Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #12 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Newly arrived in 17th Century Paris, The Doctor has noticed that several things are amiss. For one thing, Cardinal Richelieu is still alive and kicking some fifty years after he was meant to have died. For another, humans don't normally bleed darkness out of their eyes. In the face of that, a hard-drinking, sword-swinging red-haired virago of a soprano demanding a duel over The Doctor insulting her singing is the least of his problems. Yet Julie D'Aubigny may prove to be a grand companion for The Doctor... assuming she doesn't kill him first!



There is much to admire about this latest Twelfth Doctor story. The lightly inked and vividly depicted colors craft the aura of an oil-painting. This matches the swashbuckling tone of the story quite well and Julie D'Aubigny has immediately proven herself to be the most interesting of The Doctor's companions in some time. In saying that, I must confess a bias to companions from Earth's past and a personal wish we had more characters like Jamie and Leela in the current series. Regardless, this is a great issue of a great series.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #12 releases on November 30, 2016. 

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

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #8 - A Review

The secret behind the space colony called The Twist has been revealed!  The Twist's human population were created by the alien Foxkin,who discovered the dead colony and cloned new human settlers before turning to hide in the underground places of The Twist. The Foxkin hierarchy wish to stay hidden, fearing that humanity will turn to violence if they discover the aliens in their midst. It is not an unjust fear but The Doctor - with the aid of rebellious Humans and Foxkin alike- will attempt to stop the oncoming race war through the power of punk rock.


By all rights, this should be a laughably silly comic. The idea of The Doctor fighting bigotry with a concert in order to stave off the worst impulses of two societies ruled by hatred and fear respectively should not work. And yet, under George Mann's pen, the idea not only works but is elevated into the sort of legendary story that defines the Doctor Who oeuvre.


The artwork for this series continues to astound. Backed by two able assistants, Mariano Laclustra's pencils have never looked better. And the color art by Carlos Cabrera gives this issue the appearance of having been painted. The final effect delivers some of the most glorious artwork ever seen in a Doctor Who comic.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #7 - Advance Review

A trip to a punk rock show on the 41st century space colony known as The Twist has led The Doctor to another adventure. Following a strange running man and dragging bass player Hattie along for the ride, The Doctor has uncovered a conspiracy - one beyond simply seeing an innocent man framed for murder - that may shake The Twist to its very core! And it involves the odd fox-like people who live in the tunnels underneath the streets of The Twist.


George Mann has done it again! The story for this series is classic Doctor Who goodness, filled to the brim with references to the classic series while still being easily accessible to new readers. And the artwork is the finest we've yet to see from Mariano Laclaustra, Carlos Cabrera and the rest of the art team.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #7 is due out on June 29th, 2016.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #6 - Advance Review

Companions come and go, but the departure of Clara Oswald  has left The Doctor feeling even more melancholy than he usually gets after being left alone. Still, there are things one can do more easily when traveling alone, which leads The Doctor to expand his horizons and go to see some of the best bands in the history of the universe. Of course, being The Doctor, he can't help but get involved when he sees a man running through a crowd as if all of Hell was chasing after him, nor can he help dragging along 40th-century punk bass-player Hattie for the ride.




I was astonished by the artwork for this issue. I found Mariano Laclaustra's previous work on other Doctor Who comics to be uninspired at best. Looking at this issue, however, I now think the previous problems may have been due to the color artist rather than Laclaustra's pencils and inks. The finished artwork for this issue is, in a word, stunning and that's due in large part to the color art by Carlos Cabrera and Thiago Riberio. So if you ever doubted the power a colorist has to influence a comic, look to this issue and the above splash-page of the world known as "The Twist" for the proof.

The story is equally excellent. Admittedly, I'm a bit biased as a fan of George Mann's work to date, but this issue proves that Mann is as capable of crafting original characters as he is writing established ones like Clara and The Doctor. Hattie is an interesting figure from what little we've seen of her in action, so far, but it seems likely she'll be a worthy addition to Titan Comics' line of original comic-book companions.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Year Two #6 is due out on May 25th, 2016.