Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #8

Bursting from a twisted parallel universe and clawing their way through the void, the Fractures are here, and nothing could prepare the Doctor for their insidious assault on reality!

The Doctor, Clara and UNIT must battle the Fractures, as they slip through the cracks in our world to wear the skin – and bodies – of innocent people, puppeteering them from the inside!

When the war spills out of quiet suburbia and threatens the world, it will take a father and daughter – separated by whole universes – to bring the conflict to an end!​

Writer:

Robbie Morrison

Artist:

Brian Williamson

Publisher:

Titan Comics

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Though I like Peter Capaldi's take on the titular Time Lord and loved the start of the series, it's becoming clearer that writing for the character is hard to do. This is especially the case with this two part issue, where the writing leans towards the Doctor being cruel for cruelty's sake. This sort of worked before and due to Capaldi's acting abilities the show could get away with it – but without that, it's not as effective.

I think it may be slightly to do with Brian Williamson's art – which manages to get the look of other characters on the show down, seems to cast the Doctor in a somewhat grotesque light, which makes his actions seem worse than they are. It may also be how rushed everything seems in general this issue. Though I realise that you only have a limited number of pages to pull off a story in a two parter (which, extracting ads, covers,backup strips etc comes to about 22 pages an issue), don't aim for a story that is being part alien invasion, part family drama, part character piece, THEN set up future issues and include U.N.I.T as a cameo.

It's that mish mash of ideas that spoiled my enjoyment of things. Whilst the ability to be a genre mashup is part of the shows strengths', it can go wrong and this issue is a key example of this.

Overall, it's just not my cup of tea. It may be fun for those who have been following the whole comic series so far and have committed to it, but it left me a little cold.

Cover image courtesy of Titan Comics.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor is available from Titan Comics.

Doctor Who;: The Twelfth Doctor Vol 1

Eagle award-winning writer Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, The Authority, 2000AD, Nikolai Dante) and New York Times-bestselling artist Dave Taylor (Batman: Death by Design, 2000AD) dive headfirst into the TARDIS console room and spin the Doctor off to his most challenging destination yet!

I’m always filled with trepidation when I set out to read a comic adaption of a movie or television show.  In general, comics just don’t adapt live action well.  The strength of the medium is bold colors, episodic format, quick narration, and epic proportions.  Trying to accurately depict live action falls flat in many cases.  Being a Doctor Who lover, I hate to see that happen.  In this case, for the most part that didn’t happen.  True, the artist in many places throughout the book failed to accurately capture Capaldi’s features, except in extreme close ups.  The good news is that the writing is good enough that you don’t notice these lapses in the medium.

The first story Terrorformer is a classic Doctor in space story, where the Doctor sets out to take Clara to an ice planet to work on her skiing skills.  As usual with the TARDIS, things do not go as planned, but for once not because of the its questionable navigation.  The planet the Doctor chooses has been terraformed since his last visit.  Little do the terraformers realize that the planet holds within it, a mad energy creature bent on its survival at any cost.

The follow up tale, the Swords of Kali, runs the opposite gamut, when an old friend calls upon the Doctor a little too late.  He arrives to find his friend murdered by an alien race that are the basis for the ancient Thuggee cult.  This story takes place in India of the not too distant future and the far removed past.  It’s classic Who, with Clara getting taken hostage by aliens in the future, while the Doctor faces down with the aliens in the past, picking up a plucky woman from the past looking for revenge.  Leela fans of the Tom Baker era will love this character.

Both stories are filled with nods to the old school Doctor Who series, with the more serious tone of the new series.  It is in many ways, the best of both worlds of Doctor Who.  There’s even a reference to The Rocky Horror Picture show for the attentive fans of Doctor Frankenfurter and Rip.  This Trade collects issues 1 -5 of the regular series including variant covers.  Both stories are superbly written and rendered. The stories could have come straight out of the brain of Stephen Moffett and the art is vivid.  The close ups on Capaldi’s eyes in a few panels are spectacular.  Fans of Clara, will enjoy her impersonation of the Indian goddess of death.  This is a sure fire hit for any Doctor Who fan.

For more information about Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, or other great titles from Titan Comics visit Titan Comics.

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.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #4

What secrets are hidden by the Scindia family, a dynasty whose powerful roots trace back over a thousand years? What strange genetic modifications fuel the death cult of the Thuggee? And how does a humble Mumbai pickpocket figure into these world-changing events?

As each Thuggee sacrifice comes closer to waking the ancient Kali from her slumber, can the Doctor uncover the truth before her resurrection spells doom for India, Earth, and the galaxy?!

Writer:

Robbie Morrison

Artist:

Dave Taylor

Publisher:

Titan Comics

As mentioned in my review of last issue, I'm still a little on the fence about this series. Though it had a strong opening storyline, last issue left me a little cold. One thing is clear though. If the TV show is content to be a series of mostly serial episodes, connected by an overarching plot, then the comic mini series is the exact opposite. In fact, it's shaping up to just be a series of stories spread out over two or three issues!

Issue four doesn't break that trend and even 'one ups' the last storyline, being at least one issue longer than the last one. I just wish I found myself thinking the wait was worth it. I'm being somewhat hyperbolic mind. The issue certainly cranks up the amount of plot happening over the last one, letting all the individual story threads begin to meet one another and intertwine. The different personalities and how they clash certainly produce some interesting scenes, even if I feel the Doctor comes across as being a little too mean at times.

One thing is apparent though – the creative team are clearly enjoying being free of any restrains that a TV budget would land them with. This issue alone we have Indian temples, cavernous catacombs, a space station and Clara turning into...well, let's not spoil too much eh?

Overall it's a fun enough issue, even if it does have some of the same problems as last issue. Clara has literally nothing to do apart from become a literal plot point (nice to know the writer is following in Steven Moffat's shoes). From the writing this series, it does feel at times like the writer is contractually obliged to include Clara in the adventures, but would rather ditch her and write adventures about the people who have appeared this issue.

Perhaps it's true, so then I do have to give credit for adapting to the circumstances in the best possible way. But I don't know about you, but an Indian assassin and the daughter of one of the Doctor's off screen companion's, who grew up on tales of his adventures, sound like far more interesting characters to be off with the Doctor's exploring the universe than Clara. Sorry Clara.

It's an improvement on last issue by quite a way and it does end on a nice cliffhanger. I hope I've just been too quick to judge and the concluding issue of the story will have me seeing the error of my ways. I'm really hoping so. I really am.

Cover image courtesy of Titan Comics.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #4 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.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #3

In the distant past India played host to a war between ancient aliens, whose cross-temporal battles contributed to the country's rich myths and legends. Kali, oldest and deadliest of these, was thought defeated long, long ago. But her psychic essence could not be killed... nor her quest for vengeance.

Now, in the 23rd Century, she is on the brink of resurrection. In a race against time the Doctor and Clara must gather secrets and allies from across India's past, present and future – if they are to survive... THE SWORDS OF KALI!

Writer:

Robbie Morrison

Artist:

Dave Taylor

Colours:

Hi-Fi

Lettering:

Comicraft

Publisher:

Titan Comics

This issue of the 12^th Doctor's adventures see him taking on a story with a very colonial feel (and I think Capaldi's Doctor is the only one in a few decades that could get away with that) as he travels India of the past and future to stop some space vampires.

Morrison weaves an interesting tale that has multiple different threads all coming together, as the Doctor and Clara, separated by time, each have their own adventures. What's more, Morrison isn't afraid to sprinkle in other characters that have supposedly had adventures with the Doctor before. It's somewhat distracting in that not really much is made of it this issue and it doesn't really seem like it will come up again. But still, it breaks up the flow of what would otherwise be a pretty normal 'Doctor tries to solve a mystery and gets into trouble' storyline.

Its Dave Taylor's artwork that really won me over though. Finally getting the look of Clara and the Doctor down, the art feels more assured than past issues, perhaps who creative team freeing up now they don't feel as bound to the TV show.

Being a two parter storyline means I can't really comment on much of the themes, but like the entire last season of the series, it seems this storyline will bring up a few people who I think would make more interesting companions to travel with the Doctor than Clara. It's not that I really dislike Clara, it's just that she didn't really contribute much at all to the issue, with her role being filled by our guest characters. In the end, I kind of hope that if it carries on creating brilliant guest companions that it has a few issues where Clara isn't in it all! Perhaps that's bad when she's meant to be the second most important character of the series.

Overall, the issue was pleasant enough whilst reading it and I certainly look forward to reading next months issue and then looking back on the completed storyline as a whole. But if it's your first time picking up the series, I would go back and start from #1 instead. It was much stronger.

Cover image courtesy of Titan Comics.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor 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.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #2

Freshly regenerated and with a new head full of unanswered questions, the Doctor whisks Clara Oswald away to a strange and distant world. New Face! New Doctor! New Beginning! Get in on the ground floor of this amazing ongoing series!

Writer:

Robbie Morrison

Artists:

Alice X Zhang

Dave Taylor

Colourist:

Hi-Fi Color Design

Letterer:

Comicraft

Publisher:

Titan Comics

Last issue started strong and with purpose- if the new TV series took a whole season to finally decide what it wanted the latest incarnation of the Doctor to be, it seems this comic knew from the start. Last issue saw The Doctor and Clara landing on a planet where terraforming has gone awry, with a mysterious being lurking at the heart of it all. This issue brings the reveal the villain of the piece is...

..a Hyperion! Never heard of them? Well neither have I, but it plays into the ambitions of the comic. A race of sentient suns that turned malevolent when their life cycles began to come to an end, they were defeated by an alliance of the most powerful races of the galaxy, headed by the full might of the Timelord's themselves. Only this time, there's only the Doctor to stop them.

What's great about this issue is how Robbie Morrison seems to be looking for something new with this comic. Of the three Doctor Who comics launched by Titan so far, we've had three different approaches. The Tenth Doctor comic focused on the micro, small scale stories that could have world shattering consequences, whilst the Eleventh Doctor comic has played it fast and loose, whilst always being centred around character development. The Twelfth Doctor comic plots a new path – Epic grandeur.

If the opening story is any indication, this series it probably the comic that best represents a good amalgamation of both the old style series and the new, more action packed one. Its a great combination, as in the space of one comic we see a wedding, a planet sized disaster, deductive work and even the destruction of galaxies. Yet none of it feels out of place- in part unified by the art of Dave Taylor - even if his interpretation of Clara does make it look like she's somehow inherited some Sontaran characteristics.

There are some problems with the issue, in that once the count down to the big action finale starts, most of the intelligence of the story gets thrown aside, but when #1 and #2 are read as the whole story it was intended to be, it mitigates that somewhat.

Count me impressed. If the series carries on like this, not only will it be threatening to knock my fav, the Eleventh Doctor series, off the top spot, but it will competing with the TV show itself. My feeling is that the comic may be the eventual winner.

Cover image courtesy of Titan Comics.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #2 can be bought from Titan Comics online and in your local comic book store in the US only.

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.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #1

Freshly regenerated and with a new head full of unanswered questions, the Doctor (as played by Peter Capaldi) whisks Clara Oswald (as played by Jenna Coleman) away to a strange and distant world.

Writer:
Robbie Morrison
Artist(s):
Alice X Zhang
Dave Taylor
Colours:
Hi-Fi Color Design
Lettering:
Comicraft
Publisher:
Titan Comics

What a difference a change of medium makes. Though reviews of the latest series have been mostly positive you can't deny something has been...lacking...for want of a better word. Yet take a comic, allowed to set its own pace, take its time and not have to worry about catering to anyone bar those who love good stories...it’s amazing what you can produce. In this case, it’s the best 12th Doctor story to have been written so far.

Robbie Morrison's debut issue takes the Doctor and Clara on a trip to an ice world, only to discover it has been terraformed by a rich media oligarch as a wedding present to his bride. Though as the Doctor is involved, naturally things start going wrong- it seems that the planet wasn't so uninhabited after all...

The Doctor and Clara transferred to another medium seems to work a lot better, with the cruel put downs and arrogant sense of self importance that the 12th Doctor extrudes easily countered by Dave Taylor's art. There seems to have been a decision taken at some point to acknowledge that this Doctor is always completely serious, yet that a man so serious is just a little bit funny.

Still, it's not all comedy. The Doctor gets down to detective work pretty quickly, with his newly formed entourage of people struggling to keep up with him trailing not far behind. The issue ends on a cliffhanger, but unlike the 10th Doctors first issue, this one feels earned.

I suppose the only downside of this issue that Clara isn't really given much to do. Though there's lots of quippery, her actual contribution to events is minimal to none. The Doctor also gets to display more of his calculating side without it turning him into a cold being that lets others die for no reason (which is greatly appreciated).

All in all, it’s a great issue. Certainly not perfect, but pretty close. It’s just so nice to see two great Doctor Who titles on the shelves. Let's hope next month sustains such a strong start.

Cover image courtesy of Titan Comics

You can buy Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #1 from Titan Comics or your local comics retailer. Outside of the US the comic is available digitally only

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.