Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

September 02021

Steve Ditko estate/heirs (along with Gene Colan heirs, Larry Lieber, etc.) file copyright termination notices re: Marvel characters, including Doctor Strange and Spider-Man!

Marvel Could Lose Copyright Over Spider-Man And Doctor Strange

Determining when a license or transfer can be terminated is complicated. The basic rule for works created and assigned prior to 1978 is that termination can be effective any time within a five-year window that opens exactly 56 years from the date copyright was originally secured... Amazing Fantasy #15 was published in 1962. Add fifty-six years to that, the window for copyright termination began in 2018 and finishes in 2023. Strange Tales #110 was one year later. Now seems to be the right time... Might a new deal with the estate of Steve Ditko be in the offing?

Marvel Sues To Block Heirs From Reclaiming Spider-Man, Doctor Strange Copyrights

Marvel filed five lawsuits on Friday seeking to block the heirs of comic book creators from reclaiming copyrights to many of its most popular characters, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man and Doctor Strange... The move comes after heirs of five Marvel authors filed dozens of termination notices with the U.S. Copyright Office. If the notices were to succeed, they would not prevent Marvel from using the disputed characters, which were created by multiple collaborators. But they would require the studio to make payments to the heirs... The termination notices were filed by Marc Toberoff, a veteran copyright attorney who fought similar battles on behalf of the heirs of Jack Kirby, a co-creator of several Marvel heroes, and of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the co-creators of Superman. Toberoff argues that the Marvel authors' work led to multi-billion dollar franchises, and that their heirs should be allowed to share in the wealth... Toberoff argues that the comics were not done on a work-for-hire basis, as the law was understood at the time. He says that the authors were freelancers and independent contractors, and that they assigned their copyrighted work to the publisher in exchange for payment. In that case, he argues, their heirs should be allowed to reclaim the copyrights.

Marvel Suing To Keep Rights To Avengers Characters From Copyright Termination

The litigation figures to focus on the "Marvel Method," a loose collaborative working atmosphere where initial ideas were briefly discussed with artists responsible for taking care of the details.

Did Ditko's Randian pride rationalize passivity/disadvantage him against Marvel's exploitation? Or is that blaming the victim? Or did Ditko save his own life by walking away; what duty did he have to fix the comics industry? [musing re: this Kim O'Connor/Jeet Heer exchange on Twitter]

Ken Lowery: "i don't know if i have the spirit in me to withstand another round of, like, the heirs and families of terminally exploited artists being called "greedy" by SpoodeyMans420XxX in defense of the goddamn Disney Corporation"

[24 September 02021]

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The Death Of Doctor Strange #1 out today!

Updating: Collecting links as found: Spoilers: Braindump:

The Death Of Doctor Strange Will Be 'Perfect', Marvel Promises

Doctor Strange's Death Revealed By Marvel Comics [spoilers for #1]

Neilalien is loathe to indulge variant covers but here they are for academic purposes [Midtown Comics] [the Colan is 1:50]

Comic Book Round Up collected reviews

Positive review at Multiversity Comics

The Beat review: "defies and exceeds expectations"

The Death Of Doctor Strange Sets Up A Massive Marvel Mystery

Murdered by someone he recognizes, with power he's familiar with, that shouldn't exist...

Are The Deaths Of Scarlet Witch And Doctor Strange Connected?

Both Doc and Witch- recently killed by daggers...? But: It's doubtful it's Silver Dagger.

Update: Per writer Jed Mackay, Vincent Stevens was the first-draft murderer! [The Strangers]

Who Killed Doctor Strange? You Will Know Them By Their Teeth

Normal teeth- not sharp exaggerated vampire/demonic teeth- and a special speech balloon isn't used...

There's a few bits here about Doc's restored hands- and then on the death page- Doc's hands are fucking missing! Removed...? Souvenirs...?

The damaged hands are returning...? Neilalien doesn't mind if Doc consults with hospitals on weird cases from time to time, but the actual surgeon side-job can happily go away...

Doc said in Doctor Voodoo #1 that one can't afford to split time between being Sorcerer Supreme and a medical doctor [per @SanctumBlog]

Since there is so much about hands: What about that creature Doc goes to in Doctor Strange V5 #19 to restore his hands? Channok, Keeper of the Forbidden Spells. It's unlikely he's the actual murderer- but he could be behind it somehow, to take the hands back. His teeth seem 'normal'. He growls there will be a price. But he didn't seem the type to travel anywhere, he doesn't seem like the one who actually exacts the prices. And he spoke in that issue with a special word balloon.

Exclusive/Interview: Death Of Doctor Strange Writer Jed MacKay On The Event's 30-Years-In-The-Making First-Issue Twist

It's like Doc Voldemort-horcruxed himself with a piece of his soul, to be activated upon his death. The OG Master of Black Magic is back.

That was actually something that was in place when I joined the project. Tom Brevoort had been batting around some ideas for The Death of Doctor Strange for 30 years, and one of them was this idea of a younger Strange appearing from a hidden door in the Sanctum, tucked away for just this sort of disaster. I thought it was a very elegant idea, and took it and ran with it!

And it would be so cool if OG Doc makes Modern Doc look mopey-dope by comparison...

Marvel's Death Of Doctor Strange Ends With A Surprise Return ["Doogie Strange"- the purple pre-Eye-and-Cloak-and-Strange-Tales-#127 Doc]

Mordo playing the villain-will-team-up-because-"Only I may kill the hero!" card...

Many Easter eggs for long-time fans. Rasputin/Plotnick. Xander. Seven Suns/Sons of Cinnibus. And we get some Crimson Bands and actual Eye usage/in the forehead...

Props: Without Doc, the dimension is immediately attacked from all sides...

Bats is a charming companion, more than say, Rintrah...

So many little touches to like. The art and colors are great; Doc looks great. The humility line, and not enjoying talking about himself line. The giant skull nightstand. How he can never appear tired or rumpled...

Was all of that supposed to happen in one day? A very fine line is being walked here- the regular joe with the absurd job...

We didn't need to show Doc pining over the Clea photo twice to make the point...

Comprehensive review by Doctor Strange Daily Appreciation: "This is, indeed, a love letter... a story about how Stephen is important to Marvel's universe"; although again this writer embraces what Neilalien would call a broken sad-sack Doc much more than Neilalien would

There's too much shit on Doc's floor. What was he doing- playing 52-Pickup with tarot cards? There's Wong and Watoomb Winds to clean that mess up.

Death Of Doctor Strange #2 preview pages, concept art, covers- with a new dark Clea design- and three all-new villains called The Three Mothers- the Wyrd, the Crown, and the Crawling

Who Will Be The New Sorcerer Supreme? ["A new mystical protector rises in December's 'Death of Doctor Strange' #4!"]

Magik will likely not be successor since they spoon-fed us that she's Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo already in the issue [per @LukaNieto] (was that an old-time Limbo baseball team they were fighting lol?)

Did you know that "Zounds!" is a minced oath for Christ's crucifixion wounds ("By God's wounds")?

[22 September 02021]

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Marvel's November and December 02021 solicits include tons of Death of Doctor Strange and tie-ins, Savage Avengers, Defenders

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #3 (OF 5)
JED MacKAY (W)
LEE GARBETT (A)
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant cover by InHyuk Lee
VARIANT COVER BY Kim Jacinto
MEET THE THREE MOTHERS!
With no Sorcerer Supreme, Earth is left entirely defenseless against the mother- MOTHERS- of all mystical threats. Meet the Three Mothers: the Wyrd, an alien mage-priestess; the Crown, a powerful warrior-queen; and the Crawling, a monstress composed of acid-mouthed worms. Will they be the Marvel Universe's undoing? And were they the ones who killed Stephen Strange?! In the vein of the Black Order, don't miss the first appearances of the next great Marvel villain team!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #4 (OF 5)
JED MACKAY (W)
LEE GARBETT (A)
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant Cover by Paco Medina
Devil's Reign Villain Variant Cover by ANNIE WU
WHO WILL BE THE NEW SORCERER SUPREME? Someone has to stop the giant mystical threat devouring all magic, and it can't be the Avengers. Or the Fantastic Four. Or the X-Men. It'll take someone with the greatest skills and command over the mystic arts to save us all. It'll take the Sorcerer Supreme. But who will that be?!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE: SPIDER-MAN #1
JED MACKAY (W)
MARCELO FERREIRA (A)
COVER BY GREG LAND
VARIANT COVER BY Roge Antonio
This ain't Ben Reilly's first rodeo as Spider-Man, but he's never had to deal with the death of the Sorcerer Supreme and what it does to New York City.
Part of Strange's will and testament was to ask Spidey to deal with particular problems... Is BEN up to it?
Black Cat isn't a big Ben fan, so is she riding shotgun because she owes Strange to keep an eye on Ben, or to sabotage Ben?!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE: WHITE FOX #1
ALYSSA WONG (W)
ANDIE TONG (A)
Cover by R1c0
VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
VARIANT COVER BY INHYUK LEE
LAST OF HER KIND! LAST HOPE FOR EARTH!
AMI HAN is the last of the mystical shape-shifting KUMIHO. As the WHITE FOX, she's defended Earth from every threat and proven herself again and again alongside the Agents of Atlas and Tiger Division. But the DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE will test her like never before. Something (or someone) is murdering innocents and the only suspect who fits the profile is White Fox! She'll have to clear her name and uncover the dark secrets from her mysterious origin while the very planet is under siege. Ami can have the answers she so desperately seeks, or she can save her friends. Guest-starring SWORD MASTER and TIGER DIVISION!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE: BLADE #1
DANNY LORE (W)
DYLAN BURNETT (A)
Cover by BOSSLOGIC
VARIANT COVER BY David Baldeon
A long time ago, Doctor Strange destroyed every vampire in the world with one spell, including Dracula. Now,, with Strange dead, Dracula's Vampire Nation celebrates! That doesn't sit too well with Strange's old friend, and new Vampire Nation sheriff, Blade the Vampire Hunter! But what happens when interlopers from another dimension invade the vamp's territory and put all the bloodsuckers' lives at risk? Will Blade do his duty to protect them? Or will he help make sure the vamps stay wiped out this time?
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE: X-MEN/BLACK KNIGHT #1
SI SPURRIER (W)
BOB QUINN (A)
Cover by CORY SMITH
Variant Cover by MATIAS BERGARA
LONDON'S BURNING! THE BLACK KNIGHTS RIDE AGAIN! All manner of vile extradimensional foes invade Earth following the collapse of Doctor Strange's magical safeguards for the planet. Dane Whitman, A.K.A. the BLACK KNIGHT, receives a terrible vision from the EBON SIEGE while Jacks, now sharing the burden of the EBONY BLADE with her father, rides off to confront a terrible evil attacking London- the X-MEN?! Krakoa's greatest heroes have been transformed- but by what?! Jacks, Dane and Faiza Hussain wielder of the mighty sword EXCALIBUR must team up to save the X-Men before an even deadlier threat destroys them all!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

SAVAGE AVENGERS #26
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
The LAST Savage Avenger Standing!
Kulan Gath has cleared the board of all his enemies... except one. 'Nuff said!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

SAVAGE AVENGERS #27
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
This is the one you've been waiting for- Conan, Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom and a time master to be named later all join your favorite Savage Avengers to put a dagger-sized pin into the heart of the Kulan Gath saga. You won't see this end coming... 'cause we didn't either.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

DEFENDERS #4 (OF 5)
AL EWING (W)
JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
Variant cover by Ken Niimura
BEFORE THERE WERE GODS... THERE WERE MARVELS!
Doctor Strange and his Defenders land in the Fourth Cosmos- the home of the Archetypes of Good and Evil, primal entities of pure myth destined to echo through every reality to come- as the desperate Dr. Zota attempts to harness their power to rewrite all existence in his own hand! Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez explore the truest origins of the Marvel Multiverse in a cosmos-colliding epic you'll have to experience to believe!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

STRANGE ACADEMY #13
SKOTTIE YOUNG (W)
HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT VARIANT COVER BY ART ADAMS
UNLUCKY 13 VARIANT COVER BY TBA
The Strange Academy kids have a night on the town in New Orleans!
Some kids go for a tour of a famous NOLA graveyard, and I'm sure you know how teens in graveyards usually go.
Emily takes a field trip of her own, and we also learn the SECRET ORIGIN OF ZOE LAVEAU!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

STRANGE ACADEMY #14
SKOTTIE YOUNG (W)
HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT VARIANT COVER BY ARTHUR ADAMS
This is it. The issue that you'll be looking back on five, ten, fifteen years from nowSee the future of Strange Academy and the Marvel Universe. You won't believe your eyes.
32 PGS./Rated T $3.99

SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: CROSSROADS #5 (OF 5)
PETER DAVID (W)
GREG LAND (A/C)
Variant Cover by PHILIP TAN
KARNILLA RULES!
The Queen of the Norns finally has what she wants, but are the combined efforts of SPIDER-MAN, DOCTOR STRANGE, THE INCREDIBLE HULK and THE ETERNALS enough to stop her?
Maybe not, but something ASGARDIAN this way comes!
32 PGS./Rated T $3.99

[20 September 02021]

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Garth Ennis on Batman: "What we're talking about here is a billionaire aristocrat who beats up poor people, as well as the mentally ill"

[19 September 02021]

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Bill Willingham: Why Are (Some) Comics Pros So Damn Abrasive? [because the bullied often become bullies]

[18 September 02021]

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Marvel didn't have a piece of paper that said they owned Secret Wars or Venom; they just bought one from Jim Shooter for $10,000

Jim Shooter Just Signed Away Secret Wars And Venom For $10,000

Jim Shooter On Secret Wars In Development As A Marvel Movie

[9 September 02021]

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According to this article/chart at Bleeding Cool, Death of Doctor Strange #1 is one of the top books being advance-reordered by Direct Market retailers right now

[2 September 02021]

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Doctor Strange's What If...? episode released today on Disney+ ["The Lost Books" Official Clip]

[1 September 02021]

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