Advance Review: Strange #1

Back when I was a “first timer’, there were a few female characters that seemed so exotic. One was Black Canary and the other was Clea. I have no idea why other than fishnets and magic tights, but whatever it was I was entranced. Imagine then my happiness a few months back when it was announced that, following the death of Doctor Strange, Clea would be stepping out of her classic purple outfit and into the warm embrace of the Cloak of Levitation.

Clea, former apprentice, estranged wife, and of the Faltine has been bestowed the title of Sorcerer Supreme as the last act of her then dying husband, the aforementioned Stephen Strange. Of course with such power comes others who believe that there are more entitled, others such as Doctor Doom! Clea and Wong however are firmly in the midst of the stages of grief, with Clea coming upon the idea of resurrecting her love and Wong too grief stricken to act as guardian of common senses and general naysayer. So with a couple of sorcerers, a realm of magic we have a quest!

I have ran out of superlatives for Jed MacKay’s writing. Anyone who listens to the No Prise Podcast as well as reading my reviews, will know how much I enjoyed his Black Cat book, even amidst the tie-ins to events I didn’t care about. Here, MacKay, writer of the Death of Doctor Strange, allows to show that he was planning for the long haul. In Clea, he has a foil from which to explore the magic realms, with maybe not a sense of true wonder, but with a different, almost fresh perspective. The idea of trying to bring Strange back is a logical one for sure; cynics of such a trope will just have to bear with the story as I feel that the challenge will shape the type of Sorcerer Supreme Clea will end up being. The plot is pacy, the dialogue has moment of Marvel humour though there is a tendency to overstate her new title, as if she is trying to convince the characters she interacts with, herself or the reader!

The art is provided by Marcelo Ferreira has a polished look for the most part. There are a couple of early poses that don’t inspire confidence on the opening panels, though things doe improve after the first splash. There are loads of details to feast you eyes upon. Mainly, body poses work well; Clea is a sexy confident woman and I drawn in that manner; I am not sure anyone has ever worn the Cloak of Levitation quite like that! Whilst poses and environs are all well and good, as is the use of the original purple outfit, there are some inconsistencies when it comes to Clea’s face; at times she looks young, others old, others double chinned and I am not even talking about about when she goes “flame one” face. Defining the lines are inkers Don Ho with Roberto Poggi, the latter you may have seen on the last Captain Marvel issue. With all the action around, defined, almost heavy at times, lines a re required. Colors are provided by Java Tartaglia with Felipe Sobreiro with the pair making the most of the sanctum, a rainy and a magical realm, demonstrating depth and sombre tones fitting for an after funeral vibe. Letters are supplied by VC’s Cory Petit who does a great job, with the pressures of the expositional aspect of a first issue. Finally, there are a spell-book’s worth of covers to choose from; cover A from Bjorn Barends is gorgeous, but I would plumber for the magic of the J. Scott Campbell cover (see above).

If you have a character that has been seen as nothing more than a supporting cast member and you want to push them forward into the limelight, Jed MacKay is your guy. Strange is another example of MacKay taking a fan favourite character and imbuing them with a greatness more than their previous whole. Who is next? Mockingbird?

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Jed MacKay
Art by; Marcelo Ferreira
Inks by; Don Ho with Roberto Poggi
Colors by; Java Tartaglia with Felipe Sobreiro
Letters by; VC’s Cory Petit
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network