Doctor Strange #1 (June, 1974)
I have to confess, that as fond as I am of the comic that’s the subject of today’s blog post, I’ve always had a little trouble thinking of it as a “real” first issue. After all, Doctor Strange had already had a first issue of his own solo title all the way back in 1968 — despite Marvel’s having opted at that time to continue the numbering of Doc’s previous home, the double-featured Strange Tales, by sticking a “#169” on it. That solo series had run for fifteen issues before succumbing to cancellation in 1969, so no way was the comic book that showed up on stands in the middle of March, 1974, the actual first issue of Doctor Strange. Heck, this wasn’t even the first issue of his current headlining feature, since that had begun a little less than two years previously, in Marvel Premiere #3. The hero’s MP run had continued through issue #14 and then picked up here after only a three-month break; so, as far as I was concerned, Doctor Strange #1 was little more than the latest issue of the Sorcerer Supreme’s successfully revived solo series. “Fabulous First Issue!”, my eye (of Agamotto). Read More