When it comes to the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who fandom, he often gets overlooked as his tenure was really one appearance which was meant to be a series relaunch but became two , with the mini-episode “Night of the Doctor.” In his brief appearance in the series, he has left an indelible mark on the series, and the fandom worldwide, as his memory has not lived on as a squandered opportunity but what could have been. He ended up living on in individual stories published in novel, novella, short story and audio form. Now he finds his way onto the comics’ medium, with all the carefree charm his character is known for.

I personally loved the TV movie that Paul McGann’s Doctor was in, as he was not only a precursor to David Tennant’s and Matt Smith’s Doctor, but the first Doctor, we had seen, to show him in a lighter side. Up to this point, we had seen just how Doctor can be dark and brooding, as this man was only responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey. He was also a man who was a grizzled veteran of the Time War, which the later Doctors used to show the complexity of the titular character. It was not until the Eighth Doctor, that we see how the Doctor was before any threat of war and exactly the type of man he was before heading off to any of his cannon changing adventures.

Within the first adventure, we catch up with the Doctor, after he had been traversing the universe alone for a long while at this point. He finds a squatter named Josie living in his house, which had been abandoned for a few decades, and soon finds that she is partly responsible for the troubles currently hovering the quaint village the cottage is in. Soon both of them find out that the subjects of her paintings have come alive and are attacking villagers. He ultimately saves the day in true Doctor Who fashion, while gaining a new companion in the process.

Overall, an interesting premise which captures the essence of Paul McGann’s portrayal of the Doctor, but it does come off flat for a debut. The story by George Mann seems hurried, as though he felt a need to capture the quirks of the other Doctors to make him more interesting. The art by Emma Vieceli, seems to be the bright spot on this story, as they bring the 8^Th Doctor in a new light. Altogether, I believe this miniseries has promise, none of which reveals itself in the first issue.

Story: George Mann Art: Emma Vieceli
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review