Issue(s): Doctor Strange #45
Cover Date: Sep 92
Title: "Death's greatest hits"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Geof Isherwood - Penciler
Geof Isherwood - Inker
Barry Dutter - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
We saw Magus blow up Galactus' ship in Infinity War #3, and this issue just shows Dr. Strange floating around in Death's domain until he and the rest of Galactus' crew is "resurrected". In Infinity War #4, it'll be presented as if Galactus alone saved the team (and, let's face it, even Magus said in issue #3 that he only expected Galactus to be slowed down by his attack), but this issue tries to give some of the credit to Dr. Strange as well. But the issue mainly is about Death trying to trick Dr. Strange into accepting that he's dead, because otherwise she doesn't get to keep him.

Unlike Jim Starlin's version of Death, who surprises Thanos by finally talking in his Marvel Comics Presents solo story, this is Roy Thomas' chatty, referential Death, full of casual asides and random exposition.

I have little patience for these types of issues. I guess we might learn things about Dr. Strange's backstory in this, or maybe these are things we already knew but i've forgotten because they're really not important to his character (and there's no footnotes and or the little reference box on the lettercol page like this book usually has under Thomas). Like we learn that Dr. Strange's sister Donna died during a swimming outing, and that his mother later died asking him to take care of his brother Victor. Which he didn't, and in fact he brushed off his brother when Victor called to say that their father was dying. But mostly it's just wasting space waiting for the next issue of Infinity War.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Galactus' ship is destroyed by Magus in Infinity War #3. The end scene repeats the scene from Infinity War #4, but since most of this takes place between #3 & #4, that's where i'm placing it.

References:

• Magus blew up Galactus' ship in Infinity War #3.
  
• Some elements from Dr. Strange's origin in Strange Tales #115 are repeated.
  
• There are also elements about Victor Strange from Doctor Strange #11 and surrounding issues.
  
• While sparring with Death, Dr. Strange gets the Ankh - "the symbol of enduring life" - on his forehead, as he did in Doctor Strange #4 and "occasionally" since then (there is a footnote for this).

Crossover: Infinity War

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A