Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor: Season Two #2

Written by: Jody Houser
Art by: Roberta Ingranata
Colors by: Enrica Eren Angiolini
Flats by: Shari Chankhamma
Lettered by: Richard Starkings & Sarah Hedrick
Published by: Titan Comics

Turns out when Weeping Angels sent the 10th Doctor and Martha back to 1969 London, he wasn't the only Time Lord in town. The 13th Doctor and crew have been brought to that same period by the TARDIS for reasons unknown, but the increase of mysterious happenings may point all parties to what they're looking for.

The 13th Doctor and her fam split up in this issue. The Doctor follows up her investigation of Martha Jones' new job and the others follow 10 as he conducts an investigation of his own. After the end of the previous issue, showing Martha’s coworker seemingly being caught by a Weeping Angel, the police are called to look into a burglary at the shop. That’s when Martha and 13 cross paths again and it leads to the two sitting down and having a chat (in a great scene). At the shop, we also get a small hint of some sinister stalkers following the pair. The hints of these enemies send an ambiance of suspense through the issue and is reminiscent of some episode of the series. Yaz, Graham, and Ryan spend the issue watching 10 from afar. 10 has built a wibbly wobbly timey wimey detector and is scanning for anything out of the ordinary in 1969 London. Of course, that includes the three time-hoppers who are trailing him (and the blue box they rode in on) so they must act before he discovers too much.

This issue was filled with character interactions, and all of them were so much fun to read. To say that Jody Houser has captured the voices of the characters and the tone of the series would be a vast understatement. This is the type of story that reminds fans of Doctor Who exactly what made them fall in love with it to begin with. The use of the history of the franchise and familiar faces will be a treat for anyone well-versed in it, but even without that knowledge, this is a wildly enjoyable book. It features everything loved about and done best in a DW story. There’s great humor, interesting sci-fi ideas, a hint of horror, time-traveling paradoxes, and of course, an awful lot of running. The ending of this issue is utterly fantastic, a bit frightening, and will have you ready for the next installment. Just don’t blink or you might miss it.

I’d like to take this review to praise the panel layouts of this series. They create great slides that make the book incredibly readable. A great amount of detail is fit into them and they're changed up frequently to give the book a fresh feeling each page. And, in those great slides are the great art of Roberta Ingranata. The character illustrations are often the best part of a panel. The design of the clothes, the captured physicality of the characters, and their facial features are all amazing. There’s a great balance of capturing the actors’ likenesses and weaving them into the art style (while keeping them immediately recognizable) that is done. The colors are also a treat. I’ve noted before, the way the coloring utilizes “lighting effects” in an eye-catching way, this issue continues to do that beautifully. There was a scene under the shade of trees that had the leave’s shadows dappled over the characters, creating a wonderfully sunny day atmosphere. Also, in plenty of other scenes, effects are used to bring a liveliness to this book that I don’t see in any other comic. The cohesion between the art and the coloring can’t be overstated. The way the shading matches the lines of the art feels like one person is responsible for both. The last, full-page, shot shows off everything I love about the art. It has great character art, the fashion is on point, the expressions are great, and the coloring and effects add another level to the scene.

This is can’t miss Doctor Who! It's everything great about the series, in a new and exciting story. The mystery is being handled perfectly, as are the characters and humor. And, the art is magnificent on every level. Pick up this book and go on a ride through space and time.