Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Cable & Deadpool #47 cover with Dr. Strange by Skottie Young Artist Skottie Young blogs about his funky Cable & Deadpool #47 cover with guest-star Doctor Strange [SkottieYoung.com] [Marvel November 02007 Solicitations at CBR] [large image] [thanks Sanctum!]

Hope seen for comics diversity health: Bookstore distributor competition forcing Diamond to reduce/abolish monopolish reorder penalties on non-Marvel/DC? [Lying In The Gutters]

Douglas Wolk gets artcomicker flak for his wide range that engages, values them darn superheroes too; his new book Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean [Blog@Newsarama]
Eddie Campbell's pal: "Did Ingmar Bergman have to justify Star Wars every time he sat down for an interview?"
Douglas Wolk: More Harm Than Good? [Comics Reporter]

Jack The King Kirby would have been 90 years old today; his influence lives on [Mark Evanier]
Jack Kirby, a Comic Book Genius, Is Finally Remembered [NY Times Op-Ed]

Posted 28 August 02007 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange by Kaluta Dr. Strange and Clea commission by M.W. Kaluta [thanks Matt!]

Comic Foundry #1 out this past week! [Myriad Issues collecting reviews/shoutouts]
Comic Foundry launch party in NYC Wednesday night [Myriad Issues]

01991 Overstreet market report: X-Force #1 speculator cards "devilishly clever!"; no long-term interest for Sandman [Progressive Ruin]

CGC coffins: threat or menace? [LA Times]
"Holy plastic slab!" headline: definitely terrible.

Posted 27 August 02007 - Permalink

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Amazing Fantasy Omnibus Ditko-centric Amazing Fantasy Omnibus out this past week [Best Of Most Of]
Table of contents from Marvel Masterworks:

Reprints: Amazing Adventures #1-6, Amazing Adult Fantasy #7-14 and Amazing Fantasy #15
Bonus Features:
"Die, Monsters, Die!" essay by Stephen R. Bissette
"The Road to Amazing Fantasy" essay by Blake Bell
"Jack Kirby, Atlas Comics & Monsters!" essay by Jack Kirby, reprinted from Monster Menace #2, January 01994
Amazing Adventures #5, page one, original artwork by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
Amazing Adventures #6, page eight, original artwork by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
Amazing Adventures #6, page ten, original artwork by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
Reprint covers from Monsters on the Prowl #27-28, Strange Tales #175, Weird Wonder tales #19-22
Amazing Adult Fantasy/Fantastic Four house ad from Hulk #1
Reprint covers from Fantasy Masterpieces #1, Journey Into Mystery #10
Cover to Monster Menace #2 by Steve Ditko
Monster key for cover to Monster Menace #2
Cover to Monster Menace #3 by Steve Ditko
Cover to Curse of the Weird #1 by Steve Ditko
Pinup from Monster Menace #1 by Steve Ditko
Pinup from Monster Menace #3 by Steve Ditko
"Essay" by Steve Ditko from Monster Menace #3, art by Steve Ditko
Biographies: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Paul Reinman

Posted 26 August 02007 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange by John Byrne John Byrne's incredible Dr. Strange art to Gerry Turnbull in response to Michael Golden's unprofessional commission [Byrne Robotics MB]

Glowing review of Jonathan Ross' Ditko documentary [TwoMorrows News Today]

Film news website reporting that Marvel is shopping a Dr. Strange live-action movie to directors [IESB.net] [thanks Laura!]

Fred Hembeck trying to Drumm up some cash with Brother Voodoo art [EBay] [image]
Why I Goof On Brother Voodoo [Fred Hembeck]
Fred Hembeck's daughter drew Doctor "Stange" when she was five years old [Hembeck Art: The Next Generation]

Posted 17 August 02007 - Permalink

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A shocking loss: Fun respected artist Mike Wieringo has died, age 44 [Comic Book Resources] [Mike Wieringo Official Website]

Doctor Strange by Mike Wieringo

Doctor Strange by Mike Wieringo, Sensational Spider-Man #23. No Mike, we didn't get enough.

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Gordon Lee trial begins [Comic Book Legal Defense Fund] [CBLDF's comprehensive history of the case]
Comic-Book Store Owner on Trial for Nude Images [NPR 14 August Morning Edition audio] [via The Beat]

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The Doctor Strange animated DVD movie is out!

Win a contest, win the DVD, by drawing Doctor Strange artwork or writing an incantation [ComicsOnline.com]

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Doctor-Strange uber-fan and F.O.N. SanctumSanctorumComix lays into Illuminati #4, Bendis' Clea history and Doc dialogue [Defenders Message Board]

Posted 15 August 02007 - Permalink

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The Hypercomics of Daniel Merlin Goodbrey
Neat Flash-based infinite-canvas interactive webcomics from 02000-02005 at E-Merl.com. Website found/refound via Paul Gravett mentioning it in his MoCCA "Cult Fiction: Comics as Art, Art as Comics" presentation tonight. [Goodbrey won 02005 Isotope Mini-Comic Award for The Last Sane Cowboy]

Posted 13 August 02007 - Permalink

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"Cult Fiction: Comics as Art, Art as Comics": Paul Gravett speaking tomorrow night (Monday) at The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in NYC for free [MoCCA Mondays Calendar] [Paul Gravett website/comics articles]

Superheroes can proliferate as never before outside the Marvel/DC sandbox [Paul Gravett]

Posted 12 August 02007 - Permalink

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How do you solve a problem like Dr. Strange? [Douglas Wolk at The Savage Critics]
And how New Avengers: Illuminati #4 exemplifies "the Strange problem" (no point without surreal-spendorific art; undefined mystical powers in a physical world).

Neil Gaiman credits Lee/Ditko's Dr. Strange briefly as one of the childhood comics that made him a writer [MySpace Comic Books video interview re: Stardust] [thanks Eric!]

Ditko's Shade The Changing Man #1's incredibly selfish word balloon [Hipster Dad]

New X-Men #41 preview; Doctor Strange guest-stars [PopCultureShock]

When Neilalien's scanners picked up "a new Kirby Doctor Strange banner" he wasn't expecting a pink spherical video-game creature [Bentendo64]

The Rama-Tut time-traveling storyline gets the comicsblog treatment again [Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun]
Doctor Strange #53: "one of the most fun comics ever" [Bully #2]
Blog-norm oops: Statute of limitations not up yet on Again With The Comics' treatment from earlier this year [Bully]

Doctor Strange animated DVD movie reviewed [The Trades]

It was the best of times (comics no longer held in contempt), it was the worst of times (hamstrung by our own structures) [Permanent Damage column at Comic Book Resources]

Marvel 02007 2Q numbers: Publishing net sales up $7.8 million from Q2 02006 or 31% to $32.9 million [Newsarama] [ICv2] [Bags And Boards]
Civil War and Dark Tower credited. Operating income in publishing rose to $14.7 million with an operating margin of 45%- overpriced trades not credited. Licensing strong. But soft Spider-Man 3 toy sales muted profit to below Wall Street's expectations.

Check out Templar, written by Dave's Long Box [Templar ashcan online]

Ralph's Comic Corner: Robbed! [Progressive Ruin; #2]

Haspiel and Fiffe Brawl interview [Silver Bullet]

That time the Punisher became a black guy [Chris's Invincible Super-Blog]

Mexican cave found with giant translucent gypsum crystals reminiscent of Superman's Fortress of Solitude [Technovelgy] [via Digg]

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Comic Book Convention Models, But Were Afraid To Ask [Publishing Follies column at Comic Book Resources]

Doc fans: New Avengers #33 out this week [preview at PopCultureShock]

Defenders Minimates item in Toyfair #122 [thanks Howard!]

Defenders Minimates in Toyfair #122

Posted 10 August 02007 - Permalink

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Doctor StrangeZom Braindump: Doctor Strange in World War Hulk #3

Doc an active part of a large Marvel Universe event [+1]. Given that he's usually absent (Neilalien's still upset about Secret Wars)- even from very mystical events or other no-brainers for Doc's involvement (e.g., Doc and Hulk's long history and friendship)- and despite Neilalien's aversion to these big crossovers (that WWH issue checklist has more editorially-controlled momentum- and accessibility-nukers than Infinity War)- it's good to see. And Doc's not even a deus ex machina so far, either!

Doc got into Hulk's head [+1]. The manifestation of the spell in #2 sucked: Doc "needed to be let in" by the target for the spell to work, which rendered it a useless spell against enemies. And to fight the spell off, all Hulk did was jump in a river. #3 is better- the ferocious attack by General Ross weakens/distracts Hulk so Doc can force his way in.

Doc inside Hulk's head [+1]. Bad cop ("mortal flame!")/good cop. Doc is more effective than anyone else so far- he achieves a mental transformation into Banner. The Caiera vision is something Doc can uniquely do (surely Professor X too), which is good. And then Doc doesn't kill Banner- he's heroic, he's a friend. Maybe it comes off as a little namby-pamby parent-child- would prefer more Zen detachment or tough love from Doc. But Doc doesn't apologize for the banishment- nor should he. Doctor Strange has banished the Hulk from Earth before. Barring a cure, which will never be as long as the Hulk sells Underoos, or killing the Hulk, ditto, and Doc would and should never do that- banishment is the only option- and as Doc says in #2, it's an increasingly bad option- Hulk will just keep coming back angrier. Doc should be unapologetic about banishment. It's a standard mystic punishment (along with mindwipes). How many times has the Hulk said he just wanted to be left alone anyway? It's the safest thing for the Hulk, and for the Earth. Neat Freddie-Krueger "what happens inside happens outside" psychic thing with the hands, although Doc's pseudo-deastralization inside Hulk's mind feels like an unclear extra step. Maybe better to simply keep Doc in one "hittable" form throughout, floating out of reach until Banner needs the hug- then crunch.

Hiroim [0]. "Baldy McPonytail" made Neilalien laugh. Hiroim competently takes down Doc's Sanctum illusion, which is fine. An even zero here because Neilalien would have preferred to see a mystical battle between Doc and Hiroim instead of one more page of Hulk smashing tanks and helicopters. Hiroim might make a good rogues gallery addition for Doc. Iron Fist comes off too poorly in the battle- his main power does nothing to Hiroim, and then he's out. Getting hit in the forearm with the Fist doesn't even prevent Hiroim from casting a spell later, the way Doc's broken hands prevent him.

Doc scared and powerless [-0.5]. Doctor Strange definitely looks panicked in a couple panels. Eh. Unless it's early in Doc's career, and Stan Lee is writing the dramatic internal monologue of desperation against a god-like foe, Doc shouldn't be rattled. No one else is shown to shit a brick (granted, few get the chance). But this doesn't receive a full -1 affront to Neilalien because (a) while broken hands shouldn't take out a Sorcerer Supreme (it kinda never prevented him from becoming one, eh?) (perhaps a quick healing or teleport spell that every mystic knows for exactly such a critical emergency as losing the use of one's hands), taking out the hands somehow, binding, etc., is a standard way of controlling a mystic's power, and Doc's power needs to be non-omnipotent, and (b) Neilalien could be convinced that Doc's shaken because the broken hands hit a deep internal psychological button, reminding of the original car accident.

Ingesting the Zomling [+2]. After the initial shock and awesomeness, Neilalien thought immediately of accessibility. Not that this book is meant to be accessible to anyone beyond 30-something Marvel Zombies- but most 30-something Marvel Zombies don't even know who Zom is. The server hosting the Zom page at the Marvel Universe Appendix must be humming. Essentially, Zom is a mystical (he absorbs magic, so it can't be used against him) demonic doomsday MacGuffin from the old post-Ditko Strange Tales run, whose prison was an Eternity-created amphora. He partially came back again in Sorcerer Supreme #20 as a little Zomling, a piece of the essence of Zom still attached to the amphora, which is now one of Doc's many knick-knacks. So basically, Doc's solution when the Hulk hits the fan is to gulp down the essence of an evil creature so powerful that only Eternity or the Living Tribunal have been shown able to deal with it. Didn't see that coming. Wow. Can't be the smartest thing- Zom's supposed to be much worse than the Hulk. But what a great gift for old-school Doc fans. We even get a rhyming incantation. Neilalien loves it! It's comics crazy like Lois Lane in a race-changing machine.

Zomtor Strange beats Hiroim [+0.5]. Finally some ass-kicking competence- but not a full +1 because it's off-panel. The off-panel trick has been used for a Doc victory so many more times than for other heroes.

Plus: General Ross's monologue about the Hulk's constant oscillation between monster of destruction and forgiven pardoned "bleeding-heart"-excused hero is great.

Plus: Madison Square Garden is the new gladiator arena. You just have to love that the Marvel Universe is set in New York City. Much better than any Gotham City Convention Center.

Minus: Don't give a darn about Sentry. Barely know who he is. If he is the Hulk's defeater/ally/story linchpin: big letdown. Neilalien's rooting for Marvel to finally create a new iconic character since- when? Wolverine? Punisher? The 01970's?- that both new kids and old fanboys could get into. For Neilalien, Sentry ain't the guy.

So with the new math, Neilalien says that World War Hulk #3 is a very good Dr. Strange appearance. And not one boring Doc energy blast, either. Pak gets props, pending Parts 4 and 5.

Overall, World War Hulk is better than House of M or Civil War (high praise, indeed!). It's a better forum for hero-infighting than Civil War was. A bit too much mindless Hulk Smash repetition that made Neilalien a fan of superheroes with more diverse and interesting powers like Doctor Strange- smashing is what Hulk does- the heroes/his enemies are also only doing physical frontal assualts (and old-kung-fu-movie one-at-a-time-itis too). But it's palatable with Romita Jr. and Klaus All-Class Janson doing the fight choreography. Neilalien's interested to see how Hulk defeats Doc-Zom (as he surely will), and how it all ends (time for a Judas, or Rick Jones, or a Hulk persona change, or something?).

[ZOMG image by Howard Hallis]

Posted 5 August 02007 - Permalink

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Ducktor Strange in She-Hulk #20 Oh baby... Looks like a decent haul for Doctor Strange fans out today! Didn't see that last page of World War Hulk #3 coming [synopsis at Wizard (thanks Joe!)]... And The Marvel Tarot is full of beautiful designs and interesting info. And New Avengers: Illuminati #4.

Update: Don't forget a one-page Ducktor Strange appearance in She-Hulk #20 [thanks Tim!]

Braindumpage to follow as the time gods allow. Off to read some comics!

Posted 1 August 02007 - Permalink

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