MYSTIC GARB: DOCTOR STRANGE APPAREL - ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR Part 1: PATCHES of POWER

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One of the longest-running series of blog posts on this Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog is of my showcase of DOCTOR STRANGE related apparel (hats, ties, shirts, unmentionables…), and in a recent entry into that series, a few weeks ago, I showed a Custom-Made Dr. Strange themed baseball cap (seen [HERE]).

The differing aspect of that article of clothing from the others is that it was made from other “Ancillary Artifacts” which were of a Dr. Strange theme – namely; PATCHES.

And at the time I mentioned that that post also began a new series of posts which will feature assorted Ancillary Accessorizing Artifacts; patches, buttons and assorted bling.

Well, THIS is the first of those new series’ (sub-series?) of posts dealing with Accessories of a Doctor Strange (and “6-Dimensions”) theme.

The best way is to go chronologically, by manufacture – and broken-down by type (you’ll see, there’ll be a reason for my OCD-stylings).

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First up, 1977 brought us Iron-On patches manufactured by HOLM PATCHES (Made in the USA).

These were 2” x 3” cloth patches which featured logos of then-popular Marvel Comics titles embroidered thereupon.

I say “cloth” but they have a plush feel, more like a quality felt, velour or velvet than a standard fabric.

I have ones for THE DEFENDERS and HOWARD THE DUCK, who many may forget was a sales and cultural phenomenon in the mid-to-late 1970’s.

As you can see, the stitching wasn’t bad, and the accuracy of the logos was spot-on. Simply labeled as “PATCHES”, their packaging and presentation was set at zero, however, as the patches were affixed to a basic no-frills card by means of a single staple.

Other such patches were made, I’m sure, but these tend to be fairly rare and thus, I’ve hardly seen many others.

Strangely enough, there doesn’t seem to have ever been one for DOCTOR STRANGE made by HOLM.

I would have to imagine that the company requested from Marvel a list of their top-selling titles, and while Howard the Duck was an extremely popular (if surprising) seller, and the Defenders – with the roster which included the HULK as well as many other “not-quite-top-tier” characters (like Dr. Strange) would have boosted its sales figures, Doctor Strange’s solo title must not have made the cut.

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That was rectified in 1979, when RAINBOW EMBLEM CO. of Dallas, Texas (also Made in the USA) produced a series of Marvel Comics patches with embroidered logos of several comic titles, including one for DOCTOR STRANGE; Master of the Mystic Arts.

Made of cloth and sized 2.5” x 3.5”, these Sew-On patches seemed to be more concerned with peg-hook presentation than quality of product. Complete with a dynamic “SUPER-HERO PATCHES” logo on a blister card, RAINBOW’s packaging was nicer than that of HOLM products’, but their patches were abysmally sub-standard.

Take a look at the Doctor Strange patch. The “name” part of the logo isn’t bad at all, but the “Master of the Mystic Arts” sub-header looks to be the work of Rumplestiltskin on a drunken bender.

The material of the patch is more like a flimsy canvas or cheap, colored denim.

Similarly poor patches were made for characters like the HULK and SILVER SURFER (who each actually had a small figure of themselves stitched thereupon).

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There were some other Marvel-themed patches in 1980, but since I’ve never seen any that were Doctor Strange related (or any of my particular “6-Dimensions” preferences) I’ve not needed to acquire any.

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The next time we would see Doctor Strange related, Marvel-themed sew-on patches was 1984 (and continued for a few years, until 1986 [or 1987]) when Marvel got into it themselves - teamed with TRANSCOLOR Inc.

This time, it wasn’t logos embroidered onto a patch, but actual artwork from the comics, printed on a fabric base.

“Marvel Super-Heroes TM Patches” were suddenly a thing perhaps less likely to be sewn onto a jean-jacket and more likely left in the clear baggie with hang tag which it came in – as a collectible.

The sheer number of these found over the past few decade or so on sites such as eBay has proven that they were mass-produced, carefully stored, and featured a plethora of the then-active Marvel characters. (Seriously, they featured just about everyone and anyone. There’s even one featuring “HEATHER” McDonald-Hudson – wife of Vindicator/Guardian of the Canadian team; Alpha Flight. She’s not in her “Guardian” suit, which she would later wear, but simply dressed in civvies, diving into the waters by a pier, taken from a panel of John Byrne-drawn issue). Before the end of production in 1986 (or 1987?) they had printed nearly any and every Marvel character on one, using artwork from whatever comics were released during that time-frame.

Most are 4” circular patches, but some are in triangular, shield or other squared-off shapes.

I have several, and am still in the market for a few more.

Currently, I have:

DOCTOR STRANGE: head-shot.

Made in 1984, this is a head/bust as drawn by Paul Smith (inked by Joseph Rubenstein) – and taken from Strange’s bio-page in the “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe” v1 # 3.

I have two (2) of this one.

DOCTOR STRANGE: action pose.

Made in 1985 this was taken from the cover of “DOCTOR STRANGE: Master of the Mystic Arts” # 69, drawn by Bret Blevens (inked by Mundelo).

DOCTOR DOOM: Bust

Made in 1984, this pose of the Lord of Latveria was drawn by John Byrne and taken from the cover to Fantastic Four # 247.

There’s one of the Scarlet Witch, as drawn by Sandy Plunkett, that I am hoping to make mine one day, but in the meanwhile I DO have some others, including one featuring the Scarlet Witch.

*UPDATE*

GOT IT!

 

... and here are those others I mentioned.

VISION & SCARLET WITCH – action pose.

1986 – drawn by George Perez.

S.H.I.E.L.D. – logo.

1985 - ‘nuff said.

CLOAK and DAGGER – action pose.

1985 – drawn by Rick Leonardi / Terry Austin

BLACK KNIGHT – action pose.

1986 – by John Buscema / Tom Palmer

GARGOYLE – action pose.

1985 – drawn by Don Perlin.

This series of patches seems to have been the last gasp of the “comic character patch” fever. None since then were “officially” produced. However, as I stated earlier, there are so many of these patches still in circulation, if you have a favorite character, and if they were active during 1984-1987, there’s a good chance you can find a patch that features them.

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Now, I said “none since then were ‘officially’ produced”, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a bunch of “pirate” patches since then!

With the onset of affordable, personal patch stitching machinery, almost anyone can become a Patch-Producer from the comfort of their own home.

I have purchased patches from just such providers… periodically.

Here are some of the current additions to my collection:

DOCTOR STRANGE – head.

4.5” x 3.5” - Taken from the same Paul Smith illustration as the Marvel Patch shown above, this, like most of my modern patches is from a vendor found online. (This, and the next two patches are the patches shown on my Custom Cap post [HERE].)

DOCTOR STRANGE – TV Movie Logo.

3” circle - Taken from a screen still from the 1978 Made-for-TV movie-pilot, this patch is most likely taken from my own image of same, uploaded to the internet back in 2008 for this very blog.

DOCTOR STRANGE – EYE of AGAMOTTO

3” circle - Taken from many an online pic, most likely from Marvel’s own wiki. Drawn by Kevin West (inked by Steve Montano), and taken from the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY # 32 From 1993. Sadly, there are SO many better drawn images of the Amulet of Agamotto, that it is a shame that this patch-maker didn’t seem to locate one of them.

DOCTOR STRANGE – Action pose.

4” x 3” - Taken from artwork from the ULTIMATE MARVEL vs CAPCOM 3 video game, this patch is taken from one of the variant costumes shown for Doctor Strange.

This is a different seller than the previous three, and the quality is poorer.

However, the next one, from the seller of the first 3 bootleg patches knocks it all out of the park.

DOCTOR STRANGE – Full Figure pose.

Measuring a whoppingly, Brobdingnagian 12” high by 5.5” wide, this patch is of the full image that two other “head” patches have used from Paul Smith’s illustration from the ‘Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe’. Here, I have it next to a Paul Smith drawn issue of Doctor Strange – merely for size comparison.
This patch would be something that you'd sew onto the back of your jacket in lieu of a painting of Winged Icarus from a Led Zeppelin album.

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Of course, the fact that Marvel and their official licensing partners have stopped making patches doesn’t mean that they’ve really stopped making patches… officially.

In 2012, Upper Deck Trading Cards teamed with Marvel to produce a sub-division of that year’s “Marvel Premier” series.

 Dubbed; “Classic Corners”, these deluxe trading cards are essentially embroidered patches of comic book artwork that used to be featured on comic book cover “corner boxes”, mounted inside an extra-thick casing.

Of course, I had to get at least two of these rare inserts.

 # CC-14 – which features the corner box artwork for THE DEFENDERS # 1

Doctor Strange, Namor and the Hulk

And

#CC-34 – which features the corner box artwork for ADVENTURE INTO FEAR # 10

The first comic issue that featured The MAN-THING (although, not his first appearance).

I do have a mind to get another of each of these and crack them out of their clear plastic shells to expose the embroidered patches within.

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Lastly, I’d like to show something that bridges both the fabric patch and trading card genres:

Backstage Access Passes for the band: The GRATEFUL DEAD!

Made of fabric (like a patch) with an adhesive backing (so you could stick them on your jacket – like  a patch), and roughly the size of a trading card, Marvel characters were lithographed onto them to designate for which particular concert they were to be used. I’ve seen several of these over the years, all featuring many different characters, and am happy to have been able to acquire these two…

THE ANCIENT ONE

 (artwork by Carl Potts)

Made for the March 29^th, 1995 concert at “The Omni” in Atlanta Georgia.

and

DOCTOR STRANGE

(artwork by Steve Lightle)

Made for the April 4^th, 1995 concert  at the Jefferson-Birmingham Civic Coliseum) in Birmingham Alabama.

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Hmmm… this post was an entry that was a follow-up on a post which in itself was a multi-subject entry (gifts, apparel, patches) and this, too, is a multi-subject entry (patches, trading cards, access passes, the Grateful Dead), but those other threads will have to wait for another day (although, I can guarantee the Grateful Dead subject thread will feature some really cool stuff  [and it, itself, is yet another multi-subject thread]).

Come back NEXT time for…

ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR – PART 2: BUTTONS & PINS. [HERE]

 I can guarantee some rarities you’ve never seen before.

And don't forget to check out any you may have missed of the

Previous parts of the

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL SERIES:

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES : [HERE]
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 5 : "THE END" of GARMENTS  : [HERE]

And the sub-series...

ARTIFACTS of FLAIR:

- part 1: PATCHES of POWER: [HERE]

- part 2: BUTTONS & PINS: [HERE]

- part 3: MYSTIC AMULETS [HERE]

- part 3a: EYE of AGAMOTTO: [soon]

- part 4: MAGIC RINGS: [soon]

DEFENDERS 12 – A REVIEW AND THEN… AND THEN… THE IMPOSSIBLE END.

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DEFENDERS v4 # 12

Writer - Matt Fraction

Artist - Mirco Pierfederici

Colors - Veronica Gandini

Letters - Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists - Terry & Rachel Dodson

Cover Price - $3.99 (with Digital Copy)
Release Date - Nov. 7th, 2012

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*UPDATED*

Nov. 10, 2012

9:00am

-due to error of originally posting penultimate version of review-

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There’s an oft-posited theoretical conundrum of temporal paradox that goes… “If you traveled back in time to before your conception, and somehow killed your father, would you even exist to be able to have gone back in time to do so in the first place?”

Well, in the final issue of the DEFENDERS (vol 4) they essentially just killed their father.

After 12 issues of their battling to somehow “Shut Down the Engines”, to “Fight to Save Everything”, prevent the “Universe from Breaking”, and “Everyone they Love from Dying”, they accomplished all – and none – of those things.

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*SPOILER ALERT IN EFFECT*

Read on at your own discretion.

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As detailed in the first several issues of the title, 

(the preview and first four of which I reviewed quite thoroughly:

 [Marvel Point One prelude – HERE] [Issue # 1 preview – HERE]

 [Overview of Matt Fraction's direction for the title - HERE]

 [# 1 HERE] [#2 HERE] [#3 HERE] [#4 HERE]) 

the team discovers, steals and sets out to find the rest of the Concordance Engines – a set of cosmic, probability warping, reality magnets, built by the “Council of Omegas” (a race of other-dimensional protectors – who here on Earth are known as “Presters”- ie; Prester John), to locate “impossible” occurrences (which result in super-powers instead of death) within other realities and swap those with their 616-Earth counterparts, thus creating…manufacturing… a world populated with an army of “Marvels” which can stand against “Death Celestials” and their quest to destroy everything.

Of course, those nuances of purpose and origin of the Engines were not revealed until the penultimate issue, once the title was slated for cancelation.

However, here in the final issue – one issue later – the workings of the Engines have been already retconned a bit. No longer do they swap out one set of probabilities (or their resultant product) for a failed (or unchanged) one here, but now it is said that the Council of Omegas built the Engines to REPLICATE the conditions of the super-power-giving realities to create similar events here on 616-Earth. A subtle difference, but one of vital importance if you truly think about it (for no longer are other realities being harvested and deprived of their own protectors, but now instead, are merely serving as templates for our own set of…defenders).

Also a matter of confusion is the point of whether the Engines would have been best left undiscovered – so they can continue to produce “impossible” events here on Earth which produce super-powers, so that the heroes can fight to stop the Death Celestials – or if the Engines should be destroyed – thus depriving the Death Celestials from interacting with them. Both theories are posited as being true within the issues. By the end of the series, the remaining Defenders take it to their task to destroy the Engines, even though the universe will be destroyed anyway, to prevent the Death Celestials from using them to do it all again in another reality. It’s a mess of contradictory ideas, never fully explained or explored.

Once the fate of the title was sealed, it became easily apparent that one of the possible “outs” to wrap up the many dangling plotlines was simply to have someone (Doctor Strange being the most likely candidate) to go back in time and undo it all. That, or use the actual Engines themselves, which were the MacGuffin focus of the entire title, direction and prospectus of the series. Of course, one would hope that a “professional writer” who had built his reputation as purportedly being a crazy, wildly imaginative maverick along the lines of Grant Morrison or Steve Gerber would come up with something a little more crazy, wild or imaginative. Instead we get what every grade-school reader had already known would come to pass.

At the start of the issue, the Death Celestial has killed everyone on Earth, except for a scant few people – the reality-hopping Defenders among them (Wong is also dead [discovered in the Sanctum last issue – in a touching scene with Doctor Strange and the corpse of his fallen friend]). There literally seems no way to save the world since the Concordance Engines have been “played with” by the Defenders and thus attracted the attentions of the Death Celestial. It is then determined that Doctor Strange (see?) needs to go back to the past and stop himself from ever getting the Engine in the first place.

So, what does he do? Does he go back to just before he suggests STEALING the engine, after the battle with Nul the Breaker of Worlds, who had hoped to destroy it and thus the world?

No.

Does he go back to before he uses it to call his old girlfriend back from the dead, the first of the major tamperings with the Engine?

No.

Does he even go back to the very start of this mess, when Strange entered his friend, “Notebook Joe’s” mind and thus was able to gain awareness of the Engine, which Joe first discovered on an archeological dig? (Going to this point would save the life of Joe, who killed himself soon thereafter, BTW.)

No.

Instead, Strange goes back (or is sent) to the day where he had sex with a grad-student in his Sanctum Sanctorum, just before going out for tea at a diner, using a minor divination spell to determine his next course of action.

Oddly enough, time-displaced Strange (in an invisible, intangible manifestation of his physical form – NOT his astral form) does not stop his previous self from having sex with the girl (it’s obvious that he just stood by and watched it happen again… like a live sex-tape) and then alters what one word the divination spell writes.

Whereas before the spell spelled; “R-A-G-E” as a hint about the Hulk and his ebon doppelganger, this time, Strange seems to spend considerable effort to make the tea droplets spell out “G-I-R-L”, which gets him off his ass and over to try to smooth over the wounded feelings of the young woman, thus allowing him to NOT BE HOME when the Hulk came a’calling.

THAT’S THE SOLUTION, Matt Fraction? REALLY?!?

Just have Doc be away having a coffee with the girl (in an “add-it-to-the-innumerable-number-of-homages-to-Edward-Hopper’s-famous-painting;-‘Nighthawks’”), so that the Hulk can not get Strange to help him gather the Defenders to battle Nul?

Ugh.

Now, to be totally fair, there was a lot of high-concept stuff being tried out in this title, and a lot of dangling plots that had to be wrapped up - quickly.
No one can fault a writer with a hasty exit under circumstances like those that presented themselves with the "sudden" cancellation.
However, in the current comic buying climate, I would have thought it best for a writer to not overwrite too far beyond the first year, just in case.
Still, as I said earlier, a writer who has been touted as being able to pen "weird adventure" should have been able to come up with an ending not so pedestrian.
Fraction'a wrap up could have been - should have been - better.

Remember, by the time that Hulk came to Doc (in the “Point One # 1” prelude), as well as at the start of Defenders v.4 # 1) Doc had already seen a glimpse of the Concordance Engine in a vision, presented to him by the fractured mind of his friend “Notebook Joe” just before Joe killed himself by stepping in front of a subway train. In fact, Strange was obsessed with finding out what it was all about! He even saw a vision of the “future” which was made reality in issue # 11.

Thus, there’s a good chance that someone of infinite curiosity and learning would continue searching for the answer to that mystery (and also to avenge the death of a friend under his watch). He would quite probably find an Engine…if not sooner, then definitely eventually.

And when he did so, like he did in this series, he may have inadvertently used it to resurrect his long-lost love; Martha (see her entry in the epic “Many Loves of Stephen Strange” post [HERE]).

So, what happens to her now? She was killed off with everyone else on the reality’s version of Earth. Thus, since everything was rebooted to a time before it ever happened, she would never be resurrected at all (which means I had better amend her listing in that “Loves of Dr. Strange” post accordingly to explain this mess).

However, the fact that none of this took place means that Iron Fist’s fellow “Immortal Weapons” will not have been hunted down and killed by the “Prince of Orphans”. In fact, the Prince of Orphans will also not die. And of lesser import, the “Daughters of Dark Water” will never have been released from their underwater prison.

Another minor nit to pick with Strange’s method of avoiding the whole series of events is that if you were to re-read issue # 1 again, in the diner scene Doc admits to himself that he feels “particularly lovelorn” while he tries his divination spell. So, if the new resulting “G-I-R-L” revelation WERE to occur, Strange would most likely attribute that to his state of mind and purge the thoughts and TRY AGAIN.

Since it took “future Strange” some considerable effort to change the resultant droplets the one time, the chance of his doing so to avoid the original “R-A-G-E” outcome would be negligible. Thus, the series of events would most likely still transpire.

The only thing that would allow for Strange taking the now-changed result is that Fraction had set him up as feeling so terribly lonely (and horny).

Humorously of note is that without the Defenders to battle Nul, the problem would have been neatly solved all on its own (as I stated in my review of the 3^rd issue).

I should take this time to discuss the artwork for a moment.

This title has rotated artists at a distracting rate, none of whom had styles quite fitting to the direction of the story. One of the best; Michael Lark (from issue # 4) was a beautiful addition, but mostly because the story of that issue was one which fit his somber, realistic style.

In these last two issues, the artist is Mirco Pierfederici. His style, while basic, has a nice rounded feel to it, and he allows for some touching and intimate looks at our heroes in their reactions to the horror around them. His work is lacking in many respects, most significantly a sense of professional polish - especially in issue # 11, as the inking in the issue is so murky and messy. However, in this last issue, the inking is negated by beautiful (if overly obvious in its digital origins) coloring by Veronica Gandini. She makes his work shine and puts a satisfactory polish on this final issue.

Matt Fraction’s writing, by the end, devolved into a minimalist exercise (read: seemingly lost all interest in actually writing the script). Gone was all pretense of his usual “look how cool I am”-isms. Gone also were the page footers that he had been so proud of using to give 4^th-wall-breaking metatextual clues. Instead we are left with bare minimum exposition and of repeating the phrase “…and Then…” superimposed over panels showing wordless action. After a while of re-reading “…and then…”, “…and then…”, “…and then…” to move the story along, it became hard to care about the supposedly overwhelming events being relayed.

It seemed more like an iteration of “yadda yadda yadda” wherein the teller of the tale uses the fill-in-words to just skip over the bulk of the story, since those parts are “unimportant”. By the time he was scripting this issue, Matt Fraction was already at work on his new “Marvel NOW!” titles; Fantastic Four and FF, and seemingly put very little effort into wrapping up his creative vision.

Speaking of “vision”, like in the prelude story and in issue # 4, Matt Fraction once again includes the erroneous use of some sort of “third eye” on Dr. Strange’s brow. He truly doesn’t seem to understand that whenever Strange had a 3^rd eye appear on his forehead, it was the Eye of Agamotto released from it’s medallion. However, the Eye of Agamotto had seemingly been destroyed many months ago in the pages of 'New Avengers'. If this was some new spell to emulate an all-seeing eye, Fraction never bothered to mention it. Something like that needs to have at least a cursory explanation. That’s ‘Writing 101’, people.

I also feel a slight need to question the curious bit of dialogue where Doctor Strange rather flippantly says to the rest of the team; “At least we’re not dying in Philadelphia”, and then goes on to explain that as one who has been to hell itself, Philly is truly terrible.

I wonder if this is some in-joke between Fraction and Cullen Bunn (who is writing Venom and taking the symbiote-wearing hero to the “City of Brotherly Love”. and who is also writting an upcoming DEFENDERS title *see the footnote at the end of this review*)? Or, perhaps Fraction truly hates Philly? However, I wonder if he knows that Stephen Strange was BORN there? Either way, it’s a weird little exchange that seems out of place.

And speaking of being "out of place"...(ok. this one's a stretch)... the final words of Prestor Omega to Dr. Strange just before the end of everything - possibly going to some other place - brings up questions as to if he (and Matt Fraction)  knows something that we don't. "I will see you in the next life." Then the whiteness of oblivion.
However, what's more likely is that in any other issue, whenever an Omega Prester DID move or say anything, it was to save the day, but in this instance, there was nothing he COULD do, and so he just said goodbye.

The "relationship" between Doc and Prester Omega has been one I enjoyed over the title.
Doc speaking to his silent "friend" always make me wonder if they were truly communicating on some level. I will miss that, and hope that Prester Omega returns.
(Maybe in the pages of the Marvel NOW reboot of NEW AVENGERS. Their logo DOES incorporate an OMEGA symbol, so...)

Sadly, the final page of the issue is a cliché’d bit of nonsensical platitude and if considered even for a moment is proven to be meaningless and false. The issue – and the series – ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

The reality of it all is that the Defenders failed – utterly - to save the world. All they were able to do was go back and set up a re-do.

(Much like how the DC heroes failed to stop their entire reality from being rebooted into its current “new 52” incarnation… Is “superheroes failing miserably” the new “thing”?)

Unlike many time-travel stories, wherein at least one or a few retain the knowledge and/or memory of the events that transpired in the now-avoided splinter-reality, this issue creates a sequence of events wherein no one is aware of the adventure at all. Nothing is learned. Nothing is gained.

Volume 4 of THE DEFENDERS explained that everything you think you know about the origins of the Marvel Universe is wrong… and the last issue of the title proves that the entire volume 4 of the DEFENDERS just never happened and doesn’t matter.

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*
Perhaps we'll all do better with Cullen Bunn's new, upcoming FEARLESS DEFENDERS title, featuring an all-female roster, starring VALKYRIE and MISTY KNIGHT - mixing the "FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS" with the DEFENDERS.

Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club (part II) : STRANGE SWAG

As introduced in my most previous post, (which featured an uber-rare, online-exclusive, bonus-content audio-play [HERE],) I discussed the basics of the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.

In 2006, (and into 2007,) Scholastic Books teamed up with Marvel Comics to form the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club; a subscription book (and collectibles) club, where you would sign up to receive 10 shipments (with a low price first shipment, and then 9 additional - and more expensive - deliveries) of Book Club goodies every month.

Initial Shipment

Including: the first of a series of 10 story "chapter" books, a magazine, a sticker sheet, some toys, a game board and pieces for a "battle" game, a set of collectible cards in an illustrated tin case AND a poster (which when combined with the other 9 posters form a JUMBO-size mega-poster image)! 

Each additional shipment included a Super Hero Adventure Book, a new issue of Marvel Magazine, a 20-Trading Card Booster Pack, a Super Hero Poster and Marvel Stickers, plus continued Website access for the secret online-only content, much like the audio-play featured last post.

Of course, the primary (and, frankly - ONLY) reason that I signed up for the service was in the fleeting hope that - eventually - there would be some DOCTOR STRANGE content in one (or more) of the shipments.

As most DOC-fans of any substantial length of time will readily attest, there is a dearth of Dr. Strange content when it comes to Marvel general merchandise. Sure, Wolverine, Hulk, Captain America and Spider-Man are on everything and anything, but the chances of Doctor Strange being shown on any merchandise item are slim-to-nil.

However, hope springs eternal for the die-hard fan, and as luck would have it, a part of the initial shipment contained a sticker sheet that had a sticker featuring Doctor Strange!

Apologies for some of these poor pics.

My photography staging area is currently a disaster area, and I needed to get these done quickly.

Doc shown 2nd row - 1st sticker on the left.

This was enough to keep me coming back for more shipments - every month - for 10 months... in the slim hope that there would be (there HAD to be) more. 


The fourth shipment was a HULK shipment - with book, poster segment and magazine all featuring the green goliath, and it made sense to me that with their long, historied connection, that Dr. Strange would be featured somewhere therein.

Disappointingly, the audio play that I featured last post was Doc's only contribution to that shipment.
But, still... that kept my hope alive.

But, with shipment after shipment coming with absolutely no Doctor Strange content, I was ready to cut my losses and cancel my subscription. I kept on, however, due to my paranoia that once I canceled, that a Doctor Strange related shipment would have been the very next one. And so I waited it out... all the way to the end.

Good thing that I did.

For the 10th and final shipment was what could be considered the "everything but the kitchen sink" shipment. The "everybody else" assortment.

It featured a Silver Surfer magazine...

And while the magazine didn't have anything with Dr. Strange within (surprising since there was also the long, historied relationship between the Surfer & Strange as Defenders) the shipment did contain several items of STRANGE swag!

Like every other shipment, this one also came with a sticker sheet.
In an ironic symmetry, this last shipment's sticker sheet (like the first shipment's) would also feature a Doctor Strange sticker.

Doc shown 2nd row - 2nd sticker from the right.

Each shipment would also come with a pack of cards for a CCG, and this shipment would finally contain a card for Doctor Strange.

While that would be a nice treat (and a rare addition to my insane collection of Strange-related collectible cards), an even better treat would also lie within this shipment:

The storybook that featured DOCTOR STRANGE (and the Avengers) vs GALACTUS.

The story featured a pot-lock / potpourri of heroes, most closely resembling the line-up of the "Bendis-vengers" in a battle to save the Earth from Galactus and his many heralds (none of which were heralds ever seen before in comics canon). Actually, while the book title is listed as the Avengers vs Galactus, is was really "Everybody vs Galactus", since the devourer of worlds would be faced by not only the World's Mightiest Heroes, but also the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and many solo heroes.

Doctor Strange is written as dealing with several of the heralds, so that the heroes can take the battle to Galactus. Here's a pic with an excerpt:

click to read

And last, but certainly not least, the shipment also had a mini-poster which featured the DEFENDERS (minus the Hulk, who is on his own poster) versus Galactus!

click to Galactus-size

This 11" x 17" mini-poster was the final segment of the 22" x 85" mega-image battle-scene that would be made when all ten posters were aligned in their proper positions.

click to mega-size!

Sadly, the club shuttered not long after this final shipment - depriving other dorks...uh... darling children from the wonders of the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.

Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club (part I) : SURPRISES in the SANCTUM SANCTORUM "HULK's Surprise" Audio Play

If you recall from my recent birthday post, I promised to present to you, my fine readers, some cool oddities and rarities as my gift to you!

Today I would like to present to you something that I can almost guarantee, only the most die-hard of Marvel fan will ever have heard - or heard OF.
(Yes, I know. I ended on a preposition - which is something I loathe, but I had to do so... for emphasis.)


Below, I have uploaded an Audio Play featuring Doctor Strange and the Defenders (STARRING the HULK) !

It was originally Online-Only Bonus-Content for a series of Marvel Comics' publications... (but NOT comic books).

Intrigued?
Well, listen to the audio play and I'll catch you afterward with the 4-1-1 on the origins of this obscure bit of Strangeness.

Aside from the poor production values and obvious single actor performing all the parts (with nary a voice alteration to help differentiate between the characters) as well as some mispronounced names of characters and spells... you'll hear this audio play beginning at what seems to be a continuation of some other story. This audio file was what was made available by going to a web-site (no longer active) that was listed in the pages of a tangible book and magazine, and is an unofficial segue from the story found therein.

If you read my impromptu credits at the end of the clip, you'll see that this was produced by
Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.

Now, I can hear you all saying;

"Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club...?
What the heck is THAT?!?"

Back in 2006 (and into 2007) Scholastic Books (yes, the people who brought you Clifford the Big Red Dog) teamed up with Marvel Comics to form the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.
A subscription children's book (and collectibles) club service, where you would sign up to receive 10 shipments (with a low price first shipment, and then 9 more - and slightly more expensive - deliveries) of Book Club goodies, every month.

The first shipment (shown below) came with the first of a series of 10 story "chapter" books, a magazine, a sticker sheet, some toys, a game board and pieces for a "battle" game, a set of collectible cards (for a CCG) in an illustrated tin case AND a poster (which when combined with the other 9 posters form a JUMBO-size mega-poster image)!

Originally, I was going to make a massive blog-post with everything related to today's special content, but I thought the rest of the items would be better served in their own post (so come back see that stuff)!

Obviously, however, I'm not going to present all 10 monthly shipments (books, posters, sticker sheets, card packs, etc...), I'm only going to showcase the ones with DOCTOR STRANGE!

(But, if anyone is interested, I will be putting the others up for sale on the eBay before long. I'm in the process of gathering cool stuff for my Summer sales launch - so keep an eye out for it).

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*UPDATE*

04/13/2012

Just thought I'd link to PART 2 of this entry [HERE]

---

If you liked THIS audio play and want to hear others, I've posted a few over the years:

Feel free to check 'em out!

DOCTOR STRANGE vs NIGHTMARE (from Marvel Phone Cards) [HERE]

MAN-THING - "Night of the Laughing Dead" (Book and Record Set) [HERE]

DEFENDERS v4 # 4 – A REVIEW

 THE DEFENDERS #4
Writer: Matt Fraction,

Guest Penciller Michael Lark

Inks Stefano Guadiano w/ Brian Theis

Colors by Matt Hollingworth

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

 Cover art by Terry and Rachel Dodson

 Variant covers:

"I am a Defender : Silver Surfer" promo art cover
&
Iron Fist Solo Shot by Dale Keown

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"Misfits 1: Strange/The French Drop"

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" 'Tis better to have loved and lost
than never to have loved at all."

-          Alfred Lord Tennyson

"I'm on your side
And here in you
my engines die
I'm in a mood for you...
...And love - is only Heaven away."


'The Ghost in You'
- The Psychedelic Furs

---

Defenders # 4 – a story of life, death, past, present, love, hate, self-loathing, desire, loss, recriminations and all of the above - all mixed together.

----------

* SPOILER ALERT *

I am discussing, at length - and in hyper detail - a comic that came out a week or two ago.

I give away SPOILERS.

This is your only warning.

----------

In the first of a proposed sub-series of issues focusing on the individual members of the Defenders; with this issue’s gaze centered on Doctor Strange, the story actually begins with most of the team – including the newest “member”; Prester “Omega”. 

They are gathered together in the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange, as they strive to comprehend the mystery of the Concordance Engine which they acquired through the events of the previous arc. (Links to reviews of those issues can be found at the end of this post.)

In the first few pages, Fraction sets up a familiar side of Doctor Strange; the self-assured, level-headed, well-disciplined and learned man, who does what he can to utilize his vast library, patience and inquisitiveness to pierce the veil of secrecy about the artifact. In short: the classic Doctor Stephen Strange that we have, sadly, hardly seen in the Marvel Universe for many a year. Fraction also, in a brief span of a single panel re-establishes the old dynamic between Strange and his faithful manservant; Wong, wherein the servant is so attuned to his master’s thoughts and wishes that Strange not even speak them aloud for the dutiful Tibetan to carry them out.

We also are revisited by Molly; the “nubile, young grad-student” with whom Stephen Strange spent a wine-enhanced study-session (and the “tantric studies” that followed thereafter – of which I blogged about [HERE]).

But Molly, and her new brand of intimacy are not the only thoughts of love on the mystic master’s mind. For while, floating in the lotus position, meditating before the Concordance Engine, his mind dances across the thoughts of at least a few others… one of whom is Martha – a love long lost.

It is revealed that long ago, back when Stephen Strange was but a medical student, Martha was his grad student advisor. In the course of working so closely together – they fell in love. However, she left for another man and broke Stephen’s heart. Eventually she would marry, have a family, develop cancer – and die.

Strange’s secret wish, made before the Concordance Engine, is enough to bring her to his side – back from the dead (and at the age from when Stephen knew her, not her later self).

There are a few aspects to Martha that present problems to anyone who has knowledge of Doctor Strange and his romantic history (as well as his personal history/origins).

Matt Fraction unnecessarily introduces this lost love when there are already at least two pre-existing, in-canon women that would fit the bill (as showcased in my posted list of all love-interests in the life of Stephen Strange [HERE] - although, I have yet to add "Martha", or give an update for "Molly", but will do so for my next post).

The first was a fellow medical student with whom the young Stephen Strange fell in love – and yet never had the nerve to approach. Called “Alice Bluegown”, because of the dress she was wearing when he saw her, she was the end-all, be-all of Stephen Strange’s dream-love. Truly the mythic love of his life. The fantasy love that got away.

In fact it was only by the love that Strange felt for Alice that enabled him to be able to return to earth, and humanity, after he gained the god-head and became an all-powerful lord of chaos, after defeating Shuma Gorath (in the classic 2^nd volume of Strange Tales).

The introduction of Martha, as this “great , lost love” into Strange’s backstory immediately sets her up as a sub-level emotional attachment than Alice Bluegown, as the previous story set Alice as the one for whom Strange’s heart pined the strongest.

Maybe, Martha was the deepest ACTUAL relationship that Strange would have in his young life, but as such, she still could not hope to defeat the memory of a dream-lover. Still, perhaps the desire for Alice was burned away by the events in that old Strange Tales story, thus allowing Strange to “move on” from that desire. That might lead Martha to be next in line for his secret pining.

The other lost love was Madeleine de St. Germaine, nee Revell; whose “Strange romantic” back-story) is similar to that of Martha. A translator for the U.N., Madeleine was involved in an accident that nearly killed her – should have killed her - if it were not for the surgical skills of a young Stephen Strange, medical resident at the hospital where she was taken.

After he saved her life, they spent time together, seeing more and more of each other, for more than a year. They were inseparable. Yet, when he asked her to marry him she declined because she did not like the cold, hard, greedy man he was becoming. Her leaving broke his heart – and so his heart grew colder and harder still (as seen in the Doctor Strange; Master of the Mystic Arts series, issues 39-41 & Man-Thing v2 # 4) .

Either of these two women would have been perfect choices for Strange to summon forth via the Concordance Engine during a melancholy bout of loneliness.    

There could even be a third, similarly un-plumbed love-interest in the form of Amanda Payne. She and Stephen had become something quite serious and their relation only ended when he found that he must return to his duties as Sorcerer Supreme. (First seen in Doctor Strange; Sorcerer Supreme # 86.) But now that he no longer holds that mantle or responsibility, his mind could have easily wandered to thoughts of their time together.

You’ll note that I don’t mention Doctor Strange’s longest and closest romantic interest; Clea – daughter of Umar and Niece of the Dread Dormammu. The reason is simple. If you were to look at the artwork showcased in the thought-sequence as Strange ruminates before the Concordance Engine, that Clea is indeed pictured in the flashes of memory (in the narrow panel - next to last on the right).

Still, there is one other reason for Matt Fraction to use a retconned lover for his story: As opposed to Madeleine de St. Germaine – who was not in Strange’s field (and may or may not have been his elder at the time of their relations) – Martha is set up as not only within Strange’s field of study, but also that she was his elder and his advisor. 

This establishes the reversal of the dynamic between Dr. Strange and Molly the grad student. This is Matt Fraction’s way of showing the fact that sexual misconduct is not just committed by older men in positions of authority whom a younger student respects and looks to for aid, but that the gender roles can easily be reversed. It seeks to set up a means for an “out” to the inappropriate behavior of Strange’s sleeping with Molly. It attempts to use the “we were both adults, but even the man can get hurt” defense – and does so to point out that Strange was hurt by BOTH relationships.

Now, aside from the possible lack of research into Stephen Strange’s romantic history, there could be one further transgression that Matt Fraction may have perpetrated with his inclusion of Martha into Strange’s backstory.

According to some wiki and comic database sites, (including a Marvel wiki site : [Marvel.Wikia],) the MARTHA in this issue is supposedly MARTHA CONNORS; the wife of Curt “The Lizard” Connors. Her history is similar to that which is described by Doctor Strange in the issue: she married, had a child (although Strange says; “kids” – plural – and she died from cancer (Strange specifically stated ovarian cancer, but Martha Connors’ cancer was of a more general variety, becoming critical when it metastasized to her spine). Martha died in the mini-series; Spider-Man: Quality of Life (2002).

So, could this Martha be Martha Connors? Frankly, this should be impossible.

If Martha is indeed Martha Connors, and she was older than Stephen Strange (since she was a grad student advisor), then that would make Curt Connors older than Strange (or at least about his own age), which is impossible – as, according to Marvel’s own official canon of him, Strange was born in 1930 (Dr. Strange is one of the few Marvel characters not affected by Marvel’s sliding time-scale). Doctor Strange predates the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom. He is definitely older than Curt Connors.

This slight goes against one of my biggest peeves of comic writers who don’t adequately understand or research Dr. Strange:

• Stephen Strange should not have any contemporaries. Since he was born in the fixed year of 1930, due to the effects of Marvel’s sliding 10-year timeline, everyone he knew in his “old life” of a surgeon should be elderly – or dead.

Still, even taking this gross error into account, with the exception of the Marvel wiki site (- although is wikia an "official" wiki, or just one of those that mirrors information from other sites? *UPDATE* This wikia site appears to be "open source", not official, and Martha's entry has already been edited) and one or two other unofficial comic tracking sites, I can find no statement by Matt Fraction to confirm or deny this Martha’s identity. On MARVEL's own pages, she is not listed as Martha Connors. I can, however, state that in MY opinion, Fraction does not mean for this to be Martha Connors. The reason is simple; in the story, Fraction has Martha state that she “…got old… and died.” And since Martha Connors wasn’t old, per se (but maybe “old” in the mindset of a twenty-something is anything over the age of 30?) then this wouldn’t be the same woman. Also, Fraction has Strange state that they don’t know what she might mean to a world where she has been dead for fifteen years.

Since Spider-Man : Quality of Life came out in 2002 and was not a period piece, set in the past, I feel safely assured that this is not Martha Connors. (Not unless Fraction didn’t research that series either – or that he has no knowledge or understanding of the 10-year sliding timescale.)

Removing the negatives from the equation (Martha’s unnecessary requirement to the story or her questionable history) we are left with an actual, honest-to-goodness love story. And a good one, at that.

Stephen Strange is a reclusive specialist, who has little time for relations of a normal variety (although, in time’s past; live-in, other-dimensional princess/disciples being the more convenient, professionally acceptable sort) . Now, while caught in a moment of weakness – of loneliness – his mind drifts back to a purer love from a simpler time. What middle-aged man (or woman) hasn’t done just that? Think of “what might have been”… the path not taken seeming ever greener than the road that you are on presently.  Even someone as mentally trained, as in harmony with himself and the aether, and with the mystical training that Strange possesses… can fall victim to a moment of melancholy. Of a brief span of nostalgia. Of loneliness.

(And if there ever was a man alone… it is Stephen Strange. As one who has seen the myriad dimensions, and been beyond the pale, has outlived most of his contemporaries and bears the weight of an entire dimensional reality… Dr. Strange could feel alone while in a crowd. And for someone who constantly requires solitude and introspection, Strange always seems to surround himself with distractions and bombastic super-folks, to possibly help lessen that sense of aloneness.)

And so, while alone… meditating before the Concordance Engine, trying to clear his mind, yet being unable to do so as the weight of the years and his responsibilities having suddenly caught him at a low ebb… his mind wanders and he thinks of a girl he used to know. One that got away.

It doesn’t matter that years have gone by, or that he knows why she left, and that it might have been for the best – or even that he knew she had a long and happy life with a husband and children… the heart and the mind often do not agree when love is concerned.

So, Stephen and Martha pick up right where they left off; spending their days and nights – in love.

But with the inclusion of the new one-night-stand; Molly, who isn’t quite done with Stephen Strange, we now have an awkward love-triangle.

It’s never a good thing when two of your “ex-significant others” meet. Even worse when one of them is the result of an inebriated night of bad judgment and the other is a corpse, newly resurrected by a magic wishing machine. It is worse still when both are approximately the same age as each other, but you are now significantly older when having slept with the 2^nd than you were with the first.

Molly, as we now know her name (as she was nameless when we first met her in issue # 1) is forced to return to Strange’s mansion in order to try to borrow the book that she originally consulted during their “study-session”; the “Liber Amsterdam”. We also find out that the thesis paper that she is working on is about the magical and arcane influences in pre-war architectural harmonics. Basically, “did people really try to design ‘magical buildings’ and why”. She is seen holding a copy of The Power of Limits By Gyorgy Doczi.  (Maybe she should have consulted Tobin’s Spirit Guide for the back-story on Ivor Shandor, or sought the aid of Dr. Venkmenn. - But of course, he’d try to sleep with her as well, so…).

I need to discuss the artwork for a moment.

Guest Penciller, Michael Lark (with inks by Stefano Guadiano w/ Brian Theis) brings a rich, realism to this issue that helps to solidly ground it in a “reality” that is required for this type of “real world” adult story to work. The comic-y art of the Dodsons might be fine for punch-em-up super-heroics, but this subtle and nuanced tale asks for a much more mature and sedate hand. Michael Lark provides lush interiors, replete with every detail and exteriors that are photo-referenced, but do not seem out of place with his renderings. His people are real. His settings are real. The expressions and sublime emotions that cross the faces of his characters are real.

But when mystical, otherworldly effects and moody atmospherics are called for, Lark is able to deliver – ably assisted and enhanced by the colors of Matt Hollingworth. If this weren’t an issue of the Defenders, it could be considered to be one of the best looking Doctor Strange issues ever, as this is a deeply personal story of Stephen Strange. Still, it does win for one of the very best drawn Defenders issues of all time!

I would kill to have this piece of art. It is that nice!
Might need to print it out as a poster.

Awash in chiaroscuro, Lark’s artwork is the absolute best thing about this issue. I can find no wrong in it whatsoever (unless you want to nitpick that he drawn Doc's armbands as cloth glove/sleeve thingies, but that is hardly his fault since Terry Dodson neglects to render these articles in a specific manner - which I commented on in my review of previous issues). This wonderful artwork is also due to the inks of by Stefano Guadiano w/ Brian Theis, who eschew the traditional hatch/crosshatch techniques in lieu of a wash/drybrush inking style.

In keeping his characters more real, however, Lark does lose the hot, ‘Zooey Deschanel’ caricaturized look that the Dodson’s originally gave to Molly, instead making her much more “average” – but much more real.

When Molly revisits the Sanctum Sanctorum and comes face-to-face not only with Stephen Strange, but also with his new/old lover; Martha, the discomfort is palpable. Matt Fraction gives Molly’s inner thoughts the exact urgent desire to be anywhere else that anyone in a similar situation would think and feel the same.

When she leaves a second time, she is in no mood for the next creep that crosses her path.

So as to prevent this comic from being renamed; ‘Strange Romances’, we are given the B-story of  that next creep: Tyson, a young, rival magician who covets Strange’s stored wealth of magical knowledge and artifacts, and finds a dark way to set out acquiring them.

While walking away from Strange’s house, holding the ‘Liber Amsterdam’, Molly is confronted by the villain of the story, who recognizes the tome that she now possesses. Molly tries to distance herself from him, only for the rogue to use street magic in order to discretely hide a mystical homing device; a coin with a personal sigil marked upon it, within the pages of the book.

This coin is the locus of the young mystic. Imbued with a minor spell, he uses it as an object upon which to focus his mind and to send his spirit form.  This is basically astral travel, so I’m unsure as to why he calls this; “Remote Projection”. “Remote Seeing” is a totally different thing than astral travel. In astral travel ones spirit form leaves his body and goes forth to explore the world around him (or, if he has the mystical skills; other dimensional planes). In remote seeing, one is able to project one’s consciousness to a certain location – usually one that is pre-determined.

Travel in this manner; utilizing an astral form, but to a specific location (where his locus is) mixes the two methods into one. But while his astral form seems to be limited to manifesting where his sigil-item is located, it is definitely his astral form in use, and not just his consciousness.

He uses this method to go to Molly’s home, and then, after she has read the book (somehow without her discovering the coin) and returned it to Strange, to invade the Sanctum Sanctorum itself.

Could it be this strange mixture of methods is what allows him to invade Strange’s Sanctum, by-passing whatever mystic wards that may be set in place? Perhaps the barriers and defenses are unable to detect such a minor breach. Or is it that, a much more low-level sorcerer than previously, Dr. Strange no longer has any such wards in place.

For whatever unknown reason, he is certainly unaware of the invading spirit within his home. There should be no reason why Strange can not see the astral form. Perhaps, like the wards around his home, it is the low-level method of astral seeing in use that is too crude for Strange’s perception to recognize. It isn’t until he is asleep and his subconscious personal defenses - a third-eye - activates, so that Strange can see this astral invader.

Much like in the POINT ONE issue, there is the usage of this “third eye” upon Strange’s brow. In all previous iterations, this was always the Eye of Agamotto, released from its housing that would alight upon Dr. Strange’s forehead and would allow him sight-beyond-sight. Yet, here (as in the POINT ONE issue) this seems to be a new spell in use – one that activates when what is hidden lurks within close proximity. Matt Fraction has used this 3^rd Eye twice now, but has given no hints as to its origins or even what it is or how Strange has come to use it.

That is simply poor storytelling.

Still, when this invader; Tyson, is within the walls of the Sanctum, he/it is able to bear witness to the Concordance Engine, “Prestor Omega”; the Engine’s catatonic guardian, and Martha – newly resurrected from the dead. With this information, he attempts to blackmail Dr. Strange with the threat of exposing these secrets to the authorities.

Here Strange is written in an uncharacteristic manner. Not only does Strange first threaten to scatter Tyson’s soul to hellish places, but he then bows to the threat of the evil intruder. The Dr. Strange of old would have let the police in, and simply cast an illusion spell obscuring the truth from their eyes, and/or wiped their memories and either also done the same to the young magician, or set him up to seem “insane”, so that the authorities would “lock him away” somewhere, where his outlandish tale would seem the ravings of a maniac.

Yet, in need of aid, instead of going to any number of his associates (even Wong, for that matter) Strange rushes in the dead of night to the apartment of his jilted lover, Molly, begging help to whisk Martha to safety.

(Say what you will, but for a man to intentionally get two of his lovers together – without himself present – is a man who is able to walk in the flames of hell unscathed.)

However, Martha's second leaving of Strange seems... anticlimactic.
It is convenient for her to leave, so the status quo remains unchanged at story's end, but I can truly see no reason for her to go.
She says that she is cooped up in the Sanctum, hiding from the outside world (due to her status as "deceased") doing nothing but having sex all the time, like teenagers... but that's all the reasoning she gives.
She simply tells him she wishes to leave, and Doc quotes Aleister Crowley's "Do what thou wilt."

This is, of course, before Tyson's invasion and threat, and then THAT is given as the reason for her need to depart.
But again, I ask; "why?"
If Doctor Strange knows what his plan is to be in dealing with the upstart magician, then he need not hie her to safety. She will not need worry about Tyson.
If it is that she needs to go "find herself", well, I do hope Doc gave her some forged documents and ID, because otherwise, she's going to have just as much explaining to do, as if she were exposed by Tyson in the first place.

It simply seems that Matt Fraction needs her removed from the story. She's served her usage. Wham, bam, thank you, Ma'am. Luv you, buh-bye!

In dealing with Tyson, here now, Doctor Strange takes one further step down the dark path that Marvel has been sending him as of late.

After bringing Martha to Molly for help in getting her safe passage in order to start a new life, Doctor Strange then locates the mystic talisman left by the rival mage. He places the coin within a glass jar, so as to entrap the astral form of the invader. The jar must have a spell cast upon it so that the astral form can not escape, as it is obvious that the young mystic is indeed imprisoned therein.

He then places the jar in a bookcase that is filled with a multitude of other, similar jars.

Strange has now trapped the spirit, the astral form, of another within a mystic prison - a fate that will bring about the DEATH of the young mystic if it is not returned to his body within 24hours! While trapping the consciousness of another would lead to brain-death, it has long been a canonical constant that if the astral form is trapped away from the body for more than 24 hours, the body will die, dooming the astral form to a limbo state for eternity.

Has Doctor Strange just consigned this young magician to death & limbo?

Really?

And does the presence of other similar glass jars filling a wall-sized bookcase evidence that he has done this before?

Really?!?!

(Even if Doc released Tyson before the 24hour time period were up, he would still have to deal with Tyson's threat of exposure. Unless Doc casts the same forgetful spell that I mentioned... in which case, why not just do so at the onset?)

So, is Doc supposed to be a much darker magician these days?
A darker person?

Is that what's going on?

Personally, I'm good with that if they just outright SAID SO.
Seriously, I could do with a darker tinge to a sorcerer. Makes more sense, really.

But, instead, we have Doc doing dark deeds and harsh tactics, (here and in other recent Marvel titles,) but with no explanation.
Instead, we are to assume this is just how the writers feel Strange "would behave".

While I am all for a darker, creepier version of Doctor Strange (because, let’s face it, mystics should be dark), I am uncomfortable with this level of dark (borderline BLACK) magic for a hero.

Certainly, in fiction, mystics do employ such harsh methods to ensure their secrets and/or the well-being of the world, but this isn’t a DC Vertigo title, where such a twist can be expected. This is a mainstream, “616” Marvel Universe comic.

Would I like to see Doc use such techniques if this were an “adult” title? Sure. Why not?

But as a mainstream title, this is the wrong thing to do.

Also, since I’m on the subject; with what is obviously a mature-themed issue (sexual relations and the following “daylight interactions”) it is to be expected that the dialogue must discuss it, in an un-couched manner. I am far from a prude, but it always strikes me as unnecessary when a mainstream comic book deals with sex in such an open manner – not utilizing double-entendres and veiled meanings.

While on the phone with a friend, Molly is told that she “needs to get laid”, and she then replies that she needs to get a chastity belt to prevent future “underpants dropping” mistakes.

I often wish that I could hand a comic that I enjoy to one of my nephews, nieces or even adult family members, without having to later rethink that action due to such story elements.

Yes. I know. Comics are not just for kids. The medium is an artform as old as mankind itself – as we have millennia-old cave-paintings to prove that point, but still, it seems that in the attempt to put on its “big boy pants”, the industry mistakes overt sexual discourse and “adult content” as being adult.

Either way, one of the reasons that I have always loved Doctor Strange comics is that he IS a sexual being. He has always had some kind of open air of sexual living. More than that of any other comic book character.

So, while I don’t want that to go away, I’m merely wondering if, for the benefit of securing future readers, comics might want to use more veiled dialogue, implying the sex going on behind the scenes (as Doc comics used to) rather than actually crossing the line to “indie” or “underground” comics and slapping it up in our faces.

Side notes and thoughts of things to come:

Matt Fraction continues to utilize the margin blurbs, like the 1970’s Marvel Comics of old to advertise other cool comics, as well as use them for more meta-textual insights. He mourns W.M. “Bill” Hicks; comedian, social critic and satirist whose forte’ was drug humor as well as shining a light on the disparity of the multiple levels of society. Fraction also reveals a source of inspiration for the story; Tom Waits’ classic song of long lost love; “MARTHA". I would also say that Fraction also uses the blurbs to give leads to the “soundtrack” of the story, by hinting to what seem to be little subconscious thoughts going on between certain characters, but are also really song cues of such hidden gems like , Skeeter Davis’ “What Am I Gonna Do With You?”, and “You Are My Sunshine” by  Oliver Hood. Strangely, it comes across more like a tween-age girl with her iPod/mix-tape list, to tease his favorite songs, since he re-hashes song lyrics and phrases that he has already utilized in other, older projects, like:  Liz Faire’s “Shane” (revisiting his old 2004 mixtape phrenology), and a call back to a “secret page” of his Casanova comic.

When I was a kid, my sister (then a tween or a young teen) would write little short stories using nothing but the titles and lyrics of assorted songs. They stories varied in quality, but in doing so she showed some creativity.
Matt Fraction is doing a shorthand version of that.

But to be fair, the songs chosen are cool and apt.

And to join in solidarity, I tossed in a poetry quote and an appropriate song choice of my own at the top of the review. (Tennyson and Psychedelic Furs)

The issue ends with King Namor telepathically contacting Doctor Strange and informing him that a coincidental image of what appears to be a Concordance Engine located deep in the ocean’s depths.

Thus, we know that there are most likely more than one such engine, and that like the teasers used to hype the comic, the Defenders need to “SHUT THE ENGINES DOWN”.

But before they do so, I hope to see to what destination the Engines bring us.

That one page where Doc sits before the Engine shows a few intriguing panels, which hold potential secrets and clues to what may be coming in the future for this title. We see images of Clea, other women, a mother & child, a hand holding a revolver (which looks much like a familiar ELF WITH A GUN), and more.

Since this issue, warts and all, is much better than the opening arc’s previous three, I am happy to say that I am on board for the foreseeable future.

At least, until I know one way or another if Matt Fraction has fuel for his Concordance Engine, or if it is merely running on fumes.

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Reviews to previous issues in this series:

DEFENDERS # 3 review [HERE]
DEFENDERS # 2 review [HERE]
DEFENDERS # 1 review [HERE]
DEFENDERS PREVIEW review (mostly about the sexual congress of Dr. Strange) [HERE]

DEFENDERS prequel story review from POINT ONE # 1 [HERE]

and a Special Edition looking at Matt Fraction's possible merits or faults re: the title [HERE]