There’s nothing really wrong with this issue, it’s just off.
The combination of Roger Stern’s pleasant, deferential style and Neil Vokes’s animated-style artwork makes it all….
It’s like they’re trying to sell Doctor Strange for kids. But for kids who can’t even handle mildly scary stuff. This issue is maybe the least scary haunted house story I’ve ever read. It reveals Strange didn’t take up residence in his awesome pad without some problems. Ghosts, goblins, things along those lines.
Stern’s dialogue is all right—he relies a little too much on the funny names of spells—but his strength is in the plotting. It’s an origin story of sorts and Stern doesn’t have any pages to spare. He’s got to get it all down.
Vokes only once seems hurried (and not on Strange) and he does a good job. His style’s appropriate if Stern’s avoiding making it seem grownup.
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