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Written by: Jed MacKay
Art by: Danilo S. Beyruth
Colors by: K.J. Diaz
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Alex Ross (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: February 7, 2024
Doctor Strange #12 brings Bats to the forefront when the ghostly hound catches a whiff of something that doesn’t belong in the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Is Doctor Strange #12 Good?
Riddle me this. When is a comic story not a comic story? It’s not a comic story when it has a beginning and middle, but simply stops to foreshadow something in the future… maybe? The only thing you’ll get out of Doctor Strange #12 is the return of an old villain who will likely be an adversary for Doctor Strange in the near-ish future. If you want to know who, read on and save yourself the $3.99.
When last we left Doctor Strange, he spent the evening at a carnival with Clea and her baby half-sister. The child isn’t in control of her impulses or magical powers, so slapstick mayhem ensued in a cooldown issue to reset after the General Strange arc.
Now, Jed MacKay presents a second cooldown issue (?) to focus on Bats the ghost dog as he picks up the scent (literally) of an unwelcome presence in the Strange residence. Despite his warning to Strange that something is amiss, the Doctor tut-tuts Bats’s warnings and flies off to deal with a nearby problem. Of course, Bats’s instincts prove correct, leading to the reveal of a formerly alive villain who traps Bats to prevent further interference.
And that’s it. Who’s the villain? Well…
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Bats eventually comes face-to-snout with the ghost of Doctor Strange’s vampire brother, Victor, who used the mirrors in the Sanctum Sanctorum to move about the building undetected by Strange’s magical defenses.
[END SPOILERS]
In effect, Bats senses an intruder, Bats finds the intruder, and the intruder traps Bats. The End.
To say MacKay spends too much time with cooldown issues that go nowhere and accomplish little is an understatement.
What’s great about Doctor Strange #12? The highlight of the issue is Beyruth’s art. Bats gets plenty of panel time to sniff, float, converse, and investigate the Sanctum in all his lovable, ghostly glory. If you’re a fan of Bats the Ghost Dog, this issue is dedicated to you.
What’s not so great about Doctor Strange #12? MacKay misses on the fundamental aspects of storytelling, namely a proper beginning, middle, and end with a journey that has a conflict and concludes with change. Yes, you get a beginning and part of a middle, but there is no ending or resolution that changes things. At best, MacKay is asking readers to pay $3.99 for an overlong prelude, which is too much to ask for even the best writers.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces
Doctor Strange #12 is the second cooldown issue in a row and a Bats-centric story to portend things to come. Readers who are Bats fans will get plenty of time with the ghostly pup, but the story barely qualifies as a prelude to announcing the return of a villain. If you read the spoilers in this issue, you’ll get everything you’ll need to know about what’s coming and can save what you would have wasted on the cover price.
5/10
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