Strange Tales 110
July 1963
“Dr. Strange Master of Black Magic!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Pencils: Steve Ditko
Inker: Steve Ditko
RATINGS
Reviresco:
CBR Readers:
Supermegamonkey: 3.5 / 5
Supermegamonkey Readers: 4.5 / 5
Trajan23: 7 / 10
REVIEWS / LINKS
http://strangescribe.blogspot.com/20...master-of.html
By StrangeScribe -I wish my synopsis was a quarter this good. Read this instead!
http://chronologyproject.com/marvelouszone/?p=3277
Chrissy from the Marvel Chronology Project, someone relatively new to comics, giving “A Modern Girl's View of Marvel's Silver Age"
http://sanctumsanctorumcomix.blogspo...e-strange.html
Ptor's celebration of this issue's 50th Anniversary – with some nice behind the scenes details.
http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chron...s_110111.shtml
SuperMegaMonkey's short, but illustrated, synopsis, placing the story in the MU chronology.
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources...r-strange-run/
Trajan23's short synopsis and ratings.
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources...comics-day-96/
CBR's Brian Cronin's spotlight on this run with lots of images.
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“I’m not yet a student of Marvel Comics history, but if I had to guess, I would say the introduction of a hero the caliber of Dr. Strange indicates a maturing of the readership. This might also be one of the first indications that someday, Marvel Comics will be considered worthy of scholarly study." – Chrissy @ MU Chronology Project
“Steve Ditko and Stan Lee’s run on Doctor Strange is one of the greatest single runs in comic book history” --Brian Cronin.
And it starts here with Doctor Strange's first appearance -- in five page long story! But of course, it is packed full of plot and info and greatness!
This has to be the first book in the history of Marvel Comics that is presented “quietly and without fanfare.” And this is true to some degree as Dr. Strange isn't even mentioned on the cover.
SYNOPSIS SHORT
spoilers:
Man tormented by debilitating nightmares seeks help from Dr. Strange, who enters his dreams and encounters Nightmare, as well as the truth about his criminal client. Dr. Strange only escapes death with the help of his mentor and his magic amulet. |
end of spoilers
SYNOPSIS LONG
A man is experiencing torturing, re-occurring nightmares, that rob him of sleep. He has “heard a name, spoken in whispers, Dr. Strange! He dabbles in black magic,” and he seeks Strange out. Apparently he's also heard whispers of Strange's address.
A very confident and succinct Dr. Strange listens to his tale, and tells him he can help him by entering his dreams that night. After the man leaves, Dr. Strange visits his Master, by going into a trance and freeing his metaphysical spirit (now more commonly know as astral form) and finding the Master somewhere in the vastness of Asia. The Master calls Strange son and successor, and tells him he sees him surrounded by danger. He tells Strange to use the amulet to ask him for help if it is needed.
Strange goes the haunted man's apartment, goes into a trance, and astrally enters his dream. There he learns the man has been embezzling from people and the bounded figure is his guilt, or the victims he's wronged. Suddenly
Nightmare appears and threatens Dr. Strange. While they exchange words, the man wakes up with knowledge of Strange's conversations, and decides to shoot Strange to keep his crimes hidden. Trapped between Nightmare and the murder of his physical body, Strange mentally asks the Master for help. The Master opens the entranced Strange's magic amulet, which captures the gunman in a hypno ray, before he can harm Strange. Using that distraction, Strange escapes Nightmare and the dream. Back in his body, he's able to deal with the man, and tells him the only way to find relief is confessing to his crimes.