REVIEW: Stephen Strange Gets Trolled In 'Doctor Strange of Asgard #3'
- Jessica Haight-Angelo
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Disclaimer: This review contains minor spoilers for Doctor Strange of Asgard #3.
Doctor Strange’s residency in Asgard thus far has been fraught with considerable danger. What originates as an attempt to redeem himself after a humiliating defeat and betrayal by multiversal megalomaniac Doctor Doom quickly evolves into a murder mystery when the sorceress Hulda turns up dead. Thus, Strange finds himself pulling double duty, investigating Hulda’s slaying when he’s not racking up office hours under the dubious tutelage of an Asgardian doctor.
Aslak and Roskva and Assassins, Oh My!
In the third installment, figuring out who, in fact, slayed Hulda (besides not-Loki, probably) takes a backseat to Doctor Strange utilizing his newfound network of Asgardian “carpenters and weapon makers” to assist him in gathering materials for the Spell of Ahkrynon - namely, the skull of a dark troll - which will provide him with a much-needed power-up. Unfortunately, the initial dark troll skull in his possession, sold to him by the proprietor of “The Best (?) Little Magic Shop in Asgard” is a fake. In order to obtain a “real” one that won’t “splinter” his mind, Doctor Strange enlists his new friends, Aslak (Hulda’s former apprentice) and Roskva the Troll-Strangler, Aslak’s lover and an Asgardian warrior whose injury Doctor Strange previously treated, to accompany him on a hunt through “dark troll territory.”
Along for the journey is the warrior Gorm, whom Roskva calls “an idiot,” as well as Solvei (“the beautiful demon, we call her, on account of her artistry with blades”), and Ivar (“I shoot things with arrows”). The merry band of Asgardians, plus one human wizard, pass the treacherous few days on foot by ranking their favorite gods, a hobby Asgardians and mortals seem to share.
“Thor is a Bit Too Obvious, No?”
Unfortunately, well before Doctor Strange and company encounter any dark troll tracks, the party is attacked by bandits. Though not an “unheard of” incident in those parts, it is yet “unusual” enough to make Strange infer that he’s being “watched,” likely by whomever sent the assassin whose ax he confiscated in Doctor Strange of Asgard #2. “Makes me suspect that someone doesn’t want me to succeed. Or indeed, survive.”
Eventually, Strange, et al do encounter a band of dark trolls, with whom interactions are surprisingly cordial, likely because their leader, the aptly-named Tyrlaug, previously had her own surprisingly cordial encounter with King Thor: “He looked me up and down and said something along the lines of ‘Verily thou art the first sexy troll I have encountered.’” Alas, Strange and company’s meeting with said dark trolls eventually sours, unsurprisingly, due to cultural drinking disputes.
“They Do So Love To Fight”
A continued motif from the previous issue of Doctor Strange of Asgard involves the good doctor’s comparisons between Asgardians and dark trolls, thus forging a bridge between the two. Indeed, Strange notes the mutual appreciation they both have for “mead, wine, laughter and song,” and seems surprised by how, at times, pleasant the dark trolls can be. Though they are “big, brash and guttural,” they are “also funny, thoughtful and kindhearted. A reminder, if one were needed, that which separates us pales besides that which binds us together.” Indeed, though the meetup ultimately disintegrates into chaos, the group displays heartening pathos while drinking together to “fallen warriors” - as Tyrlaug offers in a toast, “Grief is the one constant in these lands, whether you be a dark troll, Asgardian or Midgardian. We are all brothers and sisters in sorrow.”
Writer Derek Landy’s deft narration is dutifully elevated by Carlos Magno’s illustrations, including the visual appeal of arranging comic panels for the issue’s main plot artfully and diagonally atop the more domestic fare of Doctor Strange negotiating his work-life balance with his boss after a thirteen-hour shift. Strange also sports updated threads, likely to blend in on Asgard, and the red coat that currently replaces his tell-tale magical cloak is a dignified look, if reminiscent of none other than Loki. Likewise, Thor was right: Tyrlaug is a very sexy dark troll.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About Doctor Strange of Asgard #3
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Written by: Derek Landy
Art by: Carlos Magno
Cover by: Geoffrey Shaw
Page Count: 24
Synopsis: STRANGE GETS TROLLED? STEPHEN STRANGE, the once Earth-bound Sorcerer Supreme, is in over his head - ASGARD is about to eat him alive! He needs the skull of a dark troll - and in Asgard, that means wading into battle. But can Strange do what Asgard requires of him, or is his mission to become Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard doomed?