Doctor Strange #3 Review

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: $4.99
Release date: May 31, 2023

Doctor Strange #3 puts the shocking news of Aggamon’s death aside so Doctor Strange and Dormammu can stroll through the city for their annual Parley Day.

Is It Good?

On its face, Doctor Strange #3 is a quirky, mildly amusing bottle issue wherein Doctor Strange satisfies an annual requirement to meet with Dormammu to keep mutual hostilities in check. There’s nothing wrong with bottle issues (one-and-done comics that take a break from the main arc), but we’re only on issue #3, Jed. It’s only issue #3!

This is the part of the review where I’d normally deliver some kind of recap to catch readers up, but there’s no point this time, as what came before has nothing to do with what happens now. Previously, Doctor Strange and Dormammu established an agreement to meet once a year for something called Parley Day. Jed MacKay doesn’t establish how the agreement came about or what’s meant to happen when two enemies spend the day together, but Parley Day is a thing.

The intriguing twist in this meeting is that Dormammu arrives inhabiting the body of one of his acolytes. The experience rapidly kills the host, and Dormammu delights in forcing Strange to witness a human dying, knowing Strange is powerless to stop it.

As the day progresses, Strange and Dormammu reminisce about their previous battles, referencing key issues in Marvel canon, where Dormammu was either outrightly defeated or forced to withdraw in a stalemate. As the day draws to a close, we find that Strange’s stories about past encounters take on a new meaning.

As a bottle issue, Doctor Strange #3 is better than fine. Seeing Dormammu get bested (again) is as entertaining as his incensed reaction to the story, and the final twist is clever. That said, MacKay has yet to find his footing in this series for a focused plot, and that’s a bad thing when a writer can’t get focused after three issues.

Still, Pasqual Ferry’s art is immaculate. Ferry’s talent for understated expressions adds a layer of nuance that adds meaning to a panel, even when the characters are simply standing still. Couple Ferry’s art with Heather Moore’s immaculate coloring, and you get a great looking comic.

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 #3 takes a break from an arc that’s barely started to have Strange take a day with Dormammu to reminisce about old times. The art is gorgeous, and the story works well as a one-shot, but taking a break from a plot that’s barely begun suggests MacKay doesn’t know where he’s going with this series.