To me, Dr. Strange is quite possibly one of the BEST supporting characters in the Marvel Universe. I say supporting because (as much as I hate to admit it) I just don’t feel he can support a full series on his own. Strange is cool, one of the coolest but each time someone tries their hand at a monthly Dr. Strange comic it falls very short of the mark. I don’t think anyone has gotten Strange right as a character since his initial run. Still he is that guy everyone turns to when hell LITERALLY breaks loose.
I often think that fans and writers downplay (or flat don’t understand) Strange’s power levels. The man fights demons all the time. Demons that could wipe out most of the heroes in the Marvel Universe, that alone shows just how powerful his magic is. I think part of the problem is that Strange suffers from the stereotype of a weak spell caster. Long time fans know he is anything but weak but to the uninitiated this might be an unfamiliar and thus they tend to think of Strange as having great powers but only if he has time to speak first. Underestimating someone of Strange’s power level is exactly what causes villains like Mephesto and Dormammu to lose against him, and that is how we prefer it too.
Strange has been hard to find, he is a popular character and he completes a very important team (The Defenders, one of my favorites). Although truth be told I think we need that last (New) Hulk (With some great articulation) to truly complete the Defenders, I am happy tossing World War Hulk in there for now.
As can be seen in the pictures, Strange does suffer some paint issues (Primarily in the eye and cape toward the bottom) but I will let it slide now since this figure is so very cool. The first thing I did was get him out and see if he could do the levitation stance like the Marvel Legends figure. Well kind of, as long as you got something holding his cape up (as you can see I had to use the battle stand to keep him up). His mold looks mostly new, although it appears the legs might be from the most recent Cyclops figure. They look too thin at first but they do match up when compared.
Strange looks great, just like his comic appearance he is colorful but not to the degree he seems unrealistic. Strange is one of the few superheroes that can pull this off as well (Although attempts to bring him to live action haven’t translated well, but there are other reasons for that).
Dr. Strange also should be noted for having wrist articulation. This is very notable as Marvel Universe figures are not known for this and is something that fits Dr. Strange perfectly. He also has the look up head, but due to the cape he can’t look up as much as I would like. Still it’s cool that he has it. The cap is pure perfection and a dead match for his comic appearance. The added details of the skirt, poofy sleeves, and sash on the waist are all icing on the cake here.
The verdict, my highest possible recommendation, Dr. Strange is an integral character being a founder of the Defenders, a member of the Illuminati, and now having been an Avenger. Added to that he is a pretty darn great figure overall. He has an astral variant as well, but that version has eluded me at the moment. Still he is one of the best figures Marvel Universe had done to date and deserves a spot in almost any collection.
GRADE: 5 Stars
