Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme Offers Something Different... Until It Doesn't
- WRITER
- Mark Waid
- Artist
- Kev Walker
- Letterer
- VC's Cory Petit
- Cover Artist
- Phil Noto
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Release Date
- 2019-12-25
- Colorist
- Java Tartaglia
Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 is something of a frustrating debut issue. It starts out incredibly strong and gives readers a fresh hook for a character who, by and large, doesn’t really jibe with broad audiences. Sure, there are plenty of Doctor Strange fans out there, but as a leading hero in a standalone series, his track record has been spotty at best. Mark Waid and Kev Walker try their hardest to break free of the rote bonds the character has been restrained beneath, only to accept them as the status quo by the end of the issue. Regardless, it’s still one of the better Doctor Strange-related works Marvel has produced in a few years.
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Much like Brain Michael Bendis, Mark Waid is one of the most prolific writers currently working in the industry, which means he’s not going to make all the shots he takes. You can’t crank out that much content without some of it feeling phoned in. Thankfully, Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 is far from being a miss, it just doesn’t hit as hard as it could. The conceit is that Dr. Stephen Strange has had his severely damaged hands healed, which will allow him to perform surgeries once again and opens the door to blending medical miracles with actual magic -- it's a combination that could drive dozens of new stories. But alas, Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 doesn’t do too much with this idea.
After a quick recap of the current state of the Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Universe, the comic looks to be going in the direction its opening salvo promised, but quickly takes a sharp left into classic magic supervillain territory. It’s by no means poorly done. In fact, Waid’s script is rather tight, funny, and occasionally introspective. But the idea of magical surgery is one that is not easily shaken. It’s lodged in the creative maw and never satiated…at least not yet.
Waid's storytelling is so focused in the first half of this issue, the sudden tonal shift might imply that this issue should have been a double-sized debut instead of a standard twenty-two pager. There's a lot of cover and a bunch of cool new concepts to digest. The story and the world-building felt like it needed more real estate to grow, which can be said for a lot of debut issues. But even though the plotting doesn't quite stick the landing, Waid and Walker have our attention.
Kev Walker’s artwork is solid here. The first panel of this issue might be the most striking first panel in any comic we’ve read this year. It’s simple, funny, and deeply unsettling. It also translates to the reader the potential of this new series, which is rather impressive for a single panel. Not a splash page. One. Single. Panel. That's no small feat. The rest of Walker's work is consistent throughout the issue, with only the occasional panel that isn't quite framed as well as it could be or allows word balloons to muddy the waters a bit too much. Overall, Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 is a handsome book and another win for Kev Walker's long career.
Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 offers something different for Doctor Strange fans...until it decides to play things safe. This is by no means a condemnation of the issue for doing so, but it is disappointing. One could chalk this feeling up to a narrative not meeting its reader's expectations (which is a fair criticism of criticism, itself), but when cool ideas weren't introduced in the early pages, there would be no precedent to build expectation upon within the story. This rests that disappointment back on the creator's shoulders to some degree. Maybe not entirely, but they're gonna share the load. Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 is a whole lotta fun with some interesting ideas that will hopefully be explored in future issues.