Doctor Strange, #2

[Darthkostis]

Unfortunately, given that issue #1 was a top 5 book last month, I suspect that unless there's a sharp dropoff, he won't have motivation to. *shrug*

Aaron is hit or miss in my book. When he's a hit, he's damn great, but when he misses, oh boy... As for the sales being good, I wouldn't count on them just yet. The Gillen Vol of Iron Man debuted well but systematically dropped and dropped and dropped... Who knows what this'll do...

And the worst part is, it looks like the movie is taking a more traditional approach anyway, if the bits of gray in the set pics are anything to go by...

Exactly. The movie even though it's taking a few liberties is trying to stick to the source material as much as possible. Now this book, this book is just a magic book with Strange's name plastered on top of it. My guess? This vol is just like Gilien's Iron Man and Slott's Amazing Spider-Man post Superior. It's here just to raise awareness for Doctor Strange until the movie hits and when it does next Novemeber, it'll get relaunched and will be much closer to the source material. Look at Iron Man: They wanted to make it their top book and what did they do: They put Bendis in there, because Bendis sells. But they also moved him as close to the movie version as possible. Gone is his Superior and Black & Gold armour. Gone are his adventures against Malekith. Now he's just a guy with a suit, veeery similar to the one that he'll be sporting in Civil War.

Now, Doctor Strange, he's as far from the movie version as possible. The streaks are gone (Benedict has them) and his costume is nothing like the descriptions of the concept art. From what we know, it's a very regal design, and very close to the early blue/red/yellow colour scheme of the original costume. So to me at least, it's peculiar why they'd go with a costume so different. If reports are true and they want to make him the new Stark, it stands to reason the comic should be similar to the movie, at least aesthetically.

Either way, I'm jumping off, it turns out the cancelletion went through, so I'll be getting until #3 or #4. This is not the Doctor Strange I know and frankly, I just don't like the book. Now, I'm hoping that come Novemeber we'll either have a relaunch (maybe do a TASM and have Aaron since he's "Marvel Exclusive" now, and another artist) or jumping on point where the real Stephen returns. As it stands, this is one Doctor Strange fan who's not jumping aboard.

[Carabas]

I was thinking more in terms of sales rank. If the book stays top 20, I don't see Marvel looking to change it. But if it ends up around #48 by issue #6.....

Sales rank is massively influenced by however many books are released in any given month.
It's easy for a book to go up in sales while at the same time going way down in ranking.

Rankings are largely meaningless.

[vitruvian]

Yeah... it's definitely not the same character.
Guess the original Dr. Strange has breathed his last breath. An era has ended.
Well... it ended almost twenty years ago but this finally confirms it.

But even if it's a new character, call him Dr. Stranger let's say... it still doesn't work. Because they're still calling him the Sorceror Supreme, and it just plain doesn't make sense that the best, most competent, most powerful magic wielder of an entire universe wouldn't know the basics of magic.

[Some Guy]

I think you guys are taking this bunny "basics of magic" thing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far. It was very very clearly written in such a way that it's NOT the basics and more of a superstition. The fact that this balancing act might play into the story doesn't mean that it's the very basics of magic. And his magic not working? They also clearly noted it wasn't that he was incompetent it was that it was as if the magic didn't exist entirely in that moment. FORSHADOWING. Crazy stuff.

I still don't feel like this Strange feels all that different than Hickman's. And if you quote me on that note that I said Hickman. Not Bendis. I have never read Strange under Bendis other than a pretty funny high five that took place this past week.

[Lee Stone]

But even if it's a new character, call him Dr. Stranger let's say... it still doesn't work. Because they're still calling him the Sorceror Supreme, and it just plain doesn't make sense that the best, most competent, most powerful magic wielder of an entire universe wouldn't know the basics of magic.

That explains what's in the fridge...
Anytime Strange has doubts, Wong pulls out some Sour Cream and dabs some on him.
"There... now you're a Sorceror Supreme!"

[vitruvian]

I think you guys are taking this bunny "basics of magic" thing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far. It was very very clearly written in such a way that it's NOT the basics and more of a superstition. The fact that this balancing act might play into the story doesn't mean that it's the very basics of magic. And his magic not working? They also clearly noted it wasn't that he was incompetent it was that it was as if the magic didn't exist entirely in that moment. FORSHADOWING. Crazy stuff.

I still don't feel like this Strange feels all that different than Hickman's. And if you quote me on that note that I said Hickman. Not Bendis. I have never read Strange under Bendis other than a pretty funny high five that took place this past week.

You raise an excellent point, in that Monako is not necessarily the most reliable source or necessarily a mouthpiece for the author. Or even if his central point that a price must be paid and a balance must be maintained is accurate (and something that the Ancient One probably did teach Stephen about), his particular bunny-sacrificing thing is just one way of doing that. After all, it's long been established that the spells that invoke such entities as Cytorrak and Dormammu and the Vishanti do involve those folks eventually wanting something from you, Strange has had to serve the Vishanti in the War of the Seven Spheres for 5,000 (subjective, didn't pass on Earth) years in order to maintain their patronage, he's had recent occasion to see about selling his soul for needed power, and so on... so it's not like the idea of some price being exacted for his power is at all foreign to him.

Of course, by that same token, presumably Strange could have shut down Monako's spiel by simply saying that yes, one of the first things the Ancient One taught him was about the price to be paid for magic, and it didn't have to be paid in bunnies. Perhaps he was just too polite to do so, having likely been taught to respect his elders in that same tutelage... and the best interpretation I can put on Strange's characterization in the current title is that, while still having achieved the title of Sorceror Supreme and had a fairly storied career as such already, the current Strange has been rendered somewhat younger and less mature in overall attitude by whatever transition from Secret Wars brought him back into existence.

[Nick Miller]

Don't hate it but I am disappointed in Strange's characterization, and I think between this and Star Wars I just don't enjoy Aaron's writing for some reason that I can't quite pin down.

he's just not very good. A run of the mill American comic writer. (seriously, not to go on a rant, but is there anyone with some creative chops in the USA?)

like most people here, this is entertaining and wacky!, but i want a more serious action/supernatural/lovecraftian dread book!

And why can't Bachalo draw hands?

[Darthkostis]

I still don't feel like this Strange feels all that different than Hickman's. And if you quote me on that note that I said Hickman. Not Bendis. I have never read Strange under Bendis other than a pretty funny high five that took place this past week.

Yeeeaaaah, no..... Hickman's Strange was pretty close to the original version. Stoic, mature and a being of power. His speech pattern was pompous and otherworldy, though not "By the Hoary-Hogs of Hoggoth!". He was pretty much the Strange from the Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme series. And I really don't know what similarities you're seeing between this Strange and Hickman's. One finds knowledge in his tomes, the other forgets spells in the middle of the battle. One's speech is regal and elegant, the other's filled with words such as "guys", "chick" and "into me". I really don't see anything even resembling an overlap. It's like comparing apples to oranges...

[Darthkostis]

he's just not very good. A run of the mill American comic writer. (seriously, not to go on a rant, but is there anyone with some creative chops in the USA?)

like most people here, this is entertaining and wacky!, but i want a more serious action/supernatural/lovecraftian dread book!

And why can't Bachalo draw hands?

Meh, Aaron's okay. As far as new writers go though, he doesn't come close to Hickman or even Ewing or Bunn IMO.

This, so much this. This was the perfect book to have a Lovecraftian tale but nope, we're getting more "wackiness". Beetlejuice's "scarier" than it.

I like Bachallo but damn, everything is so crowded in this title. The backgrounds, the characters, every page feels crammed to the point of being ready to "blow".

[Clea]

I think you guys are taking this bunny "basics of magic" thing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far. It was very very clearly written in such a way that it's NOT the basics and more of a superstition. The fact that this balancing act might play into the story doesn't mean that it's the very basics of magic. And his magic not working? They also clearly noted it wasn't that he was incompetent it was that it was as if the magic didn't exist entirely in that moment. FORSHADOWING. Crazy stuff.

I still don't feel like this Strange feels all that different than Hickman's. And if you quote me on that note that I said Hickman. Not Bendis. I have never read Strange under Bendis other than a pretty funny high five that took place this past week.

IMO, Aaron's characterization is significantly different from Hickman's. Hickman wrote Strange as serious, frequently bordering on grim. Hickman's version of Strange was dangerous. Aaron kicked off his portrayal of Strange by having him casting 'romantic' attraction spells and making out with a demon, including making kissing noises in front of the parents of a child he was performing an exorcism. Hickman's version of Strange acted and sounded like an adult. Aaron's version, so far, sounds like an adolescent D&D player who is trying way, way too hard to sound cool and edgy to me. I never cared for Bendis' version of Strange in the New Avengers, but at least his version also sounded like an adult. In his own previous series, Strange was portrayed as a mature, thoughtful, caring, ethical man. So far, the only thing that Aaron has done that struck me as true to Strange's previous characterizations was when he told the parents of the kid in issue #1 to pay him back by being kind to their neighbor.

[Some Guy]

IMO, Aaron's characterization is significantly different from Hickman's. Hickman wrote Strange as serious, frequently bordering on grim. Hickman's version of Strange was dangerous. Aaron kicked off his portrayal of Strange by having him casting 'romantic' attraction spells and making out with a demon, including making kissing noises in front of the parents of a child he was performing an exorcism. Hickman's version of Strange acted and sounded like an adult. Aaron's version, so far, sounds like an adolescent D&D player who is trying way, way too hard to sound cool and edgy to me. I never cared for Bendis' version of Strange in the New Avengers, but at least his version also sounded like an adult. In his own previous series, Strange was portrayed as a mature, thoughtful, caring, ethical man. So far, the only thing that Aaron has done that struck me as true to Strange's previous characterizations was when he told the parents of the kid in issue #1 to pay him back by being kind to their neighbor.

I'll admit, and if there's anyone who's noticed many of my posts they might've already noticed this, I enjoy being a bit of a contrarian. Not for the lolz, but for whatever reason I like disagreeing and playing defendant. But I guess I have to admit he is less mature in Aaron's depiction. But the humor aspect, imo, doesn't necessarily come off as not Dr. Strange, but more so that Aaron just wanted to show Strange in more embarrassing and/or funny situations. But obviously that's not everyone's cup of tea nor expectations for the book.

I stand by what I said defending the magic though. Also I like his new style. It's still very Dr Strange, just slightly more pedestrian. Plus I think Bachalo's style in general doesn't help in that department. In the new Howard and Iron Man where Strange appeared in his new get up he still looked as exotic and weird as his old outfit was. In fact I had to go back and check to see if his style in those two comics was consistent with his new solo cause I thought he WAS still in his old outfit.

[ZionAkeda]

As far as I'm concerned, haters are gonna hate as Taylor Swift has sung; "I just shake it off". I really don't care what any of you haters think. I don't care because the old school Doctor Strange just wasn't my cup of tea and I've always wanted to be able to enjoy a Doctor Strange persona that was something that appealed to my tastes and Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo have truly delivered a Doctor Strange experience that I've been able to get into and enjoy.

Incidentally, I went to a comic shop called "Heroes and Villains Comic Store" in Warner Robbins, GA over this weekend, to pick up some comics that I had ordered and while I was standing inline waiting to check out, I began looking around and noticed that there where a lot of adolescents, teenagers and young adults, more precisely, a lot of young adult women in their early thirties and mid twenties buying both the first and second issues of this new "Marvel All New, All Different Doctor Strange" and I was really surprised by this because I noticed a lot of the vitriol expressed on this message board towards the new comic and began to fear that Marvel would cancel if this was the attitude of many comic readers in regards to this Doctor Strange but from my experience at the comic shop, the people were discussing Doctor Strange and calling a it "a freaking cool reboot" and how much they liked the comic. Some of the young women were saying that the cover for issue two reminded them of the movie 'Beetlejuice' and that they thought the illustrations in the comic were really cool. Many of the teenage boys were saying that because of the comic they were looking forward to the upcoming Benedict Cumberpatch 'Dr. Strange' movie.

My experience at the comic shop has convinced me of something that I'd already begin to believe thanks to the recent movies "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Guardians of the Galaxy". Disney/Marvel Comics couldn't care at all about previous comic book readers or canon continuity. Marvel is working for one thing right now and that is to make Comic Book Geek Culture the new normal in mainstream American pop culture. Marvel is trying to take what was in the past, frowned upon as some cult niche and transform that into something that is as commonplace and hip as is Nintendo or PlayStation.
Marvel is trying to appeal today's consumers of "My Little Pony" and "World of Warcraft" and "Adventure Time" be they, kids, teens or young adults with titles such as this new "Doctor Strange" or "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" and this is becoming more and more evident. I have already shared with you guys in my previous postings that, I, myself didn't read Marvel Comics titles prior to the launch of the "Marvel NOW" initiative. I was a person who grew up watching Toonami on Cartoon Network, reading Manga volumes and watching Justice League Unlimited and the REAL Teen Titans (not Teen Titans Go crap) along with the Christopher Reeves 'Superman' movies my parents showed me as a child. It is because of the new DC Comics/Marvel making comics hipster trend that I got into comics. My first ever comic book purchase came when DC Comics launched the NEW 52 and I began reading the really dynamic Mahmud Asrar "Supergirl" and Kenneth Rocafort "Teen Titans" comics and then I began purchasing Becky Cloonan's "Gotham Acadamy" and Babs Tarr's "Batgirl" titles which I am currently enjoying and loving.

Joe Quesada has already made it clear at NYCC 2015 that this new "Doctor Strange" comic is to appeal to an entirely new general audience who are discovering comics through the Marvel/Disney released movies and TV programs such as 'Ultimate Spider Man', 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Agent Carter'. Marvel couldn't care less about older readers. It is Marvel's goal to attract a whole new generation of readers. The one strength of this Aaron/Bachalo 'Strange' comic is that it has solid humor and a dialogue that is killer good. The comic is appealing because it's charming, relatable, humorous and quirky with a nice dose of weird much like Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who on BBC America. Speaking of which, I'd have chose either Luke Evans or Peter Capaldi over Cumberpatch in the role of Doctor Strange for the movie. If you watch a Tim Burton movie then this comic would indeed appeal to you as if feels like one and the same thing.

[jackolover]

Yeah... it's definitely not the same character.
Guess the original Dr. Strange has breathed his last breath. An era has ended.
Well... it ended almost twenty years ago but this finally confirms it.

It would be an interesting direction if that's what is going on here. If MARVEL 2015 has been converted to the movie-verse characters wholesale. That could be the surprise of this "reboot".

[jackolover]

Yeeeaaaah, no..... Hickman's Strange was pretty close to the original version. Stoic, mature and a being of power. His speech pattern was pompous and otherworldy, though not "By the Hoary-Hogs of Hoggoth!". He was pretty much the Strange from the Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme series. And I really don't know what similarities you're seeing between this Strange and Hickman's. One finds knowledge in his tomes, the other forgets spells in the middle of the battle. One's speech is regal and elegant, the other's filled with words such as "guys", "chick" and "into me". I really don't see anything even resembling an overlap. It's like comparing apples to oranges...

I don't see Strange forgetting spells. I see him being interfered with. He gets the spell out, just the spell doesn't work. That tells me magic is the problem, not the spell caster. Doesn't anybody see the Empercum a little like the Inheritors of Spider-verse here? The Empericum are anti-sorcerers so it comes down to the Empericum is able to disrupt magic, or they wouldn't get close to sorcerers, no?

[Reviresco]

As far as I'm concerned, haters are gonna hate as Taylor Swift has sung; "I just shake it off". I really don't care what any of you haters think. I don't care because the old school Doctor Strange just wasn't my cup of tea and I've always wanted to be able to enjoy a Doctor Strange persona that was something that appealed to my tastes and Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo have truly delivered a Doctor Strange experience that I've been able to get into and enjoy.

Obviously you care or you wouldn't keep writing huge walls of ageist text defending your opinion and trumpeting how you are part of the "cool," young audience which, according to you, Marvel is aiming for. Though how Marvel intends to keep sales up on a comic by aiming it toward a bunch of young moochers who sit on the floor of Books of Million and just _read_ comics, or the young Manga generation who believe their reading material should be free and pirate it all, is beyond me.

It's going to be so funny when you turn 40.

Incidentally, I went to a comic shop called "Heroes and Villains Comic Store" in Warner Robbins, GA over this weekend, to pick up some comics that I had ordered and while I was standing inline waiting to check out, I began looking around and noticed that there where a lot of adolescents, teenagers and young adults, more precisely, a lot of young adult women in their early thirties and mid twenties buying both the first and second issues of this new "Marvel All New, All Different Doctor Strange" and I was really surprised by this because I noticed a lot of the vitriol expressed on this message board towards the new comic and began to fear that Marvel would cancel if this was the attitude of many comic readers in regards to this Doctor Strange but from my experience at the comic shop, the people were discussing Doctor Strange and calling a it "a freaking cool reboot" and how much they liked the comic. Some of the young women were saying that the cover for issue two reminded them of the movie 'Beetlejuice' and that they thought the illustrations in the comic were really cool. Many of the teenage boys were saying that because of the comic they were looking forward to the upcoming Benedict Cumberpatch 'Dr. Strange' movie.

My experience at the comic shop has convinced me of something that I'd already begin to believe thanks to the recent movies "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Guardians of the Galaxy". Disney/Marvel Comics couldn't care at all about previous comic book readers or canon continuity. Marvel is working for one thing right now and that is to make Comic Book Geek Culture the new normal in mainstream American pop culture. Marvel is trying to take what was in the past, frowned upon as some cult niche and transform that into something that is as commonplace and hip as is Nintendo or PlayStation.
Marvel is trying to appeal today's consumers of "My Little Pony" and "World of Warcraft" and "Adventure Time" be they, kids, teens or young adults with titles such as this new "Doctor Strange" or "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" and this is becoming more and more evident. I have already shared with you guys in my previous postings that, I, myself didn't read Marvel Comics titles prior to the launch of the "Marvel NOW" initiative. I was a person who grew up watching Toonami on Cartoon Network, reading Manga volumes and watching Justice League Unlimited and the REAL Teen Titans (not Teen Titans Go crap)

Oh, wait, it's started already!

The irony. Hating on the new version of Teen Titans, which is aimed at a younger generation. Wanting the REAL Teen Titans, but calling the fans of the REAL Dr. Strange haters.

along with the Christopher Reeves 'Superman' movies my parents showed me as a child. It is because of the new DC Comics/Marvel making comics hipster trend that I got into comics. My first ever comic book purchase came when DC Comics launched the NEW 52 and I began reading the really dynamic Mahmud Asrar "Supergirl" and Kenneth Rocafort "Teen Titans" comics and then I began purchasing Becky Cloonan's "Gotham Acadamy" and Babs Tarr's "Batgirl" titles which I am currently enjoying and loving.

Joe Quesada has already made it clear at NYCC 2015 that this new "Doctor Strange" comic is to appeal to an entirely new general audience who are discovering comics through the Marvel/Disney released movies and TV programs such as 'Ultimate Spider Man', 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Agent Carter'. Marvel couldn't care less about older readers. It is Marvel's goal to attract a whole new generation of readers. The one strength of this Aaron/Bachalo 'Strange' comic is that it has solid humor and a dialogue that is killer good. The comic is appealing because it's charming, relatable, humorous and quirky with a nice dose of weird much like Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who on BBC America. Speaking of which, I'd have chose either Luke Evans or Peter Capaldi over Cumberpatch in the role of Doctor Strange for the movie. If you watch a Tim Burton movie then this comic would indeed appeal to you as if feels like one and the same thing.

When I first heard the term "Batgirling a comic," I thought it was yet another exclusionary tactic from certain comic fans. But now, after reading ageist post after post telling me older fans are obsolete, I begin to understand some of the sentiment.