Dr Strange Shamballa

Rating:
Summary: Reality has more skins than a snake
Review: First of all this isn't your typical graphic novel. It gives out more of the impression of an illuminated manuscript. Every panel is an impressionistic painting. Every single word is actually written in calligraphic script. There are even large illuminated capitals in the corners of most pages. As for the story line, it goes far, far beyond simple entertainment for its own sake. This is a masterpiece.

The story takes place in the high Himalayas, twenty years after Dr. Stephen Strange left them to return to the world. Twenty years after the bitter, spiteful, avaricious animal that he once was, was reforged by the Ancient One into this world's Sorcerer Supreme. For as the Doctor acknowledges, the Ancient One saved him by turning an animal into a man, and a man into perfection's image and agent. Now, years after the Master has passed from this plane to become one with All-That-Is, the student returns to his temple to do honor to his memory.

The Doctor finds a surprise upon his return, for the master has left a final gift for his student. He takes the gift home to his Sanctum in Greenwich Village to decipher its meaning. Using all of his formitable knowledge and power he tries to discover the secret of the artifact. He almost fails in this until at the last moment of rage and despair a gateway into a new realm of Being was opened to him once again. He discovers once again that God is also a Magician, reality is his trick, and behind every trick is always another higher Reality. It just so happens that this higher reality is the realm of the Lords of Shamballa- and they have need of the good Doctor to bring transformation to the world- at a seemingly terrible price.

Reality has more skins than a snake: each skin a new truth, each truth a new illusion. And even a Sorcerer Supreme must be periodically reminded that this world is an illusion, time is an illusion, and the illusion can be transcended!