Written by Jed MacKay
Art by Lee Garbett
Published by Marvel Comics
Strange days are coming. Strange days are here. Things are about to get even stranger once earth’s favorite Sorcerer Supreme vacates his post. Chapter 1, Strange Day, of the sprawling saga, The Death of Doctor Strange, is one huge bowl of setup stew.
Stew should be served warm and with enough elements to bring out a hardy flavor. This installment is missing both heat and flavor. The story is a bit bland. More seasoning is needed. Salt, pepper, anything to get this tale moving.
As a writer Jed MacKay’s characterization of Stephen Strange hits well known personality grooves of the world’s greatest person of magic.
The Doctor’s charm leaps off the page.
Lee Garbett’s illustrations also provide a clean polish to the mystic events taking place. What’s missing though is more magic. Spoken spells in this story are lacking big time.
Many characters are introduced. And, except for the good doctor, no one has any idea what is going on. This will probably change in the upcoming issues.
While this chapter is a lukewarm entry, skipping the issue altogether would be ill advised, especially if you’re curious about the saga. Also, Kaare Andrews’ cover art is a highlight of the book. Now that cover has flavor. Andrews’ drawing bears all the dreamy and fantastical notes that also should be inside the book. It’s not a false advertisement as much as it just doesn’t live up to the expectations of a Doctor Strange journey.
Still, this is just entry number one, with many more chapters and issues to follow. It will be interesting to see who among Strange’s inner circle will step up to the challenge. Ten more books to get this saga right. Don’t let us down Doc!
