Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 1

Gabriella Gonzalez is stuck in a dead-end job in her family’s New York Laundromat, dreaming of college and bigger, better and brighter things.

So when a strange man with an even stranger big blue box barges into her life on the eve of the Day of the Dead celebrations – talking about an infestation of psychic aliens – she seizes her chance for adventure with both hands.

After Donna’s tragic exit, the Doctor thought he was done with new companions. But Gabby Gonzalez is going to prove him wrong… if she survives the night!

Writer:

Nick Abadzis

Artists:

Alice X Zhang

Elena Casagrande

Colourist:

Arianna Florean

Letterer:

Comicraft

Publisher:

Titan Comics

The 10th Doctor has been around for a while now and he's certainly has a few comic series to his name already, covering his travels outside of the TV show many know so well and his meeting of companions both familiar and new. Those comics have also been some of the greatest Doctor Who storylines put to paper. So what does this new series from Titan Comic's offer to make it stand out from that crowd?

Good art for one. The issue's art has a very grounded feel to it, very lived it (which is harder to pull off than you think) which makes the appearance of the monsters of the two collected stories stand out, a blend of the world and something more unnatural. The first arc is called 'Revolutions of Terror', a multi-part storyline designed to introduce us to the world of Gabby Gonzalez and her family. Stuck running her fathers laundrette in the day, working at his restaurant at night and in her spare time attending an accounting course to help run his business better out of a sense of obligation, Gabby's frustration is palpitate.

Like the 11th Doctor's first issue, we slowly get to know her world and who she is (even if, like most companions initially, she's a little two dimensional) and her desire to break free. All the while, a man in a blue box potters about taking readings and strange, spooky things are happening...

Unfortunately, the first story kind of feels a bit listless at times, though it really does read better collected in one volume than as individual issues. Its not helped by the feeling that the first story is a bit jumbled on what it wants to do. Its a mystery story with elements of horror, but neither are prominent, taking a back seat to the 10th Doctor's mutterings and getting to know our new companion in the series. It results in lackluster sections, which oddly enough are when the Doctor shows up! Its probably just that its quite hard to capture in a comic the energy David Tennant brought to the role, but he feels a bit like he's going through the motions. This series is set after he parts ways with Donna Noble, so perhaps he's a bit down in the dumps.

The second story is where things pick us massively though. Giving us a viewpoint on Gabby's opinion of world of the Doctor (complete with pages from her sketchbook) we're actually allowed to feel wonder again, that rare thing in a comic. Transported to the reclusive hideout of an artists personal moon, Gabby and the Doctor run into trouble when they encounter living statues and a due of apprentices that want to make sure nobody gets in the way of their learning. This being Doctor Who, things quickly escalate to chases, though as the story is told from Gabby's viewpoint we get to break things up from the usual 'The Doctor is smart and saves the day' plotline that happens wherever someone starts running.

The art is a delight in this story arc, conveying the true beauty of an alien world along with the power of art. Overall I loved every page of the second story arc and it more than makes up for a so so opening arc.

In future volumes, I'm hoping that we get to know Gabby's and her relationship with her family. Though its clear she feels trapped in the first arc, its an interesting dynamic that the issue does well and the Doctor Who doesn't really explore properly that often.

All in all, the entire collection is a must buy for Doctor Who fans.

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 1 is available from Titan Comics or your local comics retailer.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.