The Blood Hunt has begun. Will the Sorcerer Supreme be the next victim? Your Major Spoilers review of Doctor Strange #15 from Marvel Comics awaits!

DOCTOR STRANGE #15

Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Pasqual Ferry
Colorist: Heather Moore
Letterer: Vc’s Cory Petit
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 8, 2024

Previously in Doctor Strange: The skies have gone black and the vampire hordes have risen to bring about the end of the human race. Doctor Strange and Clea must help the heroes of Earth fight back against the vampire army!

But is it already too late for our Sorcerer Supreme?

THE END OF HUMANITY

Thanks to an eons-old spell, all the Darkforce users in the Marvel Universe were turned into portals of pure night, blotting out the sun. The human race was targeted by the vampires and the Avengers were laid low by The Blood Coven, with several members seemingly quite dead. At the same time, though, Doctor Strange and Clea were racing to reassemble the Montesi Formula and erase vampires from existence once more when Blade arrived at their door. The vampire hunter shockingly attacked Doctor Strange, running him through with a sword! The Daywalker bites Strange moments before an enraged Clea Strange attacks, declaring him a dead man. Their battle is intense, as the queen of the Faltine is almost a match for Blade, even with the mystical blades that he carries, designed to cut through magic as easily as cardboard, leading Blade to take his leave. But his goal has been achieved.

After all, Clea can’t bring herself to kill all the vampires when her beloved husband is one of them, can she?

THE RED-BAND VERSION APPARENTLY ISN’T CANON

The downside of this issue’s fast pace is that it covers just a few minutes of time, long enough to stab a man, turn him, and fight his wife. The appearance of a few undamaged heroes at the doors of the Sanctum ends the issue, and it’s important to note that their numbers include Spider-Man Miles Morales, whose appearance in the previous chapter still has unanswered questions. The reasons for Blade’s unexpected actions gain a little bit of illumination here, while the presence of Stephen’s evil brother Victor Strange from previous issues is about to move to the forefront. Ferry’s beautifully stylized art makes this whole issue memorable, especially the moments of battle. Blade’s expression when he throws his weapon at Clea, only to have her snatch it from the air and attack him with it is beautifully rendered, while the site of the newly turned Vampire Strange is somehow blood-curdling and pretty all at once.

BOTTOM LINE: AN INTERESTING GAMBIT

Even with the speed of this issue’s events, Doctor Strange #15 is a winner, with lovely art and coloring accompanying a script that illuminates the love between Stephen and Clea and hints at the true horror of what’s happening to Blade while serving the very important housekeeping function of removing the Montesi Formula from play, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. I’m pleasantly surprised to say that I like this much more than the first chapter of the main book, and hope that’s a good sign going forward.

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.