I managed to scrape a few dollars together and grab the first issue of a comic series that I am VERY excited for and that is the 50th Anniversary comic Prisoners of Time. There is no better time to be a fan of Doctor Who as the legendary TV show makes its 50th anniversary of coming on our TVs on November 23rd later this year. To celebrate that IDW has begun publishing a 12 issue series called Prisoners of Time, every month the issue will be about one of the Doctors incarnations (first issue First Doctor, second issue Second Doctor, and so on) until we get to Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor, and then, I’m assuming, issue twelve will be the 11 Doctors coming together to stop whatever it is that is happening from succeeding. So with that let’s get to my review!
WARNING: PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THESE COMICS THIS POST MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS OF THE COMIC BEING REVIEWED!
Comic: Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time Issue 1
Publisher: IDW
Authors: Scott & David Tipton
Artists: Simon Fraser & Gary Caldwell
A mysterious man in a cloak is looking at a computer screen that has all of The Doctor’s faces on them, he gives us a vague idea of what his plans are and those seem to be making The Doctor’s companions disappear in order to do…something. Menwhile we catch up with The First Doctor and his companions Barbra, Ian, and Vicki show up in 1868 London to hear Thomas Huxley give a lecture, after his lecture they meet with The Doctor’s friend and find out that a few of Huxley’s students have gone missing, naturally The Doctor and his companions join Mr. Huxley and a few of his other students in attempting to find the missing students. As they head into the depths of the London Underground (still under construction), they are abducted by a giant ant race, the Zarbi, who they soon discover are under the control of a being known as The Animus. After they solve the issue at hand The Doctor realizes that there is no way that The Animus could have showed up on Earth of its own accord and that something must have helped it get there. When he turns to Ian, Barbra, and Vicki to ask them their thoughts he sees that they have disappeared.
This book takes place probably somewhere in season 2 or 3 and but after the fifth story, “The Web Planet” of the 2nd season. In “The Web Planet” The Doctor, Ian, Barbra, and Vicki come face to face with The Animus for the first time as it is controlling the Zarbi and this is where they meet these creatures for the first time. That is all you really need to know before reading this comic if you haven’t watched any of the original Doctor Who series.
I’ve always had a problem with the art in Doctor Who comics, usually it is not that great and quite often it is really bad. My only complaint with this comic is that for the most part the characters have no definition to their looks, you can definitely see William Hartnell in The Doctor but in his companions they just don’t look or feel right. The story is very gripping and as a massive Whovian already I’m hooked on this series, anything that will bring all 11 Doctors together I’m good with.
I’m very interested to see where this story is going and what this robed figure has planned for all 11 Doctors. This series will go from January to December of this year in celebration of the 50th, and I’m very excited to watch as this story unfolds. Come back next month as I look at issue two with Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor and we shall see how this story continues to unfold.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time: 8/10
***
In personal news I have a job again finally! That means soon I shall be caught up on my comics and be reviewing actively again. I can’t wait to get back to regular reviews and I hope you will continue to join me!
Like The Ubiquitous Gentlemen on Facebook.
Follow Nathan on Twitter @Nait93.
The Ubiquitous Gentlemen 