Strange Academy (2020-) #7 by Skottie Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Well, this is simply superb.
We open on a touching moment between Emily and Doyle Dormammu. They’re alone together on a boat on a river at night, and Emily wonders what would happen if she kissed Doyle. Would she catch on fire? You know, because his head is…on fire…all the time… He replies that nobody’s ever tried, and she says she’d like to change that…and then…she catches fire…and wakes up…and has to deal with the horror of what happened at the end of the last issue. You see, Doyle’s head isn’t on fire anymore, because Dr Strange had to let him die while he saved her.
This issue is full of raw emotion, ably conveyed in both script and art. This may we be some of Ramos’s best work yet, particularly in the scene in which Dr Strange confronts Hoggoth and begs him to save Emily.
It’s exceptional work, but it’s ultimately elevated even further by the final three silent pages, where the art is left to tell the story in a moment stillness which takes us through a whole range of emotions…as Emily finally gives Doyle that kiss…
…and, well, you’ll just have to read it yourself to find out what happens next.
Random Ramblings Of A Ragamuffin 