Marvel’s new Doctor Strange comic brings him back from death in style

While the movie version of Doctor Strange made a big 2022 return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a Sam Raimi film that briefly turned him into an animated corpse, the comic book version of the character has spent the last few months as a much less lively cadaver. That’s because he’s been dead. Clea, Stephen Strange’s estranged partner, has taken over as Sorceress Supreme in his stead, and she’s managing just fine, thank you.

Death in comics, however, is often just marketing for an eventual narrative reboot. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, especially in the case of the forthcoming Doctor Strange #1. Written and illustrated by Tradd Moore, the newest Doctor Strange run looks absolutely gorgeous, with Moore — one of the most distinctively kinetic artists in superhero comics — taking the opportunity to go absolutely buck-wild on the page.

Taking advantage of Doctor Strange’s current plight beyond the land of the living, Moore — along with colorist Heather Moore — uses the character’s otherworldly powers and current situation to re-introduce him to readers, while experimenting with a loose, dreamlike style. In the preview pages below, the results speak for themselves, with vivid colors that look like they’re barely contained by the linework, serving up a wonderful visual metaphor for how unpredictable Strange’s world of magic is.

Doctor Strange #1 releases on Nov. 23.