The Dice Are In Your Favor: Reviewing ‘Doctor Strange’ #14

Doctor Stephen Strange would easily forgive anyone who lets out a massive sigh at the sight of one Baron Mordo. This surgeon turned sorcerer supreme has exactly the same reaction anytime his persistent nemesis rears his slicked-back-hair-wearing head.

A deadly game becomes even more treacherous in Doctor Strange #14 as Jed MacKay, Pasqual Ferry, Heather Moore, and Cory Petit close out this small story arc and built to what comes next.

Each month I gush about the character work on this series, and that hasn’t changed. What I’ll point to this time, that I haven’t pointed to quite as much explicitly, is the magical world building. There was a period of time in the 2000s where Strange had not book of his own, only appearing in other books (such as the Avengers) to dispense wisdom and do a few spells. Often we heard that part of the reason was a “lack of magical realm rules” in which to really tackle the stories.

Then along came Jason Aaron and Chris Bacchalo, who knocked it all down and showed once more what can be done with this character and magic. Since then, we’ve had numerous Strange-led or Strange-related books which really play with magic beautifully. MacKay has been doing that through all the iterations of his run (this being the third book), running wild with just how far and deep magic can take things.

I mean this one is about a sentient table top role-playing game that craves connections, and needs players from which to connect and feed. High mark nerdy and magical at the same time, so a double win in my book.

Of course, there is no way I can’t quickly gush about the character work. Each of the team members (from MacKay’s current and past Marvel work) work so well together. Taskmaster’s hilarious (as is Strange’s way of addressing him), Hunter’s Moon has grown on me so much, and Black Cat is always aces. Also, one of the great things about this series and all MacKay’s Strange work is the solutions. Doctor Strange always finds unique, appropriate, out of the box ways to solve issues that don’t require fisticuffs.

Often the Doctor heals things with just his words. Powerful stuff.

Part of making magical stories work is the right artistic touch.

Ferry’s presence in this series is perfection. His artwork was made for this type of comic. Big bold magical energy is infused into every single element on the page. Allowing the realism of the world and the fantastic elements to stand side by side in equal amounts of wonderous beauty. Just the right touch of roughness gives things sharper, pointed, edge, yet there is an overwhelming smoothness to the whole affair.

Tight, focused panels keep the audience right there with the characters, making us just as much of a participant in the happenings as the characters. A big portion of that comes from the unique energy in paneling, allowing the layouts to shift and slide as necessary to really make pages pop.

Reaching that great middle spot between real and fantasy comes down to the colors as well. Moore plays right in the space where vibrant popping hues meet the darker heavier shadowy tones. Swirling together to create something that feels magical and tangible. She very much nails delivering very subtle colors and those that will loudly slam past you because they just have to have their presence felt.

Truly I really love the intense use of certain colors, such as greens or blues or yellows, at heavy degrees. Just letting them create a striking filter over the page, playing into the otherworldliness that should be felt in these stories. Doctor Strange and his companions do not deal with the mundane after all.

Wrapping it all up are the playful and emotionally charged lettering efforts of Petit. Capturing not just what the characters are saying, but how they are feeling and who they are. Sometimes with just a few words. Slipping in modifications such as colored fonts, bolds, or size changes to really pay those feelings or personality traits off. Often letting the bubbles change style or shape to really reflect the magical elements or fit the different personalities of the gathered characters.

Doctor Strange #14 is now available from Marvel Comics.