Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme #2 (Review)

DOCTOR STRANGE: SURGEON SUPREME #2

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Kev Walker

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Cory Petit

Publisher: Marvel

Rating: 7.5/10

After the first issue I was a bit concerned with how the pacing of the series would play out. I liked the setup, overall and specifically with the introduction of the supporting cast at the McCarthy Medical Institute but I was surprised how quickly a threat appeared towards the end of the last issue with an upgraded Wrecker showing up to catch Strange off-guard. We pick up immediately following that confrontation and while the solution of Strange literally hand waving his way out of his predicament, I liked how quickly we move on and continue with what I imagine being the main throughput of the series, Strange balancing his new position at McCarthy Medican and the new players there (Dr. Druid? I'm sure that will come up later on in a bad way) and his responsibilities as Sorcerer Supreme.

We check in with Kermit with another scene of him being the comedic relief and get an ominous scene with the new Dean at McCarthy Medical, Dr. Anthony Ludgate aka Dr. Druid. It's a fairly brief scene but it does a good job setting up this new ambiguous setup of whether or not he'll be a friend or foe; we'll see how it plays out. Then we immediately pick back up with Strange finding Wrecker and another member of his Wrecking Crew who also has been upgraded, Thunderball. Now that Strange isn't caught off -guard, he manages to take care of the two of them and removing the new heavily powered weapons off the board. The question remains though, who exactly has been supplying them with these weapons?

The art is a bit of a mixed bag as some of the figure work in certain panels is rough but I do think Tartaglia's colors really help elevate art that would have been serviceable at best to decent, especially during the fight scenes as the heavy use of magic really lends itself to some use of vibrant colors.

Overall it was a solid issue and I was very glad at how quickly the story is moving along but I do hope that Waid slows down with the sorcerer supreme side of things and allow some decent time with Stephen just being a surgeons as I feel that's really the big sell on this new series.