Raven's Haven: Archie Goodwin

Sunday, 2 October 2016

(I originally read these comics in early/mid August 2015)

I first read the Doctor Strange stories by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner (a team in place as of Marvel Premiere # 9) a decade ago and remember being blown away by their cosmic awesomeness, but they didn't have the same appeal this time around. It seems to me that when stories are based in abstract concepts there's less to grab onto. Many stories feel insubstantial. Brunner's art is great but he leaves after the Silver Dagger saga to be replaced by Gene Colan and Colan's appeal has diminished for me in recent years. Englehart remains for a dozen or so issues.

In the event this 'review' seems sparse, it's because I read this grouping of comics before I made a habit of writing reviews. I've no doubt I'll revisit them at some point, though.

Marvel Feature (1971) # 1, Marvel Premiere (1972) # 3-14 and Doctor Strange (1974) # 1-5 are collected in:

Softcover:

Doctor Strange Epic Collection: A Separate Reality (US)

Doctor Strange Epic Collection: A Separate Reality (UK)

Marvel Feature (1971) # 1 and Marvel Premiere (1972) # 3-14 are collected in:

Softcover:

Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 2 (US)

Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 2 (UK)

Marvel Feature (1971) # 1 and Marvel Premiere (1972) # 3-8 are collected in:

Hardcover:

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 4 (US)

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 4 (UK)

Marvel Premiere (1972) # 3 is collected in:

Softcover:

Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts (US)

Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts (UK)

Hardcover:

Marvel Visionaries: Stan Lee (US)

Marvel Visionaries: Stan Lee (UK)

Stan Lee Meets (US)

Stan Lee Meets (UK)

Stan Lee Marvel Treasury Edition (US)

Stan Lee Marvel Treasury Edition (UK)

Marvel Premiere (1972) # 9-14 and Doctor Strange (1974) # 1-9 are collected in:

Hardcover:

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 5 (US)

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 5 (UK)

Marvel Premiere (1972) # 9/10, 12-14 and Doctor Strange (1974) # 1/2, 4/5 are collected in:

Softcover:

Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality (US)

Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality (UK)

Doctor Strange (1974) # 1-13 are collected in:

Softcover:

Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3 (US)

Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3 (UK)

Doctor Strange (1974) # 10-13 are collected in:

Hardcover:

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 6 (US)

Doctor Strange Masterworks Vol. 6 (UK)

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

(I originally read these comics in May 2015)

I must admit I'm glad to have finally got through these so I could move on to something else. Third rate stuff even by sixties Marvel standards. The first few issues close Arnold Drake's run as writer (from # 5-12) and while he's lauded for his work on DC's 'Doom Patrol,' I've never read anything he wrote for Marvel that was more than mediocre. It's clear this title was launched in a rush (mainly to secure the trademark) and with little prior thought. Captain Marvel's love interest, the drippy 'Medic Una,' is killed off after only a dozen or so issues after proving a total dead-end, story-wise. His nemesis Colonel Yon-Rogg, literally the only slightly memorable villain introduced here, is overused to the point of tedium. Luckily, he too is killed off before the end of this run. Things get trippy and mildly interesting when Gary Friedrich takes over for three issues and puts Mar-Vell in the service of some weird intergalactic entity called 'Zom,' but this story is subsequently wiped away as a conspiracy involving an attempted Kree power coup. Talk about a directionless mess.

Roy Thomas returns to the series and finally provides some kind of rudder when he teams CM up with everybody's sidekick Rick Jones (fresh from his turn in Captain America as a substitute Bucky), only one of whom can exist on earth at any one time, while the other languishes in the Negative Zone. These issues are dated (with much 'hip teen' slang from Rick), but at least they're readable, if noticeably earthbound.

The final three issues presented here comprise a limited series from 1997, which serves as an immediate prequel to the '68 series. It's crap.

Oh well. Jim Starlin takes over CM with issue # 25-34 and really gives the series a shot in the arm, so I'll come back to those soon.

Just as a coda, probably the most (or only) notable aspect of this early CM run is the introduction of Carol Danvers in a supporting role. She would of course go on to have a long shelf life as Ms. Marvel/Binary/Warbird, eventually assuming the 'Captain Marvel' mantle for herself.