ADVANCE REVIEW! Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1

The Ninth Doctor is finally back! But is this the return that fans have been hoping for? Or is it just not befitting the character? Read on to find out.

The official description from Titan:

BRAND-NEW 5-PART MINI-SERIES STARRING THE NINTH DOCTOR AS PLAYED BY CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON!

WRITTEN BY THE CO-AUTHOR OF BESTSELLING ‘WHO-OLOGY’, CAVAN SCOTT!
The Ninth Doctor is BACK with a brand-new miniseries: WEAPONS OF PAST DESTRUCTION!

Leaving World War II behind, The Ninth Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack discover that Time Lord technology, lost in the wake of the Time War, is being sold on the intergalactic black market!

Now the threat of a NEW temporal war brews on the horizon. Can the Doctor stop history repeating itself?​

It’s been ten whole years since we last saw the Ninth Doctor, but finally the fan favourite incarnation is back. Yes, it’s not Christopher Eccleston himself playing the role on television, but as Titan have proven over the last year, their comic expansion is a wonderful way to travel with these former Doctors. Having a quick fire pace, Weapons of Past Destruction sees the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack travel to the Excroth System, where they find things aren’t quite as the Doctor expected.

The script for this mini-series is handled by Who-ology co-writer, Cavan Scott, and the first thing that is evident is his knowledge of these characters. Between the witty, brash way that the Doctor acts, to Rose’s curious mindset, the writer has the personalities of these characters, with the fast paced tempo feeling natural. The introduction of new foes does on the other hand leave me in two minds, as though it’s always nice to see creativity, they don’t feel suited next to the other villains that featured in the Ninth Doctor’s one and only series.

Blair Shedd‘s artwork is nothing short of amazing, with the wonderful way in which the artist captures the likeness of these well known characters, captivating throughout. It is on the other hand the way he captures the Ninth Doctor’s personality that impressed most, with the mixture of serious and humorous emotions allowing for great depth. Shedd also generates wonderful energy through his layouts, and alongside the eye catching scenery, it more than helped bring Scott’s tale to life. In addition to this, the artist also delivers marvellous colours, as though the overuse of highlights takes away slightly from the realism, the sleek texture more than makes up.

To steal a phrase from the Ninth Doctor, this comic was, “Fantastic!” Reuniting us with fan favourite characters, as well as delivering a wonderful tale, Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 is a fabulous read, and one that all Whovians should pick up.