Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Strange Appreciation

[Clea]

As someone who's loved the Clea-Strange dynamic, this pisses me off to no damn end.

What annoys me the most is this idea that I've seen repeated more than once among recent writers that Clea left Strange. In the Annual, Strange says that she left him because there was nothing more for her to learn from him. That's just not true. The last time we saw Clea in Strange's solo series, she 'left' Strange to return to fight in the Dark Dimension, as she'd done many times before. They were still happily married. Strange even muses afterwards that he wished he could join her in the Dark Dimension to help her.

I think that it is true that there was nothing more that she could learn from him, but this isn't what caused the end of their relationship. When Clea was first introduced, she was ignorant of her actual parentage and magical heritage. She was the daughter of Umar which made her half Faltine (ancient beings composed of magical energy). She had been kept in the dark about her potential abilities as well as her true parentage. She was Strange's lover before she became his student. Over the years he did teach her everything he knew, she overthrew Umar (who was ruling the Dark Dimension in Dormammu's absence) and she became the de facto Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension. She and Strange had become equals, but equals who were so busy defending their respective dimensions that they were often apart. Dormammu returned to the Dark Dimension so she returned there too to lead an insurgency against him. She didn't leave Strange permanently because 'she didn't need him any more'. In the meantime, Strange takes up with Night Nurse (and if Fearless Defenders is to be believed, several other women) back on Earth. When Clea found out about this cheating, she decided to end the relationship. She is acting far more mature about it than he is, certainly.

The Annual left the separation open ended, with Clea ready to walk away but Strange unwilling to let her go. In the future, perhaps another writer and editorial group will come along and decide to start writing Strange as an adult again, and maybe they'll pick up on this relationship and repair it. Clea is one of Marvel's longest running characters. FF debuted in 1961. Spiderman debuted in 1962. The Avengers debuted in 1963 and Dr. Strange made his first appearance that same year. Clea debuted in 1964. She's been Dr. Strange's primary love interest practically since Strange first appeared. Her presence or absence in his life is a defining characteristic for Strange. Dropping her from his stories leaves a hole that needs to be explained. Marvel is doing their level best to reboot all of their core characters to make them fresh and new for a new generation of readers. Right now, they want Strange to be single (and apparently they also want him to be phenomenally juvenile and screwed up to appeal to the anime crowd, I suspect). Those changes don't mean that they should just kick Clea off into limbo again, as they did for the last 10-15 years or so. They could use her as a character on her own, separate from (though connected to) Strange if they want to. Perhaps they will. Perhaps they won't.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/10/...ending-powers/

[Reviresco]

Because everybody makes tea by waving a butcher knife in their wife's face.


I guess he's brewing a pot of "I'm so irrationally angry that I could murder you right now" tea.

LOL!

This is what Stephen Strange's character has been reduced to in his current incarnation in Marvel comics. Honestly, Clea is much better off without this version of Strange in her life.

I almost picked up this annual last time I went to the LCBS, because of Clea -- and because it wasn't Aaron and Bachalo, but now I'm glad I didn't (Marvel is pricing itself right out of my business). But it's just so annoying that they want to divorce Strange, so he can be that horrible horn dog that Aaron, and Fraction, write.

A Clea book would be awesome! Especially since we apparently can't have a recognizable Dr. Strange.

Also, while that art is serviceable, it certainly isn't magical, IMO.

[Séb]

It's been announced at NYCC that Doctor Strange will be joining Marvel Future Fight:



Joining him as a playable character are Wong, Mordo, Ancient One, Kaelicius, Clea, Satana and Daimon Hellstrom:



Didn't expect the comic uniforms/comic versions too, nice bonus!

[MindofShadow]

Dr. Strange is about ot get a reskin in Contest of Champinos, in addition to Voodoo and Mordo coming to the game


Damn, no voodoo for FF

[Darthkostis]

Well, f@ck... I'm gonna gonna need many more crystals for those FF costumes. It's weird to get folks like Wong and the Ancient One as playable characters though. I'd have preferred Voodoo (and Doom, if they could use F4 characters). Still, Satana and Daimon = Awesomesauce!

[Berry]

Apparently he's (and Kaecilius) also to be added in Marvel Puzzle Quest (no pictures). And Avengers Academy (a game with teen versions of the avengers), where he kinda looks like Wiccan I think.

Anyways, the 15 minute preview of the upcoming movie finished and while I didn't attend, there are impressions everywhere. Twitter reactions have been positive (but then again they almost always are). It appears to have shown:

spoilers:

-the car accident -an extended version of the 'mindtrip' scene from this featurette( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUo4GQsnkHc), (to go more in depth, there's a bit of body horror and a peak at "[something that looked like a] mindless one just with a circular eye and ENORMOUS. And I mean it's skin was constantly moving and rolling like an ocean. I think I remember some pink fire there too." [https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudi...eview/d8mo4kd] ) -Stan Lee cameo -a scene where they meet Wong (with jokes about him having one name) -a scene where Strange and Mordo are running away from Kaecilius as the city does the 'Inception' thing.

end of spoilers

[Lady Warp Spasm]

*Sigh* Haven't been here for a while and playing catch up. Seems like I made the right decision in skipping Aaron's Strange (not a fan of the artist either so it's been easy). I might try the DS & SSs book.

What bothers me beyond the character assassinations is the fact that Aaron has to destroy magic just as he felt he had to destroy the vast majority of the gods / pantheons in the first Thor arc. To me, Doctor Strange was one of the most imaginative books out there in good ways. I'd love to see that continue, and stop with him losing his powers & title and getting owned already.

[NightMage]

*Sigh* Haven't been here for a while and playing catch up. Seems like I made the right decision in skipping Aaron's Strange (not a fan of the artist either so it's been easy). I might try the DS & SSs book.

What bothers me beyond the character assassinations is the fact that Aaron has to destroy magic just as he felt he had to destroy the vast majority of the gods / pantheons in the first Thor arc. To me, Doctor Strange was one of the most imaginative books out there in good ways. I'd love to see that continue, and stop with him losing his powers & title and getting owned already.

As I stated earlier in this thread, it's a case of "My imagination isn't that great, so I have to de-power Strange in order to write him."

A requisite to write Strange should be some fantasy background; Strange is going to encounter fantastic worlds, allies and foes alike. At least have a writer that can think on that level in order to have those stories.

[Lady Warp Spasm]

As I stated earlier in this thread, it's a case of "My imagination isn't that great, so I have to de-power Strange in order to write him."

A requisite to write Strange should be some fantasy background; Strange is going to encounter fantastic worlds, allies and foes alike. At least have a writer that can think on that level in order to have those stories.

Very well said and have an artist that can make those worlds even more fantastic. I am thinking about your comment and it applies to Aaron quite well also in the sense of Thor.

As I am sure I have said in the past (along with so many others), part of the problem are the powers that be (EiC's etc.) who dislike magic, mythology etc. which doesn't help. I am still a bit flabbergasted that Disney doesn't 1000% honk the horn of another wizard character given their fairy tale backgrounds. Why must the magic be explained? Can't we just have a fun book of good vs. evil, not some melodramatic, dark mess?

[MRP]

Very well said and have an artist that can make those worlds even more fantastic. I am thinking about your comment and it applies to Aaron quite well also in the sense of Thor.

As I am sure I have said in the past (along with so many others), part of the problem are the powers that be (EiC's etc.) who dislike magic, mythology etc. which doesn't help. I am still a bit flabbergasted that Disney doesn't 1000% honk the horn of another wizard character given their fairy tale backgrounds. Why must the magic be explained? Can't we just have a fun book of good vs. evil, not some melodramatic, dark mess?

As I have said before, it doesn't matter who writes Dr. Strange currently, this is the Strange editorial wants. Aaron's was the perfect pitch Alonso waited years to get because it was the one that did what he wanted Strange to be. No other type of pitch was going to be approved and they got several Dr. Strange pitches, all of which were rejected becaus ethey didn't fit what Alonso's vision of the book should be. Aaron's take was what they wanted, and it will be the take long after Aaron has gone to another book as long as Alonso is the EIC. That's the flipside of corporate shared universe comics, you have to do the character the way they want it done because it's their character. Currently Marvel doesn't want a fantasy tinged take on Doc with unexplained magic, they want what they are giving you and its selling moderately well (which is an accomplishment in the current moribund regressive super-hero market), so it is what you will continue to get, whether it's Aaron or anyone else writing it.

-M

[Lady Warp Spasm]

As I have said before, it doesn't matter who writes Dr. Strange currently, this is the Strange editorial wants. Aaron's was the perfect pitch Alonso waited years to get because it was the one that did what he wanted Strange to be. No other type of pitch was going to be approved and they got several Dr. Strange pitches, all of which were rejected becaus ethey didn't fit what Alonso's vision of the book should be. Aaron's take was what they wanted, and it will be the take long after Aaron has gone to another book as long as Alonso is the EIC. That's the flipside of corporate shared universe comics, you have to do the character the way they want it done because it's their character. Currently Marvel doesn't want a fantasy tinged take on Doc with unexplained magic, they want what they are giving you and its selling moderately well (which is an accomplishment in the current moribund regressive super-hero market), so it is what you will continue to get, whether it's Aaron or anyone else writing it.

-M

Sad but true; but what you said is true of every Marvel character I've enjoyed and seen run into the ground by Alonso and Joe Q. Absolute Power corrupts absolutely.

Ah well, just gives me a reason to go back and read the good stuff and fire up my imagination.

[Lee Stone]

As I stated earlier in this thread, it's a case of "My imagination isn't that great, so I have to de-power Strange in order to write him."

A requisite to write Strange should be some fantasy background; Strange is going to encounter fantastic worlds, allies and foes alike. At least have a writer that can think on that level in order to have those stories.

I agree.
This whole 'superheroes have to have benchmarks' idea that sprung up around the time of the trading cards and rpgs of the late '80s and early '90s has really handicapped the more imaginative characters like Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate, Zatanna and Scarlet Witch.

[creedpatton]

I'm also not happy with the current run - both the direction they're taking Doc in (again) and the art .... Demons of Denak, that's ugly! That last issue was the best so far though IMHO. The absolute worst thing Aaron added to the story was doc not being able to eat like a normal person. WTF? Was that really necessary? Can't they just get Roger Stern back, please and maybe a more realistic artist? I would also personally love to see Bendis write Strange as a main character. His dialogue is fantastic. True, he's pretty much treated him like an imbecile throughout his New Avengers runs (like everybody else has), but I'm sure Bendis would turn that around if he were writing his own book starring Doc. I'm sure he'd even bring Clea back for some interesting dialogue.
On a happier note, I've finally managed to finish what I think is the most comprehensive list of Doc comic book appearances ever compiled. Please have a look: www.completedoctorstrange.wordpress.com. Comments welcome! Thanks

[NightMage]

As I have said before, it doesn't matter who writes Dr. Strange currently, this is the Strange editorial wants. Aaron's was the perfect pitch Alonso waited years to get because it was the one that did what he wanted Strange to be. No other type of pitch was going to be approved and they got several Dr. Strange pitches, all of which were rejected becaus ethey didn't fit what Alonso's vision of the book should be. Aaron's take was what they wanted, and it will be the take long after Aaron has gone to another book as long as Alonso is the EIC. That's the flipside of corporate shared universe comics, you have to do the character the way they want it done because it's their character. Currently Marvel doesn't want a fantasy tinged take on Doc with unexplained magic, they want what they are giving you and its selling moderately well (which is an accomplishment in the current moribund regressive super-hero market), so it is what you will continue to get, whether it's Aaron or anyone else writing it.

-M

...and that's why I'm out on this edition of Doctor Strange. I'll go back to reading stories like "The Flight of Bones" and "A Separate Reality" because those stories are closer to what Strange should be instead of what Alonso insists he is.