Doctor Who, Series 3, Vol 1: The Hypothetical Gentlemen - A No Flying, No Tights Review

There’s this bloke called The Doctor. He’s smart and good and occasionally nice. He looks human, but he’s really an alien. He lives in a big blue box called The TARDIS. It can travel anywhere in space and time and, while it rarely takes The Doctor where he wants to go, it always takes him where he needs to be. He wanders the cosmos showing off the wonders of the universe to the various companions he picks up along the way and quite frequently saves the day, the night, the world, and the entire universe.

Doctor Who has been around for nearly five decades and there’s a fine tradition of Doctor Who comics stretching back nearly as long as the history of the show itself. It’s no surprise, then, that with the reemergence of the Doctor Who television series back in 2005 there would be new comic books, as well. IDW Publishing currently holds the license and has printed a number of mini-series and specials depicting the exploits of the enigmatic Doctor and his companions, as well as a monthly series that restarts every year or so.

This first collection of the third IDW series collects four issues and two whole stories. The first story, “The Hypothetical Gentleman,” centers upon The Doctor and his current companions (the husband and wife team of aspiring-model Amy Pond and nurse Rory Williams) as they travel to Victorian London. It is here they meet another young couple – Charles and Emily – who make a living putting on fake séances in order to capitalize on the growing belief in Spiritualism. While their shows are fake, Emily’s telepathic gifts are quite real, making her into a conduit for a disturbing intelligence. Naturally, this is just the sort of mystery to get The Doctor’s attention.

The second story, “The Doctor and The Nurse,” centers upon The Doctor and Rory reluctantly agreeing to have a “Boys Day Out” after Amy concludes that the two need some time to bond without her getting in the way. This is the only thing The Doctor and Rory agree upon, apart from the fact that neither of them is particularly interested in doing any male bonding. So while Amy wanders off for an hour to see the sights of London in 1814, The Doctor and Rory decide to “cheat” and take The TARDIS forward one hour so they can meet up with Amy later. Naturally The TARDIS winds up taking them elsewhere and elsewhen, while Amy has an adventure of her own fighting an unexpected alien menace.

Like the television series, the Doctor Who comic has attracted some of the best and brightest creators in its respective industry. This particular volume features writing by acclaimed author Andy Diggle, best known as the creator of the Vertigo series The Losers, and Brandon Seifert, creator of the independent horror series Witchdoctor. The art team is no less impressive, with Mark Buckingham of Fables fame and Phillip Bond – most famous for his work on Vertigo Comics’ The Invisibles and Tank Girl – lending their considerable talents to the proceedings.

In my professional opinion as a critic and my personal opinion as a Whovian, this volume would make a fine addition for any graphic novel collection. Like the show itself, there’s little here that would be unsuitable for younger audiences, but the language and ideas are complex enough that it might be best if an adult were on hand to assist younger readers. Place it in the Teen section as a compromise.

Doctor Who: Series 3, Volume 1: The Hypothetical Gentleman
by Andy Diggle, Brandon Seifert
Art by Mark Buckingham , Philip Bond
ISBN: 9781613775790
IDW Publishing, 2013
Publisher Age Rating: (13+)

Doctor Who #2 (IDW Vol. 3) - A Review

If you're a comic fan who knows quality creators, I shouldn't have to do anything to convince you to pick up Doctor Who beyond mentioning who is working on it now.  The script is by The Losers and Green Arrow: Year One author Andy Diggle.  The artwork is by Fables artist Mark Buckingham.

You need to know more?  Oh, okay.  I guess I can write a proper review.  But it really isn't necessary.  The book really is that good!


Continuing the action of the first issue, our story opens upon The Doctor and The Ponds investigating a mysterious device constructed by a pair of Victorian spiritualists.  Unlike their seances, the device is quite real, quite dangerous and responsible for paralyzing several people... including Rory!  Concluding that the frozen people are having time stolen by a hypothetical being, The Doctor finds himself fascinated by a wonder he's never encountered before.  Amy, of course, is less interested in the metaphysical implications of a man who isn't there forcing himself into existence and more interested in how the heck she's going to get her husband mobile once more.


Andy Diggle's script is as good as any found on the TV series, perfectly capturing the voice of the regular cast while establishing some interesting original characters.  Diggle does a particularly fine job of playing up The Doctor's arrogance and hubris, becoming more concerned about exploring a mystery than saving lives.  You truly feel like you're reading an actual episode - a surprisingly rare feeling with many Doctor Who comics!  Mark Buckingham's artwork perfectly matches the script, going far beyond merely caricaturing the actors from the show.  Those who only know Buckingham for his work on various Vertigo Comics series may well considering picking this book up purely for his artwork, even if they aren't Doctor Who fans.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - this book is amazing and a must read for all Whovians and anyone who enjoys a good yarn.

Doctor Who #1 (IDW Vol. 3) - A Review

If IDW Publishing had set out to find the perfect creative team to bring me back to the Doctor Who comic, they could not have done a better job than selecting Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham.  Diggle, best known for his original series The Losers, has been a favorite of mine since his run on Hellblazer and the Green Arrow: Year One mini-series.  Mark Buckingham, an Eisner Award winning artist with a list of credits longer than a gorilla's arm, is perhaps best known for his work on Fables.  Two quality creators who deliver unto us a quality book.


Our story centers upon Charles and Emily - a young Victorian Era couple who have been forced by rough circumstances into earning a living as charlatan mediums, capitalizing on the booming interest in spiritualism.  But while the shows they put on are fake, Emily's talent for telepathy truly exists.  In addition to allowing her to read the minds of their customers to find out what they want to hear, Emily's power also has made her a receiver for a mysterious intelligence that sketches fantastic machines through Emily's hands.  Mysterious devices which have attracted the attention of The Doctor...

Diggle's script tackles a fairly standard Doctor Who trope (i.e. alien intervention/technology being mistaken for magic) but the presentation of the story is hardly standard.  Emily and Charles are well established as sympathetic characters who dislike being dishonest but are unable to think of any other way to utilize Emily's gift as the pursue what they see as holy work.  The regular cast is also well portrayed in their brief scenes together before the action starts.  And I want to shake Mr. Diggle's hand and thank him for presenting Rory Williams properly, with all of his earthy wisdom intact and in all of his sarcastic glory.


Buckingham's pencils are as strong as ever, though he does falter somewhat in depiction of The Doctor, Amy and Rory at some points.  He does some phenomenal portrait-quality sketches (see the above scan of Rory, looking out at the reader) but this only serves to make his less-detailed far-shots (see The Doctor above) seem more off compared to the close-ups where he gets it right.  It isn't bad - just odd.

If you're a Doctor Who fan, you'll want to pick this book up.  It's a must read for all Whovians.