Essential Doctor Strange, Vol. 3

This volume of Essential Doctor Strange sees the good doctor back in the starring role of his own title. After renouncing his title as Master of the Mystic Arts with the cancellation of his first series, Stephen Strange went back into medicine. But as with just about any and all comic book universes, you just can't keep a good character down.

After teaming with both the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange donned his mystical cape and formed the Defenders. With the popularity of that super-team title, Strange starred in about a dozen issues of Marvel Premiere. With the horror levels amped up thanks to the recent loosening of the Comics Code, Doctor Strange won over a ton of new fans. 

By the summer of 1974, Doctor Strange was leading his own title again. And that's where this book begins. Strange has resettled into his Sanctum Sanctorium. Along with his faithful servant Wong, Strange has taken an apprentice, his lover Clea. Strange has also taken on the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme after his master, The Ancient One, has left this physical plane to become one with the universe.

The adventures in this volume is one to boggle the mind. First Strange must save himself by entering the Orb of Agamotto. Then Doctor Strange must battle Eternity after the Earth has been deemed ready for destruction. After that battle, Strange takes on the Lord of Vampires, Dracula, after the Count attacks Wong. Things wrap up with a twisty little saga called the 'Creator Chronicles'.

The last volume wasn't really something I enjoyed. The level of evil in the characters was upped, especially as Strange went from dueling super-powered beings from other dimensions to magically imbued satanists. From page one of this book, things were mystical and arcane. But I saw that magic as science that wasn't yet understood. Strange and Clea have to struggle with this type of thinking when they go back in time to Colonial America. But when Strange battles Dracula, I started feeling ill at ease again.

Anything magical Doctor Strange does to take on the Lord of the Vampires didn't bother me. But the workings of Dracula and his followers were not my thing. There's literal devil worship and I don't like stories like that. I had been wanting to one day gather the collected Tomb of Dracula books. But if the comics contained in this collection as any indication of such, I won't be taking part. 

A good collection of stories. Just some of those stories felt so very evil. I'll be selling this book along with my other 2 Essential volumes. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Tomb of Dracula Presents:Throne of Blood One-Shot

An intriguing story of the arrival of the first ever vampire in Japan. Set during the feudal period of the Empire of the Rising Sun, a pair of brothers seek to end the reign of tyranny of a dreaded war lord. Unaware of the threat of a bloodsucker, one brother is bitten in the assault and develops the early symptoms of vampirism. Can the uninfected brother save his clan family before it's too late?

This book was another grab bag find. I really couldn't figure out where Dracula fits into this tale from the cover alone. I'm pretty sure Dracula wasn't Japanese. But my question was answered pretty quick. While yes, this is a story that can be read separate from any Marvel title, I'm clueless as to what series this book segues into. Writer Victor Gischler doesn't go right out and tell the reader to pick up the next issue of some title for the rest of the story. But the implications that this adventure continues somewhere is clearly there.

This book was published in 2011. I'm a little surprised that Marvel didn't publish several more one-shots based on the premise of Tomb of Dracula Presents. I actually would have liked further stories of vampires in other countries. Missed opportunity from the House of Ideas- Oh well...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

X-Men Vs. Dracula #1

 The cover says issue #1. The cover looks new (for 1993.) But open up the book and what do I get, but a bloody reprint (Uncanny X-Men Annual #6) Yes, it features masterful storytelling by the ultimate writer of X-titles, Chris Claremont. No, we don't get the masterful pen and pencil of John Bryne. But it's close with Bill Seinkiewicz providing the art.

   But it's a blasted reprint! I've already read this before...

  It's a good story. However, the plot relies on the reader being very familiar with the 1970s Tomb of Dracula series of which I am not. Plus it's more of a Dracula tale than an X-Men title and I feel like Marvel used this annual as an opportunity to wrap up some loose ends from Tomb.
 
   Sadly, publishers hijack popular titles as a way to finish out unpopular plotlines. It makes it hard for loyal readers of the less popular titles to get closure since it's hidden in another title. On the flipside, it's just as difficult for readers of the popular publication being hijacked, who must endure characters and plots that just aren't up to snuff.

   I also hate it when a publisher reprints a title under a completely different title (like this one) and don't warn the reader on the cover. Now I know I could just look inside and see if it's a reprint or has a crossover cliffhanger. But when you are at a comic book store and the book is taped and boarded, more often than not unless your good buddies with the owner, they frown upon you breaking up bags least you damage the book and lower the value. So, you can see why I didn't know that this wasn't an original title or story.

    Thankfully I didn't pay more than $1 for this or I would have been furious.

  Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

(BTW- there were 3 other titles in this Vs. Dracula series. They include Dr. Strange, the Silver Surfer, and Spider-man. I have not read those titles previously and since I know they are reprints, I do have those books on my wish list.)

Marvel Fanfare #42

This issue features Peter Parker back when he had the symbiote costume. Here, Parker realizes he’s made a grievous error at a local bank that cost a single mother her job and he does everything in his power to get that job back. Aside from a little vindictiveness that’s been evidenced in his earliest qualms with Jonah Jameson, I would expect a symbiote influenced Parker to be edgier.

  The second tale has the Monica Lambeau Capt. Marvel going back in time in a mission that puts her face-to-face with Dracula, Lord of the Vampires. It’s a neat homage to Marvel’s horror books of the 1970s.

  Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.