Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 2

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 Gene Colan 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!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Essential Doctor Strange, Volume 1

For a fan of horror comics, I am considered a bit of an outsider. I have no problem with ghost stories and tales of the macabre- or monsters. But when you get into witchcraft, demons and spells, I tend to shy away. That's one reason that you don't see a lot of Doctor Strange or Hellblazer on this blog. 

So why am I reading Doctor Strange now? The answer is easy with just 2 words:

Benedict Cumberbatch!

I love this actor. I adore him in Sherlock. I thought he was perfect in The Hobbit trilogy as the dragon Smaug. Heck, I could watch him read the phone book. 

The British actor's portrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme has made Doctor Strange one of my top 3 favorite Marvel movies of all-time. And it's piqued my interest in reading up on the earliest exploits of Stephen Strange.

It also greatly helps that the majority of the stories written and illustrated in this book are by some of my all-time favs as well- Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Together, they wove an intricate foundation of magic and wonder into the Marvel universe. and I loved every panel of it!

From legendary villains such as Dormammu and Baron Mordo to lesser known baddies such as random street thugs, if someone was misusing the mystic arts, Doctor Strange was there to restore order. 

As with all good things, both Stan Lee and Ditko would eventually depart the series. But a bunch of legends in their own right took over the mantle as creators with varying degrees of success. Roy Thomas was a Stan the Man clone; whereas Denny O'Neil showed little glimpses of the that eerie supernatural touch that he'd later bring to DC in the pages of Batman. I was a bit disappointed with former EC crew member Marie Severin's artwork. It was too static. But I loved the art deco touch of the 1930s brought about with the pen strokes of Bill Everett (The Sub-Mariner). It's literally unsung brilliance in the annals of great Doctor Strange talent.

Like a lot of comics from this era, I am now hooked. I really want to get my hands on volume 2 as it has issues 3-14 of the very expensive Marvel Premiere run of Strange stories that I need to complete that collection. As a penny-pinching collector, I count reprints as part of a run because for me, it's more important to be able to read and enjoy the entire story as opposed to owning issues. And this volume collects some of the most amazingly entertaining supernatural tales ever told!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Doctor Strange (2016)

I really got behind on watching comic book themed movies over the past year. But as I am focusing primarily on teaching, professional writing, and being a house husband, I am finally catching up on lost time for me.

One such case was eventually getting to see 2016's Doctor Strange on DVD. The film stars Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character. Here, Doctor Stephen Strange is a world re-known surgeon who loses the use of his hands after a car crash. After a number of experimental procedures, Strange becomes destitute and no longer able to practice medicine. 

Informed of a miracle worker in the Far East, Strange meets the Ancient One. But this healer's practices are a little bit unconventional as they are related to the mystical arts. Desperate to try anything, Strange becomes a pupil and eventually a master of magic and incantations. 

Meanwhile, a former student of the Ancient One named Kaecilius is now a follower of the dread Dormammu, master of the Dark Dimension. The sorcerer is plotting to unleash hell on earth. To do this, Kaecilius must take control of the three portals that link Dormammu's realm with ours. The villain already has control of the gateways in London and New York and it's up to Doctor Strange to prevent Hong Kong from falling into Kaecilius' hands. But to do so, Stephen will have to rewrite not only the laws of order and nature but that of physics itself too.

I really enjoyed this film. Doctor Strange hadn't really been one of my favorite characters as I prefer horror comics over those devoted to mysticism. (My mother on the other hand was a huge fan of Doctor Strange and would have loved this movie.)  Anyways, I've seen every Marvel film up to this point and didn't think I should make a habit of skipping any now. Plus, it stars Cumberbatch! How could I say no?!

Benedict Cumberbatch was the perfect choice to play Doctor Strange. He's got that arrogance of Strange's down pat and he infuses such cheeky humor into his roles. Literally, Doctor Strange is a paranormal version of Sherlock Holmes and I really can't wait for a sequel. I only wish Martin Freeman could play Strange's mystic partner Wong. Well- sorta. It's just not Sherlock without Watson.

Marco Polo's Benedict Wong was really good as Doctor Strange's faithful manservant Wong. Only in this film, Wong is more of Strange's superior, a Doctor Watson in a way, as he's an accomplished sorcerer who doubles as the librarian at the Ancient One's compound. He was also great comic relief but in no way was he dumbed down as a 'Guy Friday' as has been the case in a number of Doctor Strange comics. 

Another character that was the source of some controversy was having acclaimed British actress Tilda Swinton (Orlando) play the Ancient One. In the comics, this character is Asian and a male. Some haters weren't so much upset that the Ancient One was now a woman but they sure were furious that she was cast as white person. Oddly enough, I never saw anyone furious that Chiwetel Ejifor's Mordo was now black as opposed to Asian as in the original books. But I thought both Swinton and Ejifor were great in this movie and I had no issues with anyone's casting---- Wellllllllllll.....

Let's talk about Rachel McAdams for a minute. The Notebook actress plays the love interest in the film. Her role is that of Dr. Christine Palmer, a fierce surgeon who gives Strange some tough love during his lowest moments on the road to recovery and healing. I love that the film doesn't have McAdams play a damsel in distress. Doing so would really ruin the flow of the film in my opinion. But I have heard that McAdams was playing Night Nurse. Then I hear it's Rosario Dawson's character on Daredevil and Luke Cage who is Night Nurse. In reality, neither actress is playing the role of Night Nurse, who is actually named Linda Carter. Can't anyone get this straight?

The character of Stephen Strange is due to play a large in the Infinity Gauntlet movies currently in production. But I really hope that Doctor Strange will get another solo film- or two- or three. As long as it's Cumberbatch, I'll be watching. I might even make it to the theatres to see it this time...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.