Writer: Mark Waid / Artist: Jesus Saiz / Marvel Comics
Doctor Strange #2 continues Mark Waid and Jesus Saiz’s intergalactic take on the Stephen. The last issue ended tragically with Strange crash landing on a planet in search of otherworldly sources of magic only to find the inhabitants seeming unaware of the concept. To make matters worse they decide to imprison him.
Waid and Saiz give us a classic sci fi trope, “Escape From Space Prison”. It’s been done again and again (Black Panther did the same thing last month). The artists understand that if you are going to tell a cliche story your writing and art need to be on point. The creative team puts this comic together beautifully. The first thing to pop is Saiz’s art. He plays with a realism that is ever more impressive in a book with alien species. The color schemes and shading are immaculate. Much of the book is muted with duller colors appropriate for the dank prison. This causes the energy prison bars and other bright items to impressively pop. The book switches to a red hue with the prison alarm system going off, adding to the sense of danger conveyed.
Waid proves himself a talented wordsmith, well matched with Saiz’s art. The dialogue between Strange and his new cell mate, is quick and witty. More than enough to keep your interest and entertain throughout the break out. The most impressive aspect of Waid’s wordplay is through the narration. Instead of having Strange inner monologue serve the purpose his narrator tells the story third person. “For the first time in seventy-three days, the magician smiled”. Accompanied by italicized text the narrator, quite traditionally, tells the tale of Stephen Strange in space. It’s an interesting and unexpected choice that works well for this book. With the freedom to explore all sorts of worlds I’m excited where Waid and Saiz decide to take us with this exploration of Dr. Strange.
9 “Shoryukens” out of 10
Reading Doctor Strange? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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