Issue(s): Doctor Strange #9
Cover Date: Nov 89
Title: "That was then... this is NOW"
Credits:
Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas - Writer
Butch Guice - Penciler
Butch Guice - Inker
Mike Rockwitz - Assistant Editor
Ralph Macchio - Editor

Review/plot:
The main story in this issue has six pages of actual comic. The rest of the 21 page story is text excerpts from the Now magazine previewing Morgana Blessings' book that we saw Dr. Strange discover last issue.

The introductory essay to the Thomas/Guice run in issue #5 said that Guice had concerns meeting deadlines. I wonder if this issue was designed to give him a breather. On the other hand, this issue is written by Roy Thomas, who has done his share of Saga style stories. All i know is i have no interest in a text summary of Dr. Strange's entire career. The magazine is set up to be shocking...

...but that's only true in the sense that Morgana was revealing Dr. Strange's exploits at all. There's nothing revelatory and no interesting twists on things. If Thomas had slanted Morgana's take to maybe have her misunderstanding things, or focusing on Strange's recent use of black magic and bad moral choices (which wouldn't be possible due to the timing of the book; i'm just giving examples of what might have made the book more controversial), or how his presence in Greenwich Village endangers the lives of those around him or something, basically something more Marvels-esque, it would have been at least an interesting read. Although even then i prefer my comic books in comic book form. Instead it's just a pretty dry summary of Strange's various adventures. I guess to someone that didn't have access to all the issues it might have been at least informative, but it's definitely not the best way to experience that.

There's also an essay by J. Jonah Jameson disavowing everything in the rest of the issue.

Of the parts that are in comic book form, the most notable aspect is Guice's interest in Wong's fiancee, Imei.

There's also the weird idea that Sara Wolfe has become romantically interested in Baron Mordo.

Strange also says that he hasn't seen Morgana for "quite a while".

Strange actually saw Morgana in Doctor Strange #3. "Quite a while" is arguably subjective, but Roy Thomas will compound this problem next issue. Thomas obviously researched Peter Gillis' Strange run, but he probably wasn't keeping up with the latest issues as they were being published. We've also had an editorial team switch, so there was no one to catch this problem.

There is a Tales of Vishanti back-up story written by Roy Thomas & Jean-Marc Lofficier and with art by Dan and David Day, but of course that is also a Saga story, albeit one that is drawn.

This first part of a Curse of the Darkhold feature tells the origin of the Montesi formula.

It also shows how the Darkhold was taken from Urthona by Agamotto along with the other talismans that Dr. Strange (seemingly) destroyed during that battle. And it raises the possibility that the Montesi Formula might be reversed, allowing vampires to return to the Marvel universe.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: It's said that Dr. Strange slept for about 2 hours since last issue, and this issue begins a little after that. I'm assuming that JJ wrote that essay before he was kidnapped by the Chameleon.

References:

• *Sigh* Now to go through a million references from the text piece:
  • Dr. Strange's origin in Strange Tales #115.
    
  • Dr. Strange's funeral, shown in the recent Doctor Strange #1. It's noted that the funeral was "back dated" in a way that doesn't make sense, leading Morgana to believe that Strange isn't really dead.
    
  • A meeting with author Tom Wolfe in Doctor Strange #180. That same story arc is later referenced in the context of the "Nightmare on New Year's Eve" and Clea's first experience with snow (a moment that Roy Thomas also mentioned in the introductory essay in issue #5 as being proud of, and i agree: it's a good character moment).
    
  • There's also mention of meeting Jean (Moebius) Giraud. This apparently was in anticipation of a story that never happened.
    
  • Dr. Strange's first encounter with Nightmare and the man who couldn't sleep in Strange Tales #110.
    
  • Saving two crooks from "Beyond the Purple Veil" in Strange Tales #119.
    
  • Encountering the House of Shadows in Strange Tales #120.
    
  • The fight with Tiboro in Strange Tales #129.
    
  • The first meetings with Dormammu and Clea in Strange Tales #126-127 and the quest for Eternity in Strange Tales #130-144.
    
  • Defeating Shuma-Gorath and becoming Sorcerer Supreme during Marvel Premiere #4-10.
    
  • Meeting Morgana Blessing during a bank robbery in Doctor Strange #48.
    
  • Clea reading Morgana's mind and finding out that she was in love with Dr. Strange, in Doctor Strange #51. That story also included a time travel adventure where they met WWII era Nick Fury, but Fury claims to remember nothing about Strange in Morgana's book.
    
  • Destroying all vampires in Doctor Strange #62.
    
  • Morgana getting injured during Doctor Strange #79-81.
• And now the references from the Darkhold back-up:
  • Jack Russell (Werewolf By Night) going to the island of Miles Blackgar in Marvel Spotlight #4 and acquiring the Darkhold.
    
  • Aelfric summoning Dragonus in Werewolf By Night #3 and giving the origin of the Darkhold.
    
  • The battle between the Knights of Wundagore and C'thon, shown in flashback in Avengers #185-187. The modern day sequences from those issues are also referenced.
    
  • Dracula and Werewolf By Night (who was being guided by Topaz) fighting for the Darkhold in Tomb of Dracula #18 and Werewolf By Night #15. In that same arc, Dracula casually tosses the book into the snow.
    
  • Another copy of the book, or at least some of the notes from it, was discovered by a priest in a library in Rome. Dracula killed the priest in Dracula Lives #6, but not before the priest mailed the formula to Quincy Harker.
    
  • That story was followed up on in Uncanny X-Men annual #6, where that copy was destroyed.
    
  • Meanwhile, Morgan Le Fey found the original Darkhold. She was stymied by Spider-Woman and Magus circa Spider-Woman #4-6, and eventually the Darkhold winds up with Modred the Mystic for the aforementioned Avengers story, and then Dr. Strange uses it to wipe out all the vampires, and then Urthona got his hands on it before Agamotto took it away and gave it back to Dr. Strange (all References i've already covered). Whew!

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Jonah's appearance probably takes place after he was rescued in Web of Spider-Man 54- he appears in the Atlantis Attack Amazing Spider-Man Annual after Web 54 and Strange has his eyepatch in the concluding issues of Atlantis Attacks.
Note that Morgana's book is being published by a subsidiary of the Daily Bugle. This causes complications because Dr. Strange 11-12 have to take place after Puma bought the Daily Bugle but Morgana is still dealing with Jonah.

I wouldn't count JJ's essay as an appearance. Depending on the lead time of the Now publication, it could have been written a month ago. It's not like the newspaper.

Man, Dragonus looked a lot cooler in the actual Werewolf by Night story!

Oh, wow, yes he did. I don't want a Heroclix of this version. Though I guess he DOES look more "dragon-y", to go with the name.