• 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: April 3, 2024

Doctor Strange #14 concludes Doctor Strange’s raiding party against the Cobolorum and its newest Dungeon Master, Baron Mordo.

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Is Doctor Strange #14 Good?

Jed MacKay brings the drama-less two-part adventure to a close when the “Secret Defenders” face dragons, engage in mortal combat, and ultimately cut a deal to set everything right. Doctor Strange #14 may not end the Jumanji adventure with a bang, but at least it ends.

When last we left Doctor Strange and his conscripted friends, they entered the Cobolorum’s game to find the children trapped at the heart of the quest. Unfortunately, they learn Baron Mordo bet them to the center and is not in control.

Now, Baron Mordo directs the game to force the Secret Defenders to fight each other, and Strange engages in a magic battle with a conjured dragon. During the fight, Strange figures out the dragon is the avatar of the living game asking for help to find more players and to be free of Baron Mordo’s control. Recognizing cooperation for mutual benefit solves everyone’s problems, Strange cuts a deal by offering to match the game with a player who would benefit from its magical influence.

The game flees back into the book, breaking Mordo’s control and leaving Mordo to be captured. What’s the deal? Strange gives the Cobolorum to the reforming General Strange as a way to pass his very long rehabilitation.

What’s great about Doctor Strange #14? As a forgettable time waster, Jed MacKay does a perfectly serviceable job finding a solution to the Cobolorum’s problem that’s at least original. Plus, Baron Mordo’s presence and (too easy) capture set the stage for more problems in the future.

What’s not so great about Doctor Strange #14? If you didn’t catch the hint, Baron Mordo’s capture was too easy. Further, the point of assembling a raiding party is to gather individuals who bring unique strengths to solve unique problems, but that didn’t happen here. Taskmaster and Hunter’s Moon serve no purpose in this issue, so their presence is wasted.

Further still, Doctor Strange is supposed to be a pretty smart cookie, so how does he not see that giving General Strange an incredibly powerful, reality-warping book is potentially dangerous? Oy!

How’s the art? It all comes down to the character designs and fantasy elements. To Pasqual Ferry’s credit, you get cool D&D variations of the characters’ traditional costumes, a respectable-looking dragon, and plenty of magical pop to grab your eyeballs.

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 #14 brings the faux-D&D adventure to a close with flashy visuals, dragon fights, and a clever resolution to the battle. That said, Doctor Strange makes several questionable choices that seem out of character, and at least two of the Secret Defenders are useless in the final analysis.

6/10