The strangest man to come out of the Marvel universe is making his way to theatres this weekend. Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is all set to introduce moviegoers to the origin story of the Sorcerer Supreme and in the process, to the vast multiverse. And while his adventures are mystical and sometimes downright crazy, Doctor Strange is not the most popular comic book character around. To make your life easier and get your Easter egg spotting game on fleek or just to help with small talk at your next brunch, we’ve compiled a list of the best Doctor Strange comics that will get you up to date on his universe.
(All comics mentioned are available for purchase as digital copies on Comixology.)
1. Strange Tales #115 (1963)
This issue of the anthology series is a collector’s item in itself — from an early Spider-Man crossover, to Sandman’s second appearance, to a cover that boasts the Torch facing off Sandman with Jack Kirby pencils and Steve Ditko inks. But the real clincher is that this issue also holds Doctor Strange’s original origin story. Stan Lee’s story and Ditko’s visuals alone should get you to give this one a read. Interesting trivia: The book originally refers to the Ancient One’s home as India, changed to Tibet in later comics. The movie changes Tibet to Nepal.
2. Doctor Strange: The Oath (2007)
This one’s special, mainly because it doesn’t require you to have any prior knowledge of the Marvel universe. The Oath was originally published in 2007 as a five-issue miniseries and is now available to buy as a stand-alone graphic novel as well. With this series, Brian K. Vaughn (Saga) and Marcos Martin have perhaps created the most modern take on the sorcerer and his escapades, and set Strange up for more adventures with the rest of the Marvel clan in the New Avenger series. And having been one of the primary sources of inspiration for the film, this book is definitely required reading.
3. Marvel Premiere #4-14 (1973)
Steve Englehart and Frank Bruner get seriously metaphysical in this run with Doctor Strange and for those who like some “unhinged” sorcery, this one’s the go-to series. One gets to see Strange follow ‘God’ around as he creates the universe. Also, there’s some back story to go with this series run. Stan Lee, who read the comic much after it was published, wasn’t too pleased with the God angle and demanded Engleheart and Bruner write a retraction saying that the God in their story wasn’t The God, just one of many. The duo, however, decided to act out and instead wrote a fake fan letter from a made-up Texas reverend claiming to have been shown the comic by one of the kids in his church and absolutely loving it. Marvel didn’t test for authenticity of the letter and printed this letter instead of the retraction. This is the stuff that keeps you going back to some comic books.
4. New Avengers Vol 2 (2010)
Every character Brian Michael Bendis touches turns to gold — and it’s the same with our good doctor.
If you liked The Oath, this is a good comic to pick up right after to see how Strange works with the Avengers crew — including Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Captain America, Spider-Man and more.
5. Doctor Strange Volume #1 — The Way of The Weird (2016)
The most recent outing for Doctor Strange in the Marvel universe, The Way of the Weird needs to be read if only to look at Chris Bachalo’s imagery, matched only by Ditko’s work with Strange’s world. Writer Jason Aaron (most famous for his work on Thor titles) and Bachalo have created a rich world for Strange and after a long time, we get a very intimate look at what it must be like to be Earth’s defendant against all magical threats. There’s a Bar with No Doors (where all the magicians hang after a rough day throwing counter-spells at intergalactic villains), we get a close look at Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, and the humour gets very, very dark. A must-read.
