Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Doctor Strange #384
Marvel Comics
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Stephen Strange has been through a lot in his quest to reclaim his role as Sorcerer Supreme and, at the very least, he is aware that he is going to pay dearly for the actions he is about to take. When the Vishanti named Loki the new Sorcerer Supreme, they took into account Stephen’s mortality in their decision. When Strange decides to visit his old home, that mortality has gotten a boost from both Wong and the resurrected Sentry. Stephen decides to get Loki’s attention, prompting the God of Mischief to confront him out on the street.
Stephen is looking for Zelma. Unfortunately, Zelma is carrying a power that Stephen is trying to protect and Loki has been searching for without knowing that it has been in front of him the whole time. Stephen’s means of getting Loki’s attention calls for him to violently bring down the Sanctum Sanctorum and the two clash across dimensions with Loki unaware that Stephen is getting a boost to his powers not just from the power he got from the World Tree, but from his friends as well. When Zelma arrives, the battle has escalated to the point where a secret Stephen buried gets resurrected and could destroy them all.
Both the concepts of the price of magic and Loki’s search for the Exile continue to be strong plot points that I enjoy. I like the fact that Stephen is trying to do the right thing and the fact that he is right about why. The only drawback is that there are several instances where a simple conversation with someone could have solved a host of these problems. I am thoroughly enjoying Stephen’s journey in this book and it will be interesting to see how he and Loki resolve their desires to be the Sorcerer Supreme and what it could cost them both.
Images courtesy of Comixology
