Script: Nick Adadzis
Art: Elena Casagrande (and others)
Colour: Arianna Florean (and others)
Letters: Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Andrew James
The Comic: The Eisner Award-winning Nick Abadzis (Laika) and fan-favourite Elena Casagrande (Angel, Suicide Risk, Doctor Who, Star Trek) take control of the TARDIS for their first five-issue arc with the Tenth Doctor, as played by David Tennant!
Gabriella Gonzalez is stuck in a dead-end job in her family’s New York Laundromat, dreaming of college and bigger, better and brighter things.
So when a strange man with an even stranger big blue box barges into her life on the eve of the Day of the Dead celebrations – talking about an infestation of psychic aliens – she seizes her chance for adventure with both hands.
After Donna’s tragic exit, the Doctor thought he was done with new companions. But Gabby Gonzalez is going to prove him wrong… if she survives the night!
Ganbriella’s father is about to get a nasty shock in Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1…
The Review: Writer Nick Abadzis packs a lot of character history for new companion Gabriella Gonzalez’s family into this first issue and slowly builds the threat the Tenth Doctor is trying to track down – revealed firstly through both off frame and then, with a fine eye on building suspense, in sudden, random appearances. As such it’s a very different type of story to the breakneck pace of the lighter Eleventh Doctor #1, but Nick makes clever use of comic storytelling to unnerve the reader as the issue builds to its climax and the worried Doctor finally meets Gabriella – and not in the best of circumstances.
Drawing very much of the traditional Doctor Who storytelling style of the early TV stories, Nick delivers an absorbing first issue, laying down numerous plot threads as the story goes. Despite the approach, Nick’s ear for dialogue and teenage angst, and his characterisation of the family about to face a threat they cannot possibly imagine, are all part of modern Who, and he pulls off a difficult balancing act with aplomb.
Art-wise, the storytelling is strong, but on the colouring side I’d have preferred a darker palette in some scenes to conjure more mood rather than the bright colours that are pretty much throughout the issue. It would have emphasised some scenes better, I feel.
Titan Comics have planned this new Doctor Who line long and hard and have chosen the creative talent on both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor books wisely. This is a strong, haunting start to the Tenth Doctor’s tales from the publisher.
• Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #1 is on sale in comic stores from 23rd July 2014
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Regular Comic from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Casagrande Variant Edition from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Photo Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Forbidden Planet Variant from Forbidden Planet (Signed)
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 SDCC 2014 Previews Exclusive Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Blank Cover Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Zhang Stark Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 DCUK Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Phantom Variant from Forbidden Planet
• Buy the Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor #1 Midtown Variant from Forbidden Planet
Other Reviews:
“Is this firework as climatic as I would have liked or have I let my anticipation run away with itself and instead of a memorable satisfying treat am I left with a cheap discount store sparkler? Well I’m more than overjoyed to say that the team involved in bringing the Tenth Doctor to these pages have got Doctor Who and this story spot on…” – Villordsutch
“The Tenth Doctor isn’t always an easy character to get right without the benefit of Tennant’s performance, but Abadzis does a fine job – the little aside about the President of Algeria is exactly the sort of thing you can see him wandering off on a tangent to discuss.” – Paul Simpson
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Doctor Who, Featured News, Reviews
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