Written by: Jed MacKay
Art by: Pasqual Ferry
Colors by: Heather Moore
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Alex Ross
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: May 8, 2024
Doctor Strange #15 picks up immediately from the end of Blood Hunt #1 to find Blade confronting Strange and Clea about the true origin of the vampire apocalypse.
Is Doctor Strange #15 Good?
Blood Hunt, aka the Jed MacKay Anthology Event, continues with challenging developments, telling clues, and big problems in the making from an unexpected source in Doctor Strange #15. Of all the tie-ins so far in this first week of Blood Hunt, this issue feels the most connected and important.
When last we left Doctor Strange and Clea, they were desperately working to cast the Montesi Formula – a spell that would wipe out all vampires at once. Blade arrived with news in the middle of conjuring, but the sorcerers realized too late that Blade was the one who unleashed a vampire apocalypse… or did he? Blood Hunt #1 ended with Blade killing Doctor Strange.
Now, we find Blade turning Strange into a vampire before he takes his last breath. Clea tries to stop Blade with her magic, but Blade wields two ancient swords that can pierce any armor and fracture any magic. Suddenly, Blade stops fighting and withdraws, knowing he’s completed his objective. With Strange now a vampire, Clea won’t conjure the Montesi Formula because it will kill her one true love.
Later, Clea partially recovers Strange by separating his soul from his body to interact in astral form. A few heroes show up to regroup and formulate a plan. However, Clea fails to notice the ghost of Victor Strange sneaking around, eyeing his brother’s vacated vampire body.
![](https://weirdsciencemarvelcomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/dr.-strange-15-p2.jpg?w=674)
What’s great about Doctor Strange #15? MacKay’s story picks up as a direct continuation of Blood Hunt #1, so it feels like a proper tie-in that gives you important developments, drops clues about what’s really going on with Blade (more on that in a minute), and gives the heroes a clear(er) objective. This is the kind of gripping writing that’s been lacking in Doctor Strange for some time, barring the General Strange arc.
If you want to know who or what is truly behind everything, this issue doesn’t give that information away. However, Blade makes a few comments that lead to a possible suspect. File this under “Theory,” but Blade’s dialog suggests the evil force behind Blade’s possession and actions may be Elder God Chthon.
What’s not so great about Doctor Strange #15? It seems odd that Blade would concoct a no-win scenario for Clea and still leave her alive. If the plan in play has been percolating for “eons,” why leave anything or anyone to Chance? Yes, it seems like a small plot hole, but in the grand scheme, it’s a boneheaded play that will certainly be the mastermind’s undoing, which isn’t a very smart creative choice.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Doctor Strange #15 properly continues the Blood Hunt event by taking Doctor Strange off the field (but not really) to make the heroes’ challenge even more impossible to overcome. The clues surrounding Blade’s sudden turn are intriguing, and MacKay’s pace holds your attention, so if you want a Blood Hunt tie-in that matters, this is a good pick.
7.8/10