Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Marcos Martin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot: When Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, learns that his long-time servant Wong has been afflicted with terminal brain cancer, he vows to use every means at his disposal - both magical and otherwise - to find a cure. But as the Doctor begins the task of recovering an elixir which may hold the key to Wong’s survival, he uncovers a trail of dark magic leading to one of Strange's oldest and most powerful foes...
Comments: Call me crazy, but Doctor Strange has seemed a little...well...dated as of late. Maybe it's his out of style leopard-print gloves, his 70s porn-star mustache, or his frequent use of the word "hoary," but Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme has seemed a little out of touch over the past few years. Until now that is...
In Doctor Strange: The Oath, Brian K. Vaughan has dusted off everyone's favorite arcane superhero and given him a much needed update. For fans unfamiliar with Doctor Strange, The Oath is an ideal introduction to the character, while the story itself stays true to the Ditko and Lee era roots. The result is a fast-paced and entertaining read coupled with Vaughan's usual pitch-perfect dialogue and plotting.
Issue #2 picks up with Strange hot on the trail of a mysterious elixir after learning that his long-time servant and friend, Wong, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Strange manages to locate a possible cure in another dimension and after a pitched battle with a powerful entity seen in issue #1, he takes possession of the elixir. No sooner is the powerful item in his grasp however, than Strange is ambushed in his own home by a mysterious thief named Brigand who has been hired to steal the elixir by a shadowy employer. Wounded and near death, Strange is taken by Wong to the Night Nurse, an enigmatic figure who runs an emergency room for superheroes. Alive thanks solely to the Night Nurse's efforts, Strange prepares to recover the elixir once and for all. Unwilling to see her latest patient end up in the ER yet again, the Night Nurse insists on accompanying both the Doctor and Wong on their mission, and despite Strange's initial reluctance, the three are soon hot on the trail of the stolen elixir. The clues lead them straight to Strange’s long time friend and former colleague, Dr. Jonas Hilt, who was investigating the elixir at Strange’s behest. At this point the Doctor recounts his origins, from an arrogant surgeon to the renowned Sorcerer Supreme. Unfortunately, Strange and his companions arrive too late and find the remnants of the elixir stolen and Hilt murdered. All clues seem to point to Strange's long time adversary, Mordo.
Determined to find some measure of justice for his fallen friend and to cure Wong of his ailment, Strange follows the trail through a magical gate which leads them deep into an underground lair. Strange and his companions then find themselves battling a small army of robots, some of which may possibly have been stolen from the Avengers Mansion and Stark Industries. But just when Strange thinks he has the situation under control, he once more finds himself facing a threat he had not anticipated...
Overall, Doctor Strange: The Oath #2 is a solid read, despite having the same problem with all "magical" superheroes: namely that magic becomes a perfect deus ex machina and an excuse to pretty much get away with anything without offering an explanation. There are no ground rules, no consistency with Doctor Strange and there never have been (which may be part of the problem with him all along), but hey, that's magic. Fortunately, Vaughan works with what he's got and is clearly having fun with the characters and the story has enough action and twists and turns to overlook Strange’s own inherent character flaws.
That being said, while Doctor Strange: The Oath is entertaining, after reading issue #2 I haven't been "blown away." Somehow I’d expected more from Vaughan (particularly when you look at his groundbreaking work on Runaways, Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina). Yet considering just how talented Vaughan is - and looking at the wonderfully retro style of Marcos Martin’s artwork - I'm willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt and hang on for the long haul. After all, what Vaughan has done is a task worthy of the Sorcerer Supreme himself: he's made the Doctor interesting again, proving in the end that Stephen Strange still has the magic touch.
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