This is the start of a new feature suggested to me by longtime reader and commenter Matt B. In this feature, we look at announced comic book projects that never came about. We'll try to find out WHY they didn't come out. I'm sure you all know tons of examples of comic book projects like these, so feel free to write me at brianc@cbr.com to tell me some for future columns.

We begin with one of the most famous examples of a comic book series never coming about, Roger Stern and Frank Miller doing a run on Doctor Strange together.

This never-to-be-seen run was particularly famous because it actually had a house ad promoting it (a BEAUTIFUL house ad, at that)...



That run, though, was never to be.

Some folks have thought over the years that it had to do with Miller taking over Daredevil instead (an assignment he got sort of at the last minute). However, the gig on Doctor Strange was announced two years after Miller began drawing Daredevil...



and a couple of months after Miller began writing Daredevil, as well...



Why didn't it happen? Go to the next page to find out...

I asked Roger Stern about it years ago and he explained what the reason was for Miller's departure from the project...

I'm afraid that the story of why Frank never drew Doctor Strange isn't very interesting. As I recall, Frank was under consideration for some sort of James Bond project, so he bowed out of drawing Doc -- temporarily, we thought at the time -- to get ahead on his other deadlines. Luckily, Marshall Rogers came along and delivered six very tasty issues. And after that...well, by that time Frank was really caught up in writing and drawing Daredevil (and later, Ronin), so we never did get to work together on Doctor Strange.

That James Bond project was the adaptation later that year of the then-new James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only. Howard Chaykin ended up getting the gig...





Man, would I have loved to have seen that Stern/Miller Doctor Strange. Still, Stern/Rogers was also awesome.

Thanks to Matt for inspiring the column idea!

Again, feel free to send in suggestions for future columns to bcronin@comicbookresources.com or brianc@cbr.com.