REVIEW: ‘Doctor Who,’ Issue #3

Doctor Who #3 follows the tumult across the timestream with the Tenth and Thirteenth Doctors, courtesy of writer Jody Houser. Roberta Ingranata and Enrica Eren Angiolini provide the artwork and flattening, respectively, with letters input by Shari Chankhamma and Comicraft. This series is published monthly by Titan Comics. While the first two issues of this current Who drama kept the two Doctors separate while pursuing the same temporal quandary, Doctor Who #3 brings them together in fine form to piece together what went wrong.

The Skithra have taken over the Earth, with the Sea Devils playing a role in the chaos. But the origins of this historic reversal lie farther back in the past when Thirteenth Doctor (played onscreen by Jodie Whittaker) intervened to save Nikola Tesla. Apparently, her efforts in that televised episode have been undone. This issue opens with Thirteen and her fam, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan, heading back to that time point to refix matters. But things get rather twisted as Tenth Doctor (played onscreen by David Tennant) and a militant Rose Tyler are headed back to the same point as well.

Cue team-up. And it is a comically verbose, winsome alliance amongst Time Lords and Companions. Even though an altered, combative Rose doesn’t remember Tenth Doc, and the presence of a friendly Queen of the Skithra is against her people’s invasion. But the groups merge under the banner of a common goal and get moving. However, they find Tesla’s timeline to be much more different than Thirteen recalls, so the easy refix goes right out the proverbial window.

Every compliment given to Houser in my last review carries over to this one. She is a quintessential Who storyteller and knows the characters as if she acted each one out in some mysteriously lost TV show season. She should be doing this from hereon, in the funny pages, and for the BBC. Of particular note, this issue nails the older sister/younger brother and a bit of mother to son relationship Thirteen has with her younger Tenth form. This could have lasted the entire issue, sans the overall plot, and it would have been amazing. And the looks and gazes between the duo and their Companions make for fun visuals.

Ingranata turns the simplest and shortest illustration lines into the most quirky, unrestrained, and emotive human figures in comics. She captures both Docs in expert form but without any sketchy hash marks or excessive detail, yet those are clearly Whittaker and Tennant facial acrobatics panel after enjoyable panel. Add to that the proper shading of colors and inks, and a smooth, elegant flow of images and moods plays across the pages. Easy on the eyes and pleasant visualizations make this feel like a Who episode.

Doctor Who #3 is a fun read with a crisp plot, a fine mix of dialogue, wit, and action with soothing art that taps directly into the TARDIS for a great ride across time and space. This comic is like taking in a tale with an old friend set in a familiar setting. Titan is doing well with this series.  The creative team strikes gold handling the story, and it is an excellent homage to the Doctor Who Universe.

Doctor Who #3 is available now wherever comic books are sold.