Cover Story - Top 15 Doctor Strange Covers

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So, today marks the premiere of the long-awaited Dr. Strange movie.  After months of online dialogue over the whitewashing of the Ancient One and the questionable idea of adapting a character so steeped in Orientalism the day is finally upon us.  As such, I’ve decided to mark this auspicious occasion by dedicating one of my two weekly columns to the good Doctor because that’s the whole reason they exist- thanks, hashtags.  

To be fair, I’ve actually long wanted to devote a Cover Story to Dr. Strange if only to showcase what a unique place he holds in comic book history.  Strange has always been an outlier even within Marvel’s stable of characters, and his covers have actually reflected that along with some of the best oddball art you’re likely to find in a superhero comic.  That’s just what happens when you make a book about weird wizards and inter-dimensional magic.  

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At time of writing Marvel studios is entering into their much vaunted phase 3 with…less than a full deck of cards, to put it delicately.  The Marvel brand is still a pretty unassailable seal of financial success but its standard as a seal of quality and, most of all, audience interest has become decidedly tarnished in the 3 years since Avengers cemented them as the entertainment kings of the 2010s.  There have been some major cultural hits like Guardians of the Galaxy or Ant Man, and Winter Soldier has done a lot to cement Captain America as THE superhero of this moment in time, much like Spider-Man in 2001, Batman in 1989, or Superman in 1978.  Additionally they’ve finally managed to make some in roads on the issues of diversity that’ve been dogging their brand for awhile thanks to the twin hits of Agent Carter and Jessica Jones. 

Unfortunately, a pretty heft bundle of disposable, forgotten, or underwhelming and underperforming entries have also blighted the Marvel stable.  Stuff like Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., have all done a serious number on the Marvel brand and losing out key box office battles to rival franchises like Jurassic World and Hunger Games has definitely not helped.  The crowning example of the tarnished Marvel star would have to be Thor: The Dark World, the lackluster and underperforming sequel to one of Marvel’s greatest successes of phase 1.