Moving right along then, let's take a look at the most release in Year Two of the adventures of the Twelfth Doctor. Skip straight to my comments at the end if you don't want to know certain aspects of the story, as there will be spoilers from this point on.
Twelfth Doctor # 2.10
"Playing House" Part 2. Writer George Mann. Artist: Rachael Stott
So in the previous issue, the Doctor and new companion Hattie found themselves in the windswept English countryside thanks to the TARDIS. Investigating an innocent-looking house they instead discovered that it was anything but normal. Trapped in a labyrinth of endless corridors and seemingly infinite rooms, the pair not only encountered distressed mum Holly, who had lost her entire family to the mysterious mansion, but also the ghost-like Spyrillites - temporal scavengers who feed on vortex energy. Following them to the heart of the structure, the Doctor uncovered the chilling reality - the house is really another TARDIS, and something is *very* wrong...
As this new issue opens we see the Spyrillites gorging themselves on the white globes of energy hanging from the Architecural Reconfiguration System - that giant tree-like machine we last saw in "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS". The Doctor interrogates Holly about her activities before she entered the house and everything went crazy, and deduces that she accidentally brought home the shell of a TARDIS disguised as an everyday object. Unfortunately this TARDIS is dying - leaking Artron energy everywhere and losing control of its internal dimensions. Instead of collapsing in on itself, the time ship has merged with the family home and is expanding exponentially. The immeasurable number of rooms will continue to spill out across the Earth until the planet implodes under the strain.
That all means nothing to Holly - she just wants to find her children. The Doctor tries to calm her down by saying that this TARDIS has them safe and will lead them to their location. Hattie figures out that means the cellar - that's what all those physic projections of running children in part one were for - but the way is locked and the countdown clock has chimed seven. Time is running out. Wooden doors are no match for an angry mother though and Holly kicks her way through to a maze of twisting stairways which eventually lead to a tearful reunion with her family.
Chatting to the two children, the Doctor learns that they know the way to the TARDIS console room (or "the new kitchen" as they call it). Following the kids through a dizzying array of ever more bizarre locations, everyone finally arrives in the vast control room as the clock chimes three - but a number of very corporeal looking Spyrillites are already there. While Hattie, Holly and her husband grapple hand-to-hand with the monsters, the Doctor attempts to reconfigure the TARDIS controls. As the battle appears to be lost, Hattie remembers the hugely signposted plot point from last issue and forces the Spyrillites back by throwing salt at them.
Thankfully the Doctor manages to reset the malfunctioning TARDIS long enough to separate it from the house and bring everything back to normal. The Spyrillites are gone and Holly's family are safe at last. Saying their goodbyes, the Doctor and Hattie rematerialise in space to see the poor lost TARDIS finally explode at the heart of a star. There is time for one last guitar jam session before Hattie is taken back to her home on The Twist. It appears it really was just one trip in time and space...
Okay... So it might seem that for a change I've skimmed lightly over the plot in this issue, but here's the first problem - I really haven't - that's pretty much all there is. Don't get me wrong, there are some interesting pieces for Rachael Stott to work her artistic magic on - and I'll come back to those later - but in story terms it's pretty weak and seems very rushed. Once again George Mann has let me down with his conclusion. I should know better by now.
Let's look at things in a bit more detail. Firstly there was no real sense of clear peril here. Yes the TARDIS was expanding and the clock was counting down - but to what? What exactly would have happened if it had reached zero? Supposedly the Earth was in peril from the ever-expanding TARDIS but would it have exploded suddenly as the clock struck it's final chime? It's all a bit muddled.
Secondly, to resolve the whole situation the Doctor has to do little more than punch a few buttons. Come on, when you've got the incalculable inconstant playground of the TARDIS to work with, surely there's a chance to come up with something more...original? You know...make something up? Add something new to our knowledge about how TARDIS's work?
Thirdly, whose ship was it anyway and why was it abandoned? Maybe the series writers are going to address this further down the line, but a throwaway question from the Doctor wouldn't have hurt to set things up. I'm also surprised that the Doctor just chose to destroy the malfunctioning TARDIS instead of investigating things further.
Finally the Spyrillites turned out to be completely ineffectual, scared off by a little salt which was conveniently available. Er.. and why did the console room develop into a second kitchen exactly? I know it merged with the families house somehow but it's a bit of a stretch. Surely I can't be the only one who is asking these kind of questions?
As far as the characters are concerned, the Doctor is his usual mercurial self and I have no problem with how he is portrayed, but Hattie walks off stage after having had zero chance at development - beyond repeatedly saying "Doctor, you make no sense". There is a hint that her story may not be completely over, but to be honest I've no great desire to see her again. On the positive side there is a nice undercurrent theme of how a mother's love for her family can drive her to overcome huge obstacles and Holly does come across as very strong willed.
Though I might be disappointed with the script, it's the complete opposite with the pictures. I raved about Rachael Stott's artwork last month and it's more superlatives this time. As I hoped, she makes the most of the setting to develop unusual panel designs and page layouts and produce some simply beautiful images. I defy anyone not to be impressed by the depiction of the giant console room with its mass of walkways rising from a pit of bizarre looking machinery worthy of Jack Kirby himself. You want variation in your TARDIS rooms? Rachael gives it to you in spades, with one simply stunning widescreen illustration showing a village street, crystal caves, a rose garden, a parade of shops and even a submarine. It's wonderful.
The Doctor is even more energetic than last issue. He constantly looks to be on the move, dashing from one place to the next, his body as active as his brain. If I have to pick one favourite image, it has to be the full page shot as he explains how the dying TARDIS is expanding - one hand on his hip and the other raised in the air, his eyes vibrant under those attack eyebrows. Conversely if I have one tiny criticism it's that the portrayal of Hattie seems a little inconsistent at times - but it's a minor flaw in an otherwise marvellous tapestry. I'm starting to wonder if Rachael might have her own Doctor Who story to tell someday, and what wonders she might produce as both writer and artist.
So the scores on the doors are probably 4 our of 10 with a must try harder for the story and an 8 out of 10 for the artwork. An interesting read let down by yet another too-swift resolution.
A quick glance at the variant covers reveals some fine penmanship from Mike Collins and Warren Pleece, but star billing goes to Mariano Laclaustra and his interpretation of Escher's famous "Hand With Reflecting Sphere". Mariano is back on interior art duties next time along with returning writer Robbie Morrison and apparently a new comics companion. Of course I'll be taking a look at that issue in next month's review.
Right I'm off. Don't forget about the audio version on the "TARDIS Library" podcast which you can listen to it at www.dwshow.net or download it to your mobile device via the usual iOS or Android apps. Please subscribe, share and support all the effort from my fellow presenters across all the shows we produce.
You can follow The Doctor Who Show on Twitter at @the DWshow or on Facebook at facebook.com/theDWshow. Finally the e-mail address is hello@the DWshow.net
If you have any specific comments about the blog, I'm always happy to chat on Twitter @livewire1221
Enjoy reading and remember - the owls are not what they seem...
Secondly, to resolve the whole situation the Doctor has to do little more than punch a few buttons. Come on, when you've got the incalculable inconstant playground of the TARDIS to work with, surely there's a chance to come up with something more...original? You know...make something up? Add something new to our knowledge about how TARDIS's work?
Thirdly, whose ship was it anyway and why was it abandoned? Maybe the series writers are going to address this further down the line, but a throwaway question from the Doctor wouldn't have hurt to set things up. I'm also surprised that the Doctor just chose to destroy the malfunctioning TARDIS instead of investigating things further.
Finally the Spyrillites turned out to be completely ineffectual, scared off by a little salt which was conveniently available. Er.. and why did the console room develop into a second kitchen exactly? I know it merged with the families house somehow but it's a bit of a stretch. Surely I can't be the only one who is asking these kind of questions?
As far as the characters are concerned, the Doctor is his usual mercurial self and I have no problem with how he is portrayed, but Hattie walks off stage after having had zero chance at development - beyond repeatedly saying "Doctor, you make no sense". There is a hint that her story may not be completely over, but to be honest I've no great desire to see her again. On the positive side there is a nice undercurrent theme of how a mother's love for her family can drive her to overcome huge obstacles and Holly does come across as very strong willed.
Though I might be disappointed with the script, it's the complete opposite with the pictures. I raved about Rachael Stott's artwork last month and it's more superlatives this time. As I hoped, she makes the most of the setting to develop unusual panel designs and page layouts and produce some simply beautiful images. I defy anyone not to be impressed by the depiction of the giant console room with its mass of walkways rising from a pit of bizarre looking machinery worthy of Jack Kirby himself. You want variation in your TARDIS rooms? Rachael gives it to you in spades, with one simply stunning widescreen illustration showing a village street, crystal caves, a rose garden, a parade of shops and even a submarine. It's wonderful.
The Doctor is even more energetic than last issue. He constantly looks to be on the move, dashing from one place to the next, his body as active as his brain. If I have to pick one favourite image, it has to be the full page shot as he explains how the dying TARDIS is expanding - one hand on his hip and the other raised in the air, his eyes vibrant under those attack eyebrows. Conversely if I have one tiny criticism it's that the portrayal of Hattie seems a little inconsistent at times - but it's a minor flaw in an otherwise marvellous tapestry. I'm starting to wonder if Rachael might have her own Doctor Who story to tell someday, and what wonders she might produce as both writer and artist.
So the scores on the doors are probably 4 our of 10 with a must try harder for the story and an 8 out of 10 for the artwork. An interesting read let down by yet another too-swift resolution.
A quick glance at the variant covers reveals some fine penmanship from Mike Collins and Warren Pleece, but star billing goes to Mariano Laclaustra and his interpretation of Escher's famous "Hand With Reflecting Sphere". Mariano is back on interior art duties next time along with returning writer Robbie Morrison and apparently a new comics companion. Of course I'll be taking a look at that issue in next month's review.
Right I'm off. Don't forget about the audio version on the "TARDIS Library" podcast which you can listen to it at www.dwshow.net or download it to your mobile device via the usual iOS or Android apps. Please subscribe, share and support all the effort from my fellow presenters across all the shows we produce.
You can follow The Doctor Who Show on Twitter at @the DWshow or on Facebook at facebook.com/theDWshow. Finally the e-mail address is hello@the DWshow.net
If you have any specific comments about the blog, I'm always happy to chat on Twitter @livewire1221
Enjoy reading and remember - the owls are not what they seem...