TIME WARP: The Modern Marvel Calendars *Addendum 4*

Time is relative.

It seems "Time Flies"… (whether you’re having fun or not) and as such, I’ve missed several opportunities to post new blog entries. My apologies.

And so...

Happy (belated) New Year - 2014, Sanctum Dwellers!

In this, the first post of the new year, I once again thought it appropriate to blog about the passage of time. Well... honestly, about calendars.

This post also doubles as an updated add-on to an old post from this time in 2009 wherein I showcased all of the various Marvel Calendars - from 1975 - to the "present"... well... at least the ones that featured Doctor Strange or any of my "6-Dimensions" interests.

The original series can be found at the following links:

(Part I : the "CLASSIC" calendar series can be seen - HERE)
(Part II : the "MODERN" calendar series can be seen - HERE)

(Part III : the 1980 Doctor Strange calendar - in its entirety - can be seen - HERE)

This blog post is just to add two "new" entries into the "Part II - MODERN" portion of that series (these added entries will be added to that post directly, as well)

Occasionally, the "addendums" focus on the new calendar for the new year (new, new, new!). But, of late there have been no new calendars to feature DOCTOR STRANGE. This is made especially “strange” by the fact that, as one of the “Illuminati”, the super-secret cabal featured in Jonathan Hickman’s NEW AVENGERS title, and that editor Tom Brevoort continually touts NEW AVENGERS as “the most important title that Marvel is publishing…” you’d think that group (or any member(s) of that assembly) would be featured on at least one of the 12 months of the calendars over the past two years. But, no.

And so, today’s entry is to showcase some old calendars that I acquired since my last such entry; one from 2005 and the other from 2007. Both of which are of the “Page a Day” desktop variety (of a type which I have exhibited here in time’s past - the 1995 desktop calendar - found with the "Modern" Marvel calendars [see link above]).

With this sort of calendar, each day has its own tear-off page, and on that page is featured some artwork or tidbit of info about a character or comic issue.

The 2005 “Characters of Marvel” Calendar, a “Day At A Time” edition, has DR STRANGE right on the cover page! (With a portion of the cover to “Sorcerer Supreme # 51 showing.) A good start!

The format of this edition was to have sequential pages/days devoted to a character, before moving on to the next. This has several pages dedicated to the Master Mystic!

It also had pages on several of my 6-Dimensions characters; Scarlet Witch, Ghost Rider, Nick Fury, etc… as well as a plethora of other characters, so… a good calendar!

The 2007 edition, is a “Marvel Heroes” “Year In A Box” calendar, and was not as kind to Dr. Strange.

It has Doctor Strange featured on ZERO pages! WTF? Well… he’s not featured solo on any pages, but is seen as a small figure in a few group shots, and is mentioned in some write-ups (for "House of M" and such).

Still, Scarlet Witch is featured on a few pages (solo and as a group member) so… that’s ok.

Otherwise, it’s fairly light on my 6-Dimensions characters.

Except… it DOES have MAN-THING as shown on the cover to “Marvel Comics Presents” # 5, so… alright!

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Also of note, is that this year (2014 for any future visitors from the year 2525 [if man is still alive]) features the same day-of-the-week-per-month pagination as previous years wherein a past Marvel Calendar can be reused to perfection!

Such previous years are 2003, 1997, 1986, 1975, 1969, etc… , and I’ve already featured those calendars (well, the ones that actually HAD Marvel calendars) in previous entries of the MARVEL CALENDAR series [see links above].

So, no Doctor Strange in ANY 2014 calendar? No problem. Let me slap my 1975, calendar on my wall.

Heck, I’ll put the 1997 calendar in my study, the other 1997 in my bedroom, the 1975 calendar in my Sanctum Sanctorum, the 2003 in my bathroom....

See?...

Time is relative.

Time Warp : - The Modern Marvel Calendars *ADDENDUM 3*

Happy (belated) New Year - 2013, Sanctum Dwellers!

In this, the first second post of the new year, I once again thought it appropriate to blog about the passage of time. Well... honestly, about calendars.

This post also doubles as an updated add-on to an old post from this time in 2009 wherein I showcased all of the various Marvel Calendars - from 1975 - to the "present"... well... at least the ones that featured Doctor Strange or any of my "6-Dimensions" interests.

The original series can be found at the following links:

(Part I : the "CLASSIC" calendar series can be seen - HERE)
(Part II : the "MODERN" calendar series can be seen - HERE)

(Part III : the 1980 Doctor Strange calendar - in its entirety - can be seen - HERE)

Anyway, this entry is just to post an added entry into the "Part II - MODERN" portion of that series (however, while a part of the Marvel Calendar collection, this added entry will not be added to that post directly - only mentioned with a link to this addendum, for the reason in the very next sentence...)

However, for the first time, the calendar I am about to showcase has absolutely NO appearance by Doctor Strange whatsoever!

It DOES, however, have an appearance by one of my "6-Dimensions" interests: the SCARLET WITCH.

Left side: Thor, Scarlet Witch, Captain America.
Right side: Havok, Rogue, Wolverine.
Artwork by John Cassaday, from the cover to Uncanny Avengers # 1

A FREE promo item, this calendar showcases images for the upcoming year's publications and events. 
(Sadly, I don't yet have one, and have made due with scans from online. Anyone have one of these they can spare? I'll probably have to hit up eBay or something. Found one on the cheap via eBay. Not FREE as it should be, but pretty close.)

It's an in-house publication. With a few tiny images of some Marvel characters on certain holidays, this calendar, much like previous few years in-house Marvel calendars, is a tiny throwback / homage to those "classic" Marvel calendars of old (as can be seen in this post [HERE]) wherein most of the days had cool little Marvel art within. (Like the odd little scene of NAMOR kissing the INVISIBLE WOMAN (or is that EMMA FROST?) in a heart-shaped box on VALENTINE's DAY... hmmm...)

Unfortunately, like the similar in-house Marvel calendar of last year (blogged [HERE]), this one also does not showcase Dr. Strange in any of its interior pages.

What I find very curious is that in EVERY interview with writer Jonathan Hickman about his plans for Marvel flagship titles; AVENGERS & NEW AVENGERS, he states that the plans he has for NEW AVENGERS (which features Doctor Strange and the rest of the Illuminati [Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, Namor, the Beast - who takes the place of the dead-for-now Professor X, and Black Panther]) would make it THE MOST IMPORTANT title that Marvel would publish all year. And yet, images of that title/group is strangely snubbed in the calendar.

Argh.
It looks like 2013 will be the same as many a year previous in that...
it is not easy being a Doctor Strange fan.

HOUSING CRISIS : SANCTUS INTERRUPTUS - Part VII - The REBUILDING...

After over three years since the original blog-series and over two years since the last updated entry in this series, we can now revisit this, the annals of the many cases of the...

RISE and FALL of the SANCTUM SANCTORUM of DR. STRANGE.

All in a series entitled:

HOUSING CRISIS : SANCTUS INTERRUPTUS
The chronological rise, fall, rise and fall (repeat ad nauseum) of the
- Sanctum Sanctorum -.

(Hey. It's happened more often than you might think.)

Previous installments can be found at the following links:

-------------

* Addendum : here* 

* Part ∞ in this series: here*
* Part VII in this series (this current entry)

* Part VI in this series: here*
* Part V in this series: here*
 * Part IV in this series: here*
* Part III in this series: here*
* Part II in this series: here*
* Part I in this series: here*

-------------

As was the case when I began this series, while the actual post is all about the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange, and the many times it has been destroyed and rebuilt - like when I first started this series, this entry is also inspired by my real-life "Sanctum Sanctorum"; in my home.
Actually this very post was actually (mostly) written over a year ago (Sept. 2010), but never posted, as many of you may know from reading the posts around that time, I was undergoing a relocation and was moving to a new "Sanctum", thus my old one was being boxed up and the overall look and feel of the place was one of "tearing down".
Well, after moving most of our belongings to the new place, we were informed that due to emerging circumstances with the land-owner, that it was no longer going to be available - and I had to move all of that stuff BACK.

Since then, there were instances where I had to dismantle what little was left standing (like during the Hurricane Irene storms) to prevent any possible breakage that might arise. I've only recently begun to rebuild rooms and areas of their spartan furnishings and effects.

And so, it made me think upon the state of Doctor Strange and his Sanctum Sanctorum after the events where he recently destroyed his Sanctum and left - to find himself (those events seen in New Avengers Annual # 2 - and showcased in PART VI in this series - found [HERE].

---------

After Dr. Strange laid waste to his sanctum, he wandered around a bit, doing what he could to reconnect himself to the realms of "white" magic.
Without a specific base of operations, as the Sanctum would be undoubtedly under constant watch by government agencies and Initiative task forces, and not wishing (or being able) to waste energies mystically hiding from sight there anymore, Strange would always just seem to appear at places where magic was going awry and/or people needed him.

Whether it was nearby his Sanctum, in Greenwich Village's Washington Square park - where he aided the Son of Satan.  (Last Defenders # 3)
 

The Sorcerer and Satan's Son - Defenders and "friends".

Last Defenders # 3Joe Casey (story) , Jim Muniz (pencils), Cam Smith (inks)

... or in the deep (and supposedly eldritch) woods of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey - where he aided Thor in reconstituting a broken Mjolnir... (Thor # 602)

 Getting in touch with  "green" magic.
 Straczynski (story), Djurdjevic (pencils), Miki (inks), Mounts (colors)

 ...Strange was out and about trying to find his center once again.

Perhaps, that is why when called by Spider-Man, who was in need of mystical aid against the Cytorrak-empowered Juggernaut, Strange was "unavailable" - again (Amazing Spider-Man # 627).

Once again, exactly like Amazing Spider-Man # 228 (1982) Spidey only gets Wong - as Doc is "busy".

Roger Stern (writer), Lee Weeks (art), Dean White (colors)

In that issue, the Sanctum is shown looking much like it did during New Avengers Annual # 2, wrecked, ruined and boarded up.

While this Spider-Man issue shipped later in the year than the next appearance that I'll be presenting, I believe it was meant to take place sooner, as in the next instance (Strange v2 # 4), after Doc abdicated his role as Sorcerer Supreme and losing the Eye of Agamotto along with it.

Appearing intact from the outside, but only when made to appear at all (as it is under a spell of concealment over an abandoned lot - much like back during the days of the "Midnight Sons" - as seen in Part V of this series [HERE]), the Sanctum is now fairly fixed up from the outside - while the inside is more of a "work-in-progress".
(Obviously why Wong was there before.)

Strange v2 # 4

Mark Waid (story), Emma Rios (art), Val Staples (colors)

(a complete review of this series can be found [HERE])

The story that followed on the heels of this mini reveals that the Sanctum was still magically hidden, but that now the interior of the Sanctum was looking more "up to code" and quite livable.

Christine Boylan (story), Cynthia Martin (art), June Chung (colors), Kathleen Marinaccio (letters)

This scene from a tale entitled "Rondeau" (from Girl Comics # 2 - with an in-depth review found [HERE]) sets the stage for a Sanctum and Sorcerer - on the mend.

---

In Thunderbolts # 155, Jeff Parker starts the issue off strongly... and not just a bit "strangely" by immediately rectifying a glaring mistake made by Brian "I don't read or care what came before, I just make 'em up as I go along" Bendis, over in the New Avengers.

In recent issues of New Avengers, Bendis had Dr. Strange (and Strange's manservant/assistant/acolyte; Wong) move into Avengers mansion, because (Bendis believes) Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is uninhabitable - despite several issues of other titles' showing Doc and/or Wong actually fixing up the place, as shown in the examples above.

Add to that strange logic, the fact that Avengers Mansion has also JUST been wrecked (in a mystic battle against "Agamotto" with Doctor Voodoo). New Avengers v2 # 1 - 6

 

 

 

 Doc and Wong "time-share" in Avengers Mansion

Brian (AGH!) Bendis ("writer"), Stuart Immonen (artist)

However, Jeff Parker puts that mistake to bed by explaining that Doc has set up a mystical doorway from his Avengers Mansion attic-space to his Sanctum-proper - for anyone worthy of admittance.

"I really set up the mystic portal to keep out that hack; Bendis!"

In this way, Parker sets up an elegant solution to Bendis' ham-fisted handling of the former Sorcerer Supreme, by allowing Strange to actually live in his own home, all the while permitting other writers' (Bendis) to have Doc keep a room in the Avengers' mansion.

You can read my glowing review of this issue (and it's previous lead-in) in my reviews:

- THUNDERBOLTS # 154 – with MAN-THING & DOCTOR STRANGE - Love… Like THUNDERBOLTS Straight to My Heart – Part 1 : An Ode to Muck and Magic .  - [HERE]

- THUNDERBOLTS # 155 - with MAN-THING & DOCTOR STRANGE - Love… Like THUNDERBOLTS Straight to My Heart – Part 2 : Strange Thing… You Make My Heart Sing! You make everything…GROOVY! - [HERE]

--- 

More recently, it has been re-established that Doctor Strange resides in his Sanctum Sanctorum, especially as he is now a part of a reborn team of DEFENDERS.

To this end we see the Hulk seek out Strange's aid, first in the 2nd epilogue of 'Fear Itself' # 7 (which also acts as a prologue to the new Defenders series).

 "Same Address, Same House.

Gotta give the creepy old magician credit for his consistency."

...and then from the other side of the P.O.V. in 'The Defenders' (2012) # 1.

Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum has been neater, but at least it is intact.

There is one other interior scene from the issue - Doc's bedroom - and it shows the fact that the house is not only habitable, but also sound enough to..."entertain guests".

I won't get into it all again now. Seriously, go read my post on this scene [HERE] - and my review of the issue [HERE].

Sadly, while the Sanctum has been rebuilt, this scene - and the similarly poor treatment that has been shown to Doctor Strange - shows that Strange as a character is still in danger of being torn down.

We can only hope that trend will change.

By Defenders v4 # 4 the Sanctum is shown - inside and out - to be back to all it's former glory.
(And in case anyone was keeping track, in (Red) HULK # 50, Jeff Parker makes sure to mention (again) that even though Doc is back living in his Bleecker Street Sanctum Sanctorum, that there IS a portal to it in his upstairs attic-space within Avengers Mansion.)

And this brings us up to date on the multiple rises and falls of the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange.

If more examples present themselves (and they most certainly will), I will be sure to add them here - or in a new post in this series.

------------------------------------------

Even though it was already posted years ago, I should direct you to check out the series wrap-up(s) -


[HERE] in the "alternate universe" examples:
HOUSING CRISIS : SANCTUS INTERRUPTUS -  Part ∞:
- A look in the mirror before heading out.
  *The Alternate Universes of the Sanctum*
and wrapping up

[HERE] - in:
Housing Crisis : Sanctus Interruptus -
Building Permit
an * Addendum *
------------------------------------------

Time Warp : - The Modern Marvel Calendars *ADDENDUM 2*

Happy New Year - 2012, Sanctum Dwellers!

In this, the first post of the new year, I once again thought it appropriate to blog about the passage of time. Well... honestly, about calendars.
This post also doubles as an updated add-on to an old post from this time in 2009 wherein I showcased all of the various Marvel Calendars - from 1975 - to the "present"... well... at least the ones that featured Doctor Strange or any of my "6-Dimensions" interests.

The original series can be found at the following links:

(Part I : the "CLASSIC" calendar series can be seen - HERE)
(Part II : the "MODERN" calendar series can be seen - HERE)

(Part III : the 1980 Doctor Strange calendar - in its entirety - can be seen - HERE)

Anyway, this entry is just to post 2 added entries into the "Part II - MODERN" portion of that series
(yes, the added entries will also be added to that post directly, as well.)

Here, I present, the most recent appearances of Doctor Strange in a Marvel Calendar.

The 2012 - MARVEL HEROES - SPECIAL EDITION CALENDAR
(# 4 in the Special Edition series)

(And a POP-UP Calendar, at that!).

Produced by 'Act Responsibly', a Mead Corporation, this is a calendar with pop-up images for each 2-month spread.
By pop-up, I mean, like children's books... when the page is opened, the artwork has been diecut and assembled in such a way that it unfolds and literally is raised up off the surface of the page... it "pops" up off the page.


Each pop-up features a hero and a villain (usually a pairing of a hero and one of his primary foes - or at least a foe who makes some sense to have with that hero), and is in the center of two months worth of date boxes. The date boxes go down the sides of each page's outer edge, which leaves the majority of space for the pop-up art.


The truly screwed up thing is that the heroes shown on the wrap-around cover are not (for the most part) the ones showcased in the inner pop-ups! So, if you're like me, and bought this for one (or more) of your favorite heroes who are on the cover, the odds of that hero being on the inside are slim-to-none.

Left to Right / Top to Bottom:

Ice-Man, Storm, Human Torch, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, (Arch)Angel

Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, Cyclops, Black Widow, Daredevil, Hulk, Iron Fist

Elektra, Black Cat, Beast, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Invisible Woman

The six 2-month spreads feature the following hero/villain pairings:

January/February : Daredevil / Bullseye
March/April : Spider-Man / Lizard
May/June : Hulk / Abomination
July/August : Wolverine / Sabretooth
September/October : Silver Surfer / Galactus
November/December : Hawkeye / Ultron

Like the cover artwork, all of the inner artwork is computer "airbrushed" art either from published comics or promotional / production art. Fortunately, the airbrush coloring helps make so many differently drawn styles of art work almost seamlessly with a cohesive look. Unfortunately, the coloring is so totally over-rendered that everything looks ridiculously artificial.

The wraparound cover is filled with a diverse assemblage of Marvel superheroes. At first glance, it is hard to fathom the method for selecting the characters represented. However, it would seem that many of these heroes are either in already established film franchises, or like Doctor Strange, are to be in up-coming films.

The selection for the interior spreads makes less sense, as most of these featured pairings are either in old (or especially bad) movies or those who may be part of some future project.

Spider-Man / Lizard is most likely the pairing of the upcoming Spider-man flick.
Ultron is probably going to factor into the Avengers film (of which Hawkeye will be a part).
If there is a new Hulk film, the Abomination is the most likely candidate for baddie.
A Silver Surfer film would be awesome - and if so, a non-cloud version of Galactus would be a must.
And so on...

However, I bought it for Doctor Strange, who is on the cover in a heretofore unseen bit of production artwork. Happily for me, he is dressed in his classic garb, and they even got the overall look of the cloak of levitation correct - with the gold embroidered area covering his shoulders. 

Sadly, he is not showcased anywhere on the inside.


Maybe when his own film comes out in 2013 (?).

---

The next calendar, also for 2012, also showcases Doctor Strange on the cover.

Artwork by Nick Bradshaw, from the variant cover to Marvel POINT ONE # 1 issue

(I blogged a review of the DEFENDERS story therein - [HERE])

A FREE promo item, this calendar showcases images for the upcoming year's publications and events. 
(Sadly, I don't have one, and have made due with scans from online. Anyone have one of these? I'll probably have to hit up eBay or something. I was just told by the fine folks at Horizon Comics in Lancaster, CA that they'll toss in 2 free calendars in my recent order of some discount variants. Thanks Guys!)

Unfortunately, like the previous calendar, although he is shown on the cover, this one also does not showcase Dr. Strange in any of its interior pages.
Still, it does have this spread for March that features the Scarlet Witch - one of my '6-Dimensions of Doctor Strange' characters.

Artwork from Avengers vs X-Men # 0 cover by Frank Cho

Also, as can be seen on the 17th, with the little picture of Banshee on St. Patrick's Day, this calendar also is a tiny throwback / homage to those "classic" Marvel calendars of old (as can be seen in this post [HERE]) wherein most of the days had cool little Marvel art within.

---

Will we have to wait until 2013 for a calendar to showcase Doctor Strange in the interior?
Not if the Mayan Calendar is to be believed.
(Don't worry. It's not. Maybe. I hope.)
;-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Tamam Shud!

~P~

IF AN EYE OFFENDS THEE This STRANGE DEFENDER Reviews POINT ONE # 1

 

Marvel’s highly-touted, intensely hyped “POINT ONE” (# 1) issue has dropped and it is purportedly a preview of the big things to come in the Marvel Universe for 2012.

With 6 short preview stories - all tied together by a flimsy 7th encapsulating "Watcher" story, my primary interest in the issue was for the DOCTOR STRANGE /  DEFENDERS preview story written by Matt Fraction and with art by Terry & Rachel Dodson. I can only say that if this issue is to be a roadmap, then this story seemed to be a speed-bump - or worse, a “wrong way” sign in that road.

The scattered leaf effect is the ONLY thing about this page that I like.

That mustache needs its own postal code.

Is that supposed to be an EAR on the side of DOC's head?

And "...My Village, and I am her magician"...? Ugh. Really?

The story, “The SHAMAN of GREENWICH VILLAGE” tries to hearken back to two landmarks in the publishing history of Dr. Strange and the Defenders; Doctor Strange’s first appearance in Strange Tales # 110, and his return to magic (and his joining the Defenders) in (the back-up tale of) Marvel Feature # 1 (also the first appearance of the Defenders).  A teaser that has Doctor Strange discovering the traces of a great cosmic mystery and the involvement of a new roster of Defenders, this story fails to meet the mark of the classic Steve Ditko / Stan Lee Strange Tales story as well as the Marvel Feature issue.

The allusion comes via Strange’s investigation of a sleep-affected individual (ala Strange Tales # 110) as well as his initial stroll through the village, the gathering of the Defenders and his story-end re-affirmation to his task (ala Marvel Feature # 1).

It starts off with, Groucho Marx is walking along Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Wait. That’s NOT supposed to be Groucho? It’s supposed to be Doctor Strange? With THAT mustache? Oh. OK. Whatever.

Anyway, Stephen Strange is wandering down the streets of the village and in a very man-on-the-street manner, speaks of one of the denizens of the area; “Notebook Joe”, who acts as a personal grimoire of the village’s history - secret or otherwise. This he does by soliciting individuals to write their observations and experiences into composition notebooks. That is a factoid that is proven useless since only Joe’s own stream-of-consciousness somnambulist-written notebooks will come into play in the story. Mentioning that there are others who feed him information is a dead-end plot point. It would be just as effective if Joe were to have produced all his “writings” on his own.

An apparently major error is that in his musings of “Notebook Joe”, Strange states that Joe has been in the village even longer than he. I fear, from what I have seen of his handling of Doctor Strange, that Matt Fraction is yet another writer who doesn’t research the characters he writes all that well. For in Marvel’s own official wiki (and handbook entry) [HERE] of Doctor Strange, (even taking into account the “10-year sliding timeline”) Strange has been residing as a sorcerer in his Sanctum Sanctorum since the late 1960’s (or early 1970’s – depending on how many years he spent in search of a cure for his nerve-damaged hands until journeying to seek the Ancient One). Joe isn’t portrayed in the artwork as being over the age of maybe 40-something. So, unless Doc is counting Joe’s years as an infant, there’s no way Joe is there longer. According to the story, Joe was an archeology grad-student and saw the cosmic mystery which – for all intents and purposes – took his mind, and then he came back to NYC and spent his life ever since on the streets. It was stated as happening “decades ago”, and even if we put Joe’s age in his 60’s, that would mean that coming to NYC as a late 20s to 30-something grad-student, he was in NYC for approximately 30 years. That is still a shorter span than Doc’s tenure. Certainly, if Joe were drawn as a late 60's – 70+ year old man, this wouldn’t be a point. But as shown, it is just a further reminder that modern Marvel knows not its roots. That, despite his appearance, Stephen Strange is far older than most others around him (with the exception of guys like Captain America, Thor, and/or Wolverine).

So, unless the artwork mistakenly drew Joe as being too young, there’s just no way he is old enough. But that brings me to one major problem that I have with the creative team; the artwork presented here (and in the preview of issue # 1 - which I blogged about [HERE]) by the team of Terry and Rachel Dodson is too cartoony and slack for my tastes (and saying that, I am saying it for ONLY MY tastes. I’d expect some readers to like it). It’s in the realm of the “manga-esque”, which I know is popular, but too close to “kiddie manga” than “serious manga” for my belief of what this series’ mission statement has led me to believe is its intended objective; to showcase the weird and arcane secrets of the Marvel Universe.

But, to point to something specific, to start with, as with my mustache comment earlier, there is far too much that is wrong with the artwork and Terry’s portrayal of Stephen Strange. First off, Strange is looking de-aged (maybe that’s why “Notebook Joe” also looks too young. Maybe Terry Dodson’s characters skew young. Certainly, the female artist-friend; Abby, whom, in the story, is said to have sold a series of paintings in the 1980's doesn't look old enough to have even used crayons in her coloring books in that decade). Perhaps, it just the fact that Dodson has all but grecian-formula’d away all of the white hair at Doc’s temples, and “Village-people’d” up the volume of his mustache. Even his gestures and posture are off character. It just doesn’t seem like Doctor Strange. (At least not to this loooong-term reader.) As for Stephen Strange’s apparel, this is not the first time that Strange has been portrayed as a 3-piece suit wearing dapper dandy. It’s a look, of which, that I will approve. As a nitpick, I wish Terry Dodson would learn how to draw a hat. The thing on Strange’s head is no hat that I’ve ever seen. A strange mixture of fedora top with bowler derby brim. Some panels it’s drawn as a fedora top and other panels it’s seemingly all derby. And always just plopped on his head at a weird angle.

The characterization isn’t only the problem of the artwork, however. Matt Fraction also has Strange behaving in a manner which he has never been previously portrayed. Stephen Strange has ever been a secretive and reclusive mystic. Not one to visit one local artist and sit, lotus position, in her living room to astrally project himself into the dreams of another. I don’t mind some kind of growth on the part of fictional characters, but I tend to like to see the character arc, and not have it be sprung on me, full-blown, with it happening between appearances. Even taking Brian Bendis’ treamtment of Strange over in the Avengers titles, this is an otherwise new, bright and friendly, touchy-feely Stephen Strange.

That is, except for when a modicum of personality might have been required; such as when Joe dies - Strange just abandons the artist friend; Abby, by spouting that Joe has just died as he runs out the door with Joe's notebooks. A moment to console Abby might have been nice. But sure... only a few pages to tell the story. Whatever. Still bad characterization. A one-line; "So sorry, Abby. Joe is dead. This is terrible! Are you going to be OK?" statement would only have taken the space of one word balloon.

And, as the title of this blog post will allude, there is one HUGE friggin’ problem with this story, and truthfully, the main reason that I decided to write this review. While Doctor Strange is in the dreamscape of “Notebook Joe”, he has a 3^rd eye visible on his forehead.

This has always, ever been the actual EYE of AGAMOTTO, released from its housing in the amulet, that would alight upon Strange’s brow, to help him see into the realms unseen. NEVER, has there been any other eye to perform that task. And with the EYE of AGAMOTTO’s apparent destruction in the pages of NEW AVENGERS v2 # 6  (as detailed in this epic post [HERE]), this shouldn’t be possible. Perhaps this is a “lesser quality” Eye, made manifest via some incantation, but alas, there is no indication in this story of the origin on this eye. It is just there.

Is this the fault of the writer or the artist? If in the plot, then Fraction needs to bone up on the mystic weapons that Strange has at his disposal. If it’s to be a new trick up Strange’s sleeve (or between his eyes), then the method of its appearance should have been revealed in this preview story. It’s already been stated that this Defenders series is being produced “Marvel style”, with the writer producing a basic plot, the artist drawing the pages by extrapolating events from that, and then the writer scripting the events as portrayed in the artwork. Due to this process, it is possible that Terry Dodson drew the eye on the forehead as a reference to Doctor Strange’s abilities of old, without knowledge of the history of the EYE – purely as a visual treat. It has, sadly, been well over a decade or more since any story has had Doctor Strange call the Eye to his brow, so it is likely that there are many new readers who may not know of the history of the spell/effect/visual. Sure, it's cool. But there is a method and reason for it that is not being explained - or even possible in the classic usage. Either way, this team needs to cram on Doctor Strange history. Or at the very least, ask of the learned “scholars” at their disposal – be it on the internet (I’ll be glad to offer any help to their questions) or old-school comic historians like Peter Sanderson.

Considering that this story, and the issue it appears within, is to be a big, important showcase into the workings of Marvel’s upcoming year of output, it should have been a product of nothing but the very best that the creative teams could produce.

Sadly, nearly each of the 7 total short preview stories were of equally bad quality.
Either poor writing, rushed-looking artwork, or flimsy plots marred the bulk of the project.
For those who wish to know, the other stories were:

Behold the Watcher
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Javier Pulido


Nova: Harbinger
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Penciller: Ed McGuinness


Age of Apocalypse: The Myth of Man
Writer: David Lapham
Artist: Roberto De La Torre


Scarlet Spider: The Scarlet Thread
Writer: Chris Yost
Penciller: Ryan Stegman


Coldmoon & Dragonfire: Yin and Yang
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Salvador Larroca


Doctor Strange: The Shaman of Greenwich Village
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciller: Terry Dodson


The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Bryan Hitch


Each of these stories are lacking in any real "wow" factor. The Bendis Avengers tale being the possible best, purely due to the severity of the alternate future being shown wherein Ultron rules all. Unfortunately, it acts purely as a set-up, giving no information whatsoever as to the story at large.

The others:

Coldmoon & Dragonfire are Marvel's new "Wonder Twins" (siblings who have opposite powers but they are stronger when in contact with each other). A lame attempt at new character creation.

Scarlet Spider: purely trying to cash in on those fans who long for the crappiness of the 1990's Clone Saga debacle.

Age of Apokolype: Yet another alternate X-Men future, but one where humans are the hunted, near-extinct species fighting against the ruling mutant population.

Nova: Harbinger: The Phoenix force is coming! And Jeph Loeb attempts to write it. (And "Epic Fails" - a joke you'll get when you read this tripe.)


And... Behold The Watcher: An unknown race is seeking the Watcher's intel, and is planning on killing him to get it. Writing is substandard and the art was a poor man's Steve Ditko.

All in all, I feel that this issue was more of an afterthought, to cash in, and the quality present in this POINT ONE issue seems to support my belief. If not, and it was a planned-in-advance "event" - as reported - then the editorial staff didn't ensure that only the very best quality be present in this 2012 primer.

MYSTIC GARB - DR. STRANGE APPAREL - SUPPLEMENTAL ENTRY # 4

Hello, Comic-apparel fans!

Once again, we go back to the very roots of this blog's original purpose and showcase some more swag from my Sanctum Sanctorum Comix collection.

This time we are adding to a series of posts originally begun back in October of 2009, wherein I catalogued my extensive collection of Doctor Strange (and related 6-Dimensions characters) apparel!
HATS! T-SHIRTS! TIES! and even SKIVVIES! (...psst... that's another term for underpants!) .


Today, I have 5 all-new garments to add to this series!


With the backlog of stuff I've been doing around here, these shirts have been arriving here to the Sanctum, one in every month or so, and once again, I waited until I had enough of them to showcase.

So let's go!

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Previous parts of this series:
MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS

- part 5 : "THE END" of GARMENTS

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Today's installment adds to several of the previous entries - and they will be added to those pages as well as being featured here.

ONE is an awesome new addition to the
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS post. 



THREE of these new items are to be included in the
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS installment.

And ONE of these garments is to be included in the

- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS installment.

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Beginning with the entry for - part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS...
Let's start this off with a shirt that is something of a rare item, due to several factors - all of them mildly annoying.
Produced as a LIMITED EDITION SERIES of shirts, renowned indie clothing brand; STUSSY, grouped many underground artists with their favorite MARVEL characters for the STUSSY x MARVEL project. Hosting an impressive assembly of talent, including the likes of; Will Sweeney, David Shrigley, Bill Plympton, Gary Panter, John K., James Jarvis, Todd James, Mister Cartoon and Noah Butkus, working on such characters as; Doctor Strange, Captain America, Silver Surfer, Human Torch & Crystal, The Thing, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Mystique, She-Hulk and others, the STUSSY x MARVEL project produced a couple of waves of product in April and May of 2011, and all items were available only via ordering from Stussy and only for a very limited time.

This first item is the DOCTOR STRANGE shirt showcasing a design by Noah Butkus.

 "Oh, man... I shouldn't have jokingly ordered 'magic mushrooms' on my pizza."

Doctor Strange- meditating in the lotus position, conjuring the Stussy logo amidst demonic creatures.
My shirt is on a plain white tee.
Other color choices included green, blue, red and black.

 Printed on the inside along the bottom seam is this code that dates the garment to April 16, 2011 (a week after my birthday) - along with the Stussy logo and all designed to emulate the old Issue #/  Date / Comics Code Authority box from nearly every Marvel comic in the 1980's.

One "strange" thing about this shirt is that the really cool image of Dr. Strange is ON. THE. BACK of the shirt. So if you're like me, and wear an open, unbuttoned button-down shirt (long or short sleeve) over a tee, no one can see the design on the back.
THIS photo here is of the FRONT of the shirt, which only displays a small, newly designed "logo" on the left breast.

One of the aforementioned "annoying" factors of the Stussy x Marvel project is that many of these shirts also came in an assortment of shirt colors.
Thus, if you are a nerdy, completist collector-monkey, like myself, you would find yourself hard-pressed (and broke) if you tried to get one in each shirt color.

Still, I'm not THAT bad with my mania (...much... anymore...) and am quite content to be MORE than satisfied with my single acquisition. ESPECIALLY, since it came to me as a gift of sorts, from my dear friend, and fellow Doctor Strange fan / collector - Howard Hallis!

Turns out Howard is a well-known Doctor Strange fan over on the West Coast, and he was tapped to dress up as Doctor Strange for the launch party for these shirts.

 "The Stussy Avengers"

So, when they presented him with this shirt as a gesture of thanks (and also as his payment?) he was magnanimous enough to send it to me since he knows my Doc-garment collection is 2nd-to-none. Not to worry, friends of fairness and barter-system buddies, as I promised Howard a special garment in exchange (something that will be revealed here in a forthcoming post).

(Thanks again, Howard! - and check out Howard in costumed-action on "G4's Attack of the Show" as they cover the Stussy launch party [HERE])

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Next we have some add-ons to the - part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS installment.

 This first shirt is a 2011 release from JUNK FOOD and features "THE MIGHTY MARVEL SUPERHEROES" with a blurb that says "MARVEL'S TV SENSATION!" That is because this shirt features all of the various Marvel heroes who have had their own TV SHOW (or in the case of Doctor Strange... a TV MOVIE - which was really a television PILOT episode for a show that wasn't picked up by the network).

Here's a close-up of the shirt graphic.

 

Hulk (who sported one live-action and one animated series), Spider-Woman (she had a cartoon series), The Thing (the FF have a few animated series under their belts), Doctor Strange (hugging up against Spider-Woman's hip), Captain America (a veteran of several made-for-TV movies/pilots), Invisible Woman (also of the FF shows) and of course, Spider-Man - he of live-action and animated fame.

Since these shirts are manufactured to be "stressed" and pre-faded, it may be hard to see Doctor Strange in there. To help you find him, they used this old John Romita Sr. artwork - just look for this pose:

Notoriously absent are Sub-Mariner, Thor and Iron Man who had their own "animated" series' in the 1960's (although, Iron Man did also have a cartoon in the 1990's).

Since I have only purchased one, and this isn't a design that I would wear around town, I have not removed mine from the packaging, and so here it is.

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This shirt, a 2011 release from MAD ENGINE reproduces the John Byrne cover artwork from the classic Fantastic Four v1 # 243.

From one of the very best issues of Fantastic Four - evah!

Doctor Strange joins with Avengers and Fantastic Four to battle Galactus!

For the same reasons as the previous shirt, here is mine, still in packaging.

However, I should note that there was one weird little tweak that Mad Engine did to the artwork. They added a figure of Spider-Man on the far right side. While Spidey does make a brief appearance in the comic story (with Daredevil), he does not join the fight against Galactus, nor is he actually on the cover.

This is the original comic cover.

 Doctor Strange kicking out kneecaps since 1963.

Story and artwork by John Byrne.

1000% awesome! (That is NOT a typo.)

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 The next "Team-Up" shirt is this one - also from MAD ENGINE in 2011 - that features a veritable 'Who's Who' of Marvel's super-heroes.

Allow me to present a close-up shot of the assorted members of the cape and cowl crowd.

 As many may immediately recall, this artwork was originally from the wrap-around cover for the first issue of (and poster for) "House of M" by Olivier Coipel. I present the color version below.

Mad Engine's design crew turned the "landscape" image into a "portrait" image by simply photoshopping the right side of the image to the bottom half on the new pic. They also, for some inexplicable reason, flipped the right side of the image which caused some heroes chest emblems to be seen in reverse (see YellowJacket, Dazzler and most obviously Daredevil). A little extra work and this could have been easily fixed. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of Mad Engine because most of their designs are slapped together like this, with not quite enough work to make them of truly professional quality.

Still, since Doc is on it, I had to get one. Here's mine.

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This next shirt, an addition to the - part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS is perhaps one of my favorites in my collection. Something that is so friggin' cool, that I really NEED another one! (- as I will explain in a moment.)

Another of the limited edition exclusives by STUSSY x MARVEL, this shirt features classic Steve Ditko creation, and Doctor Strange entity - ETERNITY as redrawn by Will Sweeney.

Peace, man!

Black ink with details in SILVER on a simple, grey tee, this is perhaps one of the coolest of the Stussy shirts and one that I really, really, really want another of, so that I can WEAR it!

"But, PTOR..." I hear you ask, "Why not just wear the one that you have?"
Well, folks. But for two reasons, I would.

You see... even if I did want to wear this one - and thus cause its inevitable wear and tear and destruction (which I won't, since it is so cool, so don't ask me) I really can't wear THIS ONE... because it is in a size MEDIUM. I could probably fit onto a medium, as I am svelte of build, with a dancer's/swimmer's body, but I typically prefer my shirts to be in a LARGE (or sometimes an XL), as I like the freedom of movement and minor drapery that a larger size provides.

And so, I can only look upon my Eternity shirt entombed within its plastic sarcophagus -  thus, and dream of what might be.

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If these wardrobe items interested you, then don't forget to check out the IMMENSE collection of many more which I featured in this series:

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 for the completists out there:
- Supplemental Entry # 1 : [HERE]
- Supplemental Entry # 2 : [HERE]

- Supplemental Entry # 3 : [HERE]

(but as this entry will be, all Supplemental Entries have been pasted into the main entries.)

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"Tamam Shud!"

~P~