The Doctor Remains In: Reviewing ‘Doctor Strange’ #18

As the eternal night of the vampires ends, Doctor Stephen Strange faces an uncertain new dawn for the Marvel Universe. Gone is Stephen Strange Sorcerer Supreme, replaced with Doctor Doom Sorcerer Supreme.

As the powerful role changes over, Doctor Strange #18 brings the series and Jed MacKay’s three-year run in the Sanctum Santorum to a close. Closing up shop alongside MacKay is Pasqual Ferry, Heather Moore, and Cory Petit.

Kicking things off, MacKay killed off Doctor Strange. Then he turned him into a Sorcerer Supreme of Death as Clea Strange took over his Earthly role. Now in this final leg of the journey, the writer (through the Blood Hunt event he also wrote) stripped him of his powerful title. But not his magic, nor his friends, or his loving wife.

Having been here this entire run, the human aspect of who Strange is through and through has been MacKay’s focus. Not a shocker since big time development and character work is the man’s calling card as a writer.

As sad as it is to see the journey end, what a journey is has been. MacKay has taken Strange, both Stephen and Clea, to amazing levels both in personal journeys but also within their place in the Marvel Universe scales. It’s not often that a lot of writers get to tell a story beginning to end, with a clear path of development and progress, but MacKay has quite a few chances and has made the best of each of them.

For a big chunk of these eighteen issues, Ferry and Moore have held things down artistically. Creating a specific style, design, and atmosphere for these magical books that can’t be beaten. Really leaning heavily into the colorful, outlandish, and supernatural elements without losing the grounded and neutral natural levels.

Even here as we mostly follow Strange around on a walk down memory lane (returning to previous moments and beats from this series & the event) it has such a big vivid life. Ferry nails both the big bold beats and the more down to Earth ones. Allowing everything to have such emotional resonance and stunning visual life. This was a series he was born to draw, because his famed style is perfect for creating the magical world that Strange calls home.

With Strange in a melancholic space of denial, the good Doctor’s mood is quite different than normal. While the color palette is very on par with the usual affair, Moore finds a way to really lessen some of the colors to reflect this mood. Things are a bit less vibrant, compared to their previous appearances, especially within the Sanctum, showcasing how the world has changed for Strange. It’s just a bit less magical, because his scope and responsibility within the magic sphere has now lessened.

It’s a small and subtle yet very powerful visual tool to play.

Petit has been alongside MacKay this whole way, turning the words in the script into something even more magical. Allowing these voices to really form and cement within our minds. Capturing every emotional and tonal beat, just by making little shifts here or there. Changing up balloons or fonts for specific characters, creating a unique voice, as well as splashy colorful lettering that stands out.

Strange has a lot to say and get out here, and Petit makes it all flow so smoothly. Just pouring through the page, alongside the rest of the artwork, framing and hugging everything else.

No word about what will happen to this character(s) with the series over and Doom taking the title is a bit concerning. As MacKay notes in his goodbye note, Strange spent a lot of time just being a guest-star dragged in when a book needed a familiar magic person. Since 2015, that has changed, and the character has headlined his own books again. Seems likely that if there is a book to come it’s going to be a Doom book, and either the Stranges show up there from time to time, or they go back to being guest stars.

After being shown how awesome Clea Strange is as a character (at last) I really don’t want to see her, nor Stephen or Wong or Bats the good boy ghost dog, relegated to guest star status or limbo. One can hope it goes the other way.

Doctor Strange #18 is now available from Marvel Comics.