The
Masked Bookwyrm's Graphic Novel (& TPB) Reviews
Doctor Strange (Page 1)
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"He was a man like most others -- a worldly man, seduced and jaded by material things. But then he discovered the separate reality, where sorcery and men's souls shaped the forces of our lives..."
(1984, four issues, Marvel Comics)
Doctor Strange (Epic Collection): Alone Against Eternity (2021) 484 pages
Written by Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin, Marv Wolfman, Roger Stern. Pencils by Gene Colan, Jim Starlin, P. Craig Russell, Al Milgrom, Tom Sutton, others. Inks by Tom Palmer, Rudy Nebres, Klaus Janson, Ernie Chan, others.
Colours/letters: various
Reprinting: Doctor Strange (2nd series) #6-28, Annual #1, Tomb of Dracula #44 (1975-1978)
Additional notes: covers; covers from some 1970s reprint comics; original and unused pages.
Rating: * * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Reviewed: Feb 2024
Marvel's "Epic Collections" seem to have evolved as an off-shoot of things like Marvel Masterworks and Essential collections which collected old comics in chronological order. The Epic Collections do that, too -- collect a usually unbroken run of issues, including sometimes ancillary issues from other series that connect (like here where a crossover with Tomb of Dracula is included). Except the Epic Collection books themselves are not always published sequential (though often are!). In other words, each book is presented as being something to read for itself -- as a kind of ad hoc "graphic novel", where storylines reach some sort of conclusion within the pages.
This run of Doctor Strange also portrays the tumultuous nature of a commercial driven medium like comics.
So the first half of the collection features a run of issues by Steve Englehart paired with artist Gene Colan. Englehart had been writing Dr Strange for a while (the previous Epic Collection volume features Englehart's issues just prior to this, paired with artist Frank Brunner -- as I say: often the Epic Collections do end up consecutive, like Marvel Masterworks). And Colan is returning to a character he had drawn before.
Englehart clearly saw this as a series to unleash his wildest and woolliest imagination, the stories strange, abstract, and meant to have philosophical underpinnings. Dr Strange's conflicts often having as much of a psychological factor as a physical. The multi-issue arcs include him travelling to the Dark Dimension to once more battle his old foe, Dormammu and his sister, Umar; literally travelling to hell and battling the devil; and a cosmic conflict with the entity Eternity (from which the collection gets its title) in which he grapples with aspects of his own personality (told you there were psychological underpinnings!) and the universe is literally destroyed -- and then recreated. Dr Strange then having to grapple with the emotional implications of knowing he is the only "true" person and everyone else a recreation, ignorant of what occurred (including his lover Clea, and even us, the reader -- as a caption informs us in that fourth wall breaking way of old comics).
It's deliberately crazy stuff, and Gene Colan is certainly the man to imbue the stories with gothic mood and spooky, occult vibes, while also rooting it in a strange authenticity and realism (few artists, before or since, can draw faces as imbued with humanity as Colan). I've said before that I am a Colan fan, so I'm biased, but he matches Englehart's big abstract ideas mixed with human minutia with appropriately stunning visuals.
Arguably they do what Doctor Strange should be: not just a super hero adventure but a weird foray into the subconscious of the imagination.
That isn't to say it's perfect. The big abstract ideas are a little too big and too abstract. You can feel that Englehart is challenging himself, seeing if he can come up with wilder and wilder ideas (while simultaneously writing decidedly more grounded adventures in other super hero comics at the time) but where the result isn't always coherent -- or as profound as Englehart wants to imply. And Colan's visuals can be breathtaking but likewise a bit loose and abstract.
Still Englehart's run (including the issues before this with Brunner) remain, I suspect, among the defining highlights of Dr. Strange even all these decades later.
But as I alluded earlier -- comics are a commercial medium, prone to shake ups and creative turn overs.
In the middle of Englehart/Colan's time travel story of Dr. Strange and Clea exploring the "occult history of America" (as a kind of off beat bi-centennial story -- the mid-1970s full of comic book bi-centennial stories) you open to the next issue...and they are gone.
Apparently (allegedly?) slumping sales were attributed to the duo's wildly esoteric stories and the good doctor needed to be reigned in. Whether Englehart was fired outright or was asked to curtail his ideas and he refused and quit, I don't know (though I'm sure it's been covered in other editorials or essays elsewhere); certainly this seemed to coincide with his leaving Marvel entirely (again, whether in protest, or he was just moving on to other projects, I don't know).
Marv Wolfman (then serving as editor) writes the next couple of issues, clumsily trying to wrap up Englehart's threads, and make the comic less head-trippy. Even, I think, retroactively suggesting that whole universe destroyed/recreated thing, which I'm sure might have troubled fans of Spider-Man et al (since all other Marvel heroes would be "recreations" too), was some sort of illusion -- at least, I think. It's a bit muddled, frankly.
The problem (the thinking seemed to be) was that Dr. Strange had originally been "Master of the Mystic Arts", and his getting elevated to "Sorcerer Supreme" by Englehart (in previous issues) heralded the more abstract and surreal direction. So Wolfman deliberately writes a story where Strange renounces his "Sorcerer Supreme" status and reverts back to merely "Master of the Mystic Arts."
Yeah, it seems silly -- like too obviously a bit of house cleaning and re-setting the pieces. (If you don't want to write cosmic stories, don't -- no need to make a thing of it).
To be fair to Wolfman, he may well have been acting on pressure from above (he wrote in an editorial note in his first issue that he actually liked Englehart's run -- an editorial not included here). And he may only have intended to keep the seat warm until he could find someone else to take on the gig. After writing a few unsatisfactory issues (and one annual, which I'll get to in a bit), and where he tries to set up a new arc with more clear cut (if sorcerous) villains, he then finds a replacement in Jim Starlin.
Which, um, yeah, seems weird. Englehart is bumped for being too weird yet his replacement is a guy who had collaborated with him on other projects and pretty much defined 1970s "cosmic" comics?
Maybe sales slumped even more when Wolfman tried the change so they shifted back to wild; or maybe they figured Starlin could find the sweet spot between Englehart's weirdness and more straightforward adventure. Though in that way of comics, to which I keep alluding, even Starlin doesn't stick around. After continuing and developing Wolfman's Creators saga/arc for a few issues, Starlin bows out, too, and the final two issues wrapping up the arc are by Roger Stern! (Though I'm not sure he stayed too long, either -- though he would return to the series a few issues later for an extended run).
So the whole epic saga -- involving other dimensional sorcerers trying to replace our dimension's suns (or something) -- is a mishmash of Wolfman, Starlin, and Stern. Where it's not always clear if they knew what it was about themselves (certainly with expositional bits in the later issues retconning earlier scenes in ways that don't fully gel). But at least they're trying to tie it together, including bringing back an unexplained adversary from the end of Englehart's run to make it all seem of a piece.
Certainly the visuals are back on track (after a couple of -- admittedly -- rushed fill-ins by the likes of Alfredo Alcala). Starlin himself draws some issues to very good effect, and Al Milgrom some others. Milgrom an uneven artist but at his best with cosmic type tales and when paired with a good inker/embellisher -- which he is here with the likes of Rudy Nebres. The final Stern issues are drawn by Tom Sutton (settling in as the new regular penciller). Sutton is also an artist I find uneven but excels in stories like this in which he can unleash his visual imagination (and is well served by Ernie Chan's inks). Gone is Gene Colan's lush, dreamlike Gothicness, and a return to the style of Dr. Strange co-creator, Steve Ditko, with Starlin, Milgrom, and Sutton indulging in Salvador Dali-esque hallucinatory otherworldly landscapes of abstract shapes and floating pathways.
The result may not be on the level of Englehart/Colan but it does mean, after a bumpy transition, the second half of this collection is still visually effective and entertainingly weird, prone to big, abstract concepts (including altering the universe and back again). Arguably, what's missing is the sense that Englehart was touching on deeper philosophical themes. The Creators Saga (as it seemed to be called) being a more superficial version of what Englehart was doing.
But it does seem like maybe the new editorial decision was it was okay to leave Dr. Strange weird and surreal.
Indeed, the saga ends with Strange suggesting labels like "Master of the Mystic Arts" and "Sorcerer Supreme" are meaningless anyway and that since his power is rooted in his knowledge, he remains as he was when he was officially Sorcerer Supreme. In other words, after Wolfman's re-set, it feels a like the creators are deliberately re-setting it back to Englehart anyway.
But I'll admit, read decades later, I still have a sneaking curiousity about where Englehart and Colan were headed with their interrupted time-travelling Occult History of America storyline!
Also included in this collection is a crossover story with Tomb of Dracula -- which Colan was also drawing. It's an interesting testament to Colan's style that Dr. Strange and Dracula are very similar designs -- dark haired guys with thin moustaches and cloaks -- yet when Colan draws them side by side you realize he does imbue them with distinctions. Marvel's Dracula was an interesting comic (the most successful character-driven horror comic -- as opposed to an anthology -- of its day) but this clash netween the two characters isn't a particular highlight.
Also included in this collection is the only Dr. Strange Annual from that era. Conceived by artist P. Craig Russell it has striking, dreamlike visuals with Strange travelling to a weird other-dimensional land -- although this is early Russell and his handling of faces and figures is not as strong as it would be in a few years. And though the story feels like it wants to have some deep and profound undercurrents -- it doesn't fully realize them if it did. Apparently Russell intended it as a three-issue story arc which was shortened to 2/3rds of that size by turning it into an Annual. A few years later -- with the rise of graphic novels and prestige format projects -- Russell convinced Marvel to let him take another whack at it in the 64 page one-shot, Dr. Strange: What is it That Disturbs You, Stephen? It's interesting to contrast the two versions but, I'll admit, I'm not sure the later version is significantly better or more profound than this version. And the original remains an effective enough story, if only for its elegant, dreamlike visuals.
Written by Roger Stern with Peter B. Gillis. Pencils by Paul Smith, with Brent Blevins, Mark Badger. Inks by Terry Austin. Reprinting: Doctor Strange #68-74 (1985)
Rating: * * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Reviewed: Aug. 2015
I've said before that there seem to be a limited number of Doc Strange collections -- and maybe because of that, and the reprint editors being choosy, there seem to be a few of them of pretty good quality. I'm sure the fact that Strange is a prominent but not really an A-list character also accounts for the smaller TPB library (and maybe the fact that this was released as a hardcover but not, so far, as a softcover TPB suggests sales weren't stellar).
Anyway...Into the Dark Dimension is, in that vein, a perfectly solid, perfectly enjoyable Doctor Strange collection. It collects a run of issues that begin with a few more-or-less stand alone stories before turning into a multi-issue epic.
Though there is some continuity to be drawn upon, it shouldn't scare away a novice reader (most that's needed is explained as you go -- even if the deeper resonance might be lacking). It begins with Strange looking in on an old friend and sometime super hero, The Black Knight, who has been acting a bit odd recently, apparently succumbing to the darker impulses in his magical sword. There's some mix of supernatural action and deeper character exploration. This then leads to a breezy tale of the two taking a sea voyage which is accosted by a sea serpent. The source of that is Umar, the tyrannical queen of the Dark Dimension who is in the middle of resisting a rebellion led by Clea -- Strange's former disciple and ex-lover -- and who mistakenly assumes Strange is involved (and I'm assuming cutaways to the rebellion had probably been in issues prior to those collected here). Strange is not involved but, of course, now that he's a target, he decides to become involved. The next issue is another interlude issue involving Strange visiting an other dimensional world and getting involved in an allegory about the arms race (which apparently annoyed some of the comics' more conservative readers).
And then comes the main three-part tale of Strange reuniting with Clea in the Dark Dimension and aiding her and her rebellion, with a few twists and turns and machinations. And collections like this can be kind of nice in this variety by mixing a few one-issue plots with a multi-issue story (which, of course, was foreshadowed in the earlier issues).
The book wraps up with what might at first seem like an extraneous addition -- the next issue just offering a few pages as an epilogue to the rebellion story, before segueing into a tie-in to that year's Secret Wars II crossover, and with a new writer (Gillis) settling in. But it actually makes a decent inclusion because the story ends up involving some recapping of Strange's origin for those unfamiliar with it. And though as mentioned it ties into the Secret Wars II -- not necessarily in a way that's that confusing. The story involves Strange encountering a distraught super being (the Beyonder) seeking some sense of what it means to be human -- and enlightenment. You don't really need to know the character was appearing in other concurrent comics.
And it's all mostly a solid collection. I tend not to think of Stern as given to particularly flamboyant characters, which in a way suits Strange, a character often defined by his innate centred-ness, yet who exists in a suitably wild and outrageous environment where his very steadfastness is almost a necessary counterpoint. And Stern is quite comfortable with the mystical happenings, the spells and other-dimensional expeditions. The issues are well-paced and clip along, without feeling rushed. Admittedly, that very approach to characters can also work against any big emotions or drama. After all, the story involves Strange reuniting with his ex-lover Clea (whose departure a few issues before left Strange devastated for a couple of issues) yet there's no big emotion to it -- though it's Gillis in his issue that has Strange rather awkwardly suggest he's simply "flattered" Clea suggests he could remain as her consort (a pretty cad-ish thing to say to an ex-lover).
The stories are helped immeasurably by the artists. Paul Smith pencils most of the issues and in addition to just having a nice, clean style anyway, he also seems perfectly at home conjuring up all the weird spells, Gothic environments, and bizarre, head-trippy, Ditko-esque alien dimensions. If Doctor Strange stories -- moreso than most super hero comics -- are about escaping the humdrum of everyday life and escaping into this fantasy reality, Smith pulls it off beautifully. And a couple of artists pinch hitting issues -- Blevins and Badger -- are no slouches either in capturing the magic and mystery of Strange's idiom. And both men are in top form (given both their styles can veer about wildly in different things I've seen each draw over the years). Inker Terry Austin is on board for much of it, and brings a crisp, solid finish that often enhances the atmosphere.
One could quibble and say, perhaps, that there's nothing that "classic" in this collection. Despite delivering a three-part tale set within the signature Dark Dimension (normally the domain of Strange's arch foe, the Dread Dormammu, who at this point has vanished, hence why his sister Umar is ruler) and featuring a dramatic upheaval in that realm's situation, as well as a temporary reuniting with his lost love Clea, it maybe doesn't rise above being a good romp. Likewise, the single issue stories are just decent page turners.
But they are all, each and every one, solid page turners, with striking visuals and atmosphere, as well as Clea, the Black Knight, regular supporting players like Wong and Sara Wolfe, a look back at Strange's origin, some one-off stories, a three-part epic, enough sense of recurring aspects of Strange's mythos without being too confusing or overly obsessed with continuity.
So, yeah -- a good collection.
Marvel graphic Novel #23; tabloid dimensions
Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Reviewed: Aug 2017
Into Shamballa is one of those frustrating comic book/graphic novels that comes along now and then. It's frustrating precisely because it seems genuinely sincere in its ambitious. Unfortunately sincerity by itself isn't enough.
The presentation itself is worth remnarking on, as it's presented almost like a picture book. By that I mean it's lavishly illustrated, often utilizing big panels (and therefore limited panels) per page, much of the story filtered through Stephen Strange's voiceover narration with little actual dialogue. The art is by Dan Green who had illustrated a run of Dr. Strange's regular comics and here goes to town with painted colours and a moody, dreamlike vibe. The visuals are maybe a tad murky at times, and dreamlike as I said, putting me in mind of something the Hampton brothers might have done (either Scott or Bo) but still effective, particularly in a tale meant to feel deep and philosophical.
It's written by J.M. DeMatteis, a writer who often seems to try to elevate simple super hero adventure stories with deeper themes of philosophy and characterization (when he's not going the opposite extreme of being whimsical and tongue-in-cheek as he did during his popular JLA run). So unleashing DeMatteis on Dr. Strange -- Marvel's resident mystic attuned to the higher working of the universe -- seems like a natural pairing. (I should also point out I really enjoyed DeMartteis' subsequent run over at DC on Dr. Fate -- DC's resident mystic. DeMatteis' Dr. Fate stands as a truly unique, ambitious -- and yes, uneven -- series within mainstream comics).
Unfortunately, as much as I can like and admire some of DeMatteis' stuff, equally these very ambitions can trip him up.
The premise here is that Dr. Strange is bequeathed a mysterious box by his long departed mentor, The Ancient One. After puzzling its mystery for a few pages, Strange eventually discovers its message: that he, Dr. Strange, is charged with helping to usher humanity to its next level of existence -- a transition, though, that will first require the deaths of millions. Apparently in the cosmic scheme of things, the old "no omlettes without smashing eggs" theory applies.
Strange initially balks at this task, but then decides The Ancient One wouldn't ask him to do this if it wasn't the right thing to do. So he sets out to bring about this Apocalypse by visiting key mystic sites where he must pass tests and battle guardians seeking to thwart him. All the while ruminating and thinking deep thoughts.
The thing with a story like this is just technically the reader can forsee a problem: this is a character in the Marvel Universe so it's unlikely the story will end with him actually destroying the world as we know it. Secondly, it's such a dubious idea (killing millions) it forces Strange to act according to the needs of the writer's story rather than seeming true to his nature. I mean, really -- wouldn't most people faced with that dilemma say, "Uh, nyah, dude -- there's something funny about this"?
One thing about DeMatteis is that I've never been too sure of his actual religious/philosophical beliefs (I'm sure I could dig up an interview in which he addresses it, I just mean as a reader of his fiction). So when he gets all hifalutin and mystical I'm not sure if this is just a guy trying to write all hifalutin and mystical -- or whether he really is prosletyzing, expounding on a codified view of the universe he gleaned from studying Hinduism or something. The reason I say this is because that can be a problem with Into Shamballa's denser passages -- a feeling that DeMatteis is trying to articulate something he truly believes, but fails to translate into a universal message for the rest of us.
In the end, maybe the biggest problem with Into Shamalla is just the length -- it's visually atmospheric, and certainly wants to seem deep, but in the end it's wrapped around a simple premise, a simple execution (Strange ruminates on the meaning of life between battles with otherworldly guardians) and never really allows Strange himself to emerge as a fleshed out protagonist (and he is pretty much the only character in the story).
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Doctor Strange: Into the Dark Dimension 2011 (HC TPB) 168 pages
Colours/letters: various
Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa 1986 (SC GN) 62 pages
Written by J.M. DeMatteis. Illustrated by Dan Green.
Letters: Ken Bruzenak.
