— To do big stuff, it takes him some time and he needs to call on not-always-cooperative magical entities for power.

— If he doesn’t invoke other beings or entities, he’s drawing on personal mental and physical energies and can wear himself out accordingly. We need to see just how much discipline and focus it’s taken Strange to get where he is. I’m reminded here of just how thrown off the 70s cosmic version of Strange was in Gerber’s Defenders by a relatively minor bit of mental tampering performed by the Headmen, and about his fear that

— Magic tends to work best against ordinary materials and minds, and against other magic. Magic performed by unenhanced humans shouldn’t trump any and all non-magical phenomena; Strange should need to call on massive amounts of outside power, with all the conditions that might entail, to take on supertechnology or to perform large-scale effects rather than simply being able to change the world because “magic is magic.”

— For a spell to achieve the caster’s goals, the goals have to be the right ones in the first place. There’s a quite good moment in Dr. Strange #145-6 in which Strange is almost killed by a bomb planted by Mordo’s Minions. Why? Because while he scanned for magical traps, he forgot to scan for merely “mortal” dangers. It was only his noticing that the room was out of order that twigged him to do a more general magical check for danger.

— Most IMPORTANTLY: The efficacy of magic, as in the classic Strange stories, is less a function of the sheer power or supernatural character of the spells and energies used than it is a function of the wits and skills of the sorcerer. Strange was able to run rings around Dormammu and the amped-up Mordo, and around extradimensional gods, because he outthought them. That’s what makes him Sorcerer Supreme, not the misguided notion of some fans and writers that he can twiddle his pinkies and turn everyone in the world into frogs or something.

12. I don’t think I’ve ever not remembered a story from month to month, but I don’t buy too many titles. If I had that trouble, I probably wouldn’t go back and reread. Because I’m lazy and have no time.

13. It sounds Waid-y, but it was probably one of those editor peeps.

16. Iron Man.

17. Hmm… I don’t even remember Iris being reporter-y, but she did write that awesome book.

18. Dude, I’d take Liefeld over Byrne.

19. I don’t… remember their names.

20. Perry, until the retcon. Clark’s just Clark, man.

Barrows, which means I can start reading it now.

4. Use the same principles that mysticism is supposed to work on and impose chakra/chi limitations. He has a set limit to how much energy he can store and each spell uses a certain amount and he recharges his reserves via his meditation (which we always see him doing anyways). Sorta like in Naruto! Kids love the Naruto!

6. Funny in a “can’t they ever give this guy a break?” sort of way.

7. Yes, but the higher clout writers (read: Bendis) will ignore it and write him as an ass anyways.

10. Probably! Does anyone know the sales figures?

11. The what?

12. I might give the prior issue a flip-through but I usually try to remember while reading the current issue.

16. Bob Layton!

17. Lida West-Park (or is it Park-West?)

18. Barrows made me miss Byrne, is it too late to get him back? Or put anyone else on the book? Please?

20. Kent

By lately, do you mean the past 25 years? Since his days in the New Teen Titans he’s always been DC’s highest profile fight-loser.

Normally I will go back and try to re-read the previous issue, but in these two cases I couldn’t be bothered to try to find them.

4. Lactose intolerance

5. I guess you can.

6. Simpsons season 8 funny

7. It’s a stretch (ba-dum-bum)

9. Who’s gay in Juniper Lee?

11. Nope

12. Re-read

16. War Machine ala Chuck Austen

18. Byrne

16. Iron Man. He’s a prick. Pricks always win.

17. I thought Iris was a photojournalist, either way I would have to say it’s a tie because, well, I don’t want to choose.

20. I’m going to say Kent because if BIRTHRIGHT holds any weight they weren’t boyhood friends anymore, so there isn’t that intense hatred/rivalry going on.

4. He should have to need to use his hands, so if he is bound, he can’t just cast a spell to escape. Similarly, all but the most basic spells should have a verbal component. And no casting spells in astral form!

6. Almost as funny as Marv’s stint as writer on “Werewolf By Night.” That’s almost too easy.

9. A Comic Auteur with an agenda? Say it ain’t so!

12. Usually re-read it. With Marvel adding all those Previously pages (not to mention most plots being essentially just sound bites), this doesn’t come up much.

13. Coming Soon: Sailor Man, Or, The Atom! (I know, that sucks.)

16. Iron Man. He’s already won the battle of “not getting canned.”

4. He should have to need to use his hands, so if he is bound, he can’t just cast a spell to escape. Similarly, all but the most basic spells should have a verbal component. And no casting spells in astral form!

6. Almost as funny as Marv’s stint as writer on “Werewolf By Night.” That’s almost too easy.

9. A Comic Aeteur with an agenda? Say it ain’t so!

12. Usually re-read it. With Marvel adding all those Previously pages (not to mention most plots being essentially just sound bites), this doesn’t come up much.

13. Coming Soon: Sailor Man, Or, The Atom! (I know, that sucks.)

16. Iron Man. He’s already won the battle of “not getting canned.”

3. Since the series is canceled, obviously not, but to be honest I prefer it this way. It’s different and makes the more cliched aspects of the story seem fresher than it is. It’s an unconventional storytelling chose and I applaud Lobdell for doing it.

4. Here’s an idea: kick him out of the 616 Universe and make him the only superpowered individual in another universe.

7. He’s got a huge knot to untie, but I think he’s up to the task. Look at Blood Syndicate, a series with a crack ho like Flashback, a hateful prick of a leader like Wise Son, etc.

8. Because Waid has lost it, yet there are still some sparks of the writer he used to be.

10. Ron Marz is one of the worst writers in comics history. Is that a trick question?

12. I pick it up as I go. If I can’t figure things out, then I need to get some sleep, then I come back to it.

14. Actually, he returned for the last issues of Majestic.

16. Joe Quesada.

18. To my surprise, John Byrne, though Barrows isn’t bad.

11. No. This is why I read mini-series all at once.

12. If it’s an ongoing, I never go back and re-read, even if I’ve forgotten things. That’s why I look foolish so often in reviews.