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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.

Keep up to date on Popverse's Marvel coverage, with these highlights:

• Marvel Studios has accidentally created a new Phase that predates Phases 1 - 6: the MCU Phase Zero
• Which Secret Wars comic the Russos are basing Avengers 6 off of
• Overgrown children of the atom: Marvel's X-Men can't evolve past their '90s commercial peak
• The biggest outstanding questions of the Marvel Studios' movies & TV shows
• Marvel's accidental closure on the Kang storyline
• Robert Downey Jr. is entering his villain era
• Donald Trump is the landlord for Marvel's House of Ideas
• For Marvel actors, the MCU also stands for the Marvel Commercials Universe
• The Fantastic 4: First Steps offers Marvel a visual makeover, courtesy of a classic movie designer
• Marvel Studios swapping out Doctor Doom for Kang offers the chance to jettison the Multiverse Saga