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| Cover Artist: Javier Rodriguez |
Original Price: $3.99
Title: untitled
Writer: Robbie Thompson
Artist: Javier Rodriguez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Letterers: VC's Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso
SYNOPSIS
In the near future, Sorcerer Supreme Wiccan holds off a demonic invasion, and is whispered a secret before the demon queen dies. At the battle with the Forgotten, Merlin has been killed and the other Sorcerer Supremes are unable to defeat the giant. Yao, the future Ancient One, has his arm broken, which prompts Wiccan to scoop up his allies and teleport them away from the battle. They arrive on a beach, where they sink into one of Merlin's traps that is meant to capture their souls. Sir Issac Newton's servant, the Mindful One, rescues them due to it not having a soul. The Sorcerers travel through the forest on their way to Merlin's home, but find Camelot in serious disrepair. The Forgotten, meanwhile, is on the way to Camelot as well to find the Sorcerers. Back in the future, Merlin approaches Wiccan and ask what he had been told, and Wiccan tells him that he is dying. Merlin offers to remove the curse that is killing him if he travels with him to fight the Forgotten.
ANNOTATIONS
The Spirit of Vengeance from this series is a Native American woman named Kushala, the Demon Rider, who is not only a Ghost Rider but also her era's Sorcerer Supreme. Her origin story will be told in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme (2016) # 3.
Podcast Review: Inner Demons Episode 1 - "Deathbed Confession to a Skeleton Monster" (Click to Listen)
REVIEW
The Spirit of Vengeance from this series is a Native American woman named Kushala, the Demon Rider, who is not only a Ghost Rider but also her era's Sorcerer Supreme. Her origin story will be told in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme (2016) # 3.
Podcast Review: Inner Demons Episode 1 - "Deathbed Confession to a Skeleton Monster" (Click to Listen)
REVIEW
"Sorcerers Supreme" continues its first arc with a new formula, i.e. the recruitment process, and throws a shit load of Ditko at us.
I'm still just not feeling this series, and I think its because Robbie Thompson isn't explaining enough as he goes along. I get that there's a point to it, that because Merlin was a secretive mage and is now dead, the Sorcerers are just as much in the dark as the readers. I get that the Forgotten is supposed to be all-powerful and all-mysterious, Merlin said as much in the first issue, and the Sorcerers don't know how to fight him. I get all of that, but it makes this issue, and the series so far, very difficult to penetrate as a reader. I like the approach that Thompson is using for the introduction of each mage, having already thrown us into the larger plot he's using each subsequent issue as a spotlight for an individual character. This issue gives us Wiccan's story, and since he's one of the only established characters other than Dr. Strange it allows the readers that hint of familiarity in the midst of all the secrets and mystery.
The first half of the comic is, essentially, a big fight scene with the Forgotten. The villain is a problem, only because his motivations are intentionally vague other than "kill Merlin". He's succeeded in that, so what else does he/them have to fight for other than "power" in the generic sense? The split screen effect as the Forgotten cycles through personalities/identities is a nice touch, though, and it makes me wonder where the character is heading and how it connects back with the flashback scenes in the first issue. Thompson is also continuing to flesh out his characters, and the stand-out so far is definitely the Mindful One, whose "Alone bad" scene while he rescues the team was the best part of the issue. Yao and Newton get fleshed out some, while Kushala and the Conjuror remain part of the background, but I assume that will be rectified in future issues.
The artwork by Javier Rodriguez is really trying to tap into that Steve Ditko design sense from the original Dr. Strange stories, and in the respect it succeeds. There's an LSD lens of perception during the magical traveling portions, especially in the sand trap sequence, and it fits the tone of the book perfectly. What I'm not sold on is the brightness and cheeriness of the comic, the less detail-oriented art paired with Jordie Bellaire's sunshine color palate makes it almost garish. The design for the Forgotten combined with the color scheme is an eyesore, and for a big bad monster villain he veers too far into being ridiculous looking.
I'm still on the fence about this series, but I'm hoping that next issue's spotlight on the Demon Rider will make me buy into the comic as a whole. So far, though, it's not catching my interest.
I'm still just not feeling this series, and I think its because Robbie Thompson isn't explaining enough as he goes along. I get that there's a point to it, that because Merlin was a secretive mage and is now dead, the Sorcerers are just as much in the dark as the readers. I get that the Forgotten is supposed to be all-powerful and all-mysterious, Merlin said as much in the first issue, and the Sorcerers don't know how to fight him. I get all of that, but it makes this issue, and the series so far, very difficult to penetrate as a reader. I like the approach that Thompson is using for the introduction of each mage, having already thrown us into the larger plot he's using each subsequent issue as a spotlight for an individual character. This issue gives us Wiccan's story, and since he's one of the only established characters other than Dr. Strange it allows the readers that hint of familiarity in the midst of all the secrets and mystery.
The first half of the comic is, essentially, a big fight scene with the Forgotten. The villain is a problem, only because his motivations are intentionally vague other than "kill Merlin". He's succeeded in that, so what else does he/them have to fight for other than "power" in the generic sense? The split screen effect as the Forgotten cycles through personalities/identities is a nice touch, though, and it makes me wonder where the character is heading and how it connects back with the flashback scenes in the first issue. Thompson is also continuing to flesh out his characters, and the stand-out so far is definitely the Mindful One, whose "Alone bad" scene while he rescues the team was the best part of the issue. Yao and Newton get fleshed out some, while Kushala and the Conjuror remain part of the background, but I assume that will be rectified in future issues.
The artwork by Javier Rodriguez is really trying to tap into that Steve Ditko design sense from the original Dr. Strange stories, and in the respect it succeeds. There's an LSD lens of perception during the magical traveling portions, especially in the sand trap sequence, and it fits the tone of the book perfectly. What I'm not sold on is the brightness and cheeriness of the comic, the less detail-oriented art paired with Jordie Bellaire's sunshine color palate makes it almost garish. The design for the Forgotten combined with the color scheme is an eyesore, and for a big bad monster villain he veers too far into being ridiculous looking.
I'm still on the fence about this series, but I'm hoping that next issue's spotlight on the Demon Rider will make me buy into the comic as a whole. So far, though, it's not catching my interest.
Grade: C+
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