Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Three #7 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Following an unexpected detour to a barren Atlantic island in the 9th century, The Doctor and his companion Bill Potts found themselves caught in the middle of a stand-off between a group of Viking settlers and a team of Martian Ice Warriors. Thankfully, The Doctor was able to convince both sides to work together against a common menace - the sentient virus known as The Flood!

It beggars coincidence that two of The Doctor's old enemies should encounter each other in this place at this time. When another monster from The Doctor's past emerges, he can hazard a guess as to who is responsible. However, that knowledge may not be enough to save The Doctor and his allies even if he is correct!





The artwork fails this final chapter of The Wolves of Winter. Three artists working on a single issue rarely produces a quality work and the old adage about too many cooks proves accurate here. Even if the visual continuity weren't shattered by the wildly varied styles at play, there's no comparison between the levels of quality presented by the artists involved.

It's a damn shame because Richard Dinnick's story is a brilliant one and it deserved a better presentation. Weaving together the strands of older Doctor Who tales as the base for his own epic, Dinnick has managed the near-impossible. The Wolves of Winter is that rare continuity-driven story that is easily accessible to new readers. Fans of Classic Who and New Who alike will enjoy this Twelfth Doctor tale... if they can just get past the artwork.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10. Richard Dinnick wrote a great story but they should have let Brian Williamson draw the whole thing.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Three #7 releases September 20, 2017. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Three #6 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Unexpectedly arriving at the site of a Viking expedition, The Doctor and Bill were stunned to find they were not the only recently arrived visitors from the heavens. The good news is that the other new arrivals - a party of Ice Warriors - are not looking for a fight. The bad news is they've come to Earth to dispose of a threat from their home-world of Mars - the sentient, water-traveling virus known as The Flood!




As a Doctor Who trivia buff, I love it whenever the media outside of the show attempts to build upon the mythology and link certain elements. In this case, everyone's favorite Martian frienemies - The Ice Warriors - are finally given a connection to the menace from The Tenth Doctor's penultimate adventure, The Waters of Mars. Yet this second chapter of The Wolves of Winter proves a ripping yarn on its own merits and shows Richard Dinnick to be a skald as skilled at spinning tales as he is recanting history. Paired with the amazing art of Brian Williamson and the colors of Hi-Fi, this book should be on every Whovian's pull list.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Three #6 releases August 23, 2017. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

The Flash #10 - A Review

The Flash has a new partner in the younger Wally West. Unfortunately, Wally is not as quick to think as he is to act and has started skipping school to go chasing down new super-villains like Papercut. Perhaps Wally will quickly learn the error of his ways... assuming he survives an encounter with a strange, shadowy figure...



The main plot of this issue is a solid piece of classic superhero conflict - the eager sidekick overstepping the boundaries set by his mentor. Joshua Williamson keeps the story fresh, despite its potential to be cliched. New Rogue Papercut is likewise an interesting twist on a classic superpower.

What really makes this issue interesting, however, is the hint at the return of classic Flash villain The Shade. There's enough here to suggest that Shade's characterization put forth in the classic 1990s Starman series may not be wholly forgotten but that changes are afoot for everyone's favorite shadowy gentleman thief. I look forward to seeing what Williamson does next.




The artwork for this issue is top-notch. Felipe Watanabe's kinetic style is a fine fit for The Flash and the colors by Chris Sotomayor are appropriately eye-catching. It is Oclair Albert's inks, however, that make the finished artwork pop, particularly in the sequences involving "the shadow man".

Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #5 - An Advance Review/Preview

With Sarah Jane Smith petrified and the alien creature that inspired the myth of Medusa poised to escape its prison into Victorian London, it will take all of The Doctor's cunning to save the day. But can even he contend with a vengeful holographic guard (who resembles the god Zeus) that stands poised to kill everyone in the vicinity in an effort to contain its prisoner?



Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #5 provides a satisfying conclusion to a mini-series that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who.The script by Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby presented a classic gothic horror tale worthy of Robert Holmes at the height of his powers. This was well-matched by the spooky, sinister artwork by Brian Williamson and Hi-Fi. This is the perfect comic book for classic Whovians or fans of the new series looking for a suitable introduction to the Fourth Doctor era.

Doctor Who: The Fourth #5 releases on September 28, 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #4 - A Review

The good news is that The Doctor has identified the alien menace that is threatening Victorian London. The bad news is that Sarah Jane has already fallen victim to it! And the worst news is that another alien menace has taken control of The TARDIS in The Doctor's absence!

With this issue, Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby manage a rather neat trick. Before now they've proven capable of emulating the style and cadence of a classic Tom Baker Doctor Who story. With this issue, they tie the realm of Classic Who into the modern era, with The Doctor making reference to the familiar concepts of "quantum locking" and "fixed points in time" from the newer series. Yet the story still retrains the aura of a Gothic Horror novel that pervaded so much of The Fourth Doctor era. The whole thing is, in a word, brilliant.

Brian Williamson's artwork equals the quality of the writing. Williamson goes beyond simply caricaturing the actors from the show and crafts images of uncanny realism. He also proves capable of designing some truly horrific alien monsters that blend seamlessly into the action.

Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #3 - A Review

The mystic Lamp Of Chronos (really, a piece of cheap third-party technology stealing an ancient Time Lord design) has sent Sarah Jane and Professor Odysseus James into the past. More worryingly, it's sent them into a cavern full of incredibly realistic statues! Now, The Doctor and Professor James' daughter Athena must race against time (and the aliens known as The Scryclopes) in order to save them!
Thus far, Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby have done a fine job replicating the aura of a classic Fourth Doctor story. They continue to do so, though this issue - much like many episodes of the Tom Baker era - is a little light on action compared to the opening chapters. Still, it is an enjoyable read and the artwork by Brian Williamson and Hi-Fi continues to impress.

Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor #2 - An Advance Review

The Doctor and his current companion - journalist Sarah Jane Smith - landed in the middle of Victorian London and a mystery! People are disappearing and Sarah Jane vanished not long after arrival, taken into the company of the mysterious Lady Emily and her cyclops attendants! Thankfully, The Doctor is not alone, having been rescued from assault by the self-proclaimed time-travel expert Professor Odysseus James and his daughter, Athena, who are also investigating the mysterious disappearances...



The script by Emma Beeby and Gordon Rennie is a total delight! They're perfectly captured the cadence of a Robert Holmes-penned Doctor Who episode. Not does this issue replicate the weird horror of the era, it also captures the wit and humor so well you can't help but hear Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen's voices as you read it.



I greatly enjoyed Brian Williamson's previous work on Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor and he's in fine form here as well.  Williamson utilizes a detail-oriented style, with heavy inks that suits the gothic aura of The Fourth Doctor. The colors of Hi-Fi complete this picture perfectly.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #10 - A Review

It's a hot night in Vegas 1964 as alien invaders move in to take control of the city from the Mob! Luckily The Doctor is on the case, with a former heavyweight contender backing him up. Meanwhile, Clara Oswald and the infamous Rat Wolf Pack try to wiggle their way loose from their alien captors.


As with the last issue, the biggest weakness this month is the disparity between the two artists working on this story-line.  Brian Williamson's work is great, perfectly capturing the appearances of the characters from the television show and offering vivid details and splendid inking.  Mariano Laclaustra on the other hand is merely competent, at best, with fine details being lost past the middle distance and many visible signs of sloppy shortcuts.


Thankfully Robbie Morrison's scripts are as strong as ever, though I still wonder if a legal issue required The Rat Pack to be changed into The Wolf Pack.  Never the less, Frankie, Dean-o and Sammy are enjoyable characters no matter what you call them. And as in the best Doctor Who stories, we see - through interactions with a boxer turned bodyguard - that The Doctor's greatest gift as a hero is his ability to inspire other people to heroism.

Doctor Who - The Twelfth Doctor #9 - A Review

After Clara finds a pair of unused concert tickets while cleaning out The TARDIS, The Doctor reluctantly agrees to a trip to 1960s Las Vegas. Separated after The Doctor's attempts to "beat the house" go from a beating into an assassination attempt, Clara winds up in the middle of a celebrity-filled party as The Doctor contends with the casino's boss. And then the alien invaders show up...


Robbie Morrison's script for this issue proves to be a brilliant one. His take on The Twelfth Doctor is spot on, with the rude Scotsman turning his nose up at the Vegas mystique... right up until he gets on a roll whilst proving to Clara that anyone with a grasp of simple mathematics can break the bank.

The one oddity in this issue is that the band Clara is so eager to see - The Wolf Pack - are clearly inspired by another famous band that is forever attached to the myth and legend of Vegas. One wonders if the estates of those involved are so litigious as to threaten a suit over the use of proper names, when the artwork clearly caricatures them!

The artwork is something of a mixed bag.  The art styles of the issue's two artists - Brian Williamson and Mariano Laclustra - couldn't be more different.  Williamson is all about vivid details and heavy inks highlighting everything.  Laclustra, by contrast, only shows an eye for detail in close-ups and is content to leave everything looking like a simple sketch in the mid-range and backgrounds. This difference in styles proves distracting and I must say I find Williamson's heavy style preferable, though none of the artwork in this issue really looks bad.

Doctor Who - The Twelfth Doctor #8 - A Review

In another time and another place, a UNIT scientist lost his family. This inspired him to create the technology that would let him move between worlds. To another time and another place where his family had lost a father and a husband.

It was a noble plan but the scientist didn't know about The Fractures - the repairmen of reality who will do anything to prevent inter-dimensional travel.  Including, it seems, pulling innocent people into the void in order to copy their forms! Now it will fall to The Doctor, Clara Oswarld and Kate Stewart of UNIT to save not only the missing people but all of reality. And maybe, just maybe, save a family in the process.


The conclusion to this story-line is a thrilling one. The script by Robbie Morrison does an impressive job of maintaining the energy of the earlier chapters while still allowing time for introducing such neat concepts as The Rassilon Cube. And we get a number of nice moments for each of the characters, including a chance for Clara and Kate to speak at length.


The artwork by Brian Williamson is equally wonderful.  He captures the likeness of the established cast perfectly. And the action of the issue is very well choreographed.

Doctor Who - The Twelfth Doctor #7 - A Review

In another time and another place, a scientist who had lost his wife and children in an accident developed a suit that would enable him to traverse the void between realities. He found another world - one where an accident had killed his alternate universe counterpart - and leaped into the space between.

Now the scientist is in our world.... and he hasn't come alone. He's been followed by The Fractures.

The Fractures are the repairmen of The Void.  Auditors of reality who destroy all that might threaten the continuity between worlds. Only The Doctor might be able to save the day. But while he might be able to fight The Fractures, can he do it without a family from being broken apart in the process?


Once again Robbie Morrison has expanded the Doctor Who universe with his creation another unique and terrifying monster. While The Fractures are reminiscent of The Reapers from the episode Fathers Day, Morrison differentiates them by making them formless Lovecraftian monstrosities. The horror is enhanced by the fact that The Doctor cares little about the miracle of Void travel being possible and worries only about the possibility of all reality being erased because of one man's desire to explore and save his family. Given The Doctor's own past, one wonders if the hypocrisy of this will be pointed out...


The artwork by Brian Williamson is excellent. I commented in my review of the previous issue that the only flaw to Williamson's work was a few instances of over-inking a few panels here and there. There are no such flaws in this issue.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #6 - A Review

I hesitate to summarize the story of Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #6. Not for the sake of avoiding Spoilers, but because I'm not really sure there's a way to summarize the story so far.

Quite a lot happens in this issue involving UNIT, holes in the fabric of space and time, dead men not being dead anymore, Clara being an awesome teacher and a fair bit of daring-do and do-daring. There's even a brand new monster! But none of it is easily explained or codified into a single paragraph.


What I can say is that Robbie Morrison has perfectly captured the spirit of Series 8 of Doctor Who. The snark of the Capaldi Doctor is on full display throughout the issue and I found myself laughing at him and Clara Oswald more than once.  This whole issue feels like the storyboard for a lost episode of the television series.


This feeling is further aided by the artwork of Brian Williamson.  Williamson possesses a photo-realistic style that does a grand job of capturing the likeness of all the show's regular characters. His only failing is a tendency to apply his inks a little heavily on occasion but the vast majority of the book looks perfect.