Doctor Strange: Issue 09 – The Last Days of Magic Pt 4

For me, magic has always been connected with the subconscious, imagination, creativity, inspiration, and a youthful wonder of the world around us. Magic is the means by which we open our minds to the part of our psyche that is the source of all artistic and spiritual expression. So what happens when magic dies? We discover that in the first page of this installment in the graphic series.

Jiao’s dreams kept her going, even when she wanted to die. She could go anywhere in her dreams, and she’d wake knowing with all her heart that her trips had been real. But Jiao hasn’t dreamed at all for over a week now, and she’s starting to wonder if a life without dreams is really worth living.

At night in the orphanage, little Konstantin loved talking to the thing under his bed. But the thing hasn’t spoken for days, and now there’s a weird smell coming from underneath the mattress. Konstantin is afraid to look into the darkness down there, because he knows what he’ll find.

Mamen is 119 years old, and after 99 years of marriage, her husband is dying. The grapes that grow in their secret arbor had always made them feel young again, but a week ago those vines began to rot. And now, so has Mamen’s husband. She doesn’t know why she’s come here. None of them do. Even though they’ve come from far and wide. They only know that something important has been lost from the world. And that they’re willing to do whatever they can to bring it back.

Right now, we are living in what feels like a very turbulent time. Strong forces are in opposition. There is tension between people who are ready to advance our collective society and people who seek to roll back the advances we have made, and both sides are understandably fearful. Change is scary, but change is inevitable. I just hope that the change we see in the very near future is one that embraces the magic of our true spiritual nature. For if we succumb to the negative forces, we will be thrust into a world void of creativity and spirituality, and that is a world I would rather not want to live in.

Doctor Strange: Issue 08: One Book Can Change The World

This issue is the third installment of the “Last Days of Magic” arc. While the story and the artwork are both great, it was this one panel, this one quote, that really connected with me.

“One book can change the world.” This is so true. In fact, one idea, one thought, or one action can change the world. This is why I read and promote reading to others. Major changes in history have resulted from a spark of inspiration, often from a book, poem, or other work of art. This is why the humanities are so important and should be supported by our educational system.

I really have nothing else to say; this quote sums it all up succinctly. Now, go read something and get inspired to change the world.

Doctor Strange: Issue 07 – The Last Days of Magic Pt 2

I just wanted to share one quote from this issue:

Apparently science makes monsters of men just as easily as magic.

Science and magic are both means of acquiring and using power, whether that is knowledge or physical energy. And as the old adage goes–power corrupts. It is important to stay grounded and centered in humanity when engaged in scientific or metaphysical exploration.

Cheers!

Doctor Strange: Issue 06 – The Last Days of Magic

And just like that… it’s gone. No more auras. No more eyes in the shadows. No more voices in the ether. No more Sorcerer Supreme. No more… no more magic.

This is a great issue that begins the spin-off arc, “The Last Days of Magic.” The saga begins with the systematic purging of all magic from the world.

For me, this tale is highly symbolic. Magic in this story represents creativity, spirituality, artistic expression, fantasy, and childhood innocence. These are the manifestations of magic in our world, and they are too often eradicated by industrialization and conformity, which in this graphic tale is symbolized by the Empirikul.

I feel it’s important to keep the magic alive in our modern world. When I read the news and hear about ancient art being destroyed, or cultures decimated because they are different, or individuals abused and rejected because they don’t conform to someone else’s idea of what is “moral,” I am reminded of why we need creative and unique people to keep the magic alive in our world.

Doctor Strange: Issue 04

This issue is very deep, and for a short installment in a comic arc, it addresses some profound concepts related to mysticism and the occult. There are two sections I want to discuss. The first relates to the physical toll of practicing the magical arts.

You threw the punch successfully, but you hurt your own hand. So what have you learned here today? …

The harder you punch, the more it hurts you. This is the most important lesson of being a sorcerer…

If a normal punch takes a physical toll on the one who throws it, what do you imagine the price of casting a spell to be?

The mental, spiritual, and physical are all connected. Whatever happens to one aspect of your being impacts the others. When we become physically sick or injured, it affects our mental and spiritual wellbeing also. When we engage in rejuvenating meditation, our mental and physical health benefits as a result. If we become mentally stressed through work, then we will experience a spiritual and physical exhaustion directly associated with the mental stress. Essentially, every thought or action affects every part of our being, sometimes in ways we can discern, and other times in ways that we do not immediately sense. It can be summed up in the laws of karma.

The second passage addresses the conflict between magic and technology.

This place has been drained of magic. What kind of sorcery could possibly… No. Not sorcery at all. Machinery. A machine that disrupts magic? That’s… That’s impossible.

I would like to think that science and technology can work with mystical practices to help move humans toward the next stage of evolution, but I am so naïve that I fail to recognize that technological advancement caused the rift between science and the magical arts. The Industrial Revolution did much to drain the spiritual from society, disrupting the flow of magic in the world. I think this will change soon. The latest ideas in theoretical physics are certainly supportive of the mystical arts.

I have to say that the more I read this latest incarnation of Doctor Strange, the more I enjoy it. The creative team is doing an amazing job of putting forth thought-provoking topics, but doing so in a whimsical way that is fun and engaging.

Cheers!

Doctor Strange: Issue 03

Wow! That’s about all I can say… Wow!

This is everything that I love about Doctor Strange. It is the perfect blend of mysticism with a touch of humor, all woven together with artwork that is surreal, psychedelic, and vivid.

The installment begins with Strange musing about “weird feelings” that people get and chalk up to the imagination. But the truth is, we sometimes get impressions of a reality that exists beyond the reach of our ordinary perception, and that the universe is populated by things which we cannot perceive with our senses, but exist nonetheless.

You know those weird feelings you get sometimes that you can’t explain? Like when you’d swear there’s someone watching you, even though you’re alone? Or maybe you think you see something move in the shadows for just a second, just out of the corner of your eye—but when you flip on the lights, there’s nothing there? Usually when people ask for my professional opinion on those sorts of feelings, I tell them they’re nothing. Odds are, your home isn’t haunted. I’m sure it’s a lovely house and all, but I doubt it’s so amazing that people would literally come from beyond the grave just to hang out there. And you’re probably not possessed. Or a mutant or inhuman. Or someone who was bitten by a radioactive anything. You’ve just got a healthy imagination is all. But that’s not entirely the truth. It’s what I tell people when I figure they can’t handle the truth. The truth is… you’re never alone.

There is another quote in this comic which resonated with me, and that is Strange’s definition of what it means to be a magician.

Being a magician doesn’t mean you create magic from thin air. You only channel the magical energy that’s already all around you. It’s a little like being an electrician. You have to know how to direct the energy where you want it to go, hopefully without setting the house on fire or shocking yourself to death.

For me, this is one of the basic tenets of magick and mysticism. Everything is a form of energy. Magick is the ability to manipulate energy to create an effect in accordance with your will.

I’m really excited about the upcoming Doctor Strange film. I know it will be a while, but that’s OK… I’m patient. In the meantime, I have this wonderful and inspiring arc to keep me occupied.

Doctor Strange: Issue 02

Prior to this arc, the only Doctor Strange I had read was the early Stan Lee and Steve Ditko incarnation. I have to say that this arc, while enjoyable, is somewhat on the silly side compared with those early issues. As I read this, I couldn’t help wondering about the upcoming Doctor Strange film which is in the works. Will it be more like the earlier Strange, or more like this newer version? Personally, I hope they lean more toward the earlier.

This installment is still laying the foundation for the story. Doctor Strange has treated a woman, Zelma Stanton, who was infected with Mind Maggots. Zelma is a librarian and Strange convinces her to help him organize his extensive collection of occult books. We also discover that a group called the Empiriku is seeking sorcerers across dimensions to destroy them. One does not need the powers of prescience to see that they will eventually come after the Sorcerer Supreme.

As is my wont, I like to include a quote or two from what I read. This one made me chuckle to myself. As a bibliophile, I was able to relate to Zelma’s reaction when she encounters Doctor Strange’s collection of books.

AAIEEE!!! That’s the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen!!! Do you really put all your books in piles like that?! God, you’re a monster!

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to read something today!

Doctor Strange: Issue 01

Last week when I went to the comic store, I chanced upon the first issue of the new Doctor Strange arc. I was not even aware that there was a new arc! I suppose I’m a little out of the loop. That tends to happen when your mind is preoccupied with other things, like work, family, music, and so forth. Anyway, I picked up a copy of this along with my regular cache of comics, and I am glad that I did. This first issue really bodes well.

I think the writing and artwork are both outstanding. I was immediately sucked into the story, which is unusual. Often, it takes a little while for me to get hooked in to an arc. Not so with this one.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story. Basically, Doctor Strange is becoming aware of an unusual spike in weird phenomena, which he senses is the result of a “coming storm.”

I’ll leave you with a quote from the issue that I really liked. Hopefully, you will pick up a copy and find it as engaging as I did.

If you ask me, it’d be an awfully boring life if nothing was ever weird. It’s the weird ones who change the world.

Magneto: Issue #11 – What is a Hero?

This issue addresses with the question: What is a hero?

It is most often in times of great tragedy that heroes are born. Only the flame of suffering burns hot enough to forge one’s spirit. These men and women… these heroes… have seen sorrow. They have endured and triumphed. At times, I have been the source of said adversity. Yet they have come through the fire stronger than they were before. But none of that matters now. The Red Onslaught is upon us, and perseverance in the face of tragedy… is worth no more than the dirt upon which heroes fall.

I’ve read this passage several times and it keeps getting deeper for me. All heroes suffer. All heroes overcome adversity. But ultimately, all heroes fall. There is a cycle that pertains to the heroic. And whether the hero falls as a result of a tragic flaw or a mistake, the fall is inevitable.

I will say one more thing about this issue; Doctor Strange makes a brief cameo appearance. I confess that I am very excited about the upcoming Doctor Strange film. I wonder if Marvel is going to start dropping Easter Eggs in their comics.