It's about time...for the first time in years, Doctor Strange will have his own ongoing comic series!
Doctor Strange has been noticeably absent from a headlining series for several years now. Despite having a pedigree that stretches back to the earliest days of the Marvel Universe, the Sorcerer Supreme hasn't exactly set the world on fire with his solo series in recent years (although do yourself a favor and track down Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin immediately). That's about to change in a big way.
Jason Aaron (writer of the best Thor comics since Walt Simonson) will handle writing chores, with the great Chris Bachalo on art when the new Doctor Strange#1 launches.
Here's the official synopsis:
Prepare for a side of the Marvel Universe you’ve never seen before as the magical, mystical and all things weird lie at every turn. And if it’s bizarre enough, and you don’t know where to turn – call the Doctor. From inside his Sanctum Sanctorum – the strangest place in this or any universe, the Master of the Mystic Arts protects this realm from the supernatural.
A dark new power is rising. One that will have repercussions for all magic users. The threat is growing, and Strange knows he won’t be powerful enough to stop it. If he is to have any kind of hope, it will take a different kind of Sorcerer Supreme. Because all magic comes with a price, and it’s high time Stephen Strange balanced the scales.
“None of Marvel's other heavy hitters walk the same beat as Dr. Strange,” Jason Aaron told Marvel. “None of them have to face the same sorts of repercussions whenever they use their powers. Being the Sorcerer Supreme is a unique responsibility. And it's one that Stephen Strange embraces. Even though there's no doubt that his job is one day going to leave him dead, damned or insane. So I want to celebrate all the weirdness that is Dr. Strange, while having him face a challenge unlike anything he's ever faced before. One that rewrites the rulebook for what it means to be the Sorcerer Supreme.”
Now, based on that, I'm willing to bet that this series is going to rewrite the rules of magic in the Marvel Universe in a way that will make sense to Marvel movie fans. Marvel are excellent at presenting versions of their characters that are at least aesthetically similar to their cinematic counterparts, and when this series casts its spell in the fall (there's no official release date yet), we'll be one year away from Benedict Cumberbatch's starring role as Stephen Strange.
