Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE NINTH DOCTOR No. 1, April 2015

Shifting some 38,983 copies in April 2015, this opening instalment of a “brand new five-part mini-series starring the Ninth Doctor as played by Christopher Eccleston” certainly manages to capture much of the frantic pace established by the BBC Television programme's revival under producer Russell T. Davies. In fact, having literally “just saved Blitz-stricken London from the threat of a damaged Chula warship and its runaway nanogenes” Cavan Scott’s script for Issue One of “Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor” somewhat seamlessly steps into the gap between the broadcast adventures “The Doctor Dances” and “Boom Town”, by presenting a Captain Jack still somewhat overzealous in shooting people with his sonic blaster and opposed to the short-haired Gallifreyan’s non-violent beliefs; “Okay! Okay! I get it. Bananas only from this point on, right?”

The freelance author is equally as adapt at emulating the titular character’s attitude and speech too, and straight from the get-go, when the Timelord stares out in astonishment at the disintegrated remains of the Second Excrothian Tetrarchy and utters the words “I don’t believe it”, this comic’s audience must have immediately conjured up both Eccleston’s ‘very intense’ mannerisms and distinctive Northern accent within their mind’s eye. It’s certainly easy to imagine the English actor rebuking “the roguish ex-Time Agent” after he’s blasted “the nice maniac who’s single-handedly keeping the hull sealed” or cheerfully beaming up into the face of a menacing heavily-armoured extra-terrestrial who is about to shoot him down.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the British-born writer’s misrepresentation of Rose Tyler, who disappointingly comes across as little more than a bland plot device for much of this twenty-two page periodical. Indeed, just as soon as the “former shop assistant from London” contrivingly discovers and illogically places a tachyon inhibitor on her wrist, it’s clear the “cheap, crude and antiquated” device is going to be central to the storyline, and Rose simply its superficial carrier. Little wonder “Weapons Of Past Destruction” predominantly focuses upon the exploits and relationship between the Doctor and Captain Jack, as opposed to the time travellers' female companion…

Desperately determined to capture the physical likenesses of his figures' televised counterparts, Blair Shedd’s breakdowns readily convey all the action and excitement of the science fiction show… And whilst the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art graduate’s overly-futuristic design of the space centaur Unon look rather similar to the Aquabi described within Anghelides’ audio adventure “Pest Control”, the American penciller’s drawings of the TARDIS interior appear especially authentic.

The variant cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE NINTH DOCTOR" No. 1 by Blair Shedd