Issue(s): Doctor Strange #20
Cover Date: Aug 90
Title: "Better homes and gargoyles"
Credits:
Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas - Writer
Butch Guice - Penciler
Tony DeZuniga - Inker
Michael Heisler - Assistant Editor
Ralph Macchio - Editor

Review/plot:
This story is a little unusual in that the main threat is less something that does happen than something that almost happens. The story starts with Dr. Strange arguing with his brother, Victor the vampire.

It turns out Strange and his supporting cast is all hanging out at the pool.

Victor decides to stop waiting for Dr. Strange to recite the Montesi Formula to kill him, and turns into a bat to fly to the Darkhold. Since no one wants a non-spellcaster reciting from the Darkhold, Morbius goes after him, and in the scuffle a vase is smashed.

The argument turns out to be moot, because when Strange destroyed the Vampiric Verses from the Book of Vishanti, that has caused the opposite spell in the Darkhold to disappear.

Seems a little arbitrary.

Victor then takes his leave. It comes out that Morgana Blessing has been allowing Victor to stay with him, and drink her blood to survive. Morbius also takes his leave, suggesting that Strange reach out to Clea, who had to be sent back to the Dark Dimension last arc due to Marie Laveau's hate arrow.

But the more immediate concern is what came out of that vase.

It turns out that the creature is Zom, the ultra powerful entity that appeared back in the Silver Age. In its current tiny form, it was able to cause Imei to forget about it, but only until its name is spoken.

So the rest of the issue is a hunt through Dr. Strange's house for the tiny Zom. Zom feeds on magic, so it's attracted to the barrier that is holding Baron Mordo prisoner.

As it grows, it also tries to eat some of the fairies that live in Strange's house.

But Strange is able to easily defeat Zom by sucking it up in a vacuum cleaner.

It turns out that Zom was composed of pure magic, and its physical body was just made of dust.

The faerie queen is actually ok.

Strange is able to reverse the vacuum and put Zom back in his bottle.

He says he's going to keep the vase more out of the way from now on. No kidding!

I've noted that Roy Thomas has pulled back a bit on the humorous dialogue from his earlier issues (although that was less true for last issue's fill-in). But now the book just feels dry to me. I guess i just can't be happy. I do like seeing Zom, and i think if this book had more dynamic art instead of all these static poses it would make a big difference.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Victor was freed from the clutches of Marie Laveau in Doctor Strange #14-18.
  
• Zom previously appeared in Strange Tales #156 through Strange Tales #158.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The "cosmic balance" argument never made sense to me. The problem is that the dialogue in previous issues made it clear there was a spell to create vampires in the Darkhold. So if there's a "cosmic balance", shouldn't there be a spell to destroy vampires in the Book of the Vishanti?