Doctor Strange
Steve Englehart/Frank Brunner

9 stories in MARVEL PREMIERE 9-14 and DOCTOR STRANGE 1-5 (1973-1974).

Writers: Steve Englehart (9), Mike Friedrich.
Penciler: Frank Brunner (9).
Inkers: Ernie Chan, Crusty Bunkers, Dick Giordano, Alan Weiss.

• The Crypts of Kaa-U! - SE/FB - 8/10
  
• Finally, Shuma-Gorath! - SE/FB - 10/10
  
• Portal to the Past! - SE/MF/FB - 7/10
  
• Time Doom - SE/FB - 10/10
  
• Sise-Neg Genesis - SE/FB - 10/10
  
• Through an Orb Darkly - SE/FB - 8/10
  
• A Separate Reality - SE/FB - 9/10
  
• Where Bound'ries Decay - SE/FB - 9/10
  
• Cloak and Dagger - SE/FB - 9/10

Average: 8.9/10

The Crypts of Kaa-U! (#9)
Odd stuff, but very readable and very enjoyable.
Lots happens here. Strange destroys a planet, journeys through space, rescues his master and takes a step closer to understanding what is going on.
But not a big step. And, indeed, the reader doesn’t have too much idea what the heck is going on. But, no matter… it’s a fun read and it looks spectacular.
8/10

Finally, Shuma-Gorath! (#10)
Absolute class.
Mind-blowing stuff.
This whole story arc (which concludes here) has been fantastic.
10/10

Portal to the Past! (#12)
Very enjoyable Doctor Strange story, with a nice balance between character stuff (his feelings for Clea; and her future) and the mission he gives himself.
The fact that he soon falls under the spell (literally) of an interesting new character serves to make the unfolding story even more enjoyable.
7/10

Time Doom (#13)
A Doctor Strange time-travel story!
I love time travel stories, especially convoluted ones by Steve Englehart!
There’s a scene in this where Doctor Strange (in disguise) meets himself arriving in the 18th Century that is as mind-blowing to the reader as it is to the hero.
Man, I loved this issue!!
10/10

Sise-Neg Genesis (#14)
EPIC time-travel story by Steve Englehart, with Baron Mordo and Doctor Strange just along for the ride.
Some of the historical stuff is a bit too ‘on the nose’ for me, but it can’t detract from an awesome read.
10/10

Through an Orb Darkly (#1)
First half is an ingenious attack on Strange’s HQ.
Second half is oddball, trippy stuff.
8/10

A Separate Reality (#2)
Cool.
The story arc advances very little, but Doc lost in a weird fantasy/unreality world makes great reading.
I was liking the issue anyway, but as soon as he walked into a room full of Defenders I was loving it. The fact that they were ‘fake’ made them fun.
9/10

Where Bound'ries Decay (#4)
Great dilemma.
And a story told with some BIG concepts.
The twist at the end is a bit weak, but there’s not doubt that this a great chapter, overall, flawed or not.
9/10

Cloak and Dagger (#5)
Storyline concludes with good balance of action and very inventive uses for our hero’s powers.
I love the baddie’s origin story (he was very nearly made Pope!) and the way the story ends.
Great final panel.
9/10

More info on the this specific run can be found if you log into comicbookdb.com and then click this link and this link.

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Black Widow - Friedrich/Thomas/Colan/Heck (70-1) 4.3/10
Captain Marvel - Thomas/Colan (67-8) 5.5/10 - Drake/Heck (68) 4.8/10 - Friedrich/Thomas/Kane (69-70) 4.1/10 -
Daredevil - Conway/Colan (71-2) 6.7/10 - Gerber (73-4) 6.5/10 -
Deathlok - Moench/Mantlo/Buckler (74-6) 8.8/10
Doctor Strange - Fox (71-2) 9.3/10 - Englehart/Brunner (73-4) 8.9/10 -
Ghost Rider - Friedrich (72-3) 2.6/10 - Isabella (74-6) 5.4/10 - Shooter/Heck (77) 6.7/10 - McKenzie/Perlin (78) 8.9/10 -
Iron Man - Brodsky/Heck (70) 7/10 -
Living Mummy - Isabella/Mayerik (73-5) 7.6/10
Luke Cage - Goodwin/Englehart/Tuska/Graham (72-3) 7.1/10 -
Night Nurse - Thomas/Mortimer (72) 6.3/10
Tales of the Zombie - Gerber/Marcos (73-4) 6.5/10

Doctor Strange
Steve Englehart/Gene Colan

13 stories in DOCTOR STRANGE 6-18 (1975-1976).

Writer: Steve Englehart (13).
Penciler: Gene Colan (13).
Inkers: Klaus Janson, John Romita, Tom Palmer (9), Frank Chiaramonte.

• Lift High the Veil of Fears! - SE/GC - 8/10
  
• The Demon Fever! - SE/GC - 9/10
  
• Rights of Passage! - SE/GC - 9/10
  
• Consummation - SE/GC - 10/10
  
• Alone Against Eternity… - SE/GC - 8/10
  
• Shadowplay! - SE/GC - 9/10
  
• Final Curtain! - SE/GC - 9/10
  
• Planet Earth is No More! - SE/GC - 10/10
  
• The Tomb of Dr. Strange! - SE/GC - 5/10
  
• Where There’s Smoke… - SE/GC - 10/10
  
• Beelzebub on Parade! - SE/GC - 10/10
  
• Utopia Rising! - SE/GC - 4/10
  
• The Dream is Dead! - SE/GC - 3/10

Average: 8/10

Lift High the Veil of Fears! (#6)
Fantastic Gene Colan art, and lots for Clea to do.
Segues from mundane to occult with ease.
Clever, engrossing.
Enjoyed seeing Clea get ‘screentime’. Her reluctance to go home makes her suddenly more interesting.
8/10

The Demon Fever! (#7)
Great story, fantastic art!
Dormammu is scary, Clea is badass, Doctor Strange is super smart.
Great cliffhanger, too.
The fantastic art is from Gene Colan and John Romita.
9/10

Rights of Passage! (#8)
Great example of a hero-without-his-powers story.
Plus lots of background on the sidekick Clea.
And: Action!
Dormammu comes across as a wonderfully fearsome foe. Possibly because the character is visually very striking.
9/10

Consummation (#9)
Exceptionally satisfying conclusion to the Dormammu storyline.
Clever and thrilling. Superb.
I especially love the idea that the person reading the comic is drawn into the events. Lovely idea, perfectly executed.
10/10

Alone Against Eternity… (#10)
Eternity.
Atmospheric and epic.
Bit too talky in final third, but still utterly riveting stuff.
In style and content, it is unlike any other Marvel comic of the time.
8/10

Shadowplay! (#11)
The land of Stephen Strange doppelgangers!
It’s a crazy story, obviously, but it works because it creates such a fascinating world.
Imagine a place where everyone looks like you, and is a facet of your personality.
9/10

Final Curtain! (#12)
The Ancient One.
Great fun. On an epic scale.
Manages two surprises that pack quite a punch.
Good cliff-hanger, too.
9/10

Planet Earth is No More! (#13)
Earth destroyed!
It does not get much more epic than this!
It takes skill to make a story like this work.
10/10

The Tomb of Dr. Strange! (#14)
Wordy conclusion to the tale begun in TOMB OF DRACULA 44.
Not much actually happens, it’s all one long slow build up to a brief confrontation.
5/10

Where There’s Smoke… (#15)
Utterly engrossing.
Moody, atmospheric.
The hero is in a sombre mood throughout and the reason is fascinating.
These concepts make for great stories.
10/10

Beelzebub on Parade! (#16)
Very clever and very satisfying story, which finds our hero - his confidence gone - trapped in Hell.
It’s a different kind of Doctor Strange, and thus the sense of danger and peril is greater than usual.
The resolution? Perfect!
10/10

Utopia Rising! (#17)
A wordy chapter.
The first half bring a hurried conclusion to dangling plot threads from previous issues, while the second half kicks off a new (and dull) adventure.
The tone is preachy and educational.
And there seems scant reason for the hero to be embarking on this journey. The villains are generic and minor, and the twist at the end means that the hero has had no impact on anything. Rendering the story pointless.
4/10

The Dream is Dead! (#18)
Unsatisfying time-travel tale continues.
Doesn’t really work because the reason for the history tour seems trivial.
And this is the wrong hero for this type of story: a history lesson with fantasy drama grafted onto it.
Some of the characterisations are odd and unsympathetic.
3/10

More info on the this specific run can be found if you log into comicbookdb.com and then click this link.

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Black Widow - Friedrich/Thomas/Colan/Heck (70-1) 4.3/10
Captain Marvel - Thomas/Colan (67-8) 5.5/10 - Drake/Heck (68) 4.8/10 - Friedrich/Thomas/Kane (69-70) 4.1/10 -
Daredevil - Conway/Colan (71-2) 6.7/10 - Gerber (73-4) 6.5/10 -
Deathlok - Moench/Mantlo/Buckler (74-6) 8.8/10
Doctor Strange - Fox (71-2) 9.3/10 - Englehart/Brunner (73-4) 8.9/10 - Englehart/Colan (75-76) 8/10 -
Ghost Rider - Friedrich (72-3) 2.6/10 - Isabella (74-6) 5.4/10 - Shooter/Heck (77) 6.7/10 - McKenzie/Perlin (78) 8.9/10 -
Iron Man - Brodsky/Heck (70) 7/10 -
Living Mummy - Isabella/Mayerik (73-5) 7.6/10
Luke Cage - Goodwin/Englehart/Tuska/Graham (72-3) 7.1/10 -
Night Nurse - Thomas/Mortimer (72) 6.3/10
Tales of the Zombie - Gerber/Marcos (73-4) 6.5/10

Planet Earth is No More! (#13)


I find this story earth-shattering and it's really took Dr. Strange great length to figure things out and I find it one of the better Steve Englehart stories because it's really put a new spin on creativity. I lost that issue and I'm having a friend of mine tracking it down to me and I hope to have it in my hands in a week and I only read it once and I looking forward reading it again.

Captain Marvel
Mike Friedrich/Jim Starlin

12 stories in CAPTAIN MARVEL 22-33 (1972-1974).

Writers: Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Mike Friedrich (6), Jim Starlin (8), Steve Englehart.
Pencillers: Wayne Boring (3), Jim Starlin (9).
Inkers: Frank Giacoia, Frank McLaughlin, Ernie Chan, Chic Stone, Dave Cockrum, Pablo Marcos, Dan Green (3), Al Milgrom (3).

• To Live Again! - GC/WB - 4/10
  
• Death at the End of the World! - MW/WB - 2/10
  
• Death in High Places! - MF/WB - 1/10
  
• A Taste of Madness! - MF/JS - 2/10
  
• Betrayal! - MF/JS - 7/10
  
• Trapped On Titan! - MF/JS - 5/10
  
• When Titans Collide! - MF/JS - 6/10
  
• Metamorphosis! - JS - 5/10
  
• To Be Free From Control! - JS - 7/10
  
• The Beginning of the End! - JS - 9/10
  
• Thanos the Insane God! - MF/JS - 7/10
  
• The God Himself! - SE/JS - 9/10

Average: 5.3/10

To Live Again! (#22)
Another series revamp.
A relatively minor one, but they sure make a big deal of it.
The villain is bland.
4/10

Death at the End of the World! (#23)
Awful art and an awful story.
It changes the origin of the villain which was first told in the previous issue!
And the story is propelled by random coincidences, with tension created by having Rick Jones behave like a dick.
The countdown final act makes no sense. It is driven by having Captain Marvel know something. For no reason. He just knows. And is able to time things to the last second. Nonsense.
And CM is surely the most bland of all Marvel heroes. His powers are ever-changing generic superpowers.
What an awful series!
2/10

Death in High Places! (#24)
A truly awful comic.
Right from the first panel nothing that happens makes sense, or is in any way logical.
Utter rubbish.
This is the first of 5 issues (#24-#28) with a writing credit for Mike Friedrich. He is also credited on #32 and #35.
1/10

A Taste of Madness! (#25)
Villains enact a shiny but nonsensical scheme on the hero, and the supposed twist is that it fails to work?
What a stupid story!!
2/10

Betrayal! (#26)
As hero vs hero battles go, this one is well set up and fun to watch.
The real villains of the piece are fascinating.
And they have an air of genuine menace.
This is the first of 9 issues (#26-#34) with a writing/penciling credit for Jim Starlin.
7/10

Trapped On Titan! (#27)
A story which finds Captain Marvel in battle with the Super Skrull.
There is also a lot of pontificating about war, which doesn’t quite work.
5/10

When Titans Collide! (#28)
This story is nicely divided between the Avengers (being easily beaten) in one location and Thanos (successfully acquiring the Cosmic Cube) in another location.
Some of the artwork is breathtaking.
6/10

Metamorphosis! (#29)
A slow and ponderous revamp of the Captain Marvel character by Jim Starlin.
Definitely unusual.
5/10

To Be Free From Control! (#30)
This story continues the Thanos War and gives us a (very enjoyable) look at the new Captain Marvel in action.
It’s just a slugfest, but it’s a well written one.
And there is lots of other stuff in the issue.
7/10

The Beginning of the End! (#31)
Epic stuff.
Works really well because Thanos is such a compelling and interesting foe/character.
9/10

Thanos the Insane God! (#32)
A battle and some back-story (for Drax the Destroyer).
Quality, yes, but it definitely reads like a ‘middle chapter’, where there’s a lot of running to stand still.
7/10

The God Himself! (#33)
Jim Starlin’s art is beautiful.
The layouts are incredible.
And his storytelling is epic.
This is the first of 13 scripts with a writing credit for Steve Englehart.
9/10

More info on the this specific run can be found if you log into comicbookdb.com and then click this link and this link.

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Black Widow - Friedrich/Thomas/Colan/Heck (70-1) 4.3/10
Captain Marvel - Thomas/Colan (67-8) 5.5/10 - Drake/Heck (68) 4.8/10 - G. Friedrich/Thomas/Kane (69-70) 4.1/10 - M. Friedrich/Starlin (72-74) 5.3/10 -
Daredevil - Conway/Colan (71-2) 6.7/10 - Gerber (73-4) 6.5/10 -
Deathlok - Moench/Mantlo/Buckler (74-6) 8.8/10
Doctor Strange - Fox (71-2) 9.3/10 - Englehart/Brunner (73-4) 8.9/10 - Englehart/Colan (75-76) 8/10 -
Ghost Rider - Friedrich (72-3) 2.6/10 - Isabella (74-6) 5.4/10 - Shooter/Heck (77) 6.7/10 - McKenzie/Perlin (78) 8.9/10 -
Iron Man - Brodsky/Heck (70) 7/10 -
Living Mummy - Isabella/Mayerik (73-5) 7.6/10
Luke Cage - Goodwin/Englehart/Tuska/Graham (72-3) 7.1/10 -
Night Nurse - Thomas/Mortimer (72) 6.3/10
Tales of the Zombie - Gerber/Marcos (73-4) 6.5/10

Not a fan of the Rick from this era, I must say.

At the start of this particular issue (#23), he turns his back on the whole swapping-places deal with CM.



To "find out what being Rick Jones is all about." Which then sets up a false drama scenario at the end where he doesn't want to let CM out when there's danger. It's a lazy way to create "tension," I think. But it also just makes RJ look bad.



I first read the 70s Captain Marvel series between Summer 2014 and Summer 2016 so it's all fairly new to me. And the swapping-placed-with-Rick Jones bit is definitely my least favourite thing about the whole series.

On the whole, though, I have to say it's a series that I never really warmed to, overall. Some issues I loved, yes, but they were the exception not the rule.

That definitely rings a bell with me. Not sure where it is.

I can't understand what was the purpose of the character in CAPTAIN MARVEL and the whole deal with him being a huge pop star is weird too. It never adds anything to the stories in any way. And sometimes, in that life, he's a complete dick to those people around him, too. I think there's a scene somewhere where he throws a tantrum over some posters or something. Total jackass.

But sometimes CM could be a jerk, too. Due mainly to writers coming and going on the series. Later on, in the run, he convinces someone to give him a job. Result: a villain shows up at the workplace and puts lots of innocent people in danger. Then, after that is wrapped up, CM decides he didn't really want the job and leaves. Again, this was more due to writers coming and going... but still, hardly very upstanding behaviour from a 'hero.'

Doctor Strange
Marv Wolfman/Jim Starlin

8 stories in DOCTOR STRANGE 19-26 and DOCTOR STRANGE ANNUAL 1 (1976-1977).

Writers: Marv Wolfman (5), Jim Starlin (3).
Pencilers: Alfredo Alcala, Rudy Nebres, P. Craig Russell, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom.
Inkers: Alfredo Alcala, P. Craig Russell, Pablo Marcos, Rudy Nebres (5).

• Lo, The Powers Changeth! - MW/AA - 2/10
  
• Call Him: Xander the Merciless! - MW/RN - 6/10
  
• And There Will Be Worlds Anew! - MW/PCR - 6/10
  
• Mind Trap! - MW/RN - 7/10
  
• Into the Quadriverse! - MW/JS - 5/10
  
• A Change Cometh! - JS/AM - 6/10
  
• Doctor Stranger Yet! - JS/AM - 7/10
  
• The Return of the Ancient One! - JS/RN - 9/10
  

Average: 6/10

Lo, The Powers Changeth! (#19)
The ongoing story takes an unexpected left turn into… something else. It’s still bad, but it’s a different kind of bad.
Some of what we read before is undone. Clumsily.
And the rest of the issue is filled with new characters and unsatisfying mumbo jumbo.
2/10

Call Him: Xander the Merciless! (#20)
Fairly basic story idea.
Someone issues an invite to our two heroes, they accept, and it’s a trap.
A battle follows.
Thereafter, the tale divides in two.
The Doctor Strange half is a generic battle, while the Clea half is a little more interesting, because she has amnesia and causes quite a bit of mayhem.
6/10

And There Will Be Worlds Anew! (#1)
A poetic, but disjointed, reading experience.
It doesn’t quite fit with the title’s continuity and some of the narration/speech doesn’t match the artwork.
It’s really a self-contained story that has been forced into series continuity for no reason.
Taken on its own merits, it’s a basic tale with beautiful imagery and haunting ideas.
Doctor Strange is mostly a passive observer as the tale unfolds.
6/10

Mind Trap! (#22)
Better than average battle issue because the ‘enemy’ is a friend with amnesia.
Adds an extra layer of tension to an otherwise run-of-the-mill story.
7/10

Into the Quadriverse! (#23)
Another story where Doctor Strange wanders thru random bizarre happenings, does very little of consequence, and comments on what he has learned.
This could get old fast!
The story arc isn’t compelling, and it advances at lethargic pace.
Are we really supposed to care about Xander and the Creators?
5/10

A Change Cometh! (#24)
A new writer shows up and finally brings some focus and clarity to this ongoing story arc.
Now, at last, we know what’s going on.
Also: there is the intriguing idea that our hero is not quite in control of his actions.
6/10

Doctor Stranger Yet! (#25)
Interesting and entertaining, as our hero finds himself on a crazy version of Earth because of events in the previous issue.
Inventive.
7/10

The Return of the Ancient One! (#26)
The early chapters of this arc were okay, but failed to excite.
This is different. This is good.
Strange and co. are alone on a very strange Earth.
And our hero is scrambling to find a way out of this mess.
9/10

More info on the this specific run can be found if you log into comicbookdb.com and then click this link and this link.

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Black Widow - Friedrich/Thomas/Colan/Heck (70-1) 4.3/10
Captain Marvel - Thomas/Colan (67-8) 5.5/10 - Drake/Heck (68) 4.8/10 - G. Friedrich/Thomas/Kane (69-70) 4.1/10 - M. Friedrich/Starlin (72-4) 5.3/10 -
Daredevil - Conway/Colan (71-2) 6.7/10 - Gerber (73-4) 6.5/10 -
Deathlok - Moench/Mantlo/Buckler (74-6) 8.8/10
Doctor Strange - Fox (71-2) 9.3/10 - Englehart/Brunner (73-4) 8.9/10 - Englehart/Colan (75-6) 8/10 - Wolfman/Starlin (76-7) 6/10 -
Ghost Rider - Friedrich (72-3) 2.6/10 - Isabella (74-6) 5.4/10 - Shooter/Heck (77) 6.7/10 - McKenzie/Perlin (78) 8.9/10 -
Iron Man - Brodsky/Heck (70) 7/10 -
Living Mummy - Isabella/Mayerik (73-5) 7.6/10
Luke Cage - Goodwin/Englehart/Tuska/Graham (72-3) 7.1/10 -
Night Nurse - Thomas/Mortimer (72) 6.3/10
Tales of the Zombie - Gerber/Marcos (73-4) 6.5/10