Thanks for the thread! I've been looking forward to starting this. There are so many (literally hundreds) of Doctor Strange comics it's hard to know where to start. It would take forever to read them all. green_wing recommended this and so far so good. I've read the first two issues so far. Think we are doing one or two per week!

Possible spoilers ahead but just basic stuff.

Issue #1 (And Have Not Charity) is basically setting things up, introducing the characters and the intertwining story threads and it's done quickly and clearly. Strange's mansion is badly in need ot repairs having been all but destroyed. Clea, the love he pushed away, is back and it seems he's about to be tested. A violent storm seems to be causing trouble in several areas - a farm, a fishing trawler, a flat in Manhattan etc... and a mystery man in a green coat is caught in the rain. It will be interesting to see how all this is linked.

Issue #2 (The World Well Lost for Love) continues the storm. Stephen is trying to repair his mansion, tending to the mundane, fixing the roof which is leaking, (albeit using his powers to do so) but he's also trying to come to terms with his feelings for Clea. He's still trying to deny himself the chance to love and be loved. To keep himself whole for his arts. The man in green is revealed to be a demon (or at least a demon who has taken a human host body) who tries to take over Strange and they fight. Strange has lost many of his powerful talismans and the demon knows this. The only way Strange can defeat him is to kill the man - the human host - that he's taken over, which goes against everything he stands for. It ends with Strange in tears telling Rintrah (his alien messenger boy!) that he's just killed his first man and is afraid it won't be his last.

I love how quickly the story takes shape. Comic books by their very nature, are a delight of short yet important dialogue. Every word has to count. The artwork in this is fab too. Another nice touch is that if something is referenced from another comic they give the Series and issues numbers in case you want to check it out yourself. Very handy!

Looking forward to Issues #3 and #4.

Edited 2017-02-01 02:49 pm (UTC)

I was thinking of diving into some of the comics mainly to get the backstories. I feel a little left out in the movies when the audience will get an inside reference to something in the comics and I'm like o_O

Same here and with something like Marvel there are so many it's hard to know where to start. (I'm currently collecting a new series - a Star Trek/Green Lantern crossover! It's only a short run of 6 issues so that can be a nice way to enjoy a standalone atory.

Ahhhh...I still haven't seen the movie, and that's unusual for me and Marvel movies! *is ashamed*

It's not bad. Defiintely one of the better ones!

Hopefully I'll be able to see it soon!

It's really good! You'll like it for sure.

Awesome! Can't wait to see it!

You're welcome! I'm looking forward to reading the discussion.

(And how do you like the icon I made especially for this post, lol?)

I'm not much of a comics/graphic novel reader, though I do have own few that I really enjoyed. In print I have the Pacific Rim prequel, the Thor: TDW prelude, and The Flash: Season Zero.

I did pick this up awhile back when amazon offered it for free:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EKM8QGY/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

I approve of the icon very much. I don't have enough space to add any Doc Strange ones! I need to remedy that. Seriously considering a paid account again.

Yeah I have some that I really enjoy but haven't read that many. I've got some Star Trek ones, some other doctor Strange ones and a Star Trek/Green Lantern Crossover series that I'm just collecting now. Got a few larger books too.

Oooh Iron Fist looks interesting!

I thought I'd check out Iron Fist since they're making a tv show of it and all...plus it was free, lol.

Free is always good! I added the series to my 'must watch' list but it's just getting longer and longer!

I know how that feels!

Story of my life!

Issues #3 and #4. Sorry it's taken me a bit to get to this.

In Issue #3 (Goodbye To All That) Strange's mansion on Bleecker Street is still in need of repair, but he has bigger problems to deal with when he and his friends are attacked by a bunch of demonic cat-like demons, let by 'Khat'. They manage to fight the demons off and Strange uses his powers to force them back to the dimension they came from but not before Sara is wounded. On discovering too that Topaz the empath has apparently packed her bags and left, Strange realises he must leave his friends for their own safety. He casts a spell of forgetfulness over them and leaves as a 'Doctor Sanders', the mansion being transformed into The Stephen Strange Memorial Metaphysical Institute. He's heading to Hong Kong.

Issue#4 (Walk on the Wild Side) begins on the Hong Kong waterfront with Strange, diguised in a light coloured suit with a coat and hat (think Humphrey Bogart!), and Rintrah, in the form of a young boy. Strange knows now that his powers are tainted by dark magic and even casting the simplest of spells seems to backfire, causing more evil to befall the world. Walking through the city, they come upon the recent murder of a young woman by her husband. This leads Strange to recognising the evil taking over the world. Back at the waterfront he risks using the Eye of Agamotto and discovers not one but two centres of evil. The only way he can prevent disaster is by becoming a host for the evil himself. In doing so he saves hundreds of people, but further pollutes his spriit, becoming a black magician, and he surrenders the Eye of Agamotto to Rintrah for safekeeping, knowing  that he is no longer fit to wield its power.

I love how, despite the brief form that comic books take, we are privy to Strange's thoughts. We know what's on his mind and what drives his actions. I enjoyed that about the Junior Novel I recenrly finished too. It's something that films don't do so well. Even the best actor can only give you so much of what's on his character's mind unless the dialogue actually tell us. You get a real sense in this how he's constantly in a catch 22 position. In order to do good and fix the immediate problem, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness. Every action has a reaction. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I read issue #1 and while there was more than the usual amount of word bubbles to read (Strange comics tend to be quite wordy compared to most) it was really good! Looking forward to getting more of this one read :)

Can't say I'm a massive fan of the art style, but I'll get used to it *LOL* it's still nowhere as bad as Rob Leifeld ;)

Yay glad you got it started. Looking forward to seeing what you think of the rest.