Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #4 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR No.4, December 2024

As “unmissable” conclusion’s go, Dan Watters’ narrative for Issue Four of “Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor” certainly lives up to its publisher’s boast of being an “action-packed final part.” However, having regaled his audience with some headlong chases down the numerous corridors of a claustrophobic wine cellar, as well as witnessing the titular time traveller whack an almost endless supply of valuable bottles with a baseball bat, the British author rather disappointingly has the all-powerful Sommelier simply pack his bags up and meekly depart, rather than be bested by anything spectacular the Time Lord might have conjured up.

Indeed, the sense of anti-climax as Rose Sunday simply threatens to smash villain’s flask containing “the scream of Toraji, the living sun as it collapsed into a white star” unless he surrenders is truly palpable, and genuinely must have left many a Whovian wondering what the whole point behind this mini-series was - apart from a speculative cash-grab. True, the sudden departure of this comic’s central antagonist does then provide the writer to pen an endearing origin story for poor little Maria and her cuddly teddy bear. But as twenty-two page periodical’s go, the vast majority of its readers were probably not expecting the main threat to be defeated just half-way through; “Get out of here. Take your collection and leave.”

Also making matters even more sugary sweet than they needed to be is how this book deals with the apparent deaths of “two timid little cockroach aliens”, who were cold-bloodedly murdered by Earth’s last shoppers when they exposed the extra-terrestrials to a planet-wide solar storm. Ruby’s grief at their demise should generate plenty of sympathy, as it touches upon what monsters Mankind can become when people are scared. Sadly though, such a message is ruined, or at least greatly diminished, by the Gallifreyian taking his upset companion ten years into the future, and showing her that rather than be killed by the Sun's particles, the two Cankaranka were actually able to fly to safety.

Quite possibly this comic’s biggest asset therefore lies in the artwork of Kelsey Ramsay, who does a top job of imbuing the fifteenth incarnation with all the dynamic energy shown by actor Ncuti Gatwa on the small screen. In addition, along with colorist Valentina Bianconi, the London-born illustrator does a super job in turning the Sommerlier’s scream cellar into a truly terrifying location to navigate – especially when being relentlessly pursued by an army of emotionless Cybermen.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR" #4 by V.V. Glass

Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #3 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR No.3, October 2024

Whilst Dan Watters’ script for Issue Three of “Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor” debatably doesn’t explain just how the Timelord’s latest adversary somehow manages to whisk him and the TARDIS away to some perilous Pocket Dimension. The increasing sense of palpable fear resonating from Ruby Sunday’s dire predicament at the hands of “the entire Sanctum Security Team” on Earth should still definitely keep this comic’s audience absolutely hooked; “Don’t look at me. I didn’t even plan this bit.”

For openers the British author does a very good job of tapping into the illogical and downright merciless group-mind mentality of scared humans which was so wonderfully explored in the Tenth Doctor’s 2008 televised episode "Midnight". These terrified shoppers are simply willing to sacrifice anyone so as to return to their mundane lives, and this comic’s narrative provides them with plenty of (erroneous) facts to fuel their fears - most notably the Gallifreyan’s companion inadvertently appearing alongside two giant insectoid extra-terrestrials just as the mob have reactivated the mall’s robot guardians. 

Furthermore, the writer shows just how dangerous it can be to have an unflinching faith in the titular time traveller, similar to that which cost Clara Oswald her life in “Face The Raven”. Considering just how short a time Ruby and the Doctor have actually travelled together this unshakeable belief is perhaps a little unconvincing. But its impact upon this twenty-two page periodical’s plot is arguably made much more harrowing by the young orphan talking a pair of harmless aliens into leaving the safety of their underground habitat, and subsequently seeing them brutally killed in a solar storm as a result.

Also definitely adding to this publication’s storytelling is artist Kelsey Ramsay and Colorist Valentina Bianconi, who together provide the Scream Sommelier with all the devilish character a Whovian would expect from so powerful an antagonist – most notably when the phantom-like figure rather humorously breaks the Fourth Wall. Quite possibly the creative pair’s biggest success though comes with the portrayal of the Cancaranka, whose formidably scary size is wonderfully off-set by their amiable manners and deep-set desire to simply exist without being squashed to death. It genuinely is difficult not to like the two large, multi-limbed insects, and their horribly painful deaths due to trusting in Sunday is extremely depressing.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR" #3 by Abigail Harding

Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #2 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR No.2, September 2024

Containing a narrative with numerous ups and downs, it’s arguably not difficult to imagine many readers of this twenty-two page periodical feeling as if they had just stepped off of a rollercoaster ride once they’d finished perusing it. In fact, every time it appears that any of the leading cast have got a handle of the deeply-dark goings on inside the last shopping mall on Earth, Dan Watters cleverly pens another exciting twist which many within the audience might not see coming; “Listen to me, they aren’t real. They aren’t going to hurt anyone. Just close your eyes and… No. No no no! Run!”

The first of these unpleasant shocks is poor Bruce Cotton’s sad demise, who against all the odds actually appears to be about to beat his greatest fear, before quite literally finding the boardwalk he is cautiously travelling along fatally falling away beneath his feet. This action sequence should initially have all but the most cold-hearted of bibliophiles cheering the acrophobic shopper on as he travels to the building’s uppermost level to change a fuse. However, just as everything looks good to go, the British author pulls the rug out from under him, and makes it clear that the diabolical Scream Sommelier is playing a genuinely deadly game.

Impressively though, having established this ‘rule of thumb’, the comic’s narrative then performs a complete U-turn when the Fifteenth Doctor is about to be blasted to pieces by a horde of ultimately illusionary Cybermen. This eventual lack of threat may well prove a tad frustrating at first, as the suspense leading up to the Time Lord’s apparent demise is utterly enticing. Yet this notion that the cybernetic giants from Mondas aren’t really hiding beneath the superstore is shrewdly revisited later on, and then pans out to be an entirely different proposition for the Gallifreyan to outwit.

Prodigiously pencilling all these pulse-pounding proceedings is Kelsey Ramsay, who does a first-class job in ensuring that any onlookers are absolutely convinced that the titular character is about to become the latest member of the Cybermen. Likewise, the illustrator does some great work in imbuing the hapless Cotton with the heart-wrenching haunted look of a man doing something which terrifies every fibre of his physical being.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR" #2 by Roberta Ingranata

Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor #1 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR No.1, July 2024

Despite being a rather slow-paced affair, due to the Time Lord and his companion carefully reconnoitring the last shopping mall on the planet Earth, Dan Watters’ penmanship for this twenty-two page periodical definitely seems to capture all the nuances of the science-fiction programme’s broadcast adventures. Indeed, in many ways this comic feels as if it’s simply an enthralling adaption of a genuine “Doctor Who” script which sadly just never managed to make it to the small screen; “I’ve never been here before. Thought it might be a bit… creepy.”

Much of this atmosphere is undoubtedly due to the Doctor’s early tentative steps slowly quizzing some of the venue’s lifelong shoppers, and pondering upon just why some people would prefer to live out their existence in a “big machine catering to all human needs and wants” rather than seek out a new reality amongst the stars. These conversations are genuinely thought-provoking, and also enable the British author to imbue the Gallifreyan with all the energy and love of life which actor Ncuti Gatwa portrays on the show.

Likewise artist Kelsey Ramsay does a first-rate job of pencilling the ‘best friends’ during this yarn, with the Time Lord’s child-like joy at sliding down the side of an escalator at speed being one of several highly-memorable, visual moments. Alongside, colorist Valentina Bianconi, the London-born illustrator is also a dab hand at suddenly transforming the location from a brightly-lit, relatively safe-looking environment, into a decidedly dark and dangerous world, crammed full of truly sinister Cybermen and a swarm of spine-chilling, giant-sized insects.  

Perhaps therefore the storyline’s sole disappointment comes at its start, with the motive behind the time travellers’ visit to the Twenty-Ninth Century being confined to a couple of bland lines on the “Previously…” page, as opposed to being covered within the actual comic itself. Admittedly, the reason for the Doctor’s journey is rather well explained in the title’s Free Comic Book Day edition published a month or two earlier. But for those bibliophiles unable to physically acquire a copy, or unwilling to download a digital version simply to better understand this book, it would surely have been worth side-lining a few panels showing Ruby Sunday wearing various futuristic costumes for a well-crafted flashback sequence instead..?

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: THE FIFTEENTH DOCTOR" #1 by Artgerm

Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2024 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2024, May 2024

Apparently penned by Dan Watters whilst listening to English rock band “Adam and the Ants”, it’s pretty clear that the British author was having “a blast” whilst developing this opening instalment to “a brand new Fifteenth Doctor comic series from Titan Comics”. Indeed, despite some disconcertingly dark concepts concerning a viciously-fanged villain who bottles up the dying screams of people and stacks them upon a seemingly endless series of shelves, there’s still a distinctly good-humoured, rather jovial feel to the Time Lord’s trip back to a hangman’s gibbet in Eighteenth-Century Yorkshire. 

Much of this jocularity is undoubtedly caused by the twelve-page periodical quite wonderfully capturing all the energy and roguishness of actor Ncuti Gatwa’s televised portrayal. There’s a genuine joy to the Gallifreyan as he discovers a sound emanating throughout the space-time vortex, and excitedly decides to follow the noise to its source on Earth in the year 1739 A.D.; “All those places… someone’s trying to scare me.”

Such infectious enthusiasm is also on display when the Doctor subsequently encounters Dick Turpin, and wastes no time at all in climbing upon a nearby horse and riding the highwayman down. This tense chase sequence is the highlight of the comic, courtesy of the infamous robber attempting to blast the titular character to bits with a cyber-blaster. Yet its London-born writer still manages to inject some playfulness into the nail-biting action by having the leather-coated time traveller politely doff a semi-conscious soldier’s cocked hat at the start of the pursuit.

Equally as good as imbuing this book with the high-octane vitality of the science fiction programme are artist Kelsey Ramsay, and colorist Valentina Bianconi, who together quite wonderfully capture the physical likenesses of the show’s leading thespians. Admittedly, Ruby Sunday’s role within this particular plot is somewhat overshadowed by the Time Lord’s aforementioned heroic dash to recapture the ‘romanticised horse thief’. But nonetheless the graphic designer still manages to convey the courageous companion’s evident concern at being tied-up by the authorities in the mistaken belief that she is one of Turpin’s accomplices and should therefore be mercilessly hanged alongside him on the local gallows.

Writer: Dan Watters, Artist: Kelsey Ramsay, and Colorist: Valentina Bianconi

Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord [Part Two] - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ONCE UPON A TIME LORD, November 2023

Perhaps rather unsurprisingly concluding his “incredible Doctor Who comics debut” with the Tenth Doctor confronting all of the dead souls he’s created throughout his numerous adventures, Dan Slott’s conclusion to the celebratory “Firelight” is debatably rather dissatisfactory. True, the American author does inject a few noteworthy moments within this crescendo of cameos, such as the Cybermen once again battling a handful of Daleks as John Lumic unemotionally looks on. But all these scenes are so stiflingly short-lived, that there’s rarely an appearance that maintains a reader’s attention for any significant length of time.

Indeed, considering that the Gallifreyian simply gallops past all these people without any problem, courtesy of the alien werewolf from “Tooth And Claw”, this entire yarn appears to have been penned simply to provide Matthew Dow Smith the opportunity to pencil as many of the Doctor’s numerous enemies as he can. However, the narrative’s conclusion is wonderfully written, with the all-powerful Pyromeths finding themselves utterly helpless before the stern-faced time traveller once they discover to their utter horror that the fairytale Martha Jones has carefully been telling them was actually the truth; “Suddenly they could hear it. The wheezing, groaning sound of the TARDIS…”

Far more disappointing is this graphic novel’s much smaller, “special bonus” script, which features the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler perturbingly battling the Terileptil whilst orbiting the Earth at the start of the Twenty-First Century. Based upon the popular pairing spouting nonsense as they tie the “space-faring reptilian species” up in knots with plenty of tongue-twisters, Slott lamentably just repeats this particular incarnation’s penchant for de-evolving his foes back to when they were a much less dangerous species of extra-terrestrials.

Much more successful than the writing for “Rhyme Or Reason” are arguably Mike Collins’ clean-lined illustrations, with the West Bromwich-born artist rather pleasingly capturing the physical likeliness of both Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper as they joyfully outwit the supposedly highly sophisticated, technologically advanced fish-like humanoids. In addition, there’s a real stiffness to the movement of the Terileptils in “Doctor Who: Once Upon A Timelord” which nostalgically mimics the creatures’ awkwardness when seen on the small screen during the 1982 televised show “The Visitation”.

Writer: Dan Slott, and Artists: Christopher Jones & Matthew Dow Smith, and Mike Collins

Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord [Part One] - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ONCE UPON A TIME LORD, November 2023

Whilst it’s rather unlikely that many of this hard-back graphic novel’s readers will actually “be on the edge of your Tardis as Martha recounts three unbelievable tales of The Doctor facing off against his deadliest foes”, many should still enjoy Dan Slott’s penmanship for the book’s opening adventure “Firelight”. Indeed, a fair few Whovians probably felt that it was something of a shame the “Eisner Award-winning Spider-Man writer” wasn't asked to use his forty-page plus plot as the basis for the science fiction television programme’s Sixtieth Anniversary celebrations; “So all of those incredible ludicrous things I said you did… You actually did all of that?!”

For starters it is arguably all too easy to imagine actor David Tennant thoroughly captivating a small screen audience with the Tenth Doctor’s antics as he desperately attempts to have his time machine get swallowed whole by an enormous killer space salmon. The entire build-up to this ‘Jonah and the whale’ moment is wonderfully entertaining and rather pleasingly adds an extra element of interest to the superstitious Sycorax, courtesy of the vicious intergalactic plunderer Admiral Scarrr and his ‘Moby Dick’ like obsession with the mighty Troutanicus.

However, probably this comic’s best yarn concerns the Time Lord’s decision to match wits with both the Third Reich and the alien Osiran Horus during the Second World War. Absolutely crammed with all the Egyptian puzzles and mummeries a fan would expect from a narrative clearly inspired by Robert Holmes’ “Pyramids Of Mars”, this pillaging of the extra-terrestrial's treasure beneath the sands of North Africa contains a mesmerising mixture of shocks and tongue-in-cheek humour - most notably when the obnoxious and utterly arrogant Colonel Heinrich Munsterhausen demands that the 'god' send him straight to the Realm of the Dead, and is promptly executed by a robot mummy.

Disappointingly though, this book’s artwork does occasionally prove something of an obstacle due to Christopher Jones’ splendid layouts quickly being replaced with the much rawer pencils of Matthew Dow Smith as the action moves from the peaceful planet Bibalabinko to the stormy Plasma Seas of Sirenia Seven. Admittedly, Smith’s proficient panels still help with the storytelling. But when compared to the prodigious artwork of the “Young Justice” illustrator, the stark contrast in quality is disconcerting to say the least.

Writer: Dan Slott, and Artists: Christopher Jones & Matthew Dow Smith

Omega #4 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 4, October 2021

Whilst it arguably wouldn’t be entirely incorrect to view Mark Griffiths’ narrative for Issue Four of “Omega” as a stand-a-lone story bolted onto the writer’s previously published three-parter, this particular twenty-four page periodical’s plot certainly differs somewhat in nature as to its predecessors. In fact, apart from prominently featuring Princess Malika and the dark-hearted renegade Time Lord “imprisoned in a black hole”, there’s debatably little within this tale which strongly connects it to the rest of Cutaway Comics' mini-series; “I’ve reached a conclusion… But I don’t think you’ll like it.”

Rather pleasingly though, such distance from the destruction of Minyos enables the ‘Radio Four playwright’ to pen an intriguing tale about "the Engineer" attempting to rule a civilisation of his own making as a benevolent and wise ruler. Naturally, considering the cruel temperament of the “great intergalactic engineer” things don’t work out terribly well for his planet’s population, particularly for the public who unwisely decide to stay to face his lethal wrath. But that doesn’t stop Omega’s apparently earnest endeavour, or Malika’s desperate effort to evacuate some of the megalomaniac’s mortified people to the safety of our universe, from being any less riveting a read.

Indeed, one of the biggest draws of this book is debatably that its audience knows “the anti-matter creature” cannot be trusted with the hapless lives of others, so is bound to come into direct conflict with the aquatic-looking amphibians who ‘rule’ his world, especially when some suddenly decide to profane his sacred image in an act of atheism. However, what the audience is potentially not anticipating is Griffiths imbuing the fish-men’s military with the surprising ability to so badly damage their “creator” with “some kind of anti-neutrino beam” that they temporarily deprive him of his great power and force Omega into hibernation.

Equally as enjoyable as this comic’s script are John Ridgway’s pencils, which quite beautifully manage to capture all the alien weirdness going on with great creative aplomb. The artist’s incredible splash page depicting Malika laser-blasting a giant Lion Mantis straight through the insect's head is a genuine feast for the eyes, as is the Englishman’s enigmatic design for Omega’s ill-fated extra-terrestrial beings.

Writer: Mark Griffiths, Artist: John Ridgway, and Colourist: Andrew Orton

Doctor Who: Origins #4 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #4, September 2022

It's difficult to imagine that many bibliophiles perusing Issue Four of “Doctor Who: Origins” would agree with the fan website “DC Comics News” that this book “is the perfect comic for all Doctor Who fans, old or new” considering that Jody Houser’s narrative for it is arguably a seriously sedentary affair. Sure, the publication’s plot does contain a moment of movement when the Gallifreyian gets all “timey wimey” and ferries her people’s numerous renegade colonists into the TARDIS in an act similar to the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark. But even this sequence hardly exudes much tension as each planet’s inhabitants calmly walk to safety inside the Police Box, courtesy of a textless, two-page long montage proficiently pencilled by Roberta Ingranata.

Similarly as unconvincing is the notion that each settlement’s supposed total destruction was allowed to happen by the titular character even though she knew she could stop her opponent at any moment with a second Division strike team. Such a callous disregard for life seems particularly perverse when the Doctor only calls in her heavily gunned ‘back up’ squad when it appears that the Time Lord’s opponent is finally about to kill her; “I hope you got what you needed, because I’m really not in the mood to regenerate today.” Up until this point, the American author would have her audience believe that the clandestine agency’s operative was covertly gathering testimony and evidence against her overly talkative foe, even though its debatably clear such a threshold was achieved just as soon as the fiend revealed he already had explosives planted upon all the civilisations he wanted to eradicate.

Perhaps this comic’s biggest disappointment though is just how wholly impotent the Fugitive Doctor appears to be throughout its conclusion. Having stood by and witnessed mass-murder on a multi-planetary scale simply so she can make a case against a rogue member of the council, it seems clear that the short-fused time traveller was simply going to then set-off on another mission until the highly disagreeable Taslo provides her with the spatial co-ordinates needed to go back and rescue each world’s inhabitants. Just why the Division’s top agent didn’t consider such a solution herself is baffling, as is Houser’s unpersuasive notion that even if she had done, she’d still need the mathematical skills of her treacherous one-time assistant to work out the calculations.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS" #4 by Jess Taylor

Doctor Who: Origins #3 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #3, September 2022

Despite propelling its audience to a significant number of populated planets, not least of which is the titular character’s home world of Gallifrey, there’s debatably not a lot of action going on within Jody Houser’s storyline for Issue Three of “Doctor Who: Origins”. Indeed, the “New York Times bestselling comics writer” doesn’t even pen one of this comic’s cast raising their voice in anger until its very end when the Fugitive Doctor boldly confronts “a member of the Gallifreyan Council and the one pulling the strings behind this so-called mission” in the Citadel.

Up until this point, the book’s plot disappointingly consists of little more than a series of conversational pieces in which the suspicious Division operative casually discusses the destruction of several colony planets with her immediate supervisor, the highly disagreeable Taslo, and representatives of the settlements she is supposed to be destroying with a temporal bombardment from orbit. However, even once the tension does heat up, there’s absolutely no sign of a dynamic diversion or moment of spontaneous drama. Instead, the Doctor simply stands by and impotently watches as the villain of the piece apparently outwits her by remotely blowing up all the so-called cultist strongholds himself.

Similarly bereft of any vitality is the increasingly bizarre relationship between the ‘short-fused’ Time Lord and her latest assistant. Having previously slaughtered a harmless immigrant in this mini-series’ preceding instalment with a cowardly dagger blow to the back without any warning, Houser would still have this book’s audience believe that the Doctor feels Taslo is “nice” and someone she can trust. True, there is the suggestion later within the tome that the Gallifreyan’s treatment of her obnoxious companion is simply a ruse, and that she instinctively knows her ‘friend’ is bound to betray her. But it’s still arguably hard to imagine any incarnation of the time traveller contentedly journeying alongside so stone-cold a killer without any recriminations being levelled at the young girl for her behaviour.

Disconcertingly, even Roberta Ingranata’s artwork appears to suffer from the listlessness of this publication’s script. Many of the Italian illustrator’s panels seemingly contain the bare minimum of background detail, including those scenes set inside the Citadel - which resemble the sparse interior of a traditional Japanese minka rather than some of the splendidly ornate offices first seen in the 1978 televised adventure “The Invasion Of Time”.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS" #3 by Priscilla Petraites

Omega #3 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 3, July 2021

Featuring a much more prominent presence of this mini-series’ titular antagonist, Mark Griffith’s script for Issue Three of “Omega” probably wrong-footed many of its readers on several occasions, as the comic’s plot arguably delivers surprise after surprise in its efforts to depict “the terrifying extent” of the rogue Time Lord’s nefarious plan for intergalactic vengeance. Indeed, it’s debatably difficult to imagine much more of a rollercoaster ride than the one this twenty-four page publication’s comedy playwright presents as Princess Malika “and her ragtag companions” bravely battle against the gun-toting forces of mass-murdering politician Oxrigi in outer space.

Admittedly, in subverting the expectations of its audience this book does contain a number of shocking deaths, not least of which is the Minyos King suicidally piloting his damaged Concorde-like space-liner straight into the planet’s upper atmosphere so as to save his city’s population. But such a flurry of fatal bombshells quickly establishes a heightened sense of nervousness in the reader whenever it comes time to peruse a new panel, as it’s never clear just which character is still going to be left standing; “Just when you make peace with the universe you suddenly find you’re not dying after all!”

In addition, these twists and turns also help create a palpable sense of sheer desperation in the comic's quite sizeably-sized cast. This pulse-pounding panic is probably best seen during Malika’s reckless raid upon Oxrigi’s battle cruiser following the destruction of her own vessel. One moment the princess is helplessly floating through the airless vacuum of space unable to activate her cellular renewal, and in the next her golden automaton is emotionlessly gunning down a ship full of guards after punching its way through the hull’s airlock and helping her aboard.

Ultimately however, much of this magazine’s success arguably rests with John Ridgway’s layouts, which definitely provide it with both the look and feel of Alex Raymond’s space adventure comic strip “Flash Gordon” from the Thirties. The British illustrator’s excellently envisaged mentally-powered mind-war between Kyril and Minyos’ homicidal ruler is particularly well-pencilled, as both combatants transform themselves into a number of unusual life-forms in an effort to outthink their opponent and extinguish their life force without "a crumb of dignity."

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #3 by Silvano Beltramo

Doctor Who: Origins #2 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #2, August 2022

Arguably consisting of little more than a slow-paced tour of the planet Kreb, this twenty-page periodical’s pedestrian plot probably won’t land particularly well with those Whovians who like their leading protagonist to be a little more action-orientated. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a less dynamic incarnation of the Gallifreyan than the one Jody Houser pens nonchalantly wandering around this comic’s friendly, extra-terrestrial settlement supping wine and eating cooked meat; “This is beautiful work. Was this planet the first location for your colony?”

Of course, that isn’t to say that Issue Two of “Doctor Who: Origins” is entirely weighed down by a seemingly never-ending carousel of heavily populated text balloons and insights into an alien farming culture - courtesy of the Fugitive Doctor’s latest travelling companion, Taslo. The Division’s newest, super-eager recruit is a constant reminder as to how aggressive the mysterious “clandestine Time Lord agency” apparently is during this period of Rassilon's people, especially when she suddenly murders the unarmed Leader Noat with a cold-blooded knife blow from behind once the girl’s content no-one else can witness her lethal attack.

This horrible homicide comes completely out of the blue just when the reader probably thinks absolutely nothing of consequence is ever going to occur within this publication and establishes the already dislikeable youth as a truly callous killer, who will thoughtlessly obey her superiors’ orders without any compunction whatsoever. Indeed, arguably one of this book’s biggest hurdles for some bibliophiles may well be just how successful the Eisner Award-Nominee is in making the young woman so incredibly loathsome, as the self-centred, holier-than-thou adolescent is truly off-putting whenever artist Roberta Ingranata even so much as pencils Taslo in the background grumpily mooching about.

Similarly as disconcerting though, is the American author’s handling of the titular character, who seems perfectly happy to simply wander through the quite sizeable Kreb community without any plan whatsoever, despite the Division’s warning that this will be “a dangerous assignment”. Such surprising nonchalance even seems to disconcertingly extend to her companion’s shocking slaying of the weaponless Noat, after which the Doctor lamentably lies for Taslo by dishonestly claiming the hapless alien accidentally fell to her death off a cliff top.

The regular cover art of "DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS" #2 by Abigail Harding

Doctor Who: Origins #1 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #1, July 2022

Fans of the fugitive Doctor will doubtless rather enjoy the opening to this “Brand-new, never-before-seen adventure”, as the Time Lord’s flight through some heavily webbed space station corridors definitely provides this twenty-two-page publication with a dynamic, adrenalin-pumping action sequence. But whilst the short-tempered operative’s hasty dash away from a fast-approaching giant arachnid is entertaining enough, the rest of Jody Houser’s narrative concerning a mysterious, galaxy-wide threat by an unnamed cult, is arguably a little on the lack-lustre side.

Indeed, just as soon as a Weeping Angel surprisingly shows up to save the day, and subsequently establish herself as an unconvincing, temporary travelling companion of the Division's colourfully costumed “legend”, the American author’s script transforms into a rather disappointing dialogue-heavy conversational piece concerning a rather bland assistant of the High Council, and the even less likeable gun-toting rookie Taslo; “This seems like an awful lot of trouble for a meeting that could have been held on Gallifrey. So, what can’t be discussed there?”

Happily however, what Issue One of “Doctor Who: Origins” debatably lacks in sense-shattering shenanigans, the “debut” potentially makes up for with its ‘spot on’ portrayal of tour guide Ruth Clayton’s rather ruthless alter-ego. Quick-witted, bitingly sarcastic and ever keen to disregard her orders to ‘shoot on sight’ for a much more benevolent, communicative approach, Houser’s ability to imbue “the Fugitive” with all the fire of actress Jo Martin’s popular incarnation is a resounding success and makes it incredibly easy to hear the British thespian’s distinctive tone whenever the comic book character is talking, or even breathlessly running down a corridor.

Similarly as successful is Roberta Ingranata’s stunning visualisation of the Time Lord, which beautifully captures all the renegade time traveller’s televised mannerisms and movements. The Italian illustrator’s ability to transfer the sheer vitality of Martin’s captivating performance in “Fugitive of the Judoon" onto the printed page is remarkable to see, and continually captures the attention when perhaps the periodical’s actual plot does not. In fact, this title’s cover price is probably worth it just to see how extraordinarily well the creative team capture the essence of the semi-unwilling and always suspicious ‘enforcer of Gallifrey.’

Writer: Jody Houser, Artist: Roberta Ingranata, and Colorist: Warnia K. Sahadewa

Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2022 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2022, May 2022

Promising “an epic adventure with the travelling Time Lord” which will then serve “as a lead-in to the explosive new story arc that reveals the very early years of the Doctor”, Jody Houser’s script for this Free Comic Book Day 2022 publication probably underwhelmed many followers of the British science-fiction television programme with its rather simplistic and unoriginal narrative. Indeed, the notion of a malevolent race of super-cute, furry extra-terrestrials fooling some school children into helping them do their evil bidding was first seen as far back as February 1980, when writer Pat Mills introduced Beep the Meep to the unsuspecting audience of “Doctor Who Weekly”.

Admittedly, this particular “exclusive lead-in to an epic new Doctor Who story arc” does do an excellent job of depicting the Fugitive incarnation of the Gallifreyan as portrayed by actress Jo Martin. But it’s still debatably hard to find much interest in a twelve-page plot when all the publication’s secondary cast do is argue about what their favourite colour is, and subsequently threaten an adult for daring to enter their private clubhouse after she’s revealed their cuddly teddy-bears are merciless, planet-destroying aliens; “We’re not just gonna let you kidnap our toys.”

To make matters worse though, the titular character doesn’t do anything in this tale, apart from identify the troll-like Monstario the Devourer to his “patsies” with some sort of space age gizmo. Instead, the blue-skinned gremlin seemingly sows the seeds of his own demise by informing everyone within earshot about his plan to catastrophically strip the planet of its aluminium resources and subsequently ensure its entire population burn to death in the resultant planetary explosion. Such hubris debatably would stretch even the most die-hard bibliophile’s willing suspension of disbelief, and unsurprisingly leads to the red-eyed furballs all being physically beaten-up by the kids with wooden sticks.

Fortunately however, what this comic’s penmanship lacks in pace or dynamism, it potentially provides with some of Roberta Ingranata’s excellent pencils. The Italian illustrator does a first-rate job in capturing both the onscreen look and mannerisms of Martin’s broadcast appearances, as well as those of the First Doctor and his granddaughter when the pair apparently arrive in Totter's Lane, Shoreditch, just before the exploits of “An Unearthly Child”. In addition, this periodical contains a fascinating insight into its art process by Ingranata and colorist Warnia K. Sahadewa, which alone makes the effort of ‘purchasing’ this comic worth it.

Writer: Jody Houser, Artist: Roberta Ingranata, and Colorist: Warnia K. Sahadewa

Lytton #4 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 4, June 2021

Tenaciously trying to tie-up all the different plot threads which this title has previously created during the lead protagonist’s utterly mind-blowing hunt “for the Positron”, Eric Saward’s screenplay for Issue Four of “Lytton” must surely have kept its readers holding on to the comic for dear life with the sense-shattering speed of its numerous action sequences. Sure, so frantic a pulse-pounding pace arguably leads to the odd scene needing to be re-read so as to ensure all of its nuances are properly understood, but the former “Doctor Who” script editor crams so much into this single twenty-eight page periodical that such an undertaking to comprehend the breadth of the screenwriter’s storyline was probably always going to prove a necessity anyway; “I’m not used to working this amount of overtime on a week night, Mister Lytton.”  

For starters, the revelation that Mister Longbody is actually a Terileptil planning to take over a London warehouse packed full of extra-terrestrial weaponry in order to use its explosive stockpile to destroy the capital city, must certainly have caught many a bibliophile by surprise. Coupled with the aggressive alien’s determination to have the “rogue prototype” E.V.E. similarly annihilated, and much of the intergalactic freelance soldier’s extreme efforts earlier in this mini-series to both placate the reptilian humanoid’s mounting anger, as well as cover-up its bloody murder spree, finally starts to make much more sense.

In addition, the exhilarating adventures of Wilson and the mysterious Artemis positively demand a willing suspension of disbelief from this book’s audience, due to just how well Saward pens them. The pair do a first-rate job of overcoming some of the Terileptil’s infamously formidable androids with little more than brute force, and then continue to impress as ‘kick-ass’ companions when they individually tackle a truly massive Vindanty Snare Beast and recalibrate the complex inner workings of a Positron’s backup coolant unit respectively.

Equally as enthralling though are Barry Renshaw’s colourful pencils, which contain all manner of nods to numerous other science fiction/Spy-Fi franchises such as Logan’s Run and Jason King. The “Lucasfilm Officially Approved Star Wars Sketch Artist” does a particularly fine job depicting Lytton’s swashbuckling swordfight with Longbody, and momentarily manages to make it look as if the deadly contest may well actually portray the final moments of the mercenary from the satellite Riften 5.

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #4 by Barry Renshaw

Omega #2 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 2, April 2021

There can surely be little doubt as to the terrific pace Mark Griffiths imbues his narrative for Issue Two of “Omega” with, considering that the “comedy and drama writer” somehow manages to take the reader from the aftermath of Princess Malika’s failed execution through to her apparent death during an epic space dog-fight, all within the confines of a single twenty-four page periodical. Yet somewhat disappointingly, in order to achieve this remarkable feat, the author’s storyline does resultantly contain a fair few disconcerting contrivances which increasingly jar with the logic of this comic’s central storyline.

To begin with, the politician Oxirgi’s utterly demented plan “to release the rogue god Omega from his black hole prison” relies heavily upon the renegade Time Lord needing to feed upon “the psychic unrest” the crazed leader has created on his planet. However, in order for the statesman to acquire this ability to manipulate such vast amounts of psychic energy from raw fear the reader is asked to believe that he just happened upon the last of the Mindwranglers, Kyril – who supposedly saw “no harm” in imbuing him with such a truly horrendous ability.

Furthermore, the lawmaker’s insane scheme is suddenly altered to incorporate his use of the world’s gigantic flagship to “unleash terror on the entire planet” and basically wipe Minyos’ civilisation out of existence. Admittedly, such an attack would undoubtedly generate the psychosomatic power needed to free the once great intergalactic engineer from his anti-matter prison, but some within this book’s audience might find it a bit hard to believe that the elderly legislator’s own soldiers steadfastly support such utter Armageddon upon the very population they’re sworn to protect; “I’ll talk. But it won’t do you much good. Oxirgi’s going to steal a starship. The deadliest on the planet. He’s going to blast everything to Hell.”

Perhaps this publication’s most persuasive selling point therefore lies with its artwork by “Doctor Who legend John Ridgway.” The former design engineer who pencilled D.C.Thompson's Commando War Stories as a hobby, adds an extra element of megalomania to Malika’s main antagonist which the old man’s dialogue doesn’t debatably project. Plus, the illustrator’s inclusion of a formidably-sized Dimetrodon skulking outside a cave entrance on top of the Green Mountain is arguably worth this US format comic’s cover price alone.

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #2 by Adrian Salmon

Doctor Who [2020] #4 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO No. 4, March 2021

Apart from a horribly clichéd conclusion which revolves around the Thirteenth Doctor’s decision to activate a stolen Venusian spaceship’s conveniently-accessible self-destruct device so as to save Humanity, there arguably wasn’t much to Jody Houser’s plot for Issue Four of “Doctor Who” to keep its readers either enjoyably enthralled or even briefly entertained. Admittedly, the twenty-two page periodical does contain one brief moment of action when the female Time Lord’s friendly extra-terrestrial Queen bravely battles her much more ferocious counter-part for control of the aforementioned vessel. But even this savage clash of vicious kicks and lashing scorpion-like tails is over within the space of a handful of panels.

Instead, the American author seems to spend the vast majority of this comic desperately trying to pad her storyline out with a series of dialogue-heavy conversational pieces, and portraying the Gallifreyan’s Tenth incarnation in a less than charitable fashion. Indeed, there genuinely appears to be some sort of ‘hidden agenda’ going on with this book’s narrative to seemingly show Jodie Whittaker’s character as the two-hearted adventurer’s definitive regeneration by having her repeatedly scold her earlier male self in front of the TARDIS crew and telling him to “just shut it.”

Equally as unlikeable is Houser’s suggestion that the ‘holier than thou’ “live wire” is apparently perfectly entitled to criticise others for proposing that they use violence to achieve their personal goals, such as the technology-stealing scavenger aliens who have abducted both Nikola Tesla and Thomas A. Edison. Yet when it comes to stopping the Skithra, the Doctor doesn’t even batter an eyelid when she quickly elects to literally blow all the aliens orbiting Mars out of the sky without any warning whatsoever; “Love a good plan, or a bad plan with room for improvisation. Or an idea that could become a plan.”

Desperately trying to make this publication’s narrative last just long enough to fill out its required page count is Roberta Ingranata, whose prodigious pencilling at least manages to provide those bibliophiles able to successfully endure Jody’s sedentary script with a modicum of pleasing eye candy. In fact, one of this comic’s highlights is the Italian illustrator’s excellent ability to provide all of its quite considerably-sized cast with plenty of readily recognisable facial expressions and physical mannerisms.

Writer: Jody Houser, Artist: Roberta Ingranata, and Colorist: Enrica Eren Angiolini

Lytton #3 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 3, March 2021

Whilst Gustave Lytton’s fantastically fast-paced exploits “deep underground on a parallel Earth” may well have conjured up many more questions than actual answers as to just what is happening to the intergalactic mercenary, Eric Saward’s script for Issue Three of “Lytton” must still have had the vast majority of its readers clamouring for more once this mini-series’ particular instalment concluded. In fact, the nonsensical assault which this publication’s plot makes upon the audience’s senses, as the former British army Major encounters the Samurai-styled Mister Seaton, a ghost train, killer policemen and a time vortex riding Mini Cooper, arguably goes a long way to prove a bibliophile doesn’t necessarily need to understand exactly what’s taking place within a comic book’s narrative to still find it a thoroughly enthralling experience.

Undoubtedly helping to make this twenty-eight page periodical’s mishmash of ideas work has to be the author’s ability to imbue each and every one of its set-pieces with a genuine sense of menace, most especially those towards the magazine’s end when the titular character is suddenly stolen from Wilson’s side by some extremely sinister Raston Warrior Robot lookalikes. Admittedly, Lytton’s character remains ever calm and unassailably assertive, even when being chased through a trans-dimensional portal by a sky-boarding demon. But the same assurity of survival cannot be said for the man’s companions who leap from one life-threatening escapade to another. Indeed, “the mysterious Artemis” would appear to have been almost exclusively created in order to provide this comic’s cast with some additional vulnerability, courtesy of the young lady debatably coming extraordinarily close to being gunned down by a couple of homicidal Bobbies in a deserted car park.

Equally as responsible for this book’s success though has to be Barry Renshaw’s dynamic drawings and eclectic choice of colours. Whether it be the slightly sterile atmosphere of the heavily-tilled London Underground station with all its greens and cold blues, or the foreboding browns and candle-lit yellows of a catacomb, the artist’s proficient pencilling imbues each location with a unique, vibrant life all of its own, which really helps instil the storyline with a palpable sense that its protagonists are physically going on a lengthy journey; “From the way you handled those policemen, I think you deserve the chance to drive.”

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #3 by Barry Renshaw

Omega #1 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 1, January 2021

Fans of “legendary Doctor Who writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin” will probably enjoy Mark Griffiths’ script to Issue One of “Omega”. For rather than depict the great intergalactic engineer as some sort of over-the-top super-villain, prominent from the very start of this twenty-four periodical’s plot, the “comedy writer” instead simply has the renegade Time Lord much more realistically manipulate events from behind-the-scenes from beyond the confines of his inescapable black hole; “Lord, hear your servant. The chaos spreads… As you have willed… The Gods have fled, as if in shame at their failed experiment… The only rulers of Minyos now are fear and violence… As this psychic disturbance increases the bridge between your mind and mine grows ever stronger…”

Of course, every good comic still needs a memorable antagonist, and this publication’s playwright produces a truly loathsome one in the guise of people’s senator and Omega pawn, Oxirgi. The somewhat elderly politician initially seems rather sympathetic following the revelation that his world’s Gods actually disintegrated swathes of its population when it became clear its residents wanted to be free of the extra-terrestrial’s interference in their civilization’s evolution.

However, this approval quickly dissipates once it becomes clear the elderly statesman has absolutely no integrity whatsoever, and will happily lie so as to ensure the brave young Princess Malika is cold-bloodedly executed in front of a packed crowd simply to fuel his traitorous ambitions. Indeed, the old man’s dishonesty arguably beggars belief at times, as he outrageously accuses the last survivor of the Royal Family of trying to murder him with a harmless mechanical drone, and then later sentences “the vile coward” to death by firing squad for supposedly still treacherously consorting with the planet’s alien benefactors.

Just as pleasing as this comic’s narrative are the layouts of John Ridgway, the notable “artist behind some of the most memorable Sixth and Seventh Doctor strips for Doctor Who Magazine.” Admittedly, some of the British illustrator’s panels aren’t quite as well-pencilled as they may well have been in his ‘heyday’, especially towards the end of the book. But there’s still plenty of detail in the former “Judge Dredd” drawer’s layouts to both attract the eye and keep the storyline’s somewhat fast pace moving along quite splendidly.

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #1 by Martin Geraghty

Doctor Who [2020] #3 - Titan Comics

DOCTOR WHO No. 3, February 2021

Considering that two thirds of this twenty-two page periodical are essentially a dialogue-driven rehash of the 2020 televised episode "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror", Jody Houser’s script for Issue Three of “Doctor Who” most likely lulled the majority of its readers into something of a stupor. In fact, it is arguably hard to imagine just why the American author picked Nina Metivier’s story for the basis of this book’s plot in the first place, when the only elements of it which she’s pays homage to are that particular broadcast’s conversational pieces, as opposed to its pulse-pounding action sequences depicting the Skithra’s attempt to abduct the famous Serbian-American inventor at his Wardenclyffe lab.

Admittedly, the “Eisner-nominated comic writer” does inject her narrative with a moment of dynamic tension when Rose Tyler decides to help out the Skithra’s Queen in dispatching two of her race who have been tasked to wake the Sea Devils earlier than history had actually planned. But this short-lived sequence is debatably more silly than tension-filled though, especially as the Tenth Doctor’s young companion supposedly kills one of the giant extra-terrestrial scorpions simply by hurling a rock at its head ‘David verses Goliath-style’.

Sadly, the rest of this publication predominantly just follows the Time Lord’s first female incarnation as she goes about her business chatting to the likes of Dorothy Skerrit, pointing out how much more experienced she is to her younger self, and being ‘holier than thou’ when her allies are forced to kill their opponents before they themselves are killed; “This is a war, Doctor. One I’ve been fighting for a long time.” Indeed, the Thirteenth Doctor’s arrogant belief that she can solve every problem solely by talking rather than doing anything physically harmful increasingly grates upon the nerves, as does her perpetual levity at the fact that the Earth’s history has been significantly rewritten and resultantly her “fam” currently consists of another of the Gallifreyan’s past regenerations.

Disappointingly adding to the lethargic atmosphere of this comic book are Roberta Ingranata’s layouts, which for once appear somewhat rushed in places and are clearly designed to help ‘pad out’ the publication. Of particular note is the Italian artist’s repeated use of large blank voids between some of her panels in order to fill out the odd page, and the illustrator’s uncharacteristically poor pencilling of the eight-legged Skithra.

Writer: Jody Houser, Artist: Roberta Ingranata, and Colorist: Enrica Eren Angiolini