Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: September 30, 2015
Price: $24.99
Creator(s): Joshua Hale Fialko & Various (Writers); Matthew Dow Smith & Various (Artists)
Format: 336 pgs., Full-Color, 6"x9", Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-7827-6768-8
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
It is a difficult thing to take a fictional character out of one medium and do convincing stories about that character in another. That is why some Sherlock Holmes stories are so convincing and others total failures.
In this case, taking a character from television and putting him into the somewhat more static form of comics is a challenge, and one that Titan Comics is meeting nicely.
The stories in this volume take place during the classic "Amy and Rory" period of the Matt Smith version of The Doctor. Each one is a simple story that can easily fit in between the tales told in the television series. To that extent, each one could be considered disposable, as they have no impact on the major series story lines. On the other hand, a tale in which they have to deal with sentient internet spam, or another in which a vacation planet that bends time and space goes a bit wonky… they’re fun stories, and ones that would be difficult to do on a television budget. Some are more down-to-Earth, and deal with historical episodes and the consequences of messing around with past events. Morality versus practicality stories can be good, and this one is.
Because they had the rights to the basic likenesses, the artists were able to do a creditable job. Because creative teams varied from issue to issue, as released in serial form, there are inconsistencies, but no worse than most ongoing comics. However, those inconsistencies held it back from a fifth star, because they are distracting in a few stories.
Doctor Who fans willing to read him in print will find a lot to like, and comics fans who have never watch the Matt Smith episodes may figure out why fans of the show liked him. That seems like an all-around win.
The book has no age rating, but seems acceptable for age 10+.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.
