With the release of the Marvel movie Doctor Strange still in recent memory, I decided to check out a relatively recent story regarding one of comic book culture's most iconic wizards. Considering that I don't know a lot about his character (I haven't seen the movie as of this publication), this was to be my crash course into the character's behavior. With writer Brian K. Vaughn, who wrote the excellent "Y: The Last Man" series, attached I felt more comfortable approaching this story than I would had I just jumped into the psychedelic comics of the Stan Lee era. To be fair, "Doctor Strange: The Oath" is still a pretty far out tale, but with compelling animation and a morality story involving pharmaceutical companies, it creates a supernatural character that may still not be accessible to buttoned-up minds, but shows the appeal of what his world could possibly provide.
The story follows Doctor Stephen Strange as he winds up in the hospital following a nasty crash. As a regaled surgeon, the biggest tragedy is that he cannot perform operative surgery as he once did. It's a conflict that leads to a variety of issues that are resolved in manners suited to Strange's ability to transport between worlds. With help from the nurse who helps him (Night Nurse) and close friend Wong, he goes on a journey to track down an elixir that will solve a variety of problems. Along the way will be an awe-inspiring series of panels depicting a supernatural world unlike our own. It would be difficult to explain, though the perspective shots are excellently portrayed as Strange deals with forces that are literally bigger than him.
The third act twist adds in a nice morality tale that makes it more than a story of who the more powerful force is. Vaughn brings his penchant sense of humor through pop culture references (the countless Sherlock Holmes jokes may be from 2007, but ironically feel like they predict Benedict Cumberbatch playing Strange and Holmes within the decade). It's a lively story that captures the whimsy of what the comic book medium can do that cinema has yet to technically be capable of. This seven issue story may be a bit limiting if supernatural concepts are over your head, but at least Vaughn's human element makes it easier to enjoy in the long run. As a start into Doctor Strange lore, I'm unsure how much better I understand the character. However, it does make me a tad more interested to see where things go from here.
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5
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