Doctor Strange has risen through the ranks in terms of stature steadily since his big screen debut in 2016. I absolutely loved the film adaptation and thought it stood strong as one of Marvel’s best movies. Piquing my interest in the character’s comic book counterparts I decided to go back and check out a book that is often credited as one of his best.
Will it deliver? That’s what I’m here to find out!
Join me as I discuss Doctor Strange: The Oath in full detail and give my thoughts on the graphic novel.
There will be heavy spoilers so it may be worth skipping to the score and coming back to this Review at a later date if you wish to read it unspoiled.
With that out the way let’s dive into Doctor Strange: The Oath!
Is there a Doctor In The House?
Doctor Strange is at Death’s door. After being shot by the handgun that Hitler used to kill himself, the Doc is in critical condition. As The Night Nurse operates to save his life his astral projection recants how he came to be in such circumstances and the opening chapter does an outstanding job of creating a scenario that had me instantly gripped.
Wong, Strange’s most trusted ally, is suffering from a life-threatening brain tumor that has left him with only months to live. Wanting to avoid the death of his friend at all cost, The Doctor traveled to another dimension to find the cure for Cancer. Obviously, this is a much sought after elixir and when Strange brings it back to Earth he becomes the target of men with more nefarious motives.
The work is expertly paced and manages to interweave Strange’s past with the present without the exposition feeling overly heavy or forced. This is no easy task and it’s rare that a book can be accessible to both newcomers and hardcore fans alike but The Oath manages to achieve it.
The Mind Of A Madman
Tracking down his attacker with the help of Night Nurse and Wong, the midsection of the story expertly showcases the wealth of Strange’s powers and has one of the best set pieces I’ve ever seen for the character. Diving into his attacker’s mind he learns the true villain behind the piece and battles all manner of foes from his rogue’s gallery. It’s an inspired choice and one that goes beyond the standard interrogation piece that is often prevalent in comic books.
From here the book moves at breakneck speed into the finale and the villain’s origins beautifully tie into Strange’s own. The reveal hits Strange in the place where it will do the most damage: his ego, and the final battle is arguably up there with some of comic’s greatest closing chapters.
Stripped of his powers, Strange must fight for himself and his friends in a game of life and death. It really doesn’t get any better than this and by the finale, I was clambering for more from Marvel’s greatest sorcerer.
The Verdict
Doctor Strange: The Oath is outstanding. It’s rare that something feels like an instant classic but this book certainly deserves that mantle. All involved do a fantastic job in creating one of the best Marvel Graphic Novels that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and I cannot fault the book in any way.
Perfect from beginning to end it rightly gets a…
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