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thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
4.0
(4.5 out of 5 stars.)
There will always be something devilishly fun about multi-Doctor stories. I don't know if it's the knowledge that, in-universe, they're just not supposed to happen or if it's the joy of witnessing multiple incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other at the same time. Whatever it is, it's fun to witness. So, the moment I heard that Titan Comics' ongoing 13th Doctor line would feature an arc where the 13th Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan meet up with the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones during the events of Blink, I was super excited. It sounded like a bucket and a half of fun. And, having read the arc, it was exactly as much fun as I'd have liked - though, as always, I wish it was a bit longer.
This arc probably ranks among my favorites of the 13th Doctor's era at Titan Comics. While it's not perfect, it's just so much fun and features some well-executed fan service. I always have the same problem with the Titan Comics Doctor Who comics - I wish the arcs were longer than four issues. I always want to spend more time in the beginning and middle of the stories instead of feeling as though I'm careening as quickly as possible to the climax. And the same, unfortunately, is true here. Houser does her best at slowing things down in the first issue of the arc, giving readers the chance to reacquaint themselves with the 10th Doctor and Martha, but pretty quickly the plot kicks in and everything just picks up speed, quicker and quicker, until it's all over too soon. There's a lot of great work done in these four issues, but I continue to wish there was just a bit more time for some extra character work.
But, to be fair, the action is really fun. As is the story, too. The idea of setting this tale in the middle of Blink, for the 10th Doctor and Martha, is a great one. There's a lot of room in that unspecified amount of time Martha and the 10th Doctor are stuck in the late 1960s for some interesting stories to be told and it makes for an easy way of having the 13th Doctor and her companions face off against the Weeping Angels. The Weeping Angels, however, aren't quite as effective on the page as they are on the screen, their horror normally relying more on camera tricks than on the imagery of their designs, so Houser adds the Autons into the mix for the Doctors and their companions to fight. The Autons are one of those classic Doctor Who villains that haven't appeared anywhere near as often as one might think, so every time they do appear it's a true delight to see them.
As is often the case in the Titan Comics, there's not enough time in the story to give either the Weeping Angels or the Autons a lot to do, so they're just sort of there without any real motivation or discernible plan, outside of a vague "taking over the earth" kind of thing. Which is totally fine. I don't go to the Doctor Who comics for complex storylines. Would I like them? Sure. But, ultimately, I go to the Doctor Who comics for fun adventures. And that's exactly what this is: a really entertaining romp with some fan-favorite villains and two beloved Doctors. Houser is great at capturing the voices of the characters and giving them interesting things to say and do. She is great at creating worlds around them that feel interesting and lived in. And she's great at writing creative and enjoyable action sequences. Is A Tale of Two Time Lords super fun and enjoyable? Most definitely.
Roberta Ingranta's artwork throughout her run on the 13th Doctor comics has always been stellar. She has a true gift at capturing the likenesses and the spirits of the characters from the TV show while imbuing them (and the new characters created by Houser) with a lot of life. This remains true here as Ingranata is given the chance to play with iconic villains, like the Weeping Angels and the Autons, as well as with the 10th Doctor and with Martha. In both cases, Ingranata excels. Her artwork here is beautiful. She captures England in the 1960s extremely well, as well as capturing the overall atmosphere of Blink. Her depiction of the Weeping Angels is just as scary as you'd want them to be and her versions of the 10th Doctor and Martha are every bit as good as her versions of the 13th Doctor and her companions. As always, Ingranta's artwork adds a lot to the experience of reading a 13th Doctor comic and I love it.
At the end of the day, Doctor Who: A Tale of Two Time Lords is another great installment in the 13th Doctor's ongoing series at Titan Comics. It's a quick-paced, action-packed, really fun romp between two fan-favorite Doctors and their companions. Both Houser and Ingranata capture the spirits of these characters while propelling them into new and exciting adventures. The idea of setting a new story in the middle of an existing one is a great idea, and there's a lot of fun mined out of the fact that the audience knows exactly what's next for the 10th Doctor and Martha. I'm not sure what's next for the 13th Doctor comics, but I'm excited to see where they go from here.
There will always be something devilishly fun about multi-Doctor stories. I don't know if it's the knowledge that, in-universe, they're just not supposed to happen or if it's the joy of witnessing multiple incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other at the same time. Whatever it is, it's fun to witness. So, the moment I heard that Titan Comics' ongoing 13th Doctor line would feature an arc where the 13th Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan meet up with the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones during the events of Blink, I was super excited. It sounded like a bucket and a half of fun. And, having read the arc, it was exactly as much fun as I'd have liked - though, as always, I wish it was a bit longer.
This arc probably ranks among my favorites of the 13th Doctor's era at Titan Comics. While it's not perfect, it's just so much fun and features some well-executed fan service. I always have the same problem with the Titan Comics Doctor Who comics - I wish the arcs were longer than four issues. I always want to spend more time in the beginning and middle of the stories instead of feeling as though I'm careening as quickly as possible to the climax. And the same, unfortunately, is true here. Houser does her best at slowing things down in the first issue of the arc, giving readers the chance to reacquaint themselves with the 10th Doctor and Martha, but pretty quickly the plot kicks in and everything just picks up speed, quicker and quicker, until it's all over too soon. There's a lot of great work done in these four issues, but I continue to wish there was just a bit more time for some extra character work.
But, to be fair, the action is really fun. As is the story, too. The idea of setting this tale in the middle of Blink, for the 10th Doctor and Martha, is a great one. There's a lot of room in that unspecified amount of time Martha and the 10th Doctor are stuck in the late 1960s for some interesting stories to be told and it makes for an easy way of having the 13th Doctor and her companions face off against the Weeping Angels. The Weeping Angels, however, aren't quite as effective on the page as they are on the screen, their horror normally relying more on camera tricks than on the imagery of their designs, so Houser adds the Autons into the mix for the Doctors and their companions to fight. The Autons are one of those classic Doctor Who villains that haven't appeared anywhere near as often as one might think, so every time they do appear it's a true delight to see them.
As is often the case in the Titan Comics, there's not enough time in the story to give either the Weeping Angels or the Autons a lot to do, so they're just sort of there without any real motivation or discernible plan, outside of a vague "taking over the earth" kind of thing. Which is totally fine. I don't go to the Doctor Who comics for complex storylines. Would I like them? Sure. But, ultimately, I go to the Doctor Who comics for fun adventures. And that's exactly what this is: a really entertaining romp with some fan-favorite villains and two beloved Doctors. Houser is great at capturing the voices of the characters and giving them interesting things to say and do. She is great at creating worlds around them that feel interesting and lived in. And she's great at writing creative and enjoyable action sequences. Is A Tale of Two Time Lords super fun and enjoyable? Most definitely.
Roberta Ingranta's artwork throughout her run on the 13th Doctor comics has always been stellar. She has a true gift at capturing the likenesses and the spirits of the characters from the TV show while imbuing them (and the new characters created by Houser) with a lot of life. This remains true here as Ingranata is given the chance to play with iconic villains, like the Weeping Angels and the Autons, as well as with the 10th Doctor and with Martha. In both cases, Ingranata excels. Her artwork here is beautiful. She captures England in the 1960s extremely well, as well as capturing the overall atmosphere of Blink. Her depiction of the Weeping Angels is just as scary as you'd want them to be and her versions of the 10th Doctor and Martha are every bit as good as her versions of the 13th Doctor and her companions. As always, Ingranta's artwork adds a lot to the experience of reading a 13th Doctor comic and I love it.
At the end of the day, Doctor Who: A Tale of Two Time Lords is another great installment in the 13th Doctor's ongoing series at Titan Comics. It's a quick-paced, action-packed, really fun romp between two fan-favorite Doctors and their companions. Both Houser and Ingranata capture the spirits of these characters while propelling them into new and exciting adventures. The idea of setting a new story in the middle of an existing one is a great idea, and there's a lot of fun mined out of the fact that the audience knows exactly what's next for the 10th Doctor and Martha. I'm not sure what's next for the 13th Doctor comics, but I'm excited to see where they go from here.
wynnifer's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
peachiegina's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
epieza's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
emilywrayburn's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ros_lanta's review
4.5
I bought this on impulse and I'm glad I did. Set during one of my favourite episodes of the series, Blink, it has a really feel-good multi-Doctor storyline which I really enjoyed.
I'm not as sure about the artwork, some of the images did not look much like the characters (especially Yaz), and I question the decision to use edited photographs on the cover instead of art.
I'm not as sure about the artwork, some of the images did not look much like the characters (especially Yaz), and I question the decision to use edited photographs on the cover instead of art.
nwhyte's review against another edition
4.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3757907.html
I have been thoroughly enjoying the Thirteenth Doctor comics, perhaps even a little more than the TV show. Here Jody Houser brings the four-strong TARDIS crew to play a Rosencrantz-and-Guildenstern type role in the background of Blink, which remains for me the single best episode of New Who. The Thirteenth Doctor bonds with Martha Jones, and sheepishly realises the Tenth Doctor's emotional cluelessness; and the Tenth Doctor meanwhile is perturbed by three time-travelling strangers. There are Autons and a Time Agent as well, but who cares? It's immense fun just to see the characters actually doing something together, and wishing it could have been televised like this. (Though there are already rumours that Tennant will return for the 60th anniversary...)
I have been thoroughly enjoying the Thirteenth Doctor comics, perhaps even a little more than the TV show. Here Jody Houser brings the four-strong TARDIS crew to play a Rosencrantz-and-Guildenstern type role in the background of Blink, which remains for me the single best episode of New Who. The Thirteenth Doctor bonds with Martha Jones, and sheepishly realises the Tenth Doctor's emotional cluelessness; and the Tenth Doctor meanwhile is perturbed by three time-travelling strangers. There are Autons and a Time Agent as well, but who cares? It's immense fun just to see the characters actually doing something together, and wishing it could have been televised like this. (Though there are already rumours that Tennant will return for the 60th anniversary...)
ele_b's review against another edition
4.0
Martha was an icon and you can't convince me otherwise.
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I have a week point and that is these comics.
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I have a week point and that is these comics.
westerdrumlins's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
With this involving my favourite episode, Blink (also the origin of my username!), and my two favourite Doctors, I think I was always going to love this - the dialogue was excellent and referred back to the original episode but also to events that had occurred between the two Doctors' timelines. The line 'biological sex is flexible among my people [time lords], and gender is merely a social construct' was a special favourite!
Overall this was a very fun read and I'd be interested in picking up graphic novels following Ten and/or Thirteen again!
Overall this was a very fun read and I'd be interested in picking up graphic novels following Ten and/or Thirteen again!