After the four issues, Doctor Who #12 concludes the “Sky Jacks” ark. This issue features very little sky, but it still holds its own weight and offers something reasonably satisfying for a four-part story.

The official description from IDW:

The big bad revealed at last! The yearlong mystery of the Hypothetic Gentleman and his identity has finally been unraveled by the Doctor, but is it too late to save himself, Clara and the other misplaced residents of “sky world”? Join us for the finale of “Sky Jacks” to find out!

This issue pretty much builds upon and follows where the last let off. It has a semi-cold opening that leads well into the current storyline. As for the ending itself, it’s the right mix of dialogue and action that suits Doctor Who. As stories go, it very much feels natural, yet it’s got that broader scope and setting that would otherwise be restrained by a TV budget.

Andy Diggle and Eddie Robson to be praised in their writing for this issue. It’s dialogue heavy, yet it doesn’t bore the reader. Part of this is because it’s very character central. Diggle and Robson get to the heart of the characters. For the Doctor, it’s the typical ‘last of the time lords’ complex whilst, for Clara, it’s a combination of youthful enthusiasm and the impossible girl’s faith in the Doctor. It very much grounds the story.

However, the art has it’s downsides. For the most part, it’s very good, with Andy Kuhn on pencils and Charlie Kirchoff on colors. My problem is the little details. The Doctor’s posture is often exaggerated; he’s nearly always pointing at something. One panel in particular just throws me off, though many probably won’t mind. Secondly, as cool as the intro is, I think it’s hard to capture Gallifrey during the war. The TV show is very careful on this area, it’s talked about poetically and lyrically throughout, but it’s something that’s very hard to match the expectations of fans. Still, it does do a decent job; although the writing helps as it very much reflects and ties into certain revelations from the last TV season.

4/5