Doctor Strange is dead, and the new Sorcerer Supreme is the love of his life, Clea. Jed MacKay and Marcelo Ferreira have excited with the new series aptly titled Strange as it explores new ideas within the magical realm. We’re talking magic-wielding hit squads and gangsters peddling magic. The series has constantly introduced a compelling new character called the Harvestman, who gets a thorough and closer look in Strange #5.
Strange #5 opens with Clea’s mother drinking the blood of a recently defeated magical hit squad. You know, as moms do. It’s a nice reminder Clea is from a different kind of stock with an evil underpinning, even if she means well. That goes for when Clea uses her abilities tied to the dark dimension. This allows MacKay to explore a darker-toned Sorcerer Supreme and make team-ups with hyper-violent heroes like Moon Knight make sense.
In fact, much of this issue is about Moon Knight giving Clea some help while he goes on patrol. It’s fun to see how Moon Knight does things differently with ultra-violence and with little care if faster results require borderline villainous acts. Heck, it’s not like the bad guys don’t deserve it. Their team not only gives Clea some insights in her current predicament but they get to solve a problem and be heroes. It’s a story within the story that allows for character work and exploration while satisfying the reader with some resolution.
Who is the Harvestman?!
Credit: Marvel
When it comes to Harvestman, you may not be ready for the final page. It’s a shocking reveal and one you might not expect in only the fifth issue of a Clea-focused Sorcerer Supreme story. Outside of the satisfying reveal, the idea of the Harvestman being a Sorcerer Supreme for the undead world is incredibly intriguing. MacKay has crafted a mirror universe of sorts that’s tied to the land of the living. It’s a concept that not only builds out what is possible in a Doctor Strange book, but it also makes sense.
The art by Ferreira suits the tone and atmosphere of this series. It lives within the heavy inks of Roberto Poggi well, with dark tones and realistic lines that capture the gore and violence of these characters. This isn’t a series that lives in the light but basks in the darkness. Doctor Strange has always been a weird series, but to see it with a harder edge and tone is revitalizing. Ferreira makes you feel every broken tooth or smashed head, let me tell ya.
Java Tartaglia colors the book, capturing the volume and shape of Harvestman’s mask well or the glow effects of magic. That includes the glow on Moon Knight, who continues to be more than just a vigilante but a force of supernatural proportions. The purples in the final scene are out-of-this-world good, capturing the undead supernatural feel well.
Strange #5 continues to be enjoyable thanks to satisfying resolutions while building on what we know about the magical realm. Above all else, this series continues to be infused with new ideas that build on Marvel canon in ways that are exciting and new. For a publisher who has put out comics for decades and rarely trades new ground, Strange is a satisfying tableau of new ideas.
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