Long Live the King

That's Doc Strange's mantle but I've no idea who sits atop the throne -- Sub-Mariner?

© The Weirding, 2019

Dr. Strange #15

Doctor Strange #15

© The Weirding, 2019

Defenders - Doctor Strange

Defenders - Doctor Strange

© The Weirding, 2018

Damnation #3 - Magik (New Mutants) Yu Variant

Damnation #3 - Magik (New Mutants) Yu Variant

© The Weirding, 2018

Dr. Strange Hip-Hop Variant

Dr. Strange Hip-Hop Variant

© The Weirding, 2015

Secret Wars #3 - Gwen Stacy Variant

Bradshaw Variant

© The Weirding, 2015

Doctor Strange Season One

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Dr. Strange from the Vault

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Dr. Strange Movie News

Marvel Studios has hired 2011 Conan scribes, Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, to pen a treatment of Dr. Strange for the big screen. The pair also wrote an early draft of Cowboys & Aliens, and Oppenheimer received thanks in the Mallrats credits.

A Dr. Strange movie has been in the pipeline for years now, with everyone from Wes Craven to Guillermo del Toro attached to various incarnations of the project, but it has stalled every time. Following the news of Marvel's hiring, Grey's Anatomy star, Patrick Dempsey, has reportedly expressed interest in the role -- we already know Dempsey does a pretty good job of portraying a doctor, and this artwork by Arne Starr shows just how much he looks the part, but no casting has been announced or confirmed yet. With a tentative 2012 release date, it appears that Dr. Strange may be the first Marvel movie released under the Disney banner.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Dr. Strange Joins the Super Hero Squad This Saturday!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

New Avengers #51 - Feat. Dr. Strange - Sneak!

Doctor Strange lost his title as the Sorcerer Supreme and someone must take his place – but who? Award-winning scribe Brian Bendis, along with artists Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo, present the can’t miss search for the new Sorcerer Supreme in New Avengers #51! As the mystic battle royale begins, the Avengers must help Doctor Strange regain his title while struggling to take down Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers - but after the events of the sold-out New Avengers #50, they’ve put themselves right in their crosshairs!

NEW AVENGERS #51 (JAN092464)
NEW AVENGERS #51 BACHALO VARIANT (DEC088101)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by BILLY TAN & CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by BILLY TAN
Variant Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Rated A …$3.99
FOC—3/5/09, On-Sale—3/25/09

















© C Harris Lynn, 2009

WW Hulk vs. Doc Strange - Last Time!

This is an official Marvel press release a little late, but the issue is still on stands if you hurry. I went ahead and brought it to you so I could show you this killer promo-splash by JR, Jr. included in the release. I don't know if it appears in the comic or not, but it is niiiice. From Marvel Comics:

The critically acclaimed World War Hulk #4 (of 5) smashes into stores today, as the newly empowered Doctor Strange battles the enraged Hulk one last time! From the red hot creative team of writer Greg Pak and legendary artist John Romita Jr, the penultimate chapter of the summer's biggest comic book event will cause heroes on both sides to go too far—and set the stage for one final clash of titans!

"Greg Pak is writing a tale with an energy that makes every scene feel like that moment where the rollercoaster drops out from under you and your stomach suddenly leaps into your neck," gushed Matthew Peterson of MajorSpoilers.Com.

The all-new, all-different Doctor Strange versus the Incredible Hulk—one will stand and one will fall! And there's only one place to witness this clash of the ages-- World War Hulk #4, On Sale Now! Plus, you can't miss the incredible art of John Romita Jr in the oversized World War Hulk By John Romita Jr poster, collecting all five of Romita's stunning variant covers to the World War Hulk limited series!

WORLD WAR HULK #4 (of 5) (JUL072160)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Rated T+ …$3.99
On-Sale—NOW!

WORLD WAR HULK BY JOHN ROMITA JR. (JUL072247)
55x16 Color Poster...$15.99
On-Sale—NOW!

World War Hulk vs. Dr. Strange!

I told you all about the new Doctor Strange mini-series a while back - that was a damn good read! Now comes this little missive from our friends over at the mighty Marvel bullpen:

The most “incredible” blockbuster of the summer is back in World War Hulk #4 (of 5)! From acclaimed writer Greg Pak and living legend John Romita JR comes the fourth chapter of the Marvel Comics event that has captivated critics and fans alike. The Hulk has converted Madison Square Garden into his own battle arena and captured those heroes who opposed him. The seemingly defeated Doctor Strange has returned, bonded with a demon to increase his own power…but at what cost to the Sorcerer Supreme? And when the dust settles, who will go too far to ensure their victory? The answer will shock you!

ComicBookResources.Com’s Hannibal Tabu declared World War Hulk #3 a book “too good not to own” and said that the issue was, “Just mean and quotable and fun.”

“Marvel’s very own special effects master does not disappoint,” said Comixfan.Com’s Jason Grasso of Romita JR’s art. “I just ask that you save my seat while I refill my popcorn.”

BrokenFrontier.Com’s Adrian Zettlemoyer exclaimed, “Romita flexes his muscles in this issue and reminds all the readers just why he is one of the top artists in the history of the medium… everything he does just feels right.”

As the penultimate chapter of World War Hulk smashes into stores, don’t miss the stunning World War Hulk By John Romita Jr poster, featuring the stunning art of John Romita JR! And if you missed out on the first sold out issue, be sure to pick up World War Hulk #1 John Romita Jr 2nd Printing Variant, in stores September!

WORLD WAR HULK #4 (of 5) (JUL072160)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—8/130/07, On-Sale—9/19/07

WORLD WAR HULK #1 JOHN ROMITA JR. 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (JUN078044)
Written by Greg Pak
Pencils and Cover by John Romita Jr.
64 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99
On-Sale—9/12/07

WORLD WAR HULK BY JOHN ROMITA JR. (JUL072247)
55x16 Color Poster...$15.99
On-Sale—9/05/07

Comics Day, March 2007 - Dr. Strange, The Oath

Gots my comics today. I won't list them all because I plan to review them as I read them, but I'm taking it easy because I only got a few of them. I got as many as I subscribe to, mind you, just that - with cover prices averaging between $2.99-3.99 - I can't afford too many, so I'm not going to burn through them all in one day. Sad, isn't it? And I get a pretty good discount for advance ordering...

Nevertheless, let's discuss Dr. Strange: The Oath, which wrapped up its 5-issue limited run in a pretty darned heroic fashion. I don't want to give anything away, but it's definitely a new chapter in the Sorcerer Supreme's ongoing life and I really enjoyed this series. Granted, I only got the last two issues, but they were well worth it and I highly recommend this one!

While it did hold true to the overall story and related legends, it didn't go overboard with all the sorcerous bits and pieces the way a lot of the earlier incarnations have. In case you didn't know, Strange often calls out his spells and items' names and they're always things like "The Eye of Amagotto" and "The Sinking Sands of Nishlghjtouwk" and shit like that. It's a comic book concept and is no different from other characters' catch-phrases ("Talk is cheap bub, prove it!," "By the Goddess!," "Hulk SMASH!," "It's clobberin' time!"), it's just kind of cheeseball and corny. Luckily, they kept it to a minimum and the few times they did do it, it was actually important to the story. It's one of the things about Dr. Strange which have made him so hard to get into over the years.

Again, while this issue was largely serious and action-packed, the writing is really crisp and segues nicely from the dramatic to the light-hearted. It's rated T+ (meaning for teens and above), but this is largely for the "Dark Arts" angle; Strange said "hell" in this issue, but there is no nudity, no real cursing, no real Satanic elements - it's certainly no worse than your average episode of Charmed, for instance, and quite a bit tamer than Hex.

Again, highly recommended.

Dr. Strange & Daredevil

The other two issues I received this month were Dr. Strange #4 and Daredevil #93. DD is one of my all-time favorite characters simply because of what he stands for: justice, and justice - like Matthew Murdock, himself - is blind. Just a great superhero concept and one that never really reached its heights until Frank Miller plumbed its depths. Strange was exactly that to me: strange. He had a Lovecraftian quality to him which I always appreciated, but it was thoroughly steeped in the modern-day Mysticism bullshit of the 1970s, which I always found incredibly cheesy. I have tried to get into Dr. Strange many times over the years and had little success, but there have been some exceptional exceptions. In fact, for those who didn't know, Dr. Stephen Strange was the one who banished all vampires from the face of the Earth and is where Blade first appeared.

The good thing to note is that this issue of Dr. Strange, the 4th in a mini-series of 5, is really good! I mean really good: it deftly moves from the serious to the light-hearted, has a rich and dedicated storyline, stays true to the characters and even manages to make Stephen Strange more accessible than previous incarnations. The art is good, but obviously early work from the talent; in particular, I noticed the awkward paneling. It seems like the artist really wanted to cut loose with the panels, but was afraid to deviate from the script, so he just "kind of" played around, here and there. The art suffered for it and both the artist and writer should be aware of this for future reference. The real strength here is the story and writing itself and I not only look forward to the conclusion, but also to collecting the back issues I missed.

[SPOILERS FOR DAREDEVIL]

As for DD... what can I say? I'm a Johnny-come-lately to this particular incarnation of the title. I've been meaning to pick it up for literally years now, but the price was the major consideration. Let's face it: comics cost too damn much and we aren't getting a whole lot more bang for our buck these days, so it took me a long time to finally decide to bite the bullet. Once I did, of course, DD was the first title I bet on. And I'm not sure what to think yet.

This issue - the first I've received - is obviously the conclusion of a major story arc and it seems to me that it tied up a lot of loose ends a little too cleanly. Again, this is just a first impression and I have to admit, I wasn't at all disappointed by the developments, even though they didn't all make a lot of sense to me. The artwork is good and the writing is solid; in particular, I was impressed by the handling of Foggy Nelson's character and the crowd scenes. Not to beat a dead horse (pun intended), but crowd scenes are hard and only Vince Locke's have ever really stood out for me; even my own crowd scenes are shortcuts, but that has a lot to do with my highschool art teacher, who was an Impressionist at heart. I was also intrigued by the handling of Kingpin's character, but hated the "slimmer" look; Kingpin is a fat, fat man - he's a fat cat - that's the whole point, guys! To put it politely, eff political correctness; make Kingpin ugly and obese!

Yet another title I look forward to reading each month and the most important thing to note here is that now is the time to get going on Daredevil! This issue tied-up the storylines that have been going on up to now, so everything from this point forward is a new chapter in the Man Without Fear's life.