Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality

Doctor Strange Epic Collection: A Separate Reality by Roy Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Doctor Strange takes on Nightmare, the Undying Ones, Baron Mordo, and Lovecraftian beasties in a New England town, all leading to the unearthly menace of Shuma-Gorath. Should he survive, Silver Dagger and others wait in the wings...

A Separate Reality is a collection of several Doctor Strange stories from the 1970s. I initially bought it after reading about the craziness during Steve Englehart's run on the title in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. It's kind of a mixed bag.

The first couple stories saw Doctor Strange, wearing his super-hero costume, complete with mask, take on the Undying Ones, Nightmare, Night-crawler (aka Dark Crawler), and Baron Mordo. The Undying Ones storyline was pretty good and I enjoyed Doctor Strange in the mask.

The story of Starkesboro and Shuma-Gorath seemed like it would never end at times but was eventually pretty good, once they stopped shuffling the creative team and Englehart and Brunner took over. Starkesboro was like HP Lovecraft's Innsmouth with a lick of paint and Serpent-men instead of Deep Ones. It had a pretty shocking ending. It was also interesting that some of Robert E. Howard's mythos material was used.

Once Shuma-Gorath is dealt with, Englehart and Brunner really get down to business. Strange takes on Sise-Neg and witnesses the creation of the universe and battles Silver Dagger. It's not every day that the Eye of Agamotto gets stolen and Strange gets stabbed in the back in the span of five pages. There were also cameos by Green Lantern and Captain Midnight!

Overall, I liked the book quite a bit. Steve Englehart writes a great Doctor Strange. While Steve Ditko will always be synonymous with Doctor Strange to me, Gene Colan and Frank Brunner are both very high in the hierarchy. It's a shame Brunner wasn't fast enough to do a monthly book. The man definitely had chops.

Like I said, I liked it quite a bit but I wish more of Englehart's run on the character was included. Hell, we didn't even get to see the universe get destroyed and recreated by Eternity yet.

Four out of five Wands of Watoomb, adjusted by the passage of time.

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Doctor Strange, Vol 1: The Way of the Weird

Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird by Jason Aaron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sorcerer Supremes are being killed across dimensions and magic itself seems to be dying. Can Doctor Strange get to the bottom of things?

The Way of the Weird collects issues 1-5 of the current run of Doctor Strange.

First off, I love the art. Since they couldn't get Steve Ditko from the late 1960's to illustrate, Chris Bachalo is the next best thing. I loved his run on Shade the Changing Man during the 1990's and he's a perfect fit for Doctor Strange's dimension-spanning adventures.

The story is pretty good as well. Magic is going haywire and someone is killing off the wizards across the multiverse one by one. The menace of the Emperikul has me jonesing for the next book. I love the Bar Without Doors and the addition of Zelma to the supporting cast. I also like what secret things Wong has been doing in the background.

However, I couldn't justifying giving this more than a 3.5. Structurally, the plot seems really similar to Aaron's plot in Thor: God of Thunder, Vol. 1: The God Butcher. Also, I didn't feel like a whole lot actually happened, mostly setup for future volumes. Some kind of payoff would have been nice.

3.5 out of 5. It was good and I'll read the next volume but I'm not looking forward to it as much as the next Vision trade.

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Doctor Strange (1974) #13

Doctor Strange (1974) #13
date: April 1976
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Tom Palmer
rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Baron Mordo's madness has destroyed the world and Doctor Strange floats in the void that was formerly earth.  Doctor Strange enters the dream realm to set things right, battling Nightmare and freeing Eternity. Eternity won't undo what has been done but helps Doctor Strange build a new earth.

Holy shit.  That was huge.  The earth is rebuilt from the beginning of time and the only person aware anything is different is Doctor Strange.  Stories don't get much bigger than that.  Marvel might have missed the boat with this.  If they wanted to de-age everyone, this would have been the perfect reboot point.

Nightmare tampering with Eternity's dreams and Mordo destroying the earth were pretty crazy.  I wonder how the hell any future Doctor Strange stories could top this.  Five out of five stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #12

Doctor Strange (1974) #12
date: February 1976
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Tom Palmer
rating: 4 out of 5

Eternity's game continues as Doctor Strange meets the Ancient One in battle once again.  Meanwhile, Baron Mordo has something in mind involving the Ancient Genghis.  Strange conquers his super hero self and he and Clea take on Baron Mordo.

This Doctor Strange vs. Eternity storyline is hard to contain.  It appears the world is going to end after all.  Englehart sure didn't shy away from big stories, did he?  I have to wonder what he'd do today if given the opportunity.  Four out of five stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #11

Doctor Strange (1974) #11
date: December 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Tom Palmer
rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Humanity's time is running out and in order to save them, Doctor Strange must conquer his four selves: the surgeon, the drunk, the super hero, and the sorcerer supreme! As Doctor Strange fights for his life in Eternity's psychodrama, Baron Mordo is on the loose.

The tripped out odyssey continues as Doctor Strange attends a masquerade where everyone else is a version of himself.  What the hell is Baron Mordo up to?  It's easy to see why people sent the Doctor Strange crew drugs in the mail during the 1970s.  3.5 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #10

Doctor Strange (1974) #10
date: October 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Frank Chiaramonte
rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Doctor Strange looks for the root of Baron Mordo's madness and is confronted by Eternity!  In order to save the world, Doctor Strange must conquer his four selves!

This was one of the most cosmic issues yet, much like a Michael Moorcock story.  I have to wonder if Steve Englehart was influenced by Michael Moorcock to any degree.  Anyway, the issue was mostly setup but has be intrigued by the coming storyline.  Three out of five stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #9

Doctor Strange (1974) #9
date: August 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Frank Chiaramonte
rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

A colossal Dormammu goes on the rampage and Doctor Strange and Clea prepare to confront him! Dormammu and Umar turn on one another.  Umar takes his power for herself and Orini reveals that Umar is Clea's mother, just in time for Doctor Strange and Clea to show up! Clea frees the Earth Mother and she helps them against Umar and Dormammu.

Doctor Strange and Clea triumph once again.  I like how Strange and Clea's relationship is evolving over the course of the series.  I already knew who Clea's parents are due to reading Doctor Strange in a haphazard fashion over the years but it was still a powerful revelation.  I've accepted Gene Colan as Frank Brunner's replacement.  The man could sure draw monsters.  4 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #8

Doctor Strange (1974) #8
date: June 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Tom Palmer
rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Clea saves the weakened Doctor Strange's bacon and appeals to her father for help. He refuses and Clea and Strange perform a pagan ritual in an attempt to restore Stephen's power. Clea winds up with the power and goes toe to toe with her father. Strange's power is restored and the story ends with Dormammu crawling out of a crack in the earth.

Englehart's depiction of drug culture and his portrayal of Clea as a competent woman were years ahead of their time.  I'm warming up to Gene Colan's art.  His depiction of the Mindless Ones and Dormammu's demons were very good.  I'm pretty excited about seeing how all this shakes out.  3.5 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #7

Doctor Strange (1974) #7
date: March 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, John Romita
rating: 3.5 out of 5

Clea escapes the reborn Dormammu and Doctor Strange is in Umar's clutches. Clea whoops ass on Umar's disciples and Doctor Strange overcomes the G'Uranthic Guardian.  Clea's father is revealed to be Orini, Umar's chief henchman.

Things are heating up.  It seems Umar is playing Dormammu for a sap.  Clea is showing herself to be quite capable.  She and Doctor Strange are shaping up to be a great team.  I'm still not sold on Gene Colan on art, even though I thought he was fantastic on Daredevil.  It doesn't have the cosmic feel I think Doctor Strange needs.

Doctor Strange (1974) #6

Doctor Strange (1974) #6
date: April 1975
writer: Steve Englehart
artists: Gene Colan, Klaus Janson
rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange and Clea find themselves the target of Umar the Unrelenting, sister of the dread Dormammu!  Strange goes to the Dark Dimension to find Umar while Clea stays behind at the Sanctum Sanctorum. Clea leaves her physical body behind and finds Dormammu, back from the dead.

This issue kicked off a new saga and a new creative team.  Umar and Dormammu vs. Strange and Clea should be a good one.  I'm not sold on Gene Colan and Klaus Janson just yet.  Frank Brunner left some King Kong sized shoes to fill.  Four out of five stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #5

Doctor Strange (1974) #5
date: February 1975
writer: Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner
artists: Frank Brunner, Dick Giordano
rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

As Doctor Strange crosses the universe to find him, the Silver Dagger reveals his past to Clea, his past as a bishop that was nearly pope. Strange animates a mannikin to attack Silver Dagger before entering Clea's body. The two of them flee to the Sanctum Sanctorum and reunite Doctor Stange's mind and body. Together, the two of them banish Silver Dagger to the interior of the Orb of Agamotto.

For a tale not involving Dormammu, that was pretty epic.  The threat of the Silver Dagger felt very real and this issue was a fitting conclusion to the whole debacle.  Five out of five stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #3 & #4

Doctor Strange (1974) #3
date: October 1974
writer: Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner, Stan Lee
artists: Frank Brunner, Alan Weiss, Steve Ditko
rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

This was a fill in story, a Lee-Ditko reprint sandwiched between Englehart and Brunner bookends.  Talk about a momentum killer.  2 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #4
date: December 1974
writer: Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner
artists: Frank Brunner, Dick Giordano
rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange enters the realm of the dying and battles death at the heart of the Orb of Agamotto.  Doctor Strange overcomes his fear of death, dies, and meets the Ancient One.  Having passed one of his greatest trials as Sorcerer Supreme, Strange is ready to be reborn and finally go after Silver Dagger and rescue Clea.

Wow.  This one was very cosmic in scope and had some awesome Frank Brunner art.  I'd like to see Brunner and Englehart get a shot at Doctor Strange today. 4 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #2

Doctor Strange (1974) #2
date: August 1974
writer: Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner
artists: Frank Brunner, Dick Giordano
rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Silver Dagger has Clea in his clutches while Doctor Strange is lost in the unreality of the Orb of Agamotto's interior.  The Silver Surfer comes to Doctor Strange's aid but it is a Silver Surfer conjured from Strange's mind.

Doctor Strange and the Surfer wind up at a version of the mad tea party featuring Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Namor, The Hulk, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Nick Fury, Pip the Troll, and some guy with a winged clock on his chest.  Doctor Strange defeats the tea party and heads toward the center of the Orb.

Most of the Doctor Strange stories I've read, even the modern ones, are pretty tame compared to this.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

Doctor Strange (1974) #1

Doctor Strange (1974) #1
date: June 1974
writer: Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner
artists: Frank Brunner, Dick Giordano
rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

With the movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch on the horizon, I thought it was high time I experience more Doctor Strange.  What better way than to jump into Steve Englehart's run via Marvel Unlimited.

While Doctor Strange is sleeping, Silver Dagger takes out Clea and Wong, steals the Eye of Agamotto, and stabs Doctor Strange in the back!

By the Vipers of Valtor, this was a great first issue. Silver Dagger has Clea and the Eye and Doctor Strange must get them back but first, he has to keep himself from dying from the wound inflicted by Silver Dagger.  He winds up inside the Orb of Agamotto and battles a giant hookah-smoking caterpillar.

Aside from the Ditko run, this is my favorite issue of Doctor Strange I've read so far, everything a Doctor Strange tale should be.  Five out of five stars.

Doctor Strange: The Oath

Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wong has a brain tumor and Doctor Strange goes looking for a cure. What he finds is a cure to all cancer. Too bad Timely Pharmaceutical doesn't want the cure going public. Can Doctor Strange, Wong, and Night Nurse get the serum back before Wong succumbs?

By the Hoary Fucking Hosts of Hoggoth, this was the best modern Doctor Strange tale I've yet read. The Oath of the title refers to the Hypocratic oath Strange swore back when he was Doctor Stephen Strange, asshole neurosurgeon. Strange wrestles with the dilemma of healing Wong with a cure-all elixir or releasing it to the world. A criminal named Brigand steals the panacea from Doctor Strange and shoot's him with Hitler's suicide gun. Strange, Wong, and Night Nurse go looking for him before Wong's time runs out.

Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin craft a tale that revisits Doctor Strange's origin and explores his duties as both Sorcerer Supreme and as a doctor. Sadly, I found the idea of a pharmaceutical company not wanting a cure for cancer to be distributed all too real.

Doctor Strange is true to form here, unlike in The Defenders when he can't seem to keep his Wand of Watoom in his pants. Marcos Martin's art is pretty sweet, as usual, and his art has a nice Ditko vibe when Strange goes into Brigand's mind. Given that Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Doctor Strange, it's an awesome coincidence that the Doctor refers to Night Nurse as Watson.

That's about all all I have to say. Doctor Strange: The Oath grabbed me like the Crimson Bands of Cittorak and wouldn't let go. Four out of five stars.



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Doctor Strange: Don't Pay The Ferryman

Doctor Strange: Don't Pay The Ferryman (Doctor Strange by Roger Stern
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Doctor Strange battles Mephisto in Hell with Reed and Sue Richards, setting the realm in torment. Strange also has to mend his shredded cloak of levitation and battle the Sorcerer Supreme of a neighboring dimension.

This volume was a disjointed collection of tales. Doctor Strange and the Richards family battle Mephisto for Franklin Richards' soul. Topaz emerges from hell with half a soul. Strange's doubts cost him the Cloak of Leviatation, making him seek out the original weaver. Strange gets impaled and uses Morgana Blessing's body while his lays dying. All of that and a lot more make for a diverse volume.

Overall, I was not wowed by this. A lot of stuff happened but most of it was forgettable, although I won't forget Strange being impaled by Urthona's minion's spear any time soon. The supporting cast is growing and now I'm left waiting for the next volume. The status quo was somewhat upset at teh end of this one and I'm curious what happens next, even if this volume didn't tickle my moons of Munnopor.

The art by Chris Warner was pretty good but I missed Paul Smith and Bret Blevins. For that matter, I also missed Roger Stern since he only wrote the first two issues of this.

After Into the Dark Dimensions, this volume had a lot to live up to and was not up to the challenge. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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Doctor Strange: Into the Dark Dimension

Doctor Strange: Into the Dark Dimension by Roger Stern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rebellion is growing in the Dark Dimension, led by Doctor Strange's former girlfriend and apprentice, Clea. Can Doctor Strange help Clea unseat the unrelenting Umar, sister of the Dread Dormammu?

By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, this was pretty good for an 80's comic. Doctor Strange helps the Black Knight overcome his madness, helps Clea, and encounters the Beyonder.

Roger Stern's writing is ahead of its time, not so bogged down and wordy as many comics from this period. With Paul Smith, Bret Blevins, and Mark Badger doing the art chores, it's got a nice feel to it, although I don't think the craziness of the Dark Dimension was depicted as well as Steve Ditko did it. I did like how the art team handled the Mindless Ones, however, and some of the creepy crawlies were suitably Lovecraftian.

The book end tales of the Black Knight and the Beyonder weren't as good as the meat of the book, Strange going to the Dark Dimension to help Clea. It's a shame that Marvel usually uses Doctor Strange as a plot device rather than a character. There's a lot of potential for whacked-out stories with the Sorceror Supreme. I'm betting they'll push Doctor Strange much harder in the coming months to tie in with the upcoming movie.

By the seven rings of Raggador, I award this book Four out of Five stars, adjusted for the time period it was written and the Sphere of Cittorak.

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Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment

Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment by Roger Stern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every Midsummer's Eve, Doctor Doom tries to rescue his mother's soul from hell and every year he fails. This time, he has Doctor Strange in tow. Will the two of them be successful? Let's find out!

Back in the day, I read a Fantastic Four annual in which Doctor Doom tried to use Franklin Richards against Mephisto to free the soul of his mother. When I found out about the existence of this graphic novel, I became intrigued... then forgot about it until a couple weeks ago.

The story starts out promisingly. Doctor Strange is summoned to the Temple of the Three where he battles other sorcerers for the title of Sorcerer Supreme and winds up forced to give Doctor Doom a boon. Strange instructs Doom in the magic arts for a few weeks and they head down to hell.

I'm happy to say that this graphic novel by Roger Stern and Mike Mignola does a great job standing the test of time. Stern's writing is way ahead of the curve for the time period and Mignola was heading down the artistic trail that would lead him to creating Hellboy years later. Mignola's hellish vistas resemble Steve Ditko's without being an outright copy and his depiction of Mephisto in his true form knocks the ball out of the park.

Triumph and Torment also had enough twists to keep it interesting, far from the two guys punching each other it could have easily devolved into.

Also contained in this volume were two stories containing seeds for this tale. One was from an issue of Astonishing Tales that depicted one of Doom's failed attempts to rescue his mother. The other was a Doctor Strange tale where Doctor Doom considered filling the vacancy left by Clea and becoming Strange's disciple. Neither were essential but gave the plot of the main story a little more depth. As opposed to the two Namor tales in the collection that had little to do with the story other than being drawn by Mignola.

Since I suspect a lot of people will be giving Doctor Strange a shot based on the upcoming Cumberbatch-fest, this would be a good tale to read to see Strange in his element. Four out of five stars.

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Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange, Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange, Vol. 1 by Stan Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange contains the Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales #110-111, 114-141 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Since there's a Doctor Strange movie in the works starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I decided it was time to read the original Doctor Strange stories, since most of my previous Doctor Strange exposure was from the 1990s Doctor Strange series and the various times he guest starred in other titles.

For those of us who don't know, Doctor Strange was an uncaring, egotistical surgeon until a car accident damaged the nerves in his hands, leaving him unable to perform further operations. A distraught Doctor Strange makes his way to the Himalayas and meets the Ancient One, his first step toward redemption and his role of Sorcerer Supreme.

Most of these stories are only 8-10 pages long and, by the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth, are they formulaic. The template goes as follows: A foe of Doctor Strange's, usually Baron Mordo, hatches a scheme. Doctor Strange assumes his ectoplasmic form and uses his amulet to save the day. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The book really shines once Strange is given more pages and Ditko settles into his rhythm. It's very interesting to see Ditko's art evolve as the series progresses. The stories become more and more complex, spanning over a year of issues. The story that beings with the The Defeat of Doctor Strange and evolves into the quest for Eternity must have been something to read as the monthly installments trickled out.

A lot of key elements of the Doctor Strange mythos are introduced, namely Doctor Stephen Strange, Baron Mordo, The Ancient One, Dormammu, and Clea, although she doesn't yet have a name in this volume. This is a 50 year old comic so I'm unable to judge it by today's standards. Stan Lee's writing is pretty hokey, though I love his repeated mentions of Hoggoth, Raggador, Cyttorak, and Dormammu. The Dread Dormammu, in particular, because he eventually becomes Doctor Strange's main foe.

The art pretty sweet, though. Steve Ditko depicts the various realms is blazing, psychedelic form. I can totally see why these stories are so well-regarded art wise. The Mindless Ones and the Dread Dormammu are very cool and the otherworldly landscapes are truly something to behold, a crazy panorama of vivid colors and bizarre shapes.

For its place in comics history, the crazy concepts, and the psychedelic Ditko art, I'm giving this four out of five stars. The Stan Lee writing isn't without its charms in a Silver Age kind of way but has definitely not stood the test of time and I'd grade the collection much harder if I took that under consideration.



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