Review: Doctor Strange #383

Synopsis:

Can the Vishanti be serious? Dr. Strange has defeated the appointed Mystics but now the Vishanti are considering a new Sorcerer Supreme. One who wasn’t even at the tournament! No spoilers here but the surprise last-minute candidate is completely without merit.Â And now Stephen Strange feels like an outcast, even though each individual Vishanti thanked him for his service. Strange has been the Sorcerer Supreme of this sector almost as long as Hal Jordan has been the Green Lantern of his sector (about 4 years distance between the two.) However, Unlike Hal Jordan, Strange had never lost his standing among the Vishanti, until now.

The Creative Team:

Donny Cates has raised the stakes for our hero like they have never been raised before. Can Strange re-emerge in the Vishanti’s favor? He’s taken Strange on a journey which will examine his true abilities and he decides to take a bold trip to his successors home land and talk to that person’s father, who happens to be the ruler of the land. Only he doesn’t find his successors father on the throne but rather his uncle. A man he’s never dealt with before. Cates brings Strange down a road with obstacles that the good doctor hadn’t anticipated keeping the reader guessing as well. I enjoyed Stephen Strange’s predicament and how he deals with his situation. Seemingly defeated he never gives up trying. It’s great stuff!

Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Niko Henrichon bring us some excellent visuals. I really enjoyed the setting this title brings us too. I knew this comic would be a winner when I saw the opening splash of the Vishanti gazing down at Strange in the middle of the page encircled by his fallen foes. Then we cut to Strange’s successor as Sorcerer Supreme who’s listening to his iPod and is just as surprised as Strange was at the news. The look on his face is priceless and gave me a chuckle when I realized that not even the chosen one realized he had been chosen thanks to the artists rendering of that panel.

In Conclusion:

Stephen Strange has to deal with the unfairness of his predicament. Why did the Vishanti make him do battle with the other mystics if they already knew they were going to replace him? This only adds insult to injury. Is there a motivation to their decision? Are they just upset with Strange for some unknown reason that they aren’t sharing? And why give the title to someone who shows no interest in obtaining it? So many questions are raised with this issue. One of the best Dr. Strange story arcs in a long time. **** (9.2 rating)

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Writer – Donny Cates
Art – Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Niko Henrichon
Color – Jordie Bellaire
Letters – VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher – Marvel

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given