Doctor Strange has to face one of the worst threats in recent memory, and one thing is clear: This is a situation that requires… Defenders! Your Major Spoilers review of Doctor Strange #13 from Marvel Comics awaits!

DOCTOR STRANGE #13

Writer: Jed McKay
Artist: Pasqual Ferry
Colorist: Heather Moore
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comic
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 6, 2024

Previously in Doctor Strange: A sentient role-playing game has transformed New York City into a fantasy world! To save lives and reverse the spell, Doctor Strange must gather a team of Secret Defenders. Will he be able to lead Black Cat, Taskmaster, and Hunter’s Moon as a team before it’s too late?

THE SATANIC PANIC WAS REAL!

Bleecker Street has changed. There’s a dungeon at the end of the block, and while Clea doesn’t really notice the difference, Doctor Strange knows… It’s Cobolorum. A role-playing game of the past, and unfortunately, not something that two Sorcerers Supreme can just attack, Flames of Faltine a’blazin’. The rules must be followed, and so Strange assembles his party. The thief is The Black Cat, who has robbed his Sanctum twice before. For the priest, he seeks out Moon Knight, but has to settle for fellow Fist of Khonshu, Hunter’s Moon. And for his fighter, he chooses the mercenary Taskmaster, under the proviso that, if you need a meat shield, you don’t necessarily want to endanger someone you like. Strange and his Secret Defenders enter the dungeon, searching for the center of the maze, the players who somehow got their hands on a copy of Coloborum.

But the Doctor has forgotten the most important part: Every dungeon has to have a dragon… and also, a Dungeon Master.

THIEF, WIZARD, FIGHTER, PRIEST

I’m amused by the fact that this issue toys with all the usual tropes of RPGs, including Strange explaining to his wife how people worried that the games were full of Satanic messages, while Black Cat gets to ask, “If you die in the game, do you die in real life?” The piece de resistance is Taskmaster snarking that he dated while in high school, only to have Strange point out that he doesn’t remember high school, which is amusing on multiple levels. Ferry’s art is really strong on these pages, including our foursome getting a full high-fantasy makeover as they enter the game, and the bold coloring choices emphasize a feeling of unreality. The issue moves quickly, but still gets in a lot of stuff in twenty-odd pages, including a classic Doctor Strange foe being behind it all, a killer cliffhanger, and some fun back-and-forth between the oddball-assembled Defenders.

BOTTOM LINE: A CRITICAL HIT, IF YOU WILL

When you tally up the hit points and/or other RPG references, Doctor Strange #13 makes for an entertaining comic book not just in terms of the story, but for the metatextual parts of the tale, using unexpected characters to set up a shocking return, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. If nothing else, I’ll be back next time to see if Taskmaster gets eaten by Tiamat.

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