‘Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor – Year 2 #1’ Review
Written by Jody Houser | Art by Roberta Ingranata | Published by Titan Comics
So comic book Thirteenth Doctor returns for her second year in tandem with the return of the TV series for her second year. Has to be said that the TV series was a bit hit and miss, though the New Year TV Special was great fun. Hopefully this year’s effort will be better. Jody Houser’s take, in the pages of this book, has so far been head and shoulders above the TV show. Characters I am a bit ambivalent about she has made me care about, a Doctor I have been slow to warm too she has made me enjoy. The comic book Holiday Special’s were great fun too, enjoyed them immensely. Houser has a knack for crafting a good story while utilising Who mythology and respecting what has gone before. Nothing shows more respect for the fans than a multi-Doctor team up, right? You’ve come to the right book.
We start at Woodstock, Earth, 1969. Or do we? That’s where The Doctor was heading for, but the TARDIS tends to take her where she needs to be rather than where she wants to go, so there’s that. The good news is that they’ve managed to land in the 1960’s, the bad news is that it is in London, England. It’s also, worryingly, a time and place that The Doctor remembers…which is why we switch straight over to David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and companion Martha. What are they doing in 1969 London? You may remember a certain storyline involving The Weeping Angels, which we have fallen smack dab in the middle of. The Doctor is building his timey wimey detector, to track when the Angels send someone back in time from the present, while Martha is, er, going to work in a shop. Even stranded time travellers have to eat. The TARDIS? Lost.
The Weeping Angels are of course news to The Fam, so our Doctor fills them in on that Angels sending her previous self back in time from 2007 to 1969. Normally the TARDIS helps to avoid potential time paradoxes by keeping different incarnations of The Doctor away from each other, so there must be darn good reason for bringing them together at this particular place and time. Being cautious, The Doctor gives the address of her previous self to the Fam to go and see him, while she will seek out Martha. The Fam find the Tenth Doctor and, though obviously a man, immediately recognise him by the very enthusiastic running around and big dramatic coat. Hah. Our Doctor though has found Martha and had quite an interesting conversation, though Martha is none the wiser as to who she actually really is. A flicker of recognition at the name Jane Smith perhaps, but nothing more. What is going on? Martha, though, is in more trouble than either Doctor realises. Nothing ever changes.
A perfect issue to kick off Year 2, and I love the decision to not only do a Doctor team up, but to do one that feeds into one of the TV episodes. Very tricky thing to do, to tell a good story while weaving through another story and yet changing nothing from that one. Jody Houser does that perfectly here though, fun stuff. As the gangs all back, creatively speaking, the art is again by mainstay Roberta Ingranata who, like Rachel Stott, has a real eye for this Doctor, and always delivers eye pleasingly clean lines and layouts. Her likenesses are spot on too.
Great start to a new year, just what we always want. Just don’t blink.
