EYE OF THE STORM
In the wake of the battle against the Empirikul, magic has been nearly destroyed. Dr. Strange is scavenging what remaining mystical artifacts he can get his hands on so that he can fight for survival against his enemies that are coming after him when he is at his weakest.
In his latest encounter, Stephen is being taken on harrowing cab ride by The Orb. When the Watcher was killed during ORIGINAL SIN, his eyes were removed and one of them came into the possession of Orb. Now the Orb is on a mission to not just watch people, but to also help them reach their full potential, in a twisted sort of way. And he’s taking Dr. Strange along for the ride.
The issue beings with Strange and the Orb pulling up and interrupting a group of men about to take revenge on someone who stole everything that they had. The men run off, but the Orb explains that this guy, Reggie, has it coming to him. So the Orb runs over Reggie and then drives off.
For their next stop, The Orb parks the cab on the side of an apartment complex and walks up to someone’s open window. Orb looks in on a sleeping resident and tells him that his neighbors don’t like him and that he should kill them all. A suggestion that seems to take hold in the man’s dream state.
While the Orb is out Dr. Strange breaks free from the back of the cab. Strange attacks the Orb only to be subdued and tied to the hood of the cab. The Orb drives Strange to some back alley where there is a pile of dead animals, and Mister Misery, The Thing in the Cellar that Dr. Strange kept in the basement of the Sanctum Sanctorum and deposited all the pain and suffering that using magic caused into. It was freed during the Empirikul’s assault and now it wants revenge.
Just as Dr. Strange is gearing up to fight Mister Misery, Baron Mordo arrives and attacks Misery. If anyone is going to murder Dr. Strange it will be Mordo. And just as Mordo steps in, the Orb blasts Mordo. Now Mister Misery, Baron Mordo, and the Orb are jockeying to be the one to kill Dr. Strange. And before the throw down can start one of Dr. Strange’s most powerful enemy shows up to kill Strange himself.
The “world” of the current Doctor Strange run is weird and unique. Strange finds himself having to take a hands on approach that makes the book a mix of fantasy/adventure, suburban horror, and maybe even a little Harry Potter. Doctor Strange continues to be one of my favorite comic books. The creative team has been wonderful. I look forward to it every month. It’s one of the first comics that I read off the pile.
Doctor Strange # 15 is a must buy comic.
