Titan Comics 2016
Written by George Mann & Cavan Scott
Illustrated by Alessandro Vitti, Ivan Rodriguez & Tazio Bettin
Coloured by Nicola Righi & Enrica Eren Angiolini
Lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
The Twelfth Doctor struggled through four billion years of torture to reach Gallifrey, his home world, which now resides at the end of the universe. One man was not pleased to see the Doctor return: Lord High President Rassilon, responsible for the Doctor’s imprisonment and ordeal. Responsible for the death of his companion, Clara. Rassilon, whom the Doctor subsequently ousted in a bloodless coup, exiling him from Gallifrey to what was left of the cosmos. But the Doctor’s ‘mercy’ will have repercussions that will echo back through all of his past lives. At the end of the universe, Gallifrey is not all that remains...!
Oh my Stars and Garters this may only be the first issue but already it feels like a major motion picture blockbuster that spans the length of the entire run of the new series. This whole thing is already brilliantly constructed. With four different Doctor’s scattered throughout time and space all having to face different obstacles all of which will eventually unite them is being done so well.
The Twelfth Doctor is looking for the Time Lords as he knows the ripples in time mean something extraordinarily big is happening. His search for Galifray has cost him and the surprises with him just keep coming here from him. He’s also the only Doctor currently without a companion thanks to what he’s been through. While my least favourite of these Doctors his story is pretty neat and adds a whole new sense of heightened drama that I hadn’t anticipated.
The Eleventh along with his companion, Alice, is on the prehistoric Earth looking for an Anniversary gift when things go south for him. These two have been traveling together for a while now and honestly I’m probably enjoying their banter and interaction more than any of his previous companions. Yes some might say Blasphemy but they really do feed well off on another and keep him with that sense of humour he had with Amelia.
The Tenth Doctor with Gabby and Cincy exploring the universe and heading places that won’t let the Tardis travel, who knew the Tardis couldn’t break through any area of space/time? The two girls are great because they have the least experience in meeting the foes of the Doctor and with whom they meet his issue the boys have written in a great exchange.
My favourite, the NInth Doctor is the only one who seems to start in the thick of things. Why not because he’s the only who hasn’t had a team up with his other selves yet nor in this incarnation has he faced the Cybermen. Plus with Rose and Jack as his current companions and a special guest star in Jackie, Rose’s mother, the dialogue has been absolutely exceptional. Plus you need at least one of them to know what’s happening, realize the situation is too great for them and initiate the actions that bring him into contact with the other versions of himself.
Four separate tales in one book is hard to do and get enough about each one but they do that here rather well. Plus with a so much happening we have a few different artists and each one’s work is extremely well suited to each segment. Each one also really has the right amount of emotion and sense of who they are that it all feels so incredibly right. The flow of the book through pages and panels are great and the use of backgrounds just make this perfect.
This is an epic in every sense of the word. These team-ups or crossovers or whatever they are are among the best things in the comic-verse i’ve ever read.