Connect with us
3 Reasons Why: A Doctor Strange movie should spin out of 'Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire'

Comic Books

3 Reasons Why: A Doctor Strange movie should spin out of ‘Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire’

The modern take on Doctor Strange should be used in a movie!

[amazon_link asins=’1302905899′ template=’AiPTProductAd’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’13c31f59-f03f-11e7-aea6-7f050cc40254′]

If you haven’t seen Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, I highly recommend it. Seeing the spells and magical worlds on the big screen is a delight. It’s a facet of the Marvel Universal that has begged for a visual representation since the very beginning. That movie also got the character very right. Well, at least the arrogant traditional version. In recent years Jason Aaron has formed a more comical and humbled version of the character and this week Dennis Hopeless and John Barber continue to do great things with this character in Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

So what’s it about?

The official summary reads:

The Sorcerer Supreme suffers Secret Empire! New York City is under attack by dark forces, and only Doctor Strange has a shot at saving it – but it’s quite a long shot! And to have any hope, Strange must ally himself with some unsavory people. No, not Spider-Woman – though the Doctor is recruiting her, too. We’re talking about Wilson Fisk, A.K.A. the Kingpin. Together, they’ll take the fight to the person running New York City…Baron Mordo! But even if they win, are they ready for the Hydra-occupied America waiting outside of the dark-domed Manhattan?

Can I jump in easily?

Surprisingly yes. This may be a tie-in with the “Secret Empire” event, but it’s rather self-contained since it takes place under the black dome Captain America dropped on New York City. Much of what happens under the dome didn’t affect the main event and vice versa. It also mostly focuses on Doctor Strange’s mission to break the dome and only utilizes a few supporting characters to get the meat of the story going.

3 Reasons Why: A Doctor Strange movie should spin out of 'Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire'
An unlikely paring.

Reason 1: He’s humble and more focused on what matters.

One of the coolest aspects of this modern take on Doctor Strange is how he may know more than most, but he doesn’t rub it in anyone’s face. He’s been depowered with much of the magic removed from the world so in most instances he’s barely getting a spell off or vanquishing a monster anyway. He doesn’t have time to rub it in anyone’s face. He’s also exhausted half the time and, like in this collection, a bath is more on his mind than being a prick.

In a stroke of genius, the second to last chapter has the Doctor Strange of today interacting with an entity he faced years ago. In those flashbacks, writer John Barber and artists Juan Frigeri and Java Tartaglia depict a classic style Doctor Strange with the opulent costume. He’s arrogant and it helps prove that he’s made mistakes because of it. It’s nice to see how Barber shows he’s grown out of that and become a better character for it.

Reason 2: Being depowered means thinking on the fly.

Hopeless builds your anticipation for a big spell early on in this collection only to have it go poof. Doctor Strange is annoyed, but much like magic, nothing is certain. Throughout this collection, you get the impression Strange isn’t surprised by anything because he’s seen so much and that means rolling with what you got. Since he’s been depowered he has way more limits and that makes action scenes and the book as a whole more unpredictable.

It also means teaming up with unlikely characters. This collection has him teaming up with Kingpin, Spider-Woman, and Ben Urich (and he comes in handy too!). At first, he just wants these characters out of his way so they don’t get hurt, but quickly Hopeless has them serving a purpose on their mini army. As they face Baron Mordo and an army of monsters, Doctor Strange is just happy to be alive fighting the good fight.

Reason 3: The stakes are huge.

Movies need big stakes, which is probably why we keep seeing hordes of aliens coming out of portals to kill all of humanity. The stakes in this story are big as all of New York City is in danger. It’s not the entire world, but the stakes are even larger because Doctor Strange is the only magic wielding hero under that black magic dome. Add in the fact that he is limited in his powers and magical items are rare and he’s facing his longtime rival Baron Mordo and you have some dire stakes indeed.

The two follow up chapters written by John Barber continue that trend. The first involves an entity of incredible power that even the old school arrogant Doctor Strange is afraid of. The second has Doctor Strange and his super green apprentice face off against undead spirit monsters in close quarters. In both cases, Doctor Strange must think fast or his head will be lopped off.

3 Reasons Why: A Doctor Strange movie should spin out of 'Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire'
I think he just popped out of a butt…

Reasons to be wary?

[amazon_link asins=’1302905899′ template=’BottomAdAIPT’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’19cf4801-f03f-11e7-b063-99e0641d97b4′]

The only unfortunate thing is Doctor Strange doesn’t actually save New York City! I suspect that was saved for the “Secret Empire” finale (or one of the chapters) so it couldn’t be wrapped up here. That said, it makes the climax of the main story fall a bit short. A villain is defeated, sure, but the day is yet to be won. You could argue that falls in line with Doctor Strange’s inability to catch a break though.

Is there a rationale to the reasons?

This is an exciting trade paperback well worth a look for fans of the character. Reading “Secret Empire” is not required and if you’ve enjoyed the recent and more humble take on Doctor Strange you’re going to love this. Now, after a movie or two, can they get Cumberbatch to do the character in this way?

3 Reasons Why: A Doctor Strange movie should spin out of 'Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire'
Doctor Strange Vol. 5: Secret Empire
Is it good?
A highly enjoyable trade that is easy to jump into.
Doctor Strange is depicted in his more recent iteration and it's just great
So fun to see Spider-Woman and Ben Urich kicking magic ass
The last two chapters by John Barber are solid done in one tales
Niko Henrichon draws magic in a gritty and vibrant style
The story ends without a big finish
9
Great

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup