Journey into a land of mysticism and enchantment as Frank J. Barbiere and Marco Rudy take Doctor Strange on a path that may make him question everything he knows. If you know and love Doctor Strange, or even if you’re encountering him for the first time, this is one to check out.
Written by Frank J. Barbiere
Illustrated by Marco Rudy• The Incursions aren’t the only horrors threatening to end the world!
• DOCTOR STRANGE has faced the impossible time and again as an Avenger and the Sorcerer Supreme, but when he is called upon to fulfill an old debt to an enclave of techno-monks high in the Himalayas, even the good doctor may be beyond his limits!
• Written by acclaimed young writer Frank J. Barbiere (Five Ghosts, The White Suits) and illustrated by the illustrious Marco Rudy (Swamp Thing, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man), this oversized annual is one you won’t want to miss!
There’s been a lot of talk about Doctor Strange lately, and rightly so. Ever since Marvel Studios announced that they will actually be making a Doctor Strange film (something that has often been talked about, but never came to fruition until now), the character has become a talking point — which makes this annual even more relevant. Spinning out of the events Jonathan Hickman has been writing in “New Avengers”, Frank J. Barbiere and Marco Rudy take the Doctor for a spin that could very well end up acting as a pilot for a new ongoing if things are as they seem.
When you think about it, of all the writers out there working on comics, Frank J. Barbiere is perhaps the only natural choice to write Doctor Strange. His work on “Five Ghosts” has brought together elements of pulp fiction, noir stylings and supernatural spooks to weave a work of fiction that really breaks down the heart and mind of its main character. Unsurprisingly, Barbiere employs the same strategy here as he looks at Strange post-soul selling (spoilers for “New Avengers”, by the way, but why would you be checking this out if you weren’t already following that?) and faces a threat set to throw the character in a whole new direction, mixing that with a series of flashbacks to Strange’s surgeons days in order to juxtapose his actions now to his actions then and show that maybe the good doctor hasn’t really moved on from his brash days in the hospital.
What that combines into is a very surprising character piece that could so easily transition towards an actual ongoing for the character. The writing of Strange himself is there as is the new direction Hickman and Barbiere have placed him on and from the actual story of the issue as Strange faces off against an all-powerful demon, Barbiere shows that he knows how to build stories around the powers of Strange and how to play it off as genuinely visually interesting for the artist.
Speaking of which, if there was any artist I would describe as a breakout artist, it is Marco Rudy. I hadn’t really discovered his work prior to “Marvel Knights: Spider-Man” and as much as I loved the mixed media work and care of design put into the pages, I found myself thinking of him as a strange fit for the character of Spider-Man. Now, Doctor Strange? That is a much better fit, I think, for Rudy as an artist and I would say he proves me right as this issue is one of the most gorgeous pieces of art I’ve seen in comics.
One of the most striking aspects of Rudy’s art is how proficient he is as a mixed media artist and it plays perfectly into Barbiere’s writing. His ability to shuck the conventional page layouts and build the panels around unconventional geometry without grids leads to a feeling of disassociation with reality that builds upon Barbiere’s writing of Strange as he battle with a demon, both literal and figurative. It also allows for the climax, the psychological confrontation between Strange and the demonic entity, to become more than just a light show as Rudy explores the no-space of the astral plane. Building on that as a magnificent painter allows there to be a tangibility to the pages as you can almost feel the paint and ink on the canvas as he renders each page beautifully, creating an issue that could only be described as a work of art.
As a stand alone issue that exists outside of the main story of “New Avengers” that explores the consequences of Strange’s actions in the main story, Barbiere and Rudy have knocked it out of the park. As a possible pilot for a solo series for the character by the two of them, this is a rousing success. Frank J. Barbiere brings his talent for weaving genres to the character and really delves inside the characters mind in a way that few writers have in a long team. Teaming him with Marco Rudy, though, was what really made this issue special as Rudy brings an unconventional eye for artistry and design that, while it echoes the likes of Dave McKean and David Mack, feels perfectly suited to the character and a wholly original take on a character that is soon to be on everyone’s radar. If Marvel is paying attention, they would let these two write and illustrate as many Doctor Strange stories as they want if they can make them as good as this.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – With a little something here for everyone, whether you’re familiar with Doctor Strange or not, this is a very recommended buy.
