Doctor Strange #9
Anthony Bergamini
Recap
With General Strange’s endgame in sight, Doctor Strange must confront the man he could have been. But everyone has their own agenda… Can the Vishanti be trusted? Is W.A.N.D. capable of changing for the better, or will they return to their black-ops roots? Which Strange will Clea side with? It all comes to a head as the battle for the soul of Stephen Strange begins!
Review
Serving as the penultimate issue to the General Strange Arc, Doctor Strange #9 houses all of the action that has built up since the introduction of this new version of Doctor Strange. In storytelling terms, Doctor Strange #9 is the peak of the rising action, giving readers the knockout, drag out fight that has been promised for the last view issues. With everything at stake, Strange makes a deal with the Vishanti’s version of the devil in order to save his wife, the world, and the future.
Jed MacKay’s epic started way back in the Death of Doctor Strange, and everything feels like it has been leading up to this moment. Unlike the issues before, Doctor Strange #9 pulls no punches when it comes to the unleashing of all out magic. This creates one hell of a climax to this run, justifying all of the buildup that has come so far. This run definitely feels like something that is going to read better when collected, though that does not take away from the pure excitement derived from all of the action here.
Pasqual Ferry and Heather Moore’s pencils and colors here do a great job in showing off the fantastical world that derives from magic within the Marvel universe. Ferry has been a divisive artist here, but truly displays his chops when it comes to the raw emotion felt as the battle between the General and the Doctor wages on. The true hero here is Moore who absolutely lights up every page, not allowing a single panel to be left bare. This is truly Doctor Strange drawn and colored in a way that displays the best of what he is capable of. These creators embraced the slow build and have delivered some truly fantastic results.
Speculation is bound to arrive in regards to how this arc will conclude, as it bookends the story that has been set up since the beginning of this new Doctor Strange series following his resurrection. MacKay has been a great architect for this universe, delivering upon all of the minor details that have come up throughout each issue. Hopefully this leads into more of a focus back onto Strange and Clea’s relationship, possibly concluding with them having a child of their own.
Final Thoughts
Doctor Strange #9 justifies all of the build up thus far, delivering on all of the action and spectacle that should come from a Doctor Strange series.
Doctor Strange #9: Strange vs. Strange - STEEL CAGE MATCH!!!
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 8.5/108.5/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
