Doctor Strange #8: The Pieces Are All Coming Together

Full of treachery and brash action, Doctor Strange #8 picks up the pace after a not so stellar previous issue. This issue picks up with Clea seemingly joining General Strange’s forces while Doctor Strange is forced to take a darker path in order to strike on his own. With all of the buildup finally passed, Doctor Strange #8 pushes the narrative in a bold, new direction, finally pulling through on the promises that were set up in this series’ introduction.

Jed MacKay is definitely reaching a climax in the world he’s built since Death of Doctor Strange. This story definitely pays off the ramifications of the doctor’s death, the insecurities and trust issues that have grown between him and Clea, as well as the strong connection which carried Cleat through her own series preceding this. Additionally, MacKay finally unleashes a Strange who is not afraid to make deals with the Devil in order to achieve the results he is looking for. Not only is this a fun departure for the character, but it also sets up a whole plethora of new story ideas.

Pasqual Ferry’s pencils continue to provide an imaginative look into the world of magic and mysticism. Ferry excels in drawing the abstract and sometimes outright creepy depictions of both familiar and unfamiliar ideas from the Doctor Strange mythos. As great as the pencils are here, a large amount of credit is owed to Heather Moore’s colors. Magic has never looked better than when it’s colored by Moore. This issue features a sequence where Strange meets with the Vishanti, which is portrayed in an explosive fashion with the colors from Moore. The powerful use of color here makes for an exciting series of pages, building on the strong art and writing from Ferry and MacKay.

Cory Petit has done a wonderful job throughout this run, giving all of the characters unique voices. Doctor Strange #8 is no exception, with the Vishanti getting a mystical aesthetic to their speech bubbles, as well as the fun onomatopoeia that is sprinkled throughout. At times, MacKay’s heavy dialogue can be detrimental to the lettering, requiring large sections of dialogue to spread across different panels and pages, creating for an uneven read. But, for the most part, the lettering is top notch.