The Death Of Doctor Strange (2022) Spoiler FREE Review: Who Killed the Sorcerer Supreme?!
- Eve Andrews
- May 17, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: May 19, 2022
Doctor Strange is a hot topic right now, with the recent release of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness sending waves through the Marvel community. However, it's not just the MCU that’s been setting up some big things lately regarding the Doc. In September 2021, Marvel Comics began the brand new comic saga titled The Death Of Doctor Strange. Yes, you that you read that correctly - Marvel is killing off our beloved Sorcerer Supreme! Exploring what would happen to the world if Doctor Strange died, this brand new comic has naturally raised a brow or two.
This review is for the full The Death Of Doctor Strange Collection, collecting issues #1-5, broken down into 13 mini-chapters, titled The Strange Day, The Lonely Death of Doctor Stephen Strange, The Dance of the Warlords, The Three Mothers, The Peregrine Child, A Knife of Memory, Invasive Surgery, Mordo, Down and Out on Bleecker Street, The Drawing Room, Physician Heal Thyself, The Battle of Antarctica, and, the title chapter, The Death of Doctor Strange.
So is this series all it's cracked up to be? Well, for the sake of brevity, we can start by saying that it’s pretty strong stuff!
When the one-man barrier between good and evil, the Sorcerer Supreme, is murdered, The Death Of Doctor Strange explores the massive ripple effect his passing has on the world, from the grief of his loved ones to the rage of his enemies at being deprived the killing blow and looming threat of dark forces that arise in his absence. What precautions has Doctor Strange put in place for such an eventuality, if any? A fascinating concept with some seriously high stakes, Writer, Jed McKay and his creative team, along with Artist, Lee Garbett, really knocked this one out of the park!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, the first thing I want to note about this comic is the artwork! When Lee Garbett was announced as the illustrator, expectations immediately ran high for the comic book’s overall aesthetic. Known for his well-formed, pleasingly vibrant style, you always know when you’re looking at a Garbett illustration. And sure enough, his work in The Death Of Doctor Strange does not disappoint. The characters are brilliantly formed with beautifully expressive faces that convey even the most nuanced of emotions, really expanding on the impact of Jed McKay’s script. With much of the scenery having been drawn with a slightly muted colour palette, the colourful, cape-clad characters themselves really pop. The artwork is smooth as butter and really leaps off the page! There’s not a single rough-looking panel in this book.
In terms of the story itself, The Death Of Doctor Strange is a profoundly thrilling read. There’s an ever-growing feeling of the story building up to something big with each passing chapter. Furthermore, being able to read the story as a back-to-back saga is a very fulfilling experience. With everything that happens, reading them in five split issues must have been agonising!
Of course, all this careful thought put into the storyline would easily have gone to pot with a clunky script. Fortunately, Writer, Jed McKay, has ensured that this series has nothing to worry about in that regard. The flowing dialogue paired with Strange’s introspective narration lends itself to a touchingly intimate atmosphere. The reader can’t help but care deeply for its characters - an essential thing for a comic that focuses so heavily on loss. Amid the superhero antics, McKay beautifully captures the undertone of grief through Strange’s personal, evocative introspection and the natural day-to-day dialogue of both himself and the host of characters surrounding him. As much as I’d love to ramble on about the cast of extraordinary characters, we’ve got to avoid the spoilers, so all I’ll say is that there are a lot of great surprise appearances in here, from classic characters to the criminally underused!
While this comic is aimed toward more long term Doctor Strange fans, it's clear that Marvel Comics is also trying to bring in some new blood with this one. The title in itself, The Death Of Doctor Strange, is a massive draw for both die-hard and casual fans, and it's clear that Marvel is eager to capitalise on this. This reflects in the writing at times. While mostly gorgeous, it does have moments of feeling exposition-heavy. While this can raise a brow for the more seasoned Doctor Strange readers, the exposition isn’t so on-the-nose that it's stifling and can be easily overlooked, given the overall quality of the comic. And it does make it more accessible as an interesting jumping-off point for the less familiar Marvel reader, so I think it's a fair compromise.
Overall, this comic has a great knack for suspenseful and evocative storytelling. In this gripping ‘whodunnit’ style mystery, paired with all the otherworldly paraphernalia of a superhero sorcerer, Jed McKay explores a fascinating concept that craftily pulls together various facets of the Marvel Comics Universe. The Death Of Doctor Strange is looking to be a real gem not just in the Strange files but in the Marvel Comics catalogue overall.
Have you read The Death Of Doctor Strange? How do you feel about Marvel’s murder of the Sorcerer Supreme? Let us know in the comment section below!
Editor's Picks:
Comments