The Doctor Strange Readathon

[Abe]

And it gets better!

I'll try to get to the next issue tomorrow. Have been a bit under the weather today.

You're working too much for us here... But it's so good... You know it... Don't sacrifice yourself too much !

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

OMG ! The gloves ! The Eye ! The four panels strip where it opens ! I can't believe it ! It's even better than in my memories !

I wholeheartedly agree.

And it gets better!

I'll try to get to the next issue tomorrow. Have been a bit under the weather today.

Take care of yourself. THANK YOU for all the effort you put in this. Very much appreciated.

[yojimbo]

I've always wanted to read the classic Dr. Strange tales.

As many readers, I grow up without a Dr. Strange solo series, and any chance of reading the old stories was frustrated by not living in US. The Lee/Ditko and the '70s runs I believe have never been reprinted in Italy since they came out the first time. As a result, for me Strange has always been a guest character (a very cool one) with a lot of non-explained history.

Do anyone know if the Essential are easily available?

[Reviresco]

You're working too much for us here... But it's so good... You know it... Don't sacrifice yourself too much !

I wholeheartedly agree.

Take care of yourself. THANK YOU for all the effort you put in this. Very much appreciated.

You make me blush. Thank you!

I've always wanted to read the classic Dr. Strange tales.

As many readers, I grow up without a Dr. Strange solo series, and any chance of reading the old stories was frustrated by not living in US. The Lee/Ditko and the '70s runs I believe have never been reprinted in Italy since they came out the first time. As a result, for me Strange has always been a guest character (a very cool one) with a lot of non-explained history.

Do anyone know if the Essential are easily available?

Yes, this is so true. Not having a series in almost 20 years certainly did Dr. Strange no favors. And I have great respect and admiration for non-US fans of Marvel, especially when Marvel makes it so hard for them to follow their books and characters.

The first Essential appears to be out of print, but you can pick it up in the secondary market for about 30 - 40 USD. Marvel did reprint the first Marvel Masterworks Dr. Strange Volume 1 recently, so it's in print. This was also released in paperback, but that's gone out of print and is a bit pricey now. In Stock Trades has the new reprinted hardcover for 28 USD -- but I think their shipping is high. You might check your European stores for it.

http://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Marv...-PTG/APR140753

[MRP]

There are some inexpensive options for finding and reading some of the early Ditko material if you are willing to track down some back issues (not the originals)
There is a Marvel Milestone edition released int he 90s that collects the first 4 Dr. Strange stories. The same 4 stories were included in the Dr. Strange comic that was included with the Marvel Legends Dr. Strange action figure-so stories from ST #110, 111, 114 and 115 can be had for a few dollars if you can track them down.

Strange Tales itself became a Doc reprint series in the 70s beginning with #182 (which reprinted ST #123 and 124) and continuing until ST #188 (issue 183 skips to reprinting 130 and 131 and continues uninterrupted until ST 140-141 in #188). Most of these can be found for a couple of buck each in midgrade if you look or less if you got to cons with dollar bins or such.

The stories from 131-141 are also reprinted in the 4 issue Baxter reprint series called Doctor Strange Classics from 1984 and are not very pricey either.

A quick look through ebay or an online back issue dealer can net you some inexpensive Ditko Doc reprints even if the trades are out of print.

-M

[MRP]

There are other earlier collection options too, though they might be harder to find and a little pricier.

Pocket Books released 2 Dr. Strange paperbacks in the 70s (traditional paperback book size) that collected a lot of the Ditko run...



the first volume collected 110, 111, and 114-129

the second volume...



collected 130-144

Then there is the first ever Dr. Strange trade paperback from Fireside Books (the company that did Origins of Marvel Comics, Son of Origins, Bring on the Bad Guys etc.)



that collects most of the Ditko run, but it can be pricey and hard to find.

-M

[Reviresco]

Wow! Thanks for posting those covers and explaining what they contained. I did wonder about that Fireside book.

There are some inexpensive options for finding and reading some of the early Ditko material if you are willing to track down some back issues (not the originals)
There is a Marvel Milestone edition released int he 90s that collects the first 4 Dr. Strange stories. The same 4 stories were included in the Dr. Strange comic that was included with the Marvel Legends Dr. Strange action figure-so stories from ST #110, 111, 114 and 115 can be had for a few dollars if you can track them down.

Strange Tales itself became a Doc reprint series in the 70s beginning with #182 (which reprinted ST #123 and 124) and continuing until ST #188 (issue 183 skips to reprinting 130 and 131 and continues uninterrupted until ST 140-141 in #188). Most of these can be found for a couple of buck each in midgrade if you look or less if you got to cons with dollar bins or such.

The stories from 131-141 are also reprinted in the 4 issue Baxter reprint series called Doctor Strange Classics from 1984 and are not very pricey either.

A quick look through ebay or an online back issue dealer can net you some inexpensive Ditko Doc reprints even if the trades are out of print.

-M

And this post was sheer platinum! Great info and suggestions! I have a few Milestone issues, because they had Namor stories, and they are nice. Didn't realize Doctor Strange had gotten the "Classics" treatment. Nice!

[SJNeal]

I'm most familiar with Sorcerer Supreme, having read the full series 3-4 times now. That was "my" Doc, as it was the book I read growing up.

That said, I've jumped around through the various eras and read a little bit of everything. My second favorite run is probably Stern's early 80's material.

[Reviresco]

I'm most familiar with Sorcerer Supreme, having read the full series 3-4 times now. That was "my" Doc, as it was the book I read growing up.

That said, I've jumped around through the various eras and read a little bit of everything. My second favorite run is probably Stern's early 80's material.

Well, the gameplan is to eventually read that run ... though, of course, it will be a little while.

[Reviresco]

Almost finished with the next review. Does anyone have a rating for Strange Tales #110? I'm thinking 6 or 7 out of 10. Maybe higher if I count the sheer imagination and world building of the first issue.

[Greg]

It's very weird, I keep trying to get more and more into Doctor Strange but something just doesn't always click for me with the stories, at least the ones I read. I love the style and a lot of the ideas and the wonky designs and surrealism of some of what I see and read, and I love the character himself, but something keeps missing for me. Yet at the same time I still want to continue learning more and try picking up some of his books.

I want to try to find some of the older stuff to join in because this looks like it's going to be fun. Maybe it'll open my Eye(s) of Agamotto.

[MRP]

Almost finished with the next review. Does anyone have a rating for Strange Tales #110? I'm thinking 6 or 7 out of 10. Maybe higher if I count the sheer imagination and world building of the first issue.

I looked back at my rating (done for the DR. Strange review thread that ran here in the old classics forum before the reboot) for ST #110.

A quick explanatory note-I generally break down a story into 3 scores-story, art and overall impression (sometimes the sum is better than the component parts, sometimes not, sometimes one carries the story or the other, sometimes one weighs it down despite the other being spectacular)

So for Strange Tales #110 I had given it:
Story: 7/10
Art: 9/10
Overall impression 8/10

A good debut that gives you the sense of what the strip and the character will be, done in a short, compact and efficient story. Ditko's art carries the day, and while the story could have used a little more room, what was there hit all the right notes.

-M

[runguy]

A Doctor Strange Omnibus is on the way. The first volume will be all Lee/Ditko and the subsequent volumes will continue from there.

http://www.collectededitions.com/mar...ht_111215.html

[Darthkostis]

Personally, since there was no Solo-Ongoing growing up, I got to know Strange through the various games and guest-appearances. So when the internet became a thing and online shopping became a possibillity, I tried to look for trades, singles, whatever I could find. Truth is, whatever I've read, I've read digitally, because I want the singles more than I want the trades. I don't know, I just "feel" better knowing I have a complete collection. But it's extremely hard to do so when you're trying to do the same thing for 3 or 4 characters, believe me.

As for the current book, well, I've made it no secret that I didn't really like, but.....I'm going to give it another shot. Not because I think it'll change or something like that, I just feel bad not supporting the 1st solo Strange book in more than 20 years. The guys at my subscription service will be pissed since I just cancelled it and they don't like dealing with "hard" customers (because making changes to your list is a bad thing right? It's not like it's their job or something...), but what're you going to do...I was just, expecting a more mature Stephen you know? I was expecting Aaron to bring his GOT game so I was terribly excited at first. Strange is a character that could work really well with a mix of mythology and super-heroics, like in his Thor run, but alas, it was not meant to be...

Anyway, back to the topic of this thread, I have to say that the old Defenders issues were some of my favourites. Their adventures were weird but interesting, and all the characters had something special, they weren't like most superheroes during that age. It's not exactly a Doc title, but I loved it, and I think everyone should check the first few issues at least. I'd stay away from the newer vols though, like the one where Umar raped the Hulk... Fraction's wasn't too bad though, I kinda liked it.

[Reviresco]

It's very weird, I keep trying to get more and more into Doctor Strange but something just doesn't always click for me with the stories, at least the ones I read. I love the style and a lot of the ideas and the wonky designs and surrealism of some of what I see and read, and I love the character himself, but something keeps missing for me. Yet at the same time I still want to continue learning more and try picking up some of his books.

I want to try to find some of the older stuff to join in because this looks like it's going to be fun. Maybe it'll open my Eye(s) of Agamotto.

Love that idea! I need to remember that and to do that. Sometimes that just happens. There are some characters, I'm influenced way too much by nostalgia, or is it long, long, long time experience with a character? They are like old friends, in a way.

A Doctor Strange Omnibus is on the way. The first volume will be all Lee/Ditko and the subsequent volumes will continue from there.

http://www.collectededitions.com/mar...ht_111215.html

Thanks for the link! I'd heard the news but hadn't seen that interview.

Personally, since there was no Solo-Ongoing growing up, I got to know Strange through the various games and guest-appearances. So when the internet became a thing and online shopping became a possibillity, I tried to look for trades, singles, whatever I could find. Truth is, whatever I've read, I've read digitally, because I want the singles more than I want the trades. I don't know, I just "feel" better knowing I have a complete collection. But it's extremely hard to do so when you're trying to do the same thing for 3 or 4 characters, believe me.

As for the current book, well, I've made it no secret that I didn't really like, but.....I'm going to give it another shot. Not because I think it'll change or something like that, I just feel bad not supporting the 1st solo Strange book in more than 20 years. The guys at my subscription service will be pissed since I just cancelled it and they don't like dealing with "hard" customers (because making changes to your list is a bad thing right? It's not like it's their job or something...), but what're you going to do...I was just, expecting a more mature Stephen you know? I was expecting Aaron to bring his GOT game so I was terribly excited at first. Strange is a character that could work really well with a mix of mythology and super-heroics, like in his Thor run, but alas, it was not meant to be...

Anyway, back to the topic of this thread, I have to say that the old Defenders issues were some of my favourites. Their adventures were weird but interesting, and all the characters had something special, they weren't like most superheroes during that age. It's not exactly a Doc title, but I loved it, and I think everyone should check the first few issues at least. I'd stay away from the newer vols though, like the one where Umar raped the Hulk... Fraction's wasn't too bad though, I kinda liked it.

I enjoyed Defenders alot too, and there is alot of Doctor Strange in them. However, I've got to draw the line here somewhere, I'm sticking with the ongoings.

I imagine Doctor Strange would be pretty cool in a game.