The summer journey through the Amalgam Universe continues today with a review of the worst selling issue from the first wave, “Dr Strangefate”.
Obviously, you get a combo of Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. Not so obviously, you get a surprise third character mixed in on the final page when Strangefate takes off his helmet.
This crossover had a couple things going for it, mostly the creators involved. Writer Ron Marz was one of the two writers of the “Marvel versus DC” event that spawned the Amalgam universe, and this was the only Amalgam comic he wrote. The other “DC versus Marvel” writer, Peter David, didn’t participate in the Amalgam books. Art was from the fan favorite Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez with inks by Kevin Nowlan. To top things off, readers and retailers were told this was the only Amalgam comic that directly connected to the Marvel / DC crossover. That is, it was the only Amalgam that might matter.
Those positives were not enough to overcome the reader apathy regarding the character choices. Doctor Strange was starring in a long-running title at the time, but it wasn’t popular enough to crack the monthly top 100. There was a “Fate” comic that DC had spun out of “Zero Hour”, but it was awful and also failed to crack the top 100. It didn’t help that the version of Doctor Fate being amalgamated hadn’t been seen in a comic in four years.
The Plot
Each of Strangefate’s allies gets a shot at Access solo. Banner is first, and we quickly find out that when he loses control, he turns into the Abominable Skulk (Hulk + Solomon Grundy). Jade joins the fight, but Access teleports to a boat dock, and directly into the arms of the White Witch, who subdues him with a kiss. She delivers him to Strangefate.
Strangefate knows Access is the lone survivor of the two universes that created the Amalgam universe, and he knows Access plans to restore those universes at the cost of the Amalgam universe. After a magical probe, Strangefate learns that he cannot take the ability away from Access. Caught off guard by this surprise, Strangefate begs Access not to tear the Amalgam universe apart. Access leaves. On the final page, Strangefate takes off his helmet in sorrow. Admitting to himself that he cannot save his universe, he decides that he’s not Doctor Strangefate. He’s not the protector of the universe. He’s just a man named Charles Xavier.
What “Wizard” thought then
Their advance coverage told retailers and readers that this book was the one most closely tied to the “Marvel vs DC” event that spawned the Amalgam Universe. Post release, Wizard never mentioned it again and their price guide showed it holding at cover price over the next year.
What I think now
I had pretty low expectations for “Doctor Strangefate” despite my affection for the talent. The last few Amalgams I’ve reviewed were less than stellar, and it’s been a while since I read one that was really good. Plus, “Wizard” gave the book a low profile, which has been been a bad sign so far. Plus, it’s a tie-in to a miniseries I haven’t read (which was really dumb in retrospect, knowing I would be reviewing these). PLUS, I have very little interest in either Doctor Strange or Doctor Fate. PLUS, I had prepared myself for the possibility it would be related to the “Assassins” issue I reviewed last week that was just… awful.
Still, I’d like to think that my enjoyment of the issue was deeper than “It didn’t suck like I thought it would.”
The pacing of the issue is perfect. The first three pages open with fast paced action and a mystery to capture a reader’s attention. Then it slows to a crawl as we’re introduced to Doctor Strangefate in a near-wordless sequence showing him prepare for what’s coming.
When the three agents show up, we’re treated to five pages of exposition married to character revealing dialogue. By the halfway point, we know the game and we know the players. The second act contains two pages of Skulk’s effort, two pages of Jade’s effort, and two pages of the White Witch. The next three pages are the arrogant Doctor Strangefate’s effort to stop Access, culminating in his realization that he can’t win. On the last page, we see a resigned Doctor Strangefate brought to his lowest point, walking out on his responsibility as Protector of the Universe and (theoretically) starting a hero’s journey to redemption that we’ll never get to see.
Unlike most other reviews where I have to guess how much of the art came from penciller Garcia-Lopez and how much was added by inker Nowlan, I’m given a pretty good idea thanks to the “Modern Masters” volume from Twomorrows spotlighting Garcia-Lopez. The pencils were very tight, as you can see for yourself if you compare the uninked work below to the final image above.
Colorist Matthew Hollingsworth matches that subdued functionality masterfully by adding depth with gentle, almost imperceptible gradients. With a main character dressed in red, yellow, and blue, he did an impressive job keeping the colors muted to match Garcia-Lopez’s moody shadows. By reserving the saturated colors for the magical elements, he gave them a unique look that actually conveys a magical feeling.
This was an amazing one shot. The characters felt like a real cast, not a collection of Amalgams added for their own sake. While there was plenty of threads left on the table, the plot had a satisfying resolution. The letters page talked about “Tales of Strangefate” leading up to this #1, and if they were real, I’d track them down. If there was a #2 coming out, I’d add it to my pull. And that makes “Doctor Strangefate” #1 an unqualified success. This is what Amalgam was meant to be.
