Spectacular Spider-man 21

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Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, Kingpin, Paul Jenkins, poker, Spectacular Spider-man, Spider-man

 
Spider-man was our first great superhero enthusiasm and this is one of our favorite stories of his. It has no big fights between men in tights and other misfit miscreants of science. It merely shows a poker game, and a few old friends telling funny stories.

You can buy it as Spectacular Spider-man #21 (Marvel Comics, 2005). If you buy the otherwise awesome Spectacular Spider-man TPB collections, you will discover they omitted this issue from the paperbacks.

This isn’t a comic book you give to someone who has never read comics before. This material assumes you know and like these characters already. It gives you a chance to spend an evening shooting the breeze with a few of your favorite Marvel superheroes. Paul Jenkins spent his Spider-man run exploring Peter’s psychological and emotional landscape. But here, at the end of his run, he leaves us with something lighthearted. And for that, it qualified for runner up in our second round of Top Ten favorite single issues of all-time.

Dan-Thing Archives: Doctor Strange in Marvel Premiere #3

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Barry Smith, Barry Windsor Smith, Doctor Strange, Marvel Comics, marvel masterworks, Marvel Premiere, Stan Lee, while the world spins mad

Up from the primordial muck slithers… the Dan-Thing! In his oozing fist he clutches a time capsule: Marvel comic books from 1972! Our muck-stomping friend the Dan-Thing asked that we share these bronze-age beauties with you for education and inspiration.

Welcome to our fourth and final installment of the Dan-Thing Archives for 2013. Today, we crack open the Dan-Thing’s time capsule to discover beautiful artwork on Dr. Strange by Barry Smith. The story uses a tried-and-true plot with our hero assailed by a mysterious villain warping his reality. Smith takes the opportunity to present us with stunning page designs, compelling facial expressions for the good doctor, and a delicately sumptuous rendering of Strange’s mystical doodads, magic threads, and spiritual chill pad.

The “reveal” of the villain may seem a little weak to today’s readers, not involved in the Marvel continuity of 1972. But, Stan Lee and Barry Smith nonetheless deliver a truly trippy confrontation, replete with mystic energies and warped realities. While the World Spins Mad is one of the most satisfying Doctor Strange stories we’ve read in a long time.

Collector’s Guide: From Marvel Premiere #3 featuring Dr. Strange. Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks #4: Doctor Strange; Marvel, 2010.

Jim Starlin’s Psychic Battle Motif: Infinity Abyss 3

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Doctor Strange, Infinity Abyss, Jim Starlin, moondragon, Thanos, Warlock

In the third issue of Infinity Abyss, Jim Starlin uses one of his favorite themes: the psychic/mystic battle in which the two combatants appear to merge. Here we see the bodies of Doctor Strange and Moondragon appear as a single entity. Starlin uses this device to show antagonists struggling for ego supremacy. They fight to maintain their very identities while subsuming the identity of their opponent.

The final page of Infinity Abyss #3 recapitulates this struggle on the cosmic plane. The two beings Eternity and Infinity appear before Adam Warlock in a similarly merged being.

We’ve looked at Starlin’s use of the dual identity before in a psychic battle between Thanos and Galactus. Tomorrow, we’ll dig deeper into the Starlin archives for a scene from Dreadstar.

Collector’s Guide: Collected in Infinity Abyss TPB. Originally printed as Infinity Abyss #3; Marvel, 2002.

Doctor Strange vs. the In-Betweener, Round Two!

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Creators Chronicles, Doctor Strange, Ernie Chan, In Betweener, Roger Stern, Tom Sutton

Doctor Strange #28 contains the big finale to “The Creators Chronicles” by Roger Stern and Tom Sutton, with Ernie Chan. Did you miss Round One of this cosmic battle? By the Rings of Raggador, click Part One to take your astral self where it needs to go.

Collector’s Guide: From Doctor Strange #28; Marvel Comics, 1978.

Jim Starlin’s Doctor Strange: The Creators Chronicles!

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Creators Chronicles, Doctor Strange, Jim Starlin, Quadriverse, Rudy Nebres

Jim Starlin kicks off a six-issue Doctor Strange story arc that would eventually be known as “The Creators Chronicles.” We will share a few more issues from this arc in the coming days! The story takes Strange on a wild ride where the entire universe is recreated due to his blundering, and also ties off an interesting plot thread from Starlin’s original Warlock run.

Marv Wolfman gets scripting credit on this issue, and the plot continues nicely from Marv’s previous issue. But make no mistake — this whole arc was masterminded by Starlin. Inker Rudy Nebres gives Starlin’s pencils a smooth, flowing quality. Nebres handled all the artwork on the previous issue with Marv. It’s worth checking out for his unique and dynamic layouts.

Collector’s Guide: From Doctor Strange #23; Marvel, 1977.

Doctor Strange: The Tongues of Men and Angels!

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alien, Chris Warner, Doctor Strange, Peter B Gillis, Peter Gillis, Randy Emberlin

The second volume of Doctor Strange went out with a bang in 1987. Strange fights one of his most outrageous, cosmic-light-drenched battles of all time against a really evil alien.

Back Story: This alien fascist came to earth, stole all of the Doctor’s mystical doo-dads and his house, kidnapped his friends just to torture them, and mortally wounded Strange’s body. What a dick! Aliens really suck sometimes.

While his body recovers, Strange finds an ally: a really nice alien who was fixing his Cloak of Levitation. The nice alien plays host to Strange’s astral body, so they can fly across the universe to kick alien ass together. Cue the mystical light effects!

Collector’s Guide: From Doctor Strange #81; Marvel, 1987.

We threw in a few panels of the evil alien fascist world from issue #79 for you!

Doctor Strange: What Song the Sirens Sang!

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Chris Warner, Doctor Strange, Mark Badger, Peter Gillis, Randy Emberlin, What Song the Sirens Sang

You know, it’s not always exploding aliens, rampaging dinosaurs, and mutant brains around here. We also enjoy tender romance. That’s right. Love, sweet love.

Take this issue of Doctor Strange, for example. A gnarly demoness casts a spell on a lonely human being. She makes him fall in love so he will open up a dimensional portal. Then, she can suck the life essence out of his very soul.

Doctor Strange steps in to prevent this unholy matrimony, but it turns out he’s not doing anyone any favors. In fact, he pretty much ruins this hideous interdimensional love affair for everyone. On the upside, the light show is cool as hell!

Collector’s Guide: From Doctor Strange #76; Marvel, 1986.
Script by Peter Gillis, breakdowns by Mark Badger, pencils by Chris Warner, inks by Randy Emberlin.

Spider-man and Dr. Strange Go Cosmic!

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Doctor Strange, Dr. Strange, Len Wein, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Treasury, marvel treasury edition, Sal Buscema, Spider-man

If we had to pick our favorite panel by Sal Buscema, it’s got to be this amazing double splash from the Spider-man and Dr. Strange team up: The Spider and the Sorcerer! One of the reasons we love it so much is that we first laid eyes on it in Marvel Treasury Edition #22. It was huger than huge! The cosmic effect blasted our senses, an impact that has lingering effects to this day.

We didn’t have time today to get this whole adventure posted, but don’t despair. Our archives house two more stories from this Marvel Treasury Edition: the complete two-part adventure where Spidey battles raging dinosaurs. First, with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land, and then continuing to New York with the Black Panther. These links will transport you there: Part One, Spider-man + Ka-Zar team up. Part Two, Spider-man + Black Panther team up.

Collector’s Guide: Marvel Treasury #22: The Sensational Spider-man. Reprints Marvel Team-Up #21. Reprinted in Essential Marvel Team-Up #1