Stephen Strange: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2021

[Albert1981]

I'm not leaning into that at all. Characters are not interchangeable at all. And Marvel merging two female characters is really tone deaf. Female characters are far outweighed by male characters in numbers of characters at all. And these two characters are nothing a like. It comes off as lazy as well. So I hope they don't do that. But since it's a terrible idea, it'll probably happen.

I don't personally prefer this approach myself, but I think they would totally be wasting McAdams if she's discarded after Strange 2. I believe Disney is being far too cute by possibly bringing variants of Fox AND MCU characters into this film anyways. Most audiences will think of Delta and Omicron when they hear the word "variants". It's a very lazy storytelling technique to merge the two ladies and really comic-booky, which I don't enjoy. But maybe they won't introduce Clea as a "variant". Maybe she's a "refugee" from the Dark Dimension who doesn't know her mystical heritage. And she's unknowingly been brought up as Christine Palmer. That would be a MASSIVE retcon, and sound REALLY comic-booky (again, which I HATE), but I wouldn't put it past Marvel Studios doing that. As I've said MANY times before, the MCU is becoming closer and closer to its comic book counterpart with each passing year. Instead of streamlining comic stories, they're actually making things more complicated. However, with the HUGE success of NWH, I'm still very impressed with the job Feige's doing.

[Clea]

I wouldn't buy the issue for just that.

Instead, I suggest going here

(Spoilers in link, obviously.)

LOL! Too late, I bought the issue on Comixology and read it. I liked it quite a bit. Interesting tip about the possible current/soon to be status of Dormammu there.

[DigiCom]

I thought Strange was on the front-burner? With him "dying" and all...This is the comic book nonsense I really loath. Why would he be staying in the background with his movie coming out next year? I personally think Disney should delay the MoM to July or September if the pandemic persists.

I have long since stopped trying to make sense out of Marvel editorial.

LOL! Too late, I bought the issue on Comixology and read it. I liked it quite a bit. Interesting tip about the possible current/soon to be status of Dormammu there.

Sorry about that.

[Albert1981]

I have long since stopped trying to make sense out of Marvel editorial.



Sorry about that.

I hope the MCU never becomes like Marvel Comics. "Comic book accuracy" is grossly overrated.

[Clea]

I thought Strange was on the front-burner? With him "dying" and all...This is the comic book nonsense I really loath. Why would he be staying in the background with his movie coming out next year? I personally think Disney should delay the MoM to July or September if the pandemic persists.

I have long since stopped trying to make sense out of Marvel editorial.



Sorry about that.

No worries! I truly enjoyed reading the whole issue. Even if only some of what was in this issue actually comes to pass, it's still a good indication of how things may trend in the comics going forward.

As for Strange himself being put on the back-burner in the comics for now...it doesn't surprise me. It won't be the first time he's dropped out of sight in the comics, and over in the MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch is no longer under a multi-movie contract so there's no telling if/when he'll show up over there again. Sidelining him in the comics for a bit allows Marvel to tinker with other major characters and teams (hinted at in Timeless) without having to factor him into any of those stories. Marvel fandom as a whole will all be cooing over the MCU version of Strange for months after the movie release anyway and then turning their attention to the rest of the multiverse programs left in this phase of the MCU. I assume they'll eventually get around to restoring Strange to the comics (since we already know that Clea will be searching for his lost soul), but when that will happen is anybody's guess.

[sunofdarkchild]

Why does Marvel have so much blatant false advertising? They solicited and advertised issue 4 as the issue where the new sorcerer supreme would be revealed, and in the end the idea that someone needed to step up as sorcerer supreme wasn't even mentioned in the entire issue. I guess that's why they jumped the gun with the reveal 2 weeks ago, to forestall the criticism that they once again lied about what would be in their comic.

[Clea]

Why does Marvel have so much blatant false advertising? They solicited and advertised issue 4 as the issue where the new sorcerer supreme would be revealed, and in the end the idea that someone needed to step up as sorcerer supreme wasn't even mentioned in the entire issue. I guess that's why they jumped the gun with the reveal 2 weeks ago, to forestall the criticism that they once again lied about what would be in their comic.

Marvel never promises truth in advertising. They love to tease and mislead their fans so they can jump out later and yell, "Surprise!!! Are you not entertained?!?!?! LOL LOL LOL!!" They think of it as part of their charm, I'm sure.

I suppose in this instance, they could claim that they were technically correct that 'a' new Sorcerer Supreme would be revealed, as Clea cleared stated that she is the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension, thus clarifying her often vague status there. She is the on again/off again ruler of the Dark Dimension, but is always the Sorcerer Supreme there.

[Jabare]

surprised marvel didn't go for Comics synergy

[DigiCom]

I hope the MCU never becomes like Marvel Comics. "Comic book accuracy" is grossly overrated.

surprised marvel didn't go for Comics synergy

Synergy almost always goes the other direction....

[GenericUsername]

I hope the MCU never becomes like Marvel Comics. "Comic book accuracy" is grossly overrated.

Well after multiverse stuff, it only needs time travel to be like comics. It already has so many installments that are crossovers of each other. Retcons in stories. And recastings create their own significant change. It's inspired by comics so it naturally after a lot of years will become what comes are.

[Shadowcat]

I love the way that MacKay writes Bats. I am hoping that Bats continues to stick around in the follow up to this mini-series.

I have high hopes for this as well. I also need the sassy snakes. Their banter from MacKay’s first issue of his Black Cat was sooooooo good. I’m saddened by the loss of if BC, but so glad we’re getting him on the Clea Strange book.

[GenericUsername]

From the perspective of making the best use of a highly talented and well paid performer, it makes sense. From a character perspective, it's actually horrible, IMO. It assumes that the female characters are nothing more than interchangeable love interests for the male character. It also serves to make the male character in question come off looking seriously weird, honestly, like he has one type (clearly based solely on looks) and will just happily interchange characters with different histories and personalities so long as they share the same face. So gross on so many, many levels.

I'm sure that you're correct that since it's a terrible idea, they're going to do it. LOL.

It'll be like how Madelyne Pryor was with Cyclops. Too weird.

[Albert1981]

Synergy almost always goes the other direction....

That's too bad. Strange is doing great in the movies right now. Makes me sad that he's "dead" in the comic books.

[DigiCom]

That's too bad. Strange is doing great in the movies right now. Makes me sad that he's "dead" in the comic books.

It's a very odd choice, especially since the movie will be out while the Clea mini is still running.

Then again, right now DC & Marvel are the only major multimedia franchises where their main characters are different versions across media. Anime/Manga, Star Wars, Star Trek... they all stick to one primary universe.

Big Two comics? Tell their own stories while trying to leech off of the success of the movies.

[Albert1981]

Well after multiverse stuff, it only needs time travel to be like comics. It already has so many installments that are crossovers of each other. Retcons in stories. And recastings create their own significant change. It's inspired by comics so it naturally after a lot of years will become what comes are.

But we've had time travel...In Endgame. Although the Russos and Markus and McFeely couldn't agree on what TYPE of time travel they used in that movie. Personally, I think Marvel Studios' "time travel" is kinda boring. When I was younger, I remember watching Star Trek: Voyager do an episode called "Timeless" and was totally enthralled by it. Such an engaging hour of television (even after the writers acknowledged that making sense of temporal paradoxes is a fruitless endeavor). MCU "time travel/multiverse" stories absolutely make more logical sense than many others of its kind, but I just find them lacking any real emotional energy. Timeless is "peak" Trek (even though its time travel "rules" are nonsensical), and Disney/Marvel will never be able to match it (in my opinion):



I do think Voyager used time travel a little bit too much in my view. The series finale relied on it and I thought it was a complete mess. Marvel Disney is right about one thing. If you wanna do time travel stories, you NEED to have multiverses in them.

But at least Harry Kim FINALLY got some attention and love in Timeless. And that's because Star Trek NEVER swamped its cast with too many characters. I think a lot of MCU characters will not get the time that they deserve if they keep adding more people to its roster.

I appreciate the MCU being inspired by the comics, but I don't think they should adopt its bad habits. If Marvel Studios keeps things streamlined, the MCU has got a bright future. By making fantastical stories as realistic as possible, I think Marvel Studios will continue to keep and grow its fanbase.