With Doctor Who finally returning this past weekend with the premiere of Season 8, and the introduction of Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, a Doctor that is a drastic change from the recent ones that newer fans fell in love with. Nothing is wrong with a new, different Doctor, and I’m a fan, but if you’re still wanting a Doctor that’s a bit more lighthearted, energetic, and lack of a better word; goofy, then Titan Comics’ Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #2 is just what the doctor order (please excuse the intentional pun).
In my review for The Tenth Doctor #1 I said that the issue had a feeling not unlike the episode Blink, where the Doctor was more of a backup character. That’s not the case in issue #2, where the Tenth Doctor and his new friend Gabby are right in the thick of things as was seen in the final page of the first issue. The tone and feel in this issue is a big change from the previous issue where we were concentrating on Gabby and her family. That tone shift isn’t a bad thing, as we have the background for Gabby, and have moved on fluidly to a Gabby story to a Gabby and Doctor story (with the final page of the issue suggesting that issue 3 might shift to more of a Doctor heavy issue). While these shifts in focus and tone might make some raise an eyebrow, if you break down an episode of Doctor Who, especially episodes from the Davies era, like when we were first introduced to Martha, I think this overall opening story arc is going to have just that same feel.
This issue, while helping setup the alien enemy, also helps establish Gabby as a character that can handle herself, even being resourceful and finding ways out of a situation. She shows aspects that you can see will help lend to the Doctor taking her on as a companion, even after feeling he was done with companions after Donna. I think the writers are trying to throw in a few aspects of Rose and Donna into her character to not only help lend to what will convince to the Doctor to have her travel with him, but help readers that are familiar with his previous companions to see it as well.
She wants to know what’s going on, she wants answers. She wants to travel and wants to matter. She even calls the Doctor out telling him “You talk a lot, but I think you deliberately leave out important stuff…”. She’s not your run of the mill New York teenager, and while admitting she’s freaked out a bit, never blinks an eye when faced with other dimensional beings that feed off emotion, or that said beings were coming through a portal that was opened when the machines in her father’s laundromat are spinning.
The writers have also captured Tennant’s speech pattern nicely, a trend that hopefully continues to carry over. That was the biggest curiosity I had with this issue, to see if that same feeling of Davies/Tennent that I had with the first issue carried over to this one, and it certain has. Really helps on connecting with this book when you can read the book and have no trouble hearing Tennant’s voice saying the words. I actually this this connection helps with further connecting with the Gabby character. she already has the feel of a companion I would have been interested to have seen on screen.
The art has grown on me since the last issue, and actually knowing and understanding these Pranavorse actually lends me to have even more appreciation to the art. Where in the first issue I admitted that I couldn’t clearly determine what was happening in a panel, the story development in this issue actually helps give reason as to why I had such issues.
The issue ends with another cliffhanger, which I’m okay with, but would be just as okay with if they get away from that. Beyond that, I can’t say anything bad about the issue. I’m really enjoying the book with these first two issues, and I’ve never been a fan of comics that were based on characters from another medium, like movies or TV, but Titan Comics and their Doctor Who line is quickly changing my perspective on such things. Just like with the last issue, The Tenth Doctor #2 will not disappoint.
Bonus: Check out the alternate covers for the issue too!
