Doctor Strange #5: Here Comes The Bride

For the last four issues, Alex Ross has depicted one or more characters on the covers for this series. For Doctor Strange #5, Ross takes a more traditional approach, depicting an actual scene from the issue. This goes beyond all the character work he had been doing before, emphasizing the different monsters and goblins in the otherworldly dimension. This highlights the weird section of the Marvel Universe that Doctor Strange interacts with beautifully, giving this issue a sense of gravitas. Having this scene on full display here also highlights Ross’s strong suits, excellent, realistic character depictions, and the great importance of detail. His sense of a grounded reality is flipped because of the color palette and unique monsters. Still, simultaneously, the realistic-looking human characters put this in an uneasy sense of reality.

Doctor Strange #5 icrealiststarts in a way that many comics today start, in the middle of the story. Then, as Marvel comics do, we are presented with the credits and “previously on” page. Following that, we are treated to the previous “that morning” segment, where we learn what happened beforehand that led up to the opening segment. Usually, this reads fine. This is a standard storytelling device nowadays; overuse aside, it usually works fine. Here, it is an immediate distraction to the story. Not only does this opening segment only last one page, but it also only features one line of dialogue: “No…no, it can’t be you….” As previously mentioned, a hook to immediately get readers into the story is commonplace, but this was unnecessary. The issue could have quickly started initially and would have read no different.

Nitpicks aside, the best part of this issue is how Jed MacKay writes these characters. Doctor Strange himself has some insane baller moments in this issue, making this some of the best work that MacKay has done with the character. This is also the issue where the plot seems to come to a head, where the killer of the other sorcerers is seemingly revealed… spoilers to follow.

That’s right, the person who shows up at the end of this issue is a character named General Stephen Strange. This entire time, everyone (including Strange himself) was pointing fingers at Clea when this mysterious killer was a variant of the Doctor himself. Little is known about this character outside of some descriptors he gives himself, but Doctor Strange #6 promises to reveal more of the backstory. One thing lacking in many of the previous runs of Doctor Strange (Strange and Death of Doctor Strange) was enticing new villains. Death of Doctor Strange introduced some new villains mainly used as a plot device, only for the actual bad guys to be revealed as a group of established villains working in tandem. Here, we are finally getting what promises to be a new villain that is more than just an excellent image. If MacKay can stick the landing with this guy, we are in for a treat.

Pasqual Ferry returns as the artist after a brief hiatus in the previous issue. The first three issues of this series seemed a bit uneven, but this one feels pretty seamless in execution. Ferry’s use of thin lines helps make this book look different from anything coming out this week. By far, the strangest (get it?) thing about Ferry’s designs is how he draws Strange’s hairline. Stephen would almost look bald if not for his hair being colored in by Heather Moore, which raises the question, where do Ferry’s pencils stop and Moore’s colors start? This would be an exciting series to see behind the scenes.

Other than that brief nitpick, Ferry, kills it on the art for this issue. Most of the issue occurs in an alternate dimension, where Umar and Tiboro are getting married. Ferry lets loose here, drawing various monsters and other-dimensional beings. This is where the issue becomes a lot of fun, allowing Ferry and Moore to delve deep into what makes Strange’s corner of the Marvel Universe so unique and noteworthy.

Cory Petit’s lettering, as always, is spectacular. Petit allows the art and story to flourish through eloquently placed speech bubbles. Petit also gives Dormammu that signature flare with his unique lettering style. This gives him a booming sense of personality which pairs excellently with the voice that MacKay gives him.