Every comic is somebody's first. Apparently

[stubbleupdate]

After having a look at Marvel's Season One announcements, I had a little think to myself about what it was and why it was needed.

Not many books are new-reader friendly. When I started reading Ms. Marvel, I jumped in to part 2 of a 2 part story and got the gist of things pretty quickly. I don't think that I've jumped on to a book without a signposted jumping on point and without a good awareness of the characters. It's often difficult to get into characters, or arcs, or even understand the world. Sometimes the hints that writers drop for new readers just clunk at the feet of old readers (focussed totality of my psychic powers, anyone?).

Maybe a set of one-off stories that explore characters and set up their background organically while also telling a good story are the order of the day.

Marvel already did one of those and they set the bar pretty high. It's called Doctor Strange: The Oath. Of course, not everything can be written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Marcos Martin - that does help a book quite a bit.

It also helps if each issue of the book has a really accessible and interesting recap page. I can only think of three books off the top of my head that have used recap pages in an exciting way "in character" for the book - Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Incredible Herc and The Oath. I think that the Dark Reign: Young Avengers book did a few cool things as well, but I'm not entirely sure.

So, with no commentary, let's see how good the recap pages of The Oath #2, #3, #4 and #5 are at telling the story.

Comments

[wizardru]

Those are some fine plot summaries, right there.

[shanejayell]

That is pretty cool. :)

[kusonaga]

Nothing but love for The Oath.

[valismedsen]

+1!

[atj99]

I swear to god, everytime I hear rumors of Marvel making a live-action Dr Strange movie I feel like screaming "Just make 'The Oath'! There's your script!!!" :D

[stubbleupdate]

Absolutely. I'm not sure what else you would need to make a successful film.

[jlroberson]

I read this a few weeks ago; funny you should point this. Vaughan kind of bores me most of the time, but I REALLY LIKE THIS.

[magus_69]

The Oath is an excellent mini. The only flaw is in the limitations which Vaughn puts on magic in the MU. Basically, magic cannot do anything which can be accomplished through scientific means, which makes no sense in a world with people like Richards, Von Doom, and Pym (and that's only sticking to one planet!). I think it was only for this story, and to my knowledge nobody has ever used it again, but it was enough to make me yell "Bullshit!"

But as I said, that was the only real flaw. In every other respect, it was fantastic.

[blackruzsa]

Magnificent!