First of all, truth in advertising demands that all comic book stories that begin with the words "The Death of . . . " should be edited to more accurately read "A Death of . . . " or "One in a Series of Deaths of . . . " Stephen Strange is dead only until he ain't.

This particular death unfolds in two inter-connected arcs. The first is a murder mystery asking who stabbed Stephen Strange through the heart and stole his hands. The second is a giant cosmic showdown with magic-eating variant on Galactus called the Peregrine Child, who even has his own Silver Surfer-type heralds who seek out and soften up his next target.

For the mystery, a "surprise investigator" slowly follows the clues and calls all the suspects together to finger the perpetrator as investigators have been doing for centuries now. Call it homage or call it trope, either way it's dull as all get out. I had absolutely no interest in who actually did it before or after the reveal. For the cosmic battle, dozens of superheroes smack and/or team up with a dozen villains to against all odds defeat the big bad. Ain't a spoiler if it's the same recipe used in every superhero confection.

Stephen Strange has always been a C-level hero for me, and I've only ever read his comic books out of completist urges rather than any actual desire to enjoy his adventures. This is more of the meh that has cloaked him since his first appearance.

I did enjoy the first Benedict Cumberbatch movie though, and look forward to seeing the sequel coming out soon. I'm hoping this book isn't under consideration for the storyline of the third film. ( )