Of the three continuing Doctor Who titles
that Titan Comics currently has going—one each for Doctor Ten, Eleven, and
Twelve, with Nine reportedly on the way—it’s Ten that is the real standout.
Twelve is more dour and serious, like Peter Capaldi’s version, and Eleven, much
like Matt Smith’s portrayal, is super bouncy and cartoony, and though it’s
improving each issue, it has a ways to go. Ten, however, uses a different
narrative approach than the others, and the writing his more introspective,
which gives you more of an emotional connection to the players. And this
continues in Issue #4.
This picks up with the Doctor and his new friend Gabby
Gonzales. They’ve now left her New York neighborhood after dealing with the
Pranovores and Cerebravores, which took up the first three issues, and they’re
still relatively fresh into their adventures together. Gabby spends most of
this installment trying to wrap her head around exactly what the hell is going
on.
Issue #4 is framed as a letter, one that she may or may not
ever send, Gabby writes to a friend. It’s essentially her taking notes, using her
words and pictures as a way to process all of the new things she’s seeing and
experiencing. Written as it is, this gives you unprecedented direct access to
her thoughts, emotions, reactions, and interpretations. It’s a great way to
experience this, to see these adventures that have become—both for the Doctor
and longtime fans of the show—old hat, giving them a sense of newness. She has
to come to terms with her adventures, and, especially compared to her humdrum
life working at the laundromat and dreaming dreams that will likely never
materialize, is loving every second of it.
The style is a mix of more traditional comic book art and
Gabby’s own illustrations and narration, providing an interesting combination
of aesthetics that work well together here. (Her interpretation of the
TARDIS—Threshold and Ridiculous Domain of Insanity and Supercool—is a good
time.) Seen from her point of view, you’re also privy to her observations and
insights about her traveling companion, like how there’s a flash of sadness in
his eyes whenever he talks about home.
The Doctor offers her one of three options, a trip to the
past, a trip to the moon, or a trip to the future. Choosing the future, and
with her particularly artistic streak, they venture to an art gallery 900 year
away and located on a faraway world. As far as the bulk of the surface action
goes, most of it is concerned with finding an artist friend of the Doctor’s and
getting her to work again. But, of course, you know there’s going to be more
going on than that, and before long they’re running for their lives from
strange beings.
While the Doctor Eleven series is primarily episodic, with
each issue comprising a single adventure or endeavor, arcs in this title play
out over multiple issues. The other feels rushed, but this allows for space to
really delve into each story and thread, developing the sense of place and mood
and tone in much more depth. It also gives you more time with the characters,
letting them grow and evolve at their own pace.
This is one of the big reasons why Doctor Who: The
Tenth Doctor, at least right now, stands head and shoulders above the
other titles in this family. The others are worth reading if you’re a fan or a completist,
but while they can be fun distractions, this is the one that is most worth your
time and investment.
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