A Slow Issue For The Sorcerer Supreme In Doctor Strange #7
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Doctor Strange is hot on the trail of his former apprentice-turned-doppelganger, Casey. Kanna and Bats discover that Casey was freed by a mysterious dark sorcerer, but Doctor Strange nor any of his allies can identify the person. Casey is also acquiring powerful magic artifacts, so Strange sets Kanna to building countermeasures with her magical and scientific acumen. Meanwhile, Strange goes out into the world to slow Casey down.
Doctor Strange #7 is likely the slowest issue of Mark Waid’s series so far. We learn a little more of Casey’s crusade and how it started, but we don’t learn anything major until a dramatic ending stinger.
It’s also one of the weaker issues of this series. It’s not awful by any means, but it does leave a bit to be desired. The structure feels a little disjointed too, as the book wavers between Strange chasing after Casey and Kanna and Bats’ investigation. It all is part of the same story, obviously, but the transitions aren’t signaled too well, which can be a problem in a comic with strange and mystical elements like Doctor Strange.
The book works to build a romantic spark between Kanna and Stephen, which feels a little trite. It hasn’t been signaled or built to very well, and Kanna suddenly seems smitten with Stephen. I can buy it from Strange’s end, because he is a horn dog. I haven’t gotten that impression from Kanna though.
Javier Pina and Andres Guinaldo are the artists on this one, and both do a good job of making the comic look damn good. The style wavers between a sleek aesthetic reminiscent of Jesus Saiz’s tenure on the title not so long ago, and a somewhat grittier motif. The coloring team of Brian Reber, Jim Campbell, and Andrew Crossley keep the palette well-balanced and atmospheric. The vast team of artists on this one doesn’t help the feeling of disconnect in some of the narrative elements, but each page, taken on its own, does look good.
Doctor Strange #7 is a somewhat lukewarm issue. It’s not bad by any stretch, but it does little to excite or engage. It’s a midway point in the ongoing conflict, but it doesn’t advance the story particularly far. If you’ve been loving Waid’s Doctor Strange as I have, you won’t dislike it and can feel free to check it out.
Doctor Strange #7 comes to us from writer Mark Waid, artists Javier Pina and Andres Guinaldo, inkers Javier Pina, JP Mayer, Andy Owens, Roberto Poggi, and Keith Champagne, color artist Brian Reber, Jim Campbell, and Andrew Crossley, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, and cover artist Kevin Nowlan.
