It's a better Spider-Woman story than it is a Doctor Strange one, but there's enough of a hook here to come back for more to see if that changes. Read Full Review

Doctor Strange isn't the natural choice for a Secret Empire tie-in, especially considering that his current power level is very low. But this issue really places Strange in some tight situations because he doesn't have his usual mystic objects and because most of New York City is in a Darkforce bubble. Read Full Review

So the story's kind of disjointed as Strange and some guest stars fight for survival against assorted giant monsters. Despite the obstacle, its a solid issue with strong artwork (and all the gross creatures your admission price can bear). Read Full Review

Chris Bachalo is hard artist to follow. Its abstract style fits perfectly for the insane world of Doctor Strange. When the change of team was announced my biggest concern was who would replace him. Niko Henrichon is not a name I was aware of prior to this issue but major credit for him for crafting a book that keeps the world of Doctor Strange consistent while putting his own stamp on it. Marvel has been hurting for quality artists recently so when get a positive surprise like Henrichon it is something to celebrate. Read Full Review

If you dig the character, then this one to read. If you're more casual, then it's still worth your time, especially to check out the imaginative creature art. Read Full Review

With some fan service for Hopeless' previous book, a couple laughs and an interesting cliffhanger, there's a few bits to like in this, but overall it's hard to  walk away satisfied with the total delivery of this issue. Read Full Review

Doctor Strange runs into a grab-bag of cool allies beneath the Darkforce Dome - will they be able to break Mordo's hold on New York? Turn your Doctor Strange book over to Dennis Hopeless, get Jessica Drew and Ben Urich added to your cast. I'm A-OK with that transaction. His characterization of Jess and Ben is flawless, of course, and he also demonstrates an insightful take on the very stressed-out Strange. Plus Daredevil and a surprise special guest are in the mix too. Niko Henrichon's messy art is vibrant and brilliant for showing people and monsters separately, but the scale challenge of "human heroes vs. giant monster" makes some of the action scenes hard to follow. So there are a few flaws on display here (the dialogue pushes just a touch too hard to get Stephen and Jess into "snarky buddies" territory ASAP), but this story could definitely be headed to great places.
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I was going to call out the axe for screwing up the continuity by only being one-sided, but apparently Strange has more than one enchanted axe? It's a slightly different approach from Aaron's, but so far it is a good start. Where is Strange's librarian?

a good start for Hopeless

Dialogue is simplistic and terrible.