Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #2 - A Review

I read this issue of Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor the day after the premiere of the second episode of the Eighth Series of the Doctor Who TV series. I mention this because - as those who have been reading my reviews of the new series so far may have noticed - I have not been overly fond of the new series so far. And while I have been able to articulate some specific flaws in each episode, there's been something larger wrong that I have been unable to put words to. At least, that's how I felt until I read this book and the problem suddenly became clear to me.


When I read a Doctor Who story, I expect to see something I've never seen before. The first two episodes of Series 8 have given us nothing but more of the same-old same-old. This story, by Nick Abadzis, is truly original in every respect

I shan't spoil everything here but suffice it to say Abadzis introduces a frightening new villain with a most unusual method of traveling. Abadzis also introduces such concepts as the Psychosphere - a part of the Earth's psychic landscape most people can't perceive directly. And Abadzis also captures the diction and dialogue of The Tenth Doctor perfectly, right down to the occasional bad pun.


By the same token, artist Elena Casagrande does a prefect job of capturing David Tennant's distinctive likeness. But a Doctor Who artist must be capable of much more than simple caricature work and Casagrande makes the grade here as well. The other humanoid characters and exotic alien creatures are equally well depicted and the action of the story flows naturally from panel to panel.

All in all, this comic will be a welcome treat for any and all Whovians. The artwork is great. The story is engaging. If you're any kind of fan of The Doctor, you should give it a try.