When I heard Mark Waid was tackling a four-part mini-series on Doctor Strange, I was interested. Interested enough to buy this first issue. Now, I have $4 less and I am very sad.
These are dark times for Doc Strange – he is no longer Sorcerer Supreme and off the Avengers roster. I hoped this series filled in some gaps. I guess Doc Strange is not too worried about recent events because he goes to a baseball game. This issue is Strange enjoying America’s favorite pastime. One of the teams is possessed by demons and he helps out – that’s it!
The story sucks and Emma Rios’s art sucks even more. The demons look ridiculous and the pages have an inappropriate manga flare to them.
I will not be paying for the next three issues. I would not even read them for free.
0 out 5
The search for the new Sorcerer Supreme is over as the Eye of Agamotto is passed from Doc Strange to Doctor Voodoo. Writer Brian Michael Bendis does a good job tying up this story while dropping a few bombshells.
Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo, has some big mystical shoes to fill. I appreciated the opening pages devoted new Sorcerer Supreme, giving us a deeper insight into his character. Most of the issue is a battle in the streets of New Orleans – Avengers and cast vs. Dormammu (that one’s not in spell check). Billy Tan’s dynamic art lights up the pages with this supernatural bout. The Avengers ran around and fought a bit, but it was Doc Strange and Voodoo who had the spotlight.
The gems of this issue were hidden in the aftermath of the fight. The Hood, who must have one heck of a PR rep in the Marvel Universe, is un-hooded. This should have major implications in the Marvel Universe. Loki offering Parker, the powerless Hood, a second chance is creepy and intriguing. Clint Barton and Norman Osborn continue their media smear campaign, adding a nice realism to the story. The last page with Clint resolved to finish off Norman is sharp.
Hopefully, the Avengers can reclaim their book now that the new Sorcerer Supreme is crowned. I’m tired of the magic stuff.
3.5 out of 5
