Asgard is a mythical land of magic and mystery, but one thing that the home of Thor, Odin, Loki, Sif, Heimdall, and so many gods has never had is a Sorcerer Supreme. Luckily, Stephen Strange is on the job as he finds himself traveling atop the rainbow bridge in an effort to sharpen his sorcery skills. Doctor Strange of Asgard #1 kicks things off by focusing on a former Sorcerer Supreme looking to get back on his feet by entering a world that he is quite unfamiliar with. By placing Stephen on his back foot, has this new Marvel comic found a way to invigorate the wizard?
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Stephen Strange is looking for work. Of course, being unemployed for a Sorcerer Supreme is far worse when you consider who took Doctor Strange’s job. Victor Von Doom is currently holding the title in the universe-wide crossover, One World Under Doom, wreaking havoc upon the world. While Doom has no presence in this opening issue, the series gives Strange plenty on his plate as he finds himself needing to go through the proper channels to get the job. Asgard is far from the most welcoming place in the world outside of its ruler and Strange finds himself in for a little mischief as he looks to jump into his new position.
[RELATED: Doctor Strange Moves to Thor’s Home to Become Asgard’s New Sorcerer Supreme]
Doctor Strange of Asgard approaches Stephen’s predicament in a way that I didn’t see coming, but was ultimately welcome. Rather than introducing Strange to needing to defeat Surtur and recover the Twilight Sword and/or defeat the World Serpent Jörmungandr, he finds himself struggling with a culture clash. This approach feels far more grounded than I was initially expecting in reading this issue as the former Sorcerer Supreme attempts to get his bearings in a world not his own. Bonus points as well for the fact that the issue is more than willing to make references to plenty of events in Marvel’s past outside of Doom simply throwing on the Eye of Agamatto.
Writer Derek Landy does a fantastic job here in not just exploring Strange’s character but showing the grittier side of Asgard, aka the one that is not normally seen through the eyes of its latest All-Father, Thor. In doing so, we are introduced to some charming characters that can match wits with the best of them. Landy injects plenty of humor in Doctor Strange of Asgard, and the story is all the more welcoming because of it. Of course, the series is more than willing to throw a bombshell into the mix so that Stephen’s journey is far from a rosy one.
[RELATED: Marvel Reveals Doctor Strange’s New Costume (With a Thor Twist)]
When I mentioned mischief before, I’m sure those reading realized that Loki was sure to make an appearance. His role in this new comic is one that is quite interesting, setting up for quite the cliffhanger while also weaving an intricate mystery into the mix. Landy is spinning plenty of plates here but isn’t missing a beat at the same time. When a Marvel character, having decades of stories under their wing, needs a new status quo, it can often feel like an immeasurable task to make said status intriguing. Luckily, Landy does that here in spades.
Unfortunately, all that glitters isn’t gold here as I found myself a little middle of the road when it came to artist Carlos Magno and colorist Espen Grundetjern in issue one. There are often panels where it feels as though certain facial features are lacking the necessary detail, along with a strange use of blurring effect for some of the environment that can be quite distracting. This isn’t to say that the art doesn’t have merit, especially when it comes to the use of shadows in either Asgard’s streets or Thor’s royal hall, but it ultimately feels like the issue would have benefited greatly from a little artistic punch-up before release.
Doctor Strange of Asgard feels like a crossover series that makes good on the premise of its overarching story while giving fans of the character a juicy new status quo to dig into. Artistic quibbles aside, the series has a lot going for it, and should Asgard be Strange’s new permanent fixture, the former Sorcerer Supreme might be made all the better for it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Published by Marvel Comics
On March 5th, 2025
Written by Derek Landy
Art by Carlos Magno
Colors by Espen Grundetjern
Letters by VC’s Cory Petit
