Thanks to the All-New, All-Different relaunch coming this fall from Marvel Comics, Doctor Stephen Strange is getting his long, long-awaited comeback in his own regular monthly ongoing series once again. How long-awaited is it? Well, it’s been some twenty years since Doctor Strange held his own self-titled solo book. That’s a pretty long time for one of the original Stan Lee Marvel creations to be sidelined.
Stan Lee and co-creator Steve Ditko created the character at the same time Marvel was originally publishing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, The Avengers and the X-Men, so the Sorcerer Supreme is one of the foundations of the Marvel universe, and it’s about time he got his due again. Of course, having a movie coming out next year starring Benedict Cumberbatch probably helped a bit too. The all-new Doctor Strange #1 comes from the superstar creative team of writer Jason Aaron (Star Wars, Thor) and with art by Chris Bachalo (Uncanny X-Men, Avengers)
According to Marvel’s official description, “it’s time to 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 you don’t know where to turn – call the Doctor. From inside his Sanctum Sanctorum – the Master of the Mystic Arts defends the Marvel Universe from any and all supernatural threats. But 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’ll take a new kind of Sorcerer Supreme. Because all magic comes with a price, and it’s high time Stephen Strange balanced the scales.”
Check out the first interior preview images of Doctor Strange #1 above, as well as variant covers for the first issue from artists Skottie Young, Kevin Knowlan (who illustrates a bonus five-page story in issue #1) as well as the Jack Kirby monster, hip-hop, action figure, and cosplay inspired variant covers, and more in our gallery below. The first issue of Doctor Strange hits your local comic shop this October.
