First Look: Madness and Monsters in Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo’s ‘Doctor Strange’ #1

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 readership 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.

Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo are the team that won one of the most sought-after gigs in superhero comics, with Kevin Nowlan providing art for the back-up story. Marvel has shared a four-page unlettered preview of the first issue, but as it's a Bachalo joint, those four pages take the form of two rather epic double-page spreads. On first impressions, this creative team makes a pretty convincing case for why their pitch won out. Check out the pages below.

Here are the solicitation details and press release, courtesy of Marvel:

DOCTOR STRANGE #1 (AUG150741)
Written by JASON AARON
Art by CHRIS BACHALO & KEVIN NOWLAN
Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Variant Covers by JOE QUESADA (AUG150749), JAKUB REBELKA (AUG150748),
KEVIN NOWLAN (AUG150747), SKOTTIE YOUNG (AUG150744)
Hip Hop Variant by JUAN DOE (AUG150742)
Cosplay Variant by ALLEN LEE HANSARD (AUG150743)
Kirby Monster Variant by ERICA HENDERSON (AUG150751)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (AUG150745)
Quesada Sketch Variant Also Available (AUG150750)
Blank Variant Also Available (AUG150746)
FOC – 09/14/15, On-Sale – 10/07/15
The Sorcerer Supreme returns for his first ongoing series in nearly twenty years, and he’s making house calls! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look inside DOCTOR STRANGE #1, the new ongoing series from blockbuster creators Jason Aaron (Star Wars, Thor) and Chris Bachalo (Uncanny X-Men, Avengers)! Prepare for a side of the Marvel Universe you’ve never seen before as the magical, mystical and all things weird lie at every turn! And if you don’t know where to turn – call the Doctor. From inside his Sanctum Sanctorum – the Master of the Mystic Arts defends the Marvel Universe from any and all supernatural threats.
But a dark new power is rising. One that will have repercussions for all magic users. The threat is growing, and Strange knows he won’t be powerful enough to stop it. If he is to have any kind of hope, it’ll take a new kind of Sorcerer Supreme. Because all magic comes with a price, and it’s high time Stephen Strange balanced the scales.
This issue also contains a bonus five-page story by Jason Aaron and industry legend Kevin Nowlan setting up major story-threads!
The epic adventure begins this October as Marvel’s mightiest magician takes a battle axe straight to evil in DOCTOR STRANGE #1!

And here are the covers. Yes, there are a lot of them, including a hip-hop variant, an action figure variant, a Kirby monster variant, a cosplay variant, a Skottie Young variant, and variants by Kevin Nowlan and Jakub Rebelka. The Joe Quesada variant and sketch variant are not yet available.

Talk to your retailer about how to get hold of these covers. Your retailer is the one weeping behind the counter.

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