Chris Bachalo

Every month, comic publishers release their solicitation announcements to provide information to readers and retailers on comics that are coming out in three months’ time, but there’s so much information dropped at once that a lot can slip through the cracks. This month in Marvel's May solicitations there's costume drama for Daredevil and some shocking returns, but a lot of comics just don't seem to be coming back, with little or no notice from Marvel.

It’s that blessed time of the year where we all try to take stock of what we’ve done with our lives and what other people have created that we enjoyed. That's right, it's time to start putting together our "Best of 2016" lists, and today we're going to take a look at the Best Marvel Covers of 2016.

The most recent volume of Doctor Strange by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo has provided an updated and fresh take on the classic character, casting him more as a man of action than ever before, and setting him against impossible odds. While the stories have been exciting, one aspect of Doctor Strange that’s especially interesting is Bachalo’s use of color to portray the world of magic, and perhaps more importantly, the effects of its absence.

Doctor Strange is a second-tier character in the Marvel pantheon, but he's making the leap to the big leagues thanks to the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. To help get you up to speed with the character, we've compiled a list of ten of the best Doctor Strange stories ever published. These are the stories that will introduce you to his major foes and his main supporting cast, and get you acquainted with all the many great talents that have worked on the character over the years.

This week sees the release of Marvel Studios' latest cinematic offering Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the arrogant and enigmatic sorcerer. In anticipation of the film's release, Comixology has a sale on some of the most must-have Doctor Strange collections, including one of the very best original graphic novels Marvel has ever released.

Writer Jason Aaron and artist Chris Bachalo are still going strong on Doctor Strange. The 12th issue starts a new storyline called "Blood in the Aether." It features a powerless Stephen Strange, weakened by the events of "The Last Days of Magic," forced to deal with all of his greatest enemies who've decided, for obvious reasons, that this is the perfect time to come after him. The preview features Strange hiding out in what looks like a mystical Tiki Bar, which is then attacked by something terrifying, which he must fend off with just a glowing green sword.

Marvel’s reveal of its Marvel NOW line of comics set for release in the wake of Civil War II has taken the form of a steady drip of announcements over the past week and a half, but now news is flooding in, and not all from official sources. Leaked scans of this week's Marvel NOW Previews magazine revealing the publisher's line-up for October and beyond have hit the internet via sites such as Reddit and 4chan. We’ve rounded up all the information we could find to give you a sense of the new landscape of the Marvel Universe this fall.

The interdimensional forces of the Emperikul are looking to cleanse the Marvel Universe of all magic in the aptly titled "The Last Days of Magic," a storyline beginning in Doctor Strange #6, by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo. In fact, the preview shows these creepy Stormtrooper-looking guys attacking not only Stephen Strange, but other characters including Magik, Shaman, and the Scarlet Witch.

Just about every comic book writer or artist I've ever met has a Doctor Strange pitch somewhere on their hard drive; there's something about the good doctor that makes him an irresistible subject for stories, at least to the people telling them. Whether that translates to the readers as well, we'll find out when Doctor Strange #1 goes on sale October 7 --- but we can offer a little preview of the action right now.

Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, Poison Ivy first graced the comic page back in the historic year of 1966, when The Sound of Music won Best Picture and England somehow won the World Cup. Her first appearance was in Detective Comics #181, and since then the character has remained a constant thorn in the Dark Knight's side.