine. Even without knowing the backstory, I should have been able to enjoy this, right?
Wrong.
Ok, I swear to God I'm not making this up...
Dr. Strange plays baseball with demons for the souls of the players:
Dr. Strange finds a new Jubileeesque sidekick:
Dr Strange and Not-Jubilee fight off possessed Pageant Moms:
Bottom line?
This wasn't a very good comic, and I honestly can't think of any little nugget of redemption that might cause me to give it a higher rating.
Even the art was BLAH!
It wasn't sucky enough to warrant 1 star, but I can't bring myself to rate it higher than a 2.
If you're just super-curious and you can borrow this one, go for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend you waste your time.
However, if you want to read more about this character?
I did enjoy both of these books: Doctor Strange: The Oath & Doctor Strange: Beginnings and Endings.
This may be a self-contained volume (or whatever it is), but if you don't know what the hell happened previously to the good doctor, then you're fucked.
And I didn't.
Yeah, I'd heard that he wasn't the Sorcerer Supreme anymore, but I've never really found out why. There was this little snippet of a panel with a weepy looking Strange moaning about losing his powers due to arrogance or some such nonsense.
Um, so... WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED ?
No idea.
Ok. Fine. Even without knowing the backstory, I should have been able to enjoy this, right?
Wrong.
Ok, I swear to God I'm not making this up...
Dr. Strange plays baseball with demons for the souls of the players:
Dr. Strange finds a new Jubileeesque sidekick:
Dr Strange and Not-Jubilee fight off possessed Pageant Moms:
Bottom line?
This wasn't a very good comic, and I honestly can't think of any little nugget of redemption that might cause me to give it a higher rating.
Even the art was BLAH!
It wasn't sucky enough to warrant 1 star, but I can't bring myself to rate it higher than a 2.
If you're just super-curious and you can borrow this one, go for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend you waste your time.
However, if you want to read more about this character?
I did enjoy both of these books: Doctor Strange: The Oath & Doctor Strange: Beginnings and Endings.
May 13, 2016
Doctor Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme. He can barely do the most basic of spells. Strange has an unexpected run in with a young woman at a baseball game.
He asks to her help and she proves to be a natural with magic.
Perhaps too much of a natural.
The Doctor is Out is really mediocre. I was expecting some insight into why Stephen Strange is no longer Sorcerer Supreme and why he can't wield magic, but that never came. Instead Stephen kind of sort of teaches a young woman about magic. They go around aimlessly until they're called to assist with something more serious. Even then it was bland and made little sense why everything was happening like it was. Not much more to say. If you're looking for a good Doctor Strange story this isn't it.
He asks to her help and she proves to be a natural with magic.
Perhaps too much of a natural.
The Doctor is Out is really mediocre. I was expecting some insight into why Stephen Strange is no longer Sorcerer Supreme and why he can't wield magic, but that never came. Instead Stephen kind of sort of teaches a young woman about magic. They go around aimlessly until they're called to assist with something more serious. Even then it was bland and made little sense why everything was happening like it was. Not much more to say. If you're looking for a good Doctor Strange story this isn't it.
July 14, 2023
A fun miniseries featuring the Doctor and a snarky female protegee (not all that original a concept, but well enough executed here) needing to rely more on their wits than on arcane mastery to deal with a series of demons and devils who want to cash in on some unholy bargains. The issue dealing with kids' beauty pageants was particularly well done and trenchant.
September 3, 2014
Stephen Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. Heavily depowered with his hands no longer able to make the motions needed to cast spells, Doctor Strange’s demonic enemies are slowly awakening to the fact that their tormentor of many years is now vulnerable – and they’re hungering after some sweet revenge!
Have you noticed that Marvel’s method of dealing with characters that are difficult on their own is to immediately pair them up with a sassy girl sidekick? I’ve seen this happen a lot in recent Marvel books like Silver Surfer and Magneto, but Wolverine often gets a girl sidekick to make him talk and in this book, Doctor Strange gets a girl apprentice too (a sorcerer’s apprentice – no dancing broomsticks though!). It’s a bit of a tired trope to keep putting into their books, much like the overuse of time-travel in Marvel’s comics.
The stories in this four-issue mini-series are ok: Strange saves a doomed baseball team’s souls, evades some demonic baddies, and saves yet more souls, this time at an under-10s beauty pageant. They’re none too taxing and feel like stories that wouldn’t be out of place on a Saturday morning Doctor Strange cartoon show on TV.
But you know what? Self-contained, not-too-big stories like this are underrated and are perfectly suited to mini-series featuring minor Marvel characters (though seeing as a movie is on its way, Doctor Strange is about to catapulted to the big time very soon!).
And then, in the final chapter, Mark Waid drops the ball by throwing in the stereotypical “superhero has to save the world/universe” that too many superhero comics are flooded with. They do this to underline the fact that the character is a Big Deal and They’re Cool. It comes off as overwrought, unnecessary, and contrived, and I hated that what was turning out to be a decent read ended up becoming a hysterical mess with some really corny melodrama tossed in at the last moment.
You can do lo-fi superhero stories and they can work really well – look at titles like Fraction/Aja’s Hawkeye – and that would’ve been great with a depowered Doctor Strange, except Waid couldn’t help going down the usual unimaginative superhero route.
Also, though there’s obviously some backstory as to how Strange went from Sorcerer Supreme to lacklustre magician, not knowing it won’t impede your reading of this book.
Emma Rios’ art is very pretty. She’s very anime-influenced so her art style – particularly from 2010 when this book came out – is very reminiscent of that. In recent years her work has become more accomplished and the anime-influence less noticeable, like in Pretty Deadly.
Strange: The Doctor Is Out is an ok Doctor Strange book, though with the talent behind it – Mark Waid and Emma Rios – you’d expect greater things than what you see here. It’s enjoyable enough but very forgettable.
Have you noticed that Marvel’s method of dealing with characters that are difficult on their own is to immediately pair them up with a sassy girl sidekick? I’ve seen this happen a lot in recent Marvel books like Silver Surfer and Magneto, but Wolverine often gets a girl sidekick to make him talk and in this book, Doctor Strange gets a girl apprentice too (a sorcerer’s apprentice – no dancing broomsticks though!). It’s a bit of a tired trope to keep putting into their books, much like the overuse of time-travel in Marvel’s comics.
The stories in this four-issue mini-series are ok: Strange saves a doomed baseball team’s souls, evades some demonic baddies, and saves yet more souls, this time at an under-10s beauty pageant. They’re none too taxing and feel like stories that wouldn’t be out of place on a Saturday morning Doctor Strange cartoon show on TV.
But you know what? Self-contained, not-too-big stories like this are underrated and are perfectly suited to mini-series featuring minor Marvel characters (though seeing as a movie is on its way, Doctor Strange is about to catapulted to the big time very soon!).
And then, in the final chapter, Mark Waid drops the ball by throwing in the stereotypical “superhero has to save the world/universe” that too many superhero comics are flooded with. They do this to underline the fact that the character is a Big Deal and They’re Cool. It comes off as overwrought, unnecessary, and contrived, and I hated that what was turning out to be a decent read ended up becoming a hysterical mess with some really corny melodrama tossed in at the last moment.
You can do lo-fi superhero stories and they can work really well – look at titles like Fraction/Aja’s Hawkeye – and that would’ve been great with a depowered Doctor Strange, except Waid couldn’t help going down the usual unimaginative superhero route.
Also, though there’s obviously some backstory as to how Strange went from Sorcerer Supreme to lacklustre magician, not knowing it won’t impede your reading of this book.
Emma Rios’ art is very pretty. She’s very anime-influenced so her art style – particularly from 2010 when this book came out – is very reminiscent of that. In recent years her work has become more accomplished and the anime-influence less noticeable, like in Pretty Deadly.
Strange: The Doctor Is Out is an ok Doctor Strange book, though with the talent behind it – Mark Waid and Emma Rios – you’d expect greater things than what you see here. It’s enjoyable enough but very forgettable.
January 7, 2016
A delightful novella, and this comes from someone who is not a Doctor Strange fan. Stephen has lost most of his power, and he meets Cassie Kimont. Cassie starts the tale as a spoiled granddaughter of a baseball team owner, but she grows up a lot during this tale (which has a bittersweet ending). Stephen show a sense of humor, and who even knew eh had one. and, for once he addresses the consequences of using using level sorcery.
November 13, 2016
A Dr. Strange miniseries saved from mediocrity by a great ending episode.
Emma Rios art is amazing and well inspired by Steve Ditko's Strange, but the manga-style artworks really are not good for me in Marvel comics, and from a top-author like Waid I was just expecting something more.
December 27, 2024
A weird and busy tale of demonic baseball games, inter dimensional cosmic surgery, and other colourful hijinks. An interesting read.
January 19, 2022
This is a fun take on the character that sort of takes him back to his roots. The earliest Lee/Ditko Dr. Strange stories were fairly grounded and were definitely more in the vein of the occult detective genre rather than the multi-dimensional cosmic hero type that Stephen Strange would eventually be more associated with. I like those later stories an awful lot, but I do appreciate this change of pace.
The series is episodic with connecting threads, making for easy accessible reading. The character Casey Kinmont is a lot of fun. I don't know if she was used after this series, but I certainly hope so.
The covers by Tomm Coker and Daniel Freedman are eye-catching with a Vertigo-esque occult edge, which I admit was a big part of why I got interested in the comics. The interior art by Emma Rios with colors by Christina Strain or Val Staples is lively and vibrant.
This era of Strange, like others that tried something different with the character and concepts, was probably fated to end. But, frankly, that doesn't matter. It's an enjoyable book with a beloved long-running character that stands apart from his other comics. And that's the reason to read it.
The series is episodic with connecting threads, making for easy accessible reading. The character Casey Kinmont is a lot of fun. I don't know if she was used after this series, but I certainly hope so.
The covers by Tomm Coker and Daniel Freedman are eye-catching with a Vertigo-esque occult edge, which I admit was a big part of why I got interested in the comics. The interior art by Emma Rios with colors by Christina Strain or Val Staples is lively and vibrant.
This era of Strange, like others that tried something different with the character and concepts, was probably fated to end. But, frankly, that doesn't matter. It's an enjoyable book with a beloved long-running character that stands apart from his other comics. And that's the reason to read it.
June 5, 2019
Creative plot and powerful art!
October 29, 2014
This was a decent mini series, with a bit of wackiness. I knew a bit about Dr. Strange's loss of power from New Avengers, though that was generally vague. This continues that trend, since I still don't really know what's going on, except that Strange messed with dark powers he couldn't control, and while he still has all of his knowledge, he can't cast any but very simple spells. It starts at a baseball game, which turns out the be a fight with demons, and there he picks up a kid sidekick (well, a teenage girl... or perhaps a young woman, it isn't established). He teaches her a basic spell, and then she follows him around, and he shows her a few things, mostly dealing with other demons. In the end, Strange saves the universe by being a surgeon, and the sidekick gets taken away to another dimension, and Strange resolves to find her... which seems strange, since this series doesn't continue from here. Perhaps another series picks it up, but I wasn't quite impressed enough to seek that out. The visuals were cool and reminiscent of older Doctor Strange comics, which was fun and trippy. I would like to read more Doctor Strange, but maybe not right from here.
June 12, 2025
I hope this is not an indication of what Waid does in his later run on the character. There are some things I liked here, but most of the stories weren't that interesting to me and it feels dated to a time when the same tropes were being tried out everywhere in comics. Rios is good, but her style is not to my taste. Arguably Aaron's run is more of a departure than this from Stephen Strange's long established characterization but for some reason the changes here bothered me more. Strange is not frivolous. He can be sarcastic and crack jokes but virtually always in either a good-natured enjoying-friends kind of way or in an I'm-exhausted-and-bitter-and-it's-all-painfully-ironic kind of way. I felt that Aaron kept the most important Ditko elements in a way that Waid doesn't quite reach.
January 31, 2024
Лімітку "Strange" я вирішив прочитати через те, що її писав Марк Вейд, чий ран на серії про Доктора Стренджа мені в свій час сподобався.
Події лімітки відбуваються в період коли Стрендж втратив посаду верховного чарівника й тепер змушений розбиратися з магічними загрозами уже без магічних здібностей які давала йому ця посада.
Сама ж лімітка зосереджується на дівчині яку звуть Кейсі Кінмонт, яка після зустрічі зі Стівеном у першому номері намагається знайти та дізнатися хто він взагалі такий. В результаті цікавість героїні приводить до того, що вона з головою потрапляє у світ магії та пригод Стренджа.
Мені лімітка сподобалася. Вона коротка, всього чотири номери, і читається досить швидко. Пригоди Кейсі та Стренджа вийшли веселими та цікавими. З того, що також сподобалося це малюнок Емми Ріос і те як вона намалювала різних магічних створінь з якими зіштовхуються наші герої, нехай дитячі обличчя від неї мені здалися трохи специфічними.
Загалом лімітка "Strange" вийшла хорошою серією в період історії коли у персонажа не було якогось постійного онґоїнґу. Раджу прочитати.
Події лімітки відбуваються в період коли Стрендж втратив посаду верховного чарівника й тепер змушений розбиратися з магічними загрозами уже без магічних здібностей які давала йому ця посада.
Сама ж лімітка зосереджується на дівчині яку звуть Кейсі Кінмонт, яка після зустрічі зі Стівеном у першому номері намагається знайти та дізнатися хто він взагалі такий. В результаті цікавість героїні приводить до того, що вона з головою потрапляє у світ магії та пригод Стренджа.
Мені лімітка сподобалася. Вона коротка, всього чотири номери, і читається досить швидко. Пригоди Кейсі та Стренджа вийшли веселими та цікавими. З того, що також сподобалося це малюнок Емми Ріос і те як вона намалювала різних магічних створінь з якими зіштовхуються наші герої, нехай дитячі обличчя від неї мені здалися трохи специфічними.
Загалом лімітка "Strange" вийшла хорошою серією в період історії коли у персонажа не було якогось постійного онґоїнґу. Раджу прочитати.
June 3, 2018
Art is ok, but I was into the story. Wish there was more interaction and bonding between Strange and Casey for that emotional payoff in the end, but it got the message across.
Read
March 23, 2017Yet again a marvelous Marvel comic. Deepening my knowledge of my hero, I read this particular graphic novel because it's one of the sadly few Strange things the library has. I hope the character gains popularity, so more comics would be available. There are like 10 things in the huge library system somehow linked to the master of the mystic arts. Sad.
All ye finns out there for some strange reason reading this, go and make Doctor Strange more popular! I want more! Let's make the library greater!
All ye finns out there for some strange reason reading this, go and make Doctor Strange more popular! I want more! Let's make the library greater!
July 14, 2020
This miniseries has Stephen Strange relearning his place in the world of magic after being stripped of the title of Sorcerer Supreme after some intense event that I don't remember anymore. I do remember skipping this when it first came out because I wasn't interested in a de-powered Dr. Strange without his funky cape. But after giving it a chance I found Mark Waid and Emma Rios crafted an engaging adventure where Strange picks up a new apprentice and tackles some demons. There's some really interesting bits and I really liked when the medical met the mystical.
December 31, 2024
One of the more solid reads in Mark Waids’ doctor Strange series. Casey is of course as clicheé of a teen girl as can be, but I can live with that.
The baseballscene and the beauty pageant were both creative and working finds to house demon magic! One of the only times I actually liked how Mark Waid deals the demons in doctor Strange (as opposed to how they are used in the newest series, in the old dark dimension or in Jason Aaron, Mark Waid has a more boring ‘creatures from another dimension’ shtick going on). Here it worked quiet well!
The baseballscene and the beauty pageant were both creative and working finds to house demon magic! One of the only times I actually liked how Mark Waid deals the demons in doctor Strange (as opposed to how they are used in the newest series, in the old dark dimension or in Jason Aaron, Mark Waid has a more boring ‘creatures from another dimension’ shtick going on). Here it worked quiet well!
June 19, 2018
Nice character bits & enjoyable new faces/people beyond Stephen's usual hangers-on.
I'm tired of this now thrice- or more-used trope of "let's take away Strange's powers & create new magic for him" as I've seen it too much over the 35+ years I've been a fan of the Doc.
That said, I love Waid's building past relationships between characters whether we've seen any of them before other than Dr Strange.
I'm tired of this now thrice- or more-used trope of "let's take away Strange's powers & create new magic for him" as I've seen it too much over the 35+ years I've been a fan of the Doc.
That said, I love Waid's building past relationships between characters whether we've seen any of them before other than Dr Strange.
November 19, 2016
Throws you into the deep end as far as backstory goes, but Waid devises several unique scenarios for Strange and his new apprentice Casey. Art by Emma Rios is pretty distinctive and suitably weird for Ditko's legacy. It does stop somewhat abruptly and it doesn't seem Marvel ever followed up on it.
July 13, 2017
Waid and Rios tell a great Dr. Strange story that introduces us to Casey, an impromptu apprentice. he story is delightful and meaningful with terrific art by Emma Rios. Strange's new role in the MU is interesting and how he deal's with it is intriguing. Overall, a surprisingly fun book.
September 3, 2017
Dr. Strange is a difficult character to write. Sadly Mark's commendable effort wasn't enough. Four issues spell a short tale of Strange schooling a new disciple when he is Sorcerer Supreme no more.
April 22, 2018
Starts silly, gets weirdly political, big adventure, big consequences, ends tragically.
So, a Mark Waid story.
So, a Mark Waid story.
May 26, 2019
It's alright. Sadly entrenched in continuity that I can't possibly be expected to care about. But you get the basics, and it's an okay little story. Far from Strange's best story.
August 23, 2019
It was touch and go for a while, but old Dr. Strange pulled through yet again.
September 13, 2019
serious bullshit
January 7, 2017
The Doc is Out but not gone
As far as Doctor Strange goes, this was pretty good. The new assistant took some getting used to, because she seemed a little self-centered. I wanted to like her but it was difficult for the first issue or two.
As far as Doctor Strange goes, this was pretty good. The new assistant took some getting used to, because she seemed a little self-centered. I wanted to like her but it was difficult for the first issue or two.
April 18, 2016
Meh.
This is my second Doctor Strange story and while Oath (being my first) was fun this one for me at least was just boring.
World: I didn't like the art at all, it was neither frightening or stylized enough for me, all it felt was 2000s, meaning that the coloring was bland, the framing was bland and everything is bland. I did however enjoy the bits and pieces of world building by Waid. The demons and the rules and the other dimensions I liked. As a DC reader this is pretty much standard Hellblazer, Doctor Fate, Zatanna stuff for me, which I like and I ate it up as much as I could.
Story: The story is fairly choppy and rushed. I did not really get a sense of connection with both Stephen and also the apprentice (see I don't even remember her name). While not a terrible story, the jumpy and frantic nature was not fun. There were no quiet moments and too many things and characters appeared to make this story mean anything except for the mess that it is. Sure Larry is cool as was the locales but the story really didn't come together emotionally and that made all the difference. Highly forgettable.
Characters: There was not a lot of time for character development at all this arc. We merely have character reacting as their characters would. Too many other characters showed up for cameos or single issue appearance to make readers care about any of them. Even Stephen was rather bland with no development whatsoever except to act the way you would expect him to.
A fairly boring and standard magic tale that reached to high and ended up with nothing. I've already forgotten the story.
Onward to the next book!
This is my second Doctor Strange story and while Oath (being my first) was fun this one for me at least was just boring.
World: I didn't like the art at all, it was neither frightening or stylized enough for me, all it felt was 2000s, meaning that the coloring was bland, the framing was bland and everything is bland. I did however enjoy the bits and pieces of world building by Waid. The demons and the rules and the other dimensions I liked. As a DC reader this is pretty much standard Hellblazer, Doctor Fate, Zatanna stuff for me, which I like and I ate it up as much as I could.
Story: The story is fairly choppy and rushed. I did not really get a sense of connection with both Stephen and also the apprentice (see I don't even remember her name). While not a terrible story, the jumpy and frantic nature was not fun. There were no quiet moments and too many things and characters appeared to make this story mean anything except for the mess that it is. Sure Larry is cool as was the locales but the story really didn't come together emotionally and that made all the difference. Highly forgettable.
Characters: There was not a lot of time for character development at all this arc. We merely have character reacting as their characters would. Too many other characters showed up for cameos or single issue appearance to make readers care about any of them. Even Stephen was rather bland with no development whatsoever except to act the way you would expect him to.
A fairly boring and standard magic tale that reached to high and ended up with nothing. I've already forgotten the story.
Onward to the next book!
May 24, 2010
I like the idea of this more than the execution. Doctor Strange has recently stepped down as Sorcerer Supreme because he feels he's become unworthy again. Old demons from his days before magic nag at him.
I like the idea, but I'm still not convinced that after all this time he hasn't overcome his character flaws. Though I'm sure when you're dealing with that kind of high pressure job it can drag you down after awhile and old patterns reemerge.
Also he's pictured as having almost lost all of his magical ability when he gave up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. I don't entirely like this either, I guess relatively he would have lost a lot, but I guess time will tell exactly how mundane he's become. Part of this is explained with his old hand injuries returning keeping him from forming the correct magical motions, which fits in with his old personal demons returning.
And demons there are aplenty in this book. A lot of friends and enemies come out of the woodwork now that he's not all powerful. Some of scores to settle others calling in debts. Its interesting, but doesn't feel like Doctor Strange to me, although the demons are the best part of the artwork.
All in all the story would have to get a lot better for me to continue, though I'm sure I'll keep up with the adventures of Stephen Strange.
I like the idea, but I'm still not convinced that after all this time he hasn't overcome his character flaws. Though I'm sure when you're dealing with that kind of high pressure job it can drag you down after awhile and old patterns reemerge.
Also he's pictured as having almost lost all of his magical ability when he gave up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. I don't entirely like this either, I guess relatively he would have lost a lot, but I guess time will tell exactly how mundane he's become. Part of this is explained with his old hand injuries returning keeping him from forming the correct magical motions, which fits in with his old personal demons returning.
And demons there are aplenty in this book. A lot of friends and enemies come out of the woodwork now that he's not all powerful. Some of scores to settle others calling in debts. Its interesting, but doesn't feel like Doctor Strange to me, although the demons are the best part of the artwork.
All in all the story would have to get a lot better for me to continue, though I'm sure I'll keep up with the adventures of Stephen Strange.
March 11, 2012
In "The Doctor is Out!" Mark Waid gives us story of a powerless Stephen Strange, still trying to fight the good fight, and a young woman named Casey who gets pulled in to help and unceremoniously introduced to dangers she had been blissfully unaware of.
Before this I didn't have any exposure to Dr. Strange outside of crossovers such as The Infinity Gauntlet. Waid's name on the credits and a quick look at the art convinced me to give this a try. I was pleasantly surprised that no background is needed at all: the heart of the story is that Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, and everything relevant is worked into the narrative.
There's a lot of emotion and depth here, but the best part is it has a lightness and humor to it in parts I wasn't expecting for Stephen Strange. It suits him well and I'd love to see more stories in this vein. Both Casey and Stephen are given good character moments and some growth, which is a bonus in a four issue arc.
The art is distinct and highly stylized, which works very well for this tale of magic and monsters (and baseballs). The coloring is incredibly vibrant and really stands out.
A fun collection that revels in doing something different with an established character, to great effect.
Before this I didn't have any exposure to Dr. Strange outside of crossovers such as The Infinity Gauntlet. Waid's name on the credits and a quick look at the art convinced me to give this a try. I was pleasantly surprised that no background is needed at all: the heart of the story is that Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, and everything relevant is worked into the narrative.
There's a lot of emotion and depth here, but the best part is it has a lightness and humor to it in parts I wasn't expecting for Stephen Strange. It suits him well and I'd love to see more stories in this vein. Both Casey and Stephen are given good character moments and some growth, which is a bonus in a four issue arc.
The art is distinct and highly stylized, which works very well for this tale of magic and monsters (and baseballs). The coloring is incredibly vibrant and really stands out.
A fun collection that revels in doing something different with an established character, to great effect.
February 8, 2012
Quizás no me gustó mucho de esta saga que para ser de la rama "pedo místico" de los comics Marvel, es una historia bastante terrenal. Sí, el malo es un demonio, los buenos son hechiceros, muchas batallas se dan en el plano astral, etc. Pero la historia en sí, los dispositivos narrativos y las vueltas de tuerca con las que van desarrollándose los hechos, están más cercanos a una serie televisiva policial que a un comic místico propiamente dicho. Esto no necesariamente es algo malo, menos si la historieta resulta entretenida igual, pero en cierto modo me decepcionó que no se fumaran un poco más, tanto en el aspecto argumental como en el visual. Pero sigue siendo un comic que sale muy bien parado y que disfruté sin mayores problemas. Linda edición en castellano y está bueno que pongan una entrevista a los autores como complemento. Seguro que si veo algo más de esta dupla, les dé otra chance.
April 25, 2016
Wacky Doctor Who fanfic.
Stephen Strange veers precariously between the cynicism of Nine (complete with a "EVERYONE LIVES!" moment) and the melodrama of Ten. His newcompanion protege Cassie is appropriately spunky, but also instantly dated as a portrayal of a "youth".
Magic is often accomplished by the waving of thesonic screwdriver right handsignals, but sorcery mostly seems to consist of exchanging long lawyer-y speeches with aliens demons. Naturally, whilst fighting for their lives/ running from said demons.
Demons look nice though. Emma Rios clearly had a ball with them, and does a marvelous job of keeping it all energetic.
I happen to like wacky Doctor Who fic, but the result is I still don't feel I know anything about Doctor Strange. Rating: 2 stars
Stephen Strange veers precariously between the cynicism of Nine (complete with a "EVERYONE LIVES!" moment) and the melodrama of Ten. His new
Magic is often accomplished by the waving of the
Demons look nice though. Emma Rios clearly had a ball with them, and does a marvelous job of keeping it all energetic.
I happen to like wacky Doctor Who fic, but the result is I still don't feel I know anything about Doctor Strange. Rating: 2 stars
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