Series: Doctor Strange (2015)
Writer: Jason Aaron
Pencils and Colors: Chris Bachalo
Inks: Tim Townsend, Al Vey, and Mark Irwin
Page Count: 22
Summary from Comixology:”Take a tour of Doctor Strange’s home, the Sancto Sanctorum. It’s the weirdest and most dangerous place in the Marvel Universe! A place where opening the wrong door can unleash hell on Earth. Unfortunately for you and your fellow visitor, Zelma, Strange’s house is infested with something far worse than bed bugs!”
I have never really read much of Dr. Strange. My first introduction to him was in Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers series from Marvel Now! and he was absolutely incredible in that series. I have always been a fan of magic characters but for some reason never dived into Stephen Strange’s world. My fellow 4LN writer Stephen Andrew reviewed the new Doctor Strange #1, and that review really sold the book to me. He was ranting and raving about how great the book was, and I knew I would be kicking myself in the ass if I didn’t give it a try. And damn, am I glad I jumped on this book. Jason Aaron is a great writer, just look at Thor: God of Thunder, arguably one of the greatest comics of all time. His run on Star Wars has been phenomenal, and Original Sin was one of my favorite events of recent years.
I think it’s easy to say that his run on Doctor Strange will rival Thor:GoT, and I’m saying that with us only on issue number two.
The writing is just phenomenal, and I can’t speak highly enough of Aaron as a writer. This second issue takes place inside of The Sanctum Sanctorum which Aaron and Bachalo do an amazing job bringing it to life. The chaos and never ending rooms reminds me of one of my favorite books, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, which is about a house that has a never ending closet that is always expanding and shrinking. I would dare say that Aaron has read this book before because The Sanctum Sanctorum has the same vibe as the House.
The artwork in this book is just pure bliss. I honestly can’t think of a better artist than Chris Bachalo to be on this book. The way he captures the mystic realm is just fantastic. The use of blacks and purples makes for a perfect depiction of darkness and a fear of the unknown. There is a particular scene where Doctor Strange is floating in the air while reading and has books all over the place, floating with him; and, for me, this is what I imagine when I think of Doctor Strange. Even in a time of complete chaos and fear, Strange finds the time to meditate and search for much needed answers. It was also beautiful seeing the different rooms of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Bachalo did a great job making each room we see truly unique, and also frightening in it’s own way.
If you haven’t read Doctor Strange #1, click the link to check out our review, and go to your local comic shop as soon as possible and get issues one and two, because this is a story you don’t want to sleep on. If any creative team knows how to write Doctor Strange, it’s Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo.
Music Pairing:
It took me a while to come up with who to jam for this issue. I wanted to go with a crust/black metal band, but then it hit me. Blacklisted is the perfect band for this type of book. Specifically the track “I’m Trying To Disappear” of the album No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udAGvNmeQ4I