Nick Caputo has been updating/revising/expanding some texts at Marvel Mysteries And Comics Minutiae:

Dr. Strange: The Beginning

Dr. Strange: The Early Stories (Circa 1963-64)

Why I Like Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko Potpourri

[30 June 02021]

Massive Marvel September 02021 solicits include Death of Doctor Strange, Darkhold, Defenders, Dormammu/Mindless Ones in Last Annihilation

• DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #1 (OF 5)
JED MACKAY (W)
LEE GARBETT (A)
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant Cover by PEACH MOMOKO
Variant Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
Miles Morales: Spider-Man 10th ANNIVERSARY Variant Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Hidden Gem Variant cover by Gene Colan
VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY NATACHA BUSTOS
DEATH COMES FOR THE SORCERER SUPREME!
Doctor Stephen Strange is the world's greatest neurosurgeon and Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He defends our planet from the supernatural and interdimensional threats no other hero is equipped to handle. But what would happen if he unexpectedly died? Who would protect Earth and keep the mystical evils at bay? And most importantly... who killed Stephen Strange?! The final chapter in the life of Doctor Strange starts here by Jed MacKay (Moon Knight, Black Cat) and Lee Garbett (Captain Marvel)!
40 PGS./Rated T+ $4.99

• THE DARKHOLD ALPHA #1
STEVE ORLANDO (W)
CIAN TORMEY (A)
Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
Variant Cover by SUPERLOG
Variant Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
DESIGN VARIANT COVER BY CIAN TORMEY
STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY JUANN CABAL
ENTER THE PAGES OF THE DARKHOLD- AND LOSE YOUR MIND IN MIGHTY MARVEL FASHION!
Critically acclaimed writer Steve Orlando joins forces with extraordinary artist Cian Tormey for a story that will delight and terrify! For hundreds of years, scholars and heroes alike have searched for the complete text of the Darkhold- a.k.a. the Book of the Damned, written by the elder god Chthon. Now one of the greatest sorcerers in the Multiverse has found it- and Chthon has found him. To save them all, the Scarlet Witch must gather the world's greatest heroes... and unleash their inner darkness. Witness the Marvel Universe's descent into chaos!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99
RETAILERS: Please note that previous orders have been cancelled. New solicitation codes must be used to order this issue.

• DEFENDERS #2 (OF 5)
AL EWING (W)
JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
Variant cover by JOE QUINONES
Teaser Variant Cover by JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
THE MOTHER OF GALACTUS?
The Defenders find themselves in the birthplace of Galactus- but the Devourer is not the man they remember. Meet Taaia, Omnimax and more as Al Ewing and Javier Rodrguez expand the cosmos- and put Doctor Strange's makeshift magical team in extreme jeopardy!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

• THE MARVELS #5
KURT BUSIEK (W)
YILDIRAY CINAR (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by Mahmud Asrar
For starters, there's a Big Little Book. Plus monsters, international mayhem, the arrival of heroes in trouble and a deadly threat for Dr. Strange. And apartment problems, phone calls and an audience with Namor of Atlantis. You know, those kinds of things. Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Storm and more, plus the return of a Golden Age great andDakota North? Man, when we say 'marvels,' we mean marvels! Don't miss it- we'd miss you!
32 PGS./Rated T $3.99

• SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: CROSSROADS #3 (OF 5)
PETER DAVID (W)
GREG LAND (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY GERALD PAREL
The dimensional-warp tour keeps rolling as SPIDER-MAN comes face-to-face with a certain big red dinosaur!
If dinosaurs weren't enough, an unlikely HULK rears his frightening head!
PLUS: Black Cat and Doctor Strange!
32 PGS./Rated T $3.99

• SAVAGE AVENGERS #24
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
Can the unexpected entrance of an old villain help the Savage Avengers overcome the monstrous Kulan Gath? The entire Earth better hope so!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

Marvel reveals the villain behind the Guardians of the Galaxy cosmic crossover The Last Annihilation is Doctor Strange's adversary Dormammu

Last Annihilation [Marvel Database]
Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #16
S.W.O.R.D. (Vol. 2) #7
Cable: Reloaded #1
Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #17
Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1
Last Annihilation: Wiccan & Hulkling #1
Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #18

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18
AL EWING (W)
JUAN FRIGERI (A)
Cover by BRETT BOOTH
Variant cover by David Baldeon
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN 10TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY TBA
THE LAST ANNIHILATION CONCLUDES!
The Guardians and their allies are being overrun on all fronts by the Mindless Armies of Dormammu. There's only one hope for the galaxy as we know it. ROCKET RACCOON has a plan. All he needs to know is Dormammu's weak spot. Dormammu doesn't have a weak spot. Uh-oh.
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

THE LAST ANNIHILATION: WAKANDA #1
With the universe itself at stake, Black Panther enlists the might of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda to help stop the dreaded Dormammu! And leading the Wakandan forces is none other than the legendary M'Baku! Will T'Challa and M'Baku be able to defeat Dormammu's army of Mindless Ones? Don't miss this critical chapter of the LAST ANNIHILATION event as a new hero emerges!

THE LAST ANNIHILATION: WICCAN & HULKLING #1
The Last Annihilation has hit the Kree/Skrull Alliance. Wiccan and Hulkling must split up to simultaneously defend two planets against the Mindless Army! But will the individual newlyweds be enough to fight off the forces of Dormammu? Or will they become the next casualties in this senseless war?

[27 June 02021]

Death of Doctor Strange five-issue mini-series by Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett announced for September

[13 June 02021]

Upcoming Marvel solicits include a mini-series using the Defenders name, Doctor Strange back in Savage Avengers after a Nightmare story-arc without him- and new better Steve Ditko writing credits for Dr. Strange?

Marvel August 02021 solicits:

It looks more like a Secret Defenders cast than an actual Defenders cast- meh- but we shall see.

• DEFENDERS #1 (OF 5)
AL EWING (W)
JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY MARCOS MARTIN
DEADPOOL 30TH VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
SILVER SURFER VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
SILVER SURFER BLACK VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
REBORN VARIANT COVER BY CARLOS PACHECO
HIDDEN GEM VARIANT COVER BY GEORGE PEREZ
SUPERSTARS AL EWING & JAVIER RODRIGUEZ REUNITE
FOR A COSMOS-COLLIDING JOURNEY!
When existence itself faces extraordinary threats, it needs an extraordinary defense! That's when you call... THE DEFENDERS!
DOCTOR STRANGE and the MASKED RAIDER take a non-team of Marvel's weirdest, wildest heroes on a mission that will uncover the hidden architecture of reality itself! This cosmos was not the first to exist... but if the DEFENDERS can't track Marvel's oldest villain through the deepest trenches of time- it might be the last!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

• SAVAGE AVENGERS #23
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SHUMA-GORATH?
Even elder gods need eldercare. You thought your 2020 sucked, but Kulan Gath was eating Shuma-Gorath in small bites for the last year. Dr. Strange and Conan perform a wellness check. 'Nuff said!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

• STRANGE ACADEMY #12
SKOTTIE YOUNG (W)
HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
CHARACTER VARIANT COVER BY ARTHUR ADAMS
The person who shattered Toth is revealed, and it brings the second story arc of STRANGE ACADEMY to a rip-roaring climax!!!
Pieces of the Marvel Universe and Doctor Strange's past come back to haunt not Stephen Strange, but the students of The Strange Academy.
But that doesn't wash the hands of the person at Strange Academy who may just bring the whole. School. Down.
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

Marvel June 02021 solicits:

• DOCTOR STRANGE EPIC COLLECTION: MASTER OF THE MYSTIC ARTS TPB (NEW PRINTING)

The credits say "Written by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO"!
And then "Penciled by STEVE DITKO"

Is that new? Neilalien was looking through some of his old Doctor Strange collections. The Essential "phone book" has Lee as Writer and Ditko as Illustrator. The Masterworks has Lee as Writer and Ditko as Co-Plotter.

Also June:

• SAVAGE AVENGERS #21
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
Nightmare comes for the Marvel Universe and the Doctor is out, but luckily, Conan and Ghost Rider are IN. Flaming skulls are things Conan usually extinguishes with swords, but he's vaguely okay with Johnny Blaze.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

Marvel July 02021 solicits:

• SAVAGE AVENGERS #22
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
Conan and Ghost Rider get to the bottom of Nightmare's machinations and his werewolves' origins... and Johnny Blaze isn't the first Ghost Rider that Conan has encountered- he knew one back in Hyboria that rode around on a GIANT SPIDER. This chapter proves you can't spell 'flashback' without the 'AAH!'
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

• DOCTOR STRANGE EPIC COLLECTION: THE VAMPIRIC VERSES TPB
Collecting DOCTOR STRANGE, SORCERER SUPREME #14-33 and GHOST RIDER (1990) #12.

• MARVEL-VERSE: DOCTOR STRANGE GN-TPB
Collecting UNCANNY ORIGINS #12, DOCTOR STRANGE (1974) #55, MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES (2008) #5 and material from STRANGE TALES (1951) #126-127 and MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #5.

[30 May 02021]

Marvel, Magic And Strange Tales [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

[Marvel In The Silver Age]

["I don't think Stan Lee liked Doctor Strange, at least not at first..."]

[18 May 02021]