Bob @ Beauty in Ruins

As an old-school Doctor Who fan who grew up with Tom Baker, I've been thoroughly enjoying the excitement leading up to the 50th anniversary. We got something similar a long time ago in The Five Doctors (celebrating 20 years), but with some recasting and stock footage necessary to bring it about. It was 'neat' but certainly nothing like what we're seeing now.

Anyway, that brings us to Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time Volume 1 by Scott and David Tipton. It's tough to review the basic storyline, since the ARC only represents the first three issues (there are five in the published edition) of a longer miniseries, but it was more than enough to excite me and make me feel nostalgic. It all begins with a mysterious villain, surveying the long history of Doctors on a wall of monitors, and laying his plans to bring them down through their companions.

In terms of artwork, I thought the three issues looked great. They immediately captured the look and feel of those classic episodes, with Doctors and companions instantly recognizable. The monsters are left deliberately cheesy, evoking memories of low budget special effects from long ago, which is just how I like them. In terms of action, these are exciting pieces, with a lot going on - so much so that they feel a little bit rushed.

If I had one complaint about the opening issues, that sense of being rushed would be it, but I understand we have a lot of Doctors to revisit . . . and a lot of companions to remove from the stage. These three stories are interesting, reminiscent of the classic storylines, with some great historical celebrities involved. I am really curious how they'll all come together, and whether the Doctors will necessarily meet in order to resolve the end-game, and that's all you can really ask.

Whereas so many comic adaptations have left me disapointed and wanting more, I quite enjoyed Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time Volume 1 and am looking forward to Volume 2 in September.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins