Stop Magically Hitting Yourself! — Reviewing ‘Doctor Strange’ #9

Sometimes the very worst enemy anyone can have is themselves. Especially when facing a fully separate evil version of themselves. In such a situation, there is very little that is off the table to end such an issue.

Doctor Strange #9 showcases how far the title character and those around him are willing to go to stop a monster and prevent another from taking its place. This massive Strange on Strange brawl comes courtesy of Jed MacKay, Pasqual Ferry, Heather Moore, and Cory Petit.

Holy crap, this book is flipping gorgeous. Never was there any doubt about what Ferry can deliver, I’ve said it time and time again in these reviews, but this is just something else. Just look at those first few pages of The Doctor and General battling and tell me that Ferry wasn’t born for books like this. We’re witness to a drag-out massively powered sorcerer showdown. That has to be something that is so trippy and colorful and magical that it looks like nothing we could see in reality.

That’s what Ferry and Moore are giving us here.

Every emotional beat can be felt within the artwork because the expressions are on point, but the tone works. Moore wields the color palate delicately yet heavily, allowing a variety of colors to dance across the page going from dark and shadowy to light and bright. All the fantastic elements feel just as they should, out of this world.

Both Stranges are living within darker spaces as they pull from pain and darker magics. Ferry’s sharp angular artwork plays into this, making things feel inherently rough but also smooth. Everything has a unique life to it and breathes easily. Paneling choices bring us right into action one moment and push us back further in others. We feel like participants rather than just distance passive observers.

Another element helping this feeling is how MacKay approaches writing. Everything he does is just heavy with character development and moments. It’s about the emotional and human aspects all the way to the core. Action, big superhero and magical moments, and such are there and are perfectly orchestrated, but they do so because the character work is so strong. From hero to villain to supporting characters, they are all fleshed out and have purpose and weight.

Crafting a story with wide implications only to distill it back to a very personal affair isn’t an easy movement. One wrong step and it can all be derailed. Creating a stable foundation that allows the reader to understand and connect with the characters makes sure that this shift works smoother. A perfect example centers on General Strange.

A villain that has done awful things, but on the one hand we can somewhat understand where the man came from. Manipulated by the magical beings that he had trusted, thrust into the middle of a seemingly unending war till that war ended and he was cast aside. This moment sees our Strange pushed to the limit making attempts to stop him using his own dark choices. Much of the emotional beats are built upon what we know of these characters, their connections, and what Mackay has done with them since starting with the Stranges two years ago.

Helping these beats be even clearer are the moves that Petit makes with the lettering. Little shifts made to the fonts and bubbles allow the emotions and tone to resonate. The volume and intent of every word are always clear because Petit understands the importance of such things. Creating voices for the characters that we can hear in our heads, personalities, and emotions dripping from every word. Those words flow around the page much like the swirling colors. Dancing around the characters and the moment so as to collaborate with them rather than overwhelm or pull from them.

Doctor Strange #9 is now available from Marvel Comics.