- Written by: Jed MacKay
- Art by: Pasqual Ferry
- Colors by: Heather Moore
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Alex Ross 9cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: June 19, 2024
Doctor Strange #16 takes advantage of Strange’s condition by releasing his brother, Victor, from the Crypt of Shadows to assume control of Strange’s vampiric body.
Is Doctor Strange #16 Good?
When last we left Doctor Strange in the first part of his Blood Hunt tie-in, Blade showed up unannounced at the Sanctum Sanctorum to provide an update on the start of the vampire apocalypse. Strange and Clea feverishly worked to cast a Montesi Formula spell to wipe out all vampires, but the evening turned bloody when Blade turned on the magic wielders, turning Doctor Strange into a vampire. Clea managed to subdue Strange and separate his astral form from his body, but the Montesi Formula option is out because it would mean certain death for her husband.
In Doctor Strange #16, we catch up with Victor Strange in the recent past as he laments his life stuck as an incorporeal vampire trapped in the Crypt of Shadows behind the mirrors inside the Sanctum Sanctorum (Say that five times fast). A dark entity appeared to Victor to tell him about an opportunity it was creating for Victor to escape and regain physical form.
Now, Wong stands guard over Stephen Strange’s body while Stephen’s astral form travels with the Avengers teams on their respective missions to deal with the vampire apocalypse. Wong isn’t happy about sitting around with nothing to do.
Victor, now free from the Crypt of Shadows, assumes control of Stephen’s body and leaps to attack Wong. As the two opponents tussle, Victor’s taunts reveal to Wong the real identity of the spirit inhabiting Stephen’s body. Wong implores Victor to remember there’s still some good in him, but Victor is deeply corrupted by the dark entity who possessed Blade and orchestrated the vampire attack.
Wong, however, is not unprepared, but where the flesh is willing the spirit is weak. Victor gives Wong a chance to stake him, knowing Wong can’t do it because killing Victor would destroy Stephen’s body.
The issue concludes with Wong fleeing through the Sanctum Sanctorum and the other inmates within the Crypt of Shadows, endeavoring to team up and save the day.
What’s great about Doctor Strange #16? Overall, this is a perfectly serviceable tie-in to the Blood Hunt event that keeps readers apprised of the status of Doctor Strange’s body while his spirit is elsewhere. Plus, the dark entity that appears in the shadows gives a few more teasing hints about its identity, likely Varnae, the first vampire, or the Elder God Cthon, who created the vampires.
What’s not so great about Doctor Strange #16? It all comes down to one event that’s not explained and doesn’t make much sense. Victor possesses Stephen’s body and somehow breaks out of his magical cage.
How?
Jed MacKay goes out of his way, through Wong’s dialog, to affirm that Wong outmatches Victor because he has no fighting skills or magical abilities. If Victor has no magic, how was he immediately able to break out of the cage holding Strange’s body in stasis? MacKay glosses right past the pivotal action that makes this entire issue possible, which invalidates everything that comes after.
In aggregate, Pasqual Ferry’s artwork is solid, the energy and pacing keep you engaged, and the hints about the true mastermind behind this event are cool. That said, an entire tie-in built around a moment that doesn’t make sense is a bummer.
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 YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Doctor Strange #16 is a perfectly decent tie-in issue to the Blood Hunt event, except for one glaring problem. The art is solid, and the entertainment factor is high enough to keep readers engaged, but the entire issue revolves around a plot point that doesn’t make sense.
5.5/10
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