Miss The Twelfth Doctor Already? Comics Have You Covered
The Thirteenth Doctor has been confirmed. Jodie Whitaker will become the first woman in the show’s history to play the lead role. Of course, this being Doctor Who, there was some disagreement over whether this is the end of the show (it isn’t), whether the show is still the same (it is) and whether Whitaker will keep her Yorkshire accent (we hope so).
However, there is one person who tends to get overlooked at times like this; the outgoing Doctor. By and large once an outgoing modern Doctor has their successor confirmed, the show’s focus, rightly, shifts to the newcomer.
Fan focus tends to take a little longer. So much so, in fact, that a sighting of David Tennant at Wimbledon let to wild speculation he was coming back to the show. We all have Our Doctor. (Some of us have more than one.) And we always miss them when they go.
But the thing about Time Lords is, none of them ever quite retire…
[ean1[Doctor Who lies at the heart of a vast constellation of RPGs, novels, audio dramas, short stories and comics featuring every Doctor from Tom Baker to David Tennant in some capacity. There’s so much material out there, you’re bound to find something you like.
If you’re excited for 13, but aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to 12, then you’re in luck: Titan publishes comics for a whole range of Doctors, with 12, 11, and 10 being the most common. They’ve even done a couple of excellent multi-Doctor crossovers, Supremacy of the Cybermen and The Four Doctors.
Set between series 9 and 10, with the Doctor travelling alone, the comic stories are all written by George Mann. Art is provided by Mariano LaClaustra and Rachael Stott, with Agus Calcagno and Fer Centurion also chipping in. Colors are by Carlos Cabrera, Alexandre Siquiera, and Rodrigo Fernandes, with assists from Thiago Ribeiro and Juan Manuel Tumburus; lettering work is by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt.
That’s a pretty exhaustive list, but comics is a team sport, and every member of this team does extraordinary work. Stott in particular does incredible work, bringing Capaldi’s presence to every page. It’s all too easy with licensed comics to lose sight of (or in some cases not be allowed) full likenesses, but every tick is here on the page. This is the disreputable old punk we’ve come to know and love and he’s having fun.
Said fun plays out against a wildly variable array of locations. The first story is set on the Twist, a colossal human space habitat that is more than it seems. The art teams, and colorists in particular, do astonishing work here, as the story shifts from close-in cyberpunk, to archaic halls of technology, to rural environments, and each one feels well realized and connected to the others. The Twist becomes a character, just as much as the Doctor and new companion Hettie.
Mann’s script is every bit their equal. There’s not one but two story turns I didn’t see coming. Ostensibly a classic “haunted house” story, it quickly becomes something much bigger and much more personal. There’s a very human mystery at the centre of it all, and again, a twist that’s both earned and perfectly hidden it is revealed.
Best of all is Hattie. Mann revels in the chance to cast a new companion, and Hattie is great fun. She’s a punk musician, grounded and smart and absolutely self-confident. The Doctor’s a big fan too, and there’s a real sense of equality to their interactions. She’s intrigued by the old punk with the time machine. He’s amazed he gets to hang out with one of his idols. The end result is a friendship based on mutual respect and a shared love for troublemaking.
The Twist is the perfect place to start with the Twelfth Doctor comics. It’s self-contained, lacks any of the baggage from the TV show, and, best of all, is packed full of invention, humor, and great art.
Issue 3.5 offers a very different story that’s just as good. Richard Dinnick writes, Brian Williamson is on art duties, and Hi-Fi is on colors, with Starkings and Betancourt remaining on lettering. This story very much in lockstep with the show in a way The Twist never is. This is the Doctor and Bill, early in their adventures, unaware of what’s coming.
That adds a little pathos for the reader, but none for the characters. Dinnick’s Bill is especially great; his writing style nails Pearl Mackie’s inquisitive, deadpan delivery. Williamson’s art is a little sketchier than the previous teams’, but the busier style suits the story, as does the precise coloring and letter work.
The story absolutely nails the show’s tone, but cleverly plays with cliffhangers and expectations too. The Doctor and Bill are thrown off course, and run into a Viking raiding party in the 9th Century. That’s the good news—because two other ships have come down near the TARDIS and both contain familiar faces the Doctor is far from happy to see. This is one of those stories where to say any more would spoil the surprise, and believe me this one is a doozy.
But now, the end is near and the Twelfth Doctor faces his final curtain. While we wait for the 13th to take the stage, enjoy Twelve’s last few encores in print form. And remember. He did it his way. And, just like his fellow Doctors, that’s why we love him.
Have you explored the comic tales of the Doctor?