REVIEW: 'Doctor Strange of Asgard #2' Meanders Mysteriously Between Realms

Disclaimer: This review contains minor spoilers for Doctor Strange of Asgard #2.

When writer Derek Landy last left Doctor Stephen Strange, neither his Sorcerer Supreme shtick — usurped by Doctor Doom as a stepping stone towards cosmic domination — nor his renowned surgical skills were being put to good use. As the preview for the second issue of Doctor Strange of Asgard notes, Strange has thus been “lying low since his humiliation.” However, when the Asgardian sorceress (and Strange’s potential new boss) Hulda turns up mysteriously murdered, Strange’s journey of redemption becomes even more complicated and dangerous.

Making Sense of Loki(?!)’s “Confused Frenzy”

On the surface, Hulda’s murder is an obvious attempt by Loki, “Asgard’s skald” (performer of poems detailing subjects’ heroic deeds) to promote themself, one which Strange himself witnessed, no less. Even so, “Loki claims to have no idea how the knife got into their hand, let alone why they stabbed Hulda,” nor can Strange dismember or even move Hulda’s body without arousing suspicion and/or further chaos. 

Strange also takes it upon himself to keep Loki hidden in New York at the Sanctum Santorum, namely from King Thor, lest Loki’s alleged misdeed “snap[s] whatever is left of the bond between them,” potentially creating an “incalculable” and “irreparable rift” that “could shake the very cosmos” even more. Recent comic canon has established Loki across several timelines as more of an antihero than villain, much like their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) counterpart. Thus, Strange’s hand is likely also stayed by legitimate doubt of Loki’s malicious machinations.

© Marvel Comics

The Sorcerer Supreme Currently Known as “Doctor Tiny Man”

Fortunately, Strange manages to acquire some allies during his dubious quest, including his future employer, an Asgardian doctor whose own reputation has recently “taken … a knock” due to “scurrilous, malicious and false … accusations of malpractice” and who is thus “forced to entertain … taking on a mortal apprentice.” Strange’s bedside manner is deemed appropriate enough, and even helps him acquire the services of Aslak, a budding sorcerer and Hulda’s own “eternal apprentice,” though the information he provides leaves Strange with more questions than answers. Still, Strange’s affable adaptability and assertion that “Whether they be medical or mystical, mysteries are my thing” duly assure the reader that they will, in fact, be answered as his adventure in Asgard yet unfolds.

“Corpse Disposal is a Tricky Business”

Landy's storytelling is strengthened by positioning Strange as protagonist with business in both the realms of Midgard and Asgard. The worldbuilding is organically optimized through Strange’s interactions with various Asgardians, many of whose identities hearken back to their respective roots in Norse mythology and beyond. For instance, ‘Hulda’ means ‘secrecy’ in Old Norse, while ‘Huldah’ is the name of a Jewish prophetess described in the Biblical Old Testament. That ‘Huldah’ is likewise Hebrew for ‘weasel’ / ‘mole’ aligns (albeit yet mysteriously) with Aslak’s assertion to Doctor Strange that her “stern” comic counterpart’s “skills as a sorceress were almost beyond compare,” though she apparently “said not a kind word when a mean one would do” while nonetheless teaching Aslak exclusively “all I know” about their shared trade. Presumably, this will include future information about both the enchanted knife that ‘Loki’ allegedly used to kill Hulda, as well as the mysterious ax with which Strange is attacked in Doctor Strange of Asgard #2. 

Strange’s interactions help humanize Asgard, offering Marvel’s Midgardian readership surprisingly familiar insights into a realm populated by comparatively “larger” and “hardier” inhabitants who nonetheless “fret and … worry just like humans.” Strange’s networking thus serves as a means of moving Landy’s story along both figuratively and literally with artist Carlos Magno’s illustrations allowing Strange and company to travel to and fro with occasional pit stops for work and information gathering at an Asgardian tavern. 

Overall, while Strange’s initial intentions around and about Asgard center on his “search … for redemption – or an escape,” his unwitting involvement in its latest murder mystery ensures that circumstances will not “keep [him] down forever.”

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Doctor Strange of Asgard #2 © Marvel

About Doctor Strange of Asgard #2

Release Date: April 9, 2025

Written by: Derek Landy

Art by: Carlos Magno

Cover by: Geoffrey Shaw

Page Count: 23

Synopsis: Doctor Strange went to Asgard to become its Sorcerer Supreme. But now he's covering up a murder - one that Thor would be furious to hear about. And as if that isn't enough, it turns out Asgardian landlords also charge rent. Strange will have to find a killer - and a job - while gaining mastery over Asgardian magic, dodging Thor's mounting suspicions and evading mysterious assassins. Maybe moving to the Land of the Gods wasn't such a good idea…