So it turns out that Stephen Strange isn’t exactly dead. But he’s not really alive either. He’s got this deal with one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Universe. He’s got things he has to do for her. His wife is a little upset about the whole thing, as he is about to find out in Strange #7. Writer Jed MacKay complicates things for the Stranges in an issue conjured into the visual by artist Marcelo Ferreira, inker Roberto Poggi, and colorist Java Tartaglia. Clea comes across as a much stronger character than Dr. Strange on a variety of different levels that keep her a lot more interesting in another entertaining issue.

He’s been wearing a mask in his role of Harvestman for Death herself. He could have simply come forward to Clea and Wong and asked for help, but he didn’t. Naturally, she’s more than a bit upset with him, but only because of love. They don’t have a whole lot of time to argue, though. Powerful forces are aligned against them. There are the concerns of the Blasphemy Cartel to be handled. If they can make it through their current predicament, there’s a chance that Strange might yet return to the realm of the living.

MacKay keeps the focus of the series quite squarely on Clea. Even with Dr. Strange well and fully returned to page and panel, the narration is coming from the internal monologue of Clea. She’s a very strong personality, and he’s wise to follow her for the entire chapter. Clea is a lot of fun even when the rest of the story lacks life. The action is solid throughout, but the drama is only intriguing when it’s seen through the perspective of Clea. As a result, the mystery surrounding the Blasphemy Cartel at issue’s end falls a little flat. 

Ferreira and Poggi have a crisp and sweeping sense of magical battle. There is a particularly percussive impact on the page when Clea goes up against giant beings. Tartaglia’s colors illuminate the comic with Eldritch power that gives magic the warmth of an endearing radiance. The passion in Clea’s face doesn’t always catch the page in an appealing way. It’s possible that there may be an occasional disconnect between Ferreira and Poggi that can make things stretch across the page in a way that doesn’t quite fit the emotions in MacKay’s script, but the visuals hit far more often than they miss in another satisfying chapter. 

Clea’s turn in the center of the series seems to be drawing to a close. It’s really too bad. The warrior mage from the dark dimension is great fun when she’s given a chance to work with Jed MacKay. The writer doesn’t even have to do a whole lot with the action around the edges to keep Clea moving appealingly through the series. Dr. Strange is working for Death. This should come across as A LOT more compelling than it does. A lot of the lifelessness of that premise comes from the fact that Clea is as cool as she is. 

Grade: A