Popverse's top stories

• Dark Horse CEO/Founder Mike Richardson exits after 40 years as new owners bring in new boss from gaming & Lord of the Rings
• The most expensive Magic: The Gathering x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cards
• Livestream Critical Role, The Boys, and more panels from Seattle's ECCC 2026 free thanks to Signet Collectibles!

Doctor Strange has been through a lot in his comic book career, not the least of which was dying and then coming back to life a couple of years ago — not to mention his current status, thanks to the ongoing Blood Hunt storyline. But could it all be a little too much for the Sorcerer Supreme? Marvel’s solicitation text for August’s Doctor Strange #18 sounds surprisingly… final.

The full text for the August release, by the regular creative team of Jed MacKay and Pasqual Ferry, reads, “The Blood Hunt is over, but Doctor Strange’s world has changed. What comes next for the master of the mystic arts? Is it really time to say goodbye?”

Well… is it time to say goodbye? Marvel didn’t respond to a request for comment, and there’s no official notification that the title is ending… but it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if that was the case. Traditionally, Doctor Strange comics don’t tend to be strong sales performers — the last series lasted 20 issues, for example — and writer Jed MacKay is one of Marvell’s busiest writers these days, headlining both Avengers and X-Men, as well as his ongoing work on Vengeance of the Moon Knight. He couldn’t be blamed for wanting to lighten his workload a little bit… and stepping off Doctor Strange would give Marvel the opportunity to relaunch the title with another writer if it so wished, raising the book’s profile (and sales) in the process.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that the series won’t be ending, in which case… who is saying goodbye in that description, and why…?

We shouldn’t expect too much clarity until August 8, when Doctor Strange #18 will be released. For now, enjoy Alex Ross’s cover to the issue, below.

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day / Comics Giveaway Day events.