REVIEW: ‘Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor,’ Issue #7

The adventures of the beloved Thirteenth Doctor, as played on TV by the talented Jodie Whittaker, continue in comic form within Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #7. The book is written by Jodie Houser, with art by Roberta Ingranata, with colors by Enrica Eren Angiolini and Viviana Spinelli, and letters by Richard Starkings, Sarah Jacobs and John Roshell of Comicraft.

The Doctor and her crack team are on the hunt. Along with friendly, dyspraxic Ryan, stalwart Yaz, and retired bus driver Graham, the ‘fam’ as the Doctor calls them, have bounced across time, searching for the fiendish Stilean Flesh Eaters. The chase is compounded by two problems: trying to find the Flesh Eaters, who have been feeding off of humans and leaving them ill, and interference from two blokes from the Time Agency. The Agency is seeking to rid the timeline of the Flesh Eaters, who could pose a threat to human history.

Unfortunately for them, the Doctor is in their way. The Doctor prefers solutions that do not include shooting aliens to death. Anyone who has seen the long-lived BBC television series knows Doctor Who is all about the smarts, wits, and problem-solving as opposed to fistfights and executions.

I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since I was a kid, back when I the role was being played by Tom Baker, although my fave has always been the Third Doctor played by the eccentric Jon Pertwee. Jodie Whittaker changed that for me. A lot. She moved her quirky version of the helpful Time Lord to the top of my list, so any comic book version comes with more than a little scrutiny.

But writer Jodie Houser does a bang-up job of getting the wittiness, fun, and quirky persona of the Thirteenth Doctor, while offering just enough dialogue to Ryan, Yaz and Graham to make them come off exactly as they do on TV. The Stilean Flesh Eaters as ‘Monsters of the Week’ works well, especially the slight twist put on them later in the issue. Best of all for me, no Daleks or any of the typical Whovian villainy anywhere in sight. Additionally, the two agents sent from the Time Agency to remove the Eaters are clear Mulder/Scully replicas from Fox’s TV show The X-Files, but they made for good conversation fodder and their serious nature played off well against the Doctor’s whimsy.

Art-wise, this book painted a fine layout of each character. Roberta Ingranata found the right highlights and varied facial expressions to make each character stand out, while backgrounds are drawn in a sketchy pattern that fit nicely. This isn’t an action-packed book, instead, it focuses on dialogue and character interaction which is why the backgrounds aren’t as important.

The same can be said for the coloring provided by Enrica Eren Angiolini and Vivianna Spinelli. Characters are placed in noticeable but none too bright colors, while the backgrounds remain muted, keeping your eyes on who matters rather than what. Lettering by Comicraft never gets out of hand, fits just right, and stays out of the way of the visuals.

Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #7 is a great addition to Doctor Who lore and shows immense respect to the current iteration. It is smart, fun, and manages to walk the line between comedy and drama well while giving a great new adventure for these amazing characters. Definitely give this issue and the series a look if you’re looking to get into Who or just want something different.