(Erik, my Evil Twin, Convention partner, and frequent commenter here, was kind enough to write a review of the two Doctor Who Comic Books that are out there now. I haven’t had a chance to read them yet, you see. All hail Erik! Enjoy.)
Doctor Who and His Return to Comics
Our good Doctor has made his long awaited return to the world of comics in not one but two forms. Let’s take a look, shall we?
First, we have the original stories based upon the adventures of the 10th Doctor and Martha. These are written by Gary Russell who has written so much regarding the Doctor and his chums that if you don’t know who he is, look on your Who related bookshelf or Big Finish CDs. The first issue is a stand alone story with a foe familiar to fans of the new series popping in. It begins with a brief recap of the Time Lords for the uninitiated but quickly drops you into a story that is already in progress. This is a technique that I enjoy as it lets you know these characters have been living before you turn the first page, although it does sometimes create a little confusion on the first read (which could be the case here). He has a good grasp of the voices of the Doctor and Martha and I could easily hear them saying all their dialogue in my head. He is also able to fit the stories into a single issue without making them feel rushed or like you’re skipping over bits. The art by Nick Roche is also very good. It is caricaturist and unique, but also very sharp and you have no problem recognizing who is who and the panels are never boring to look at.
The second issue is also a stand alone story, but is also the beginning of a longer serial with a mysterious “Big Bad� causing havoc. Both of the issues have scattered about nice little winks for us relating to the Doctor’s past, actors and even pop culture, but in a good way (as in fleeting references to “A Clockwork Orange� and “Monty Python,� not Paris Hilton and American Idol). This is also something I always enjoy, as if they are little Easter eggs left for those who will love them, but not getting in the way of those who won’t get them. Still, including the Bay City Rollers among the Best of British Pop, not so sure about that one…
The physical comics themselves are of superior quality. These are not the tissue paper covers and newsprint pages you remember as a kid. The covers are of good, stiff stock and the pages themselves are high quality, glossy paper. Another nice thing is, being as they are being released by an independent press (as in not DC or Marvel), there are no ads breaking up the story, they are all at the end of that issue’s adventures. This is something that makes me very happy. Sadly, they are a bit on the pricey side at $3.99 each. This may come as a shock to those of you who last remember buying a comic when they were $.25 and issue, but I must say, you do get quality for the price you are paying.
All in all, I highly recommend these to the seasoned Whovian as well as the newcomer or simply a fan of good comics. I do wish they had begun these earlier, though, so we could have had Rose involved. No offense, Martha, I love you to bits but…well…its Rose.
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Doctor Who, Comics
