By Rebecca Gault — The death of Doctor Strange ripples outwards, the effects of it all still felt. Strange #1 picks up from the exact event, following Clea Strange in her new position as Sorcerer Supreme. It’s a good fit for her. From the very outset, writer Jed MacKay is on top form with his writing for Clea. She’s sharp and witty and brutal in a way that people would never have expected from Stephen. That’s the selling point here. 

This might be a Sorcerer Supreme book but it’s certainly not Stephen’s. Clea holds her position fiercely against anyone who might have something to say about her being the Sorcerer Supreme - and there are plenty of people who do. It’s a strong issue to start with and one that hinges solely on the characterization that MacKay sketches out so decisively here. 

The art here is a little inconsistent but, in Clea’s darker and more brutal moments, it shines in letting her look as fierce as she is acting. It’s not always that female characters are allowed to look ‘ugly’ in their fights. Clea, however, gets to snarl and bare her teeth. It works, more so than anything else here.

The coloring here also shines - Clea gets to be drenched in glowing light that makes her seem otherworldly and threatening in a way that the reader knows she can back up. She is painted in strokes that make her unreal - with special focus paid to her glowing eyes and the eerie paleness that paints her. It’s a powerful way to be illustrated. 

The world MacKay creates here is sharply realized and bright, with a keen awareness of what exactly he is trying to do. The flavors offered up here by the free bazaar and the weapons that the Blasphemy Cartel show up with only serve to highlight just how significant this magical beneath the mundane can be. The subworld of the arcane is beautiful here and a glorious setting to work within. The plot hook set up at the end of the issue promises a good throughline here. The importance is not on the arcane threats set up, although they serve as a powerful motivator for the battles at hand. Instead, Clea’s arc seems to be hanging on her own personal stakes here. 

It’s a good, strong way to tell a character-focused story and, despite the fact that stories of women being motivated solely by men are well-trodden ground, MacKay writes in such a way that means Clea never feels shallow or weak-willed. She is very conscious of her own power and not afraid to use it. 

Overall: A strong first outing for Clea as Sorcerer Supreme that focuses in on her characterization, using the sharp lens of her flaws as a mode of storytelling, all masterfully written out by MacKay and illustrated in a way that shows distinct concern with the arcane. 8.5/10

REVIEW: Strange #1

Strange #1 
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Marcelo Ferreira (penciller), Don Ho & Roberto Poggi (inkers)
Colorist: Jana Tartaglia & Felipe Sobreiro 
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
A NEW SORCERER SUPREME RISES! Doctor Strange is dead! And a new Sorcerer Supreme has taken the title, or should we say Sorceress? Haunted by her recently returned memories, Clea longs to bring Stephen Strange back from the dead! But when a mysterious group attacks the magical realm, Clea must rise to the duties of Sorcerer Supreme. For she is now the sole protector of Earth against magical threats. Don’t miss the twists and turns as Jed MacKay continues the story from DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE with artist Marcelo Ferreira (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN)!
Price: $4.99
Buy It Here: Strange #1 

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Rebecca is a literature student by day, a freelance writer by night, and a comics fan always. She is a big fan of everything superheroic and horrific. Right now, she can be found on Twitter at @phoenixfcrce.