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Doctor Who Magazine Comic Collections #21
Doctor Who: The Eye of Torment
Collected Twelfth Doctor Comic Strips — Volume 1
By popular demand! A new collection of comic strip adventures of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, as portrayed by Peter Capaldi, from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine!
This volume collects together comic strips featuring the current Doctor, as played on TV by Peter Capaldi, alongside his companion Clara, played by Jenna Coleman. Includes a wealth of exclusive, brand new material revealing how the strips were created, featuring contributions and commentary from the writers and artists.
The collection contains three adventures:
The Eye of Torment
The Instruments of War
Blood and Ice
PLUS! An adventure starring the Paternoster Gang – Vastra, Jenny and Strax:
The Crystal Throne
By popular demand! A new collection of comic strip adventures of the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, as portrayed by Peter Capaldi, from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine!
This volume collects together comic strips featuring the current Doctor, as played on TV by Peter Capaldi, alongside his companion Clara, played by Jenna Coleman. Includes a wealth of exclusive, brand new material revealing how the strips were created, featuring contributions and commentary from the writers and artists.
The collection contains three adventures:
The Eye of Torment
The Instruments of War
Blood and Ice
PLUS! An adventure starring the Paternoster Gang – Vastra, Jenny and Strax:
The Crystal Throne
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2015
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About the author
Scott Gray
113 books16 followersScott Gray, born Warwick Gray, is a comic book writer from New Zealand who lives and works in the UK.
There is more than one author with this name
There is more than one author with this name
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
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June 23, 2017As we near the end of Capaldi’s one good season, a reminder of how much of his time was wasted through pairing him with the worst companion in Doctor Who’s five decades and many media. The notes at the back explain how, for the first story, they’d not even seen the Twelfth on TV yet (beyond that eyebrows preview, of course) when it began publication, let alone when it was written or drawn, so it leans heavily on Smuggy McSmugface, up against monsters which have lain dormant in the Sun and feed on regret. In a sense I saw the end coming – though sadly it’s not Clara’s own iron self-regard which defeats them, but that of tycoon Rudy Zoom, possibly the one sentient life form more up himself than she is (imagine Lenny Henry playing a hybrid of Kanye and Steve Jobs). Still, for all that they only had scripts to work with, it’s great (for a given value of the word) how they capture the way Cockroach Girl wasn’t just insufferable in herself, but was also the cause of insufferability in others – wasn’t the Twelfth just so much less likeable when he was mugging at her, instead of working with a decent companion like Bill, River, Nardole, or literally anyone else?
The second story's a marked improvement, if only because she does less. It starts out with some nice visual gags, and moves on to a pretty good character study of Rommel, before (as is so often the way with modern semi-historicals) getting derailed by the aliens, here that old standby the Rutan-Sontaran war. Alas, after that it's right back into the belly of the beast. Now, remember how at the end of her first season, which should have wrapped up her story and got rid of the ghastly creature, it was revealed that the Unbearable Girl had been splintered through time to save the Doctor over and over, dying in the process each time? To be fair, it was one of the few half-decent stories of her era, and not just because of the prospect of her dying lots (including, as far as I'm concerned, as Adric - the second most annoying companion, and surely one of her splinters in a wig). But I do not need a story exploring that further, where Cockroach Girl Prime meets a splinter even more annoying than she is who's refusing to do her duty. I mean, The Two Doctors was pretty bad, but it has nothing on The Two Claras for sheer 'why?'.
Mercifully, the last story here (though initially it was published before any of the others) takes away the nasty taste, with Vastra, Jenny and Strax fighting something nasty in the Crystal Palace. The site of which, for bonus appeal, was where I began reading it.
The second story's a marked improvement, if only because she does less. It starts out with some nice visual gags, and moves on to a pretty good character study of Rommel, before (as is so often the way with modern semi-historicals) getting derailed by the aliens, here that old standby the Rutan-Sontaran war. Alas, after that it's right back into the belly of the beast. Now, remember how at the end of her first season, which should have wrapped up her story and got rid of the ghastly creature, it was revealed that the Unbearable Girl had been splintered through time to save the Doctor over and over, dying in the process each time? To be fair, it was one of the few half-decent stories of her era, and not just because of the prospect of her dying lots (including, as far as I'm concerned, as Adric - the second most annoying companion, and surely one of her splinters in a wig). But I do not need a story exploring that further, where Cockroach Girl Prime meets a splinter even more annoying than she is who's refusing to do her duty. I mean, The Two Doctors was pretty bad, but it has nothing on The Two Claras for sheer 'why?'.
Mercifully, the last story here (though initially it was published before any of the others) takes away the nasty taste, with Vastra, Jenny and Strax fighting something nasty in the Crystal Palace. The site of which, for bonus appeal, was where I began reading it.
December 10, 2015
This book collects the first three Twelfth Doctor story lines from Doctor Who Magazine as a two part story featuring the Paternoster gang.
The Eye of Torment is a classic base under siege story with the Dhoctor and Clara arriving aboard a ship sailing across the sun with an all-female crew hired by the ship's male owner who wants to be the "first man" to complete the task. Overall, this is a fun story with an intriguing villain and a humorous solution. Grade: B
Instruments of War: The Doctor meets Rommell. Rommell, as a loyal German who wasn't a Nazi, and would later try to kill Hitler, is a fascinating character and this story did hupim justice. We also have a visit from an old group of enemies. Overall, a wonderful tale. Grade: B+
Blood and Ice: Clara and the Doctor go to Antarctica where there are mysterious goings on. Said goings on are weird but some typical. What makes this story special is that the idea from, "Name of the Doctor" is revisited with the splinter Claras spread throughout time and space as she meets a splinter. Interesting plot and some fantastic Antarctic artwork, particularly the last splash. Grade: B+
The Crystal Palace: A two parter starring the Paternoster gang and made to fill the time between the eleventh and twelfth Doctor. The plot involves nefarious goings on at the Crystal palace and is a solid but not spectacular plot, ,really lifted by the artwork. Grade: B
Overall, these are all solid stories. What hurts them is that it's clear the writers are struggling just as much as many in the audience were to get a grasp on Capaldi's Doctor and there were moments which seemed to lack some of the nuances or interesting twists Capaldi put in. Still despite that, this was a solid installment.
The Eye of Torment is a classic base under siege story with the Dhoctor and Clara arriving aboard a ship sailing across the sun with an all-female crew hired by the ship's male owner who wants to be the "first man" to complete the task. Overall, this is a fun story with an intriguing villain and a humorous solution. Grade: B
Instruments of War: The Doctor meets Rommell. Rommell, as a loyal German who wasn't a Nazi, and would later try to kill Hitler, is a fascinating character and this story did hupim justice. We also have a visit from an old group of enemies. Overall, a wonderful tale. Grade: B+
Blood and Ice: Clara and the Doctor go to Antarctica where there are mysterious goings on. Said goings on are weird but some typical. What makes this story special is that the idea from, "Name of the Doctor" is revisited with the splinter Claras spread throughout time and space as she meets a splinter. Interesting plot and some fantastic Antarctic artwork, particularly the last splash. Grade: B+
The Crystal Palace: A two parter starring the Paternoster gang and made to fill the time between the eleventh and twelfth Doctor. The plot involves nefarious goings on at the Crystal palace and is a solid but not spectacular plot, ,really lifted by the artwork. Grade: B
Overall, these are all solid stories. What hurts them is that it's clear the writers are struggling just as much as many in the audience were to get a grasp on Capaldi's Doctor and there were moments which seemed to lack some of the nuances or interesting twists Capaldi put in. Still despite that, this was a solid installment.
June 19, 2016
Comics from the Dr Who magazine - It was good, because you have four stories altogether and you don't have to wait... They are good Dr Who stories... Recommended...
January 8, 2018
DWM's arcs have been getting increasingly weak in recent years, still it was disappointing to have essentially no arc in this volume, other than Clara's desire to see snow. On the hand, it's great to see Twelve on the comic page.
The Eye of Torment (477-480). A great intro for Twelve. The Doctor-less issue that leads things off is a terrific bit of plotting, even if it was done for pragmatic reasons. Otherwise, Gray gives us a fun setting, terrific baddies, and lost of folks that we care about, all in a short amount of space. There's a lot of folks here that I'd like to see back in the future, showing how strong the story is! [7/10]
The Instruments of War (481-483). This is a pretty typical story. Historical setting (check: Africa in WW2). Classic villain (check). World-ending problem (check). The only innovation is that two of the Nazis are presented quite favorably. And Twelve comes across OK, though it feels like it takes the author a few issues to get him right [6/10].
Blood and Ice (485-488). The TV show has done an awful job of remembering that Clara is the Impossible Girl. That's why this comic is great: it returns to the idea of her splintering through time, and gives her the chance to interact with one of her splinters. The result is everything you'd desire. There's also some nice touchback on The Tenth Planet, but it doesn't get fully explored, and the plot is silly. But it's the Clara bits that really make this story shine [8+/10].
The Crystal Throne (475-476). I thought that the Vastra Gang got overused in the 2013-2014 time frame, and so I wasn't thrilled to see this spotlight on them ... but it turns out to be pretty enjoyable. Gray really captures their characters, offers a bit of fun, and gives them a fun romp [7/10].
The Eye of Torment (477-480). A great intro for Twelve. The Doctor-less issue that leads things off is a terrific bit of plotting, even if it was done for pragmatic reasons. Otherwise, Gray gives us a fun setting, terrific baddies, and lost of folks that we care about, all in a short amount of space. There's a lot of folks here that I'd like to see back in the future, showing how strong the story is! [7/10]
The Instruments of War (481-483). This is a pretty typical story. Historical setting (check: Africa in WW2). Classic villain (check). World-ending problem (check). The only innovation is that two of the Nazis are presented quite favorably. And Twelve comes across OK, though it feels like it takes the author a few issues to get him right [6/10].
Blood and Ice (485-488). The TV show has done an awful job of remembering that Clara is the Impossible Girl. That's why this comic is great: it returns to the idea of her splintering through time, and gives her the chance to interact with one of her splinters. The result is everything you'd desire. There's also some nice touchback on The Tenth Planet, but it doesn't get fully explored, and the plot is silly. But it's the Clara bits that really make this story shine [8+/10].
The Crystal Throne (475-476). I thought that the Vastra Gang got overused in the 2013-2014 time frame, and so I wasn't thrilled to see this spotlight on them ... but it turns out to be pretty enjoyable. Gray really captures their characters, offers a bit of fun, and gives them a fun romp [7/10].
August 21, 2019
I've followed the 'Doctor Who Magazine' comic strip for many years - it's probably my single favourite of all the various spin-off media - but I'd stopped regularly reading the magazine by the time Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor appeared. So I'm catching up with his incarnation's adventures in comics for the first time in collected format. This is a really nice collection, containing four stories. 'The Eye of Torment' introduces the Twelfth Doctor in a great futuristic runaround in the best tradition of the TV series, with some cracking monsters. 'The Instruments of War' sees the Doctor and Clara embroiled with Rommel and the Sontarans during WWII. 'Blood and Ice' is a story with big implications for Clara, when she and the Doctor run into a familiar face in an Antarctic base where some deeply unethical experiments are happening. Finally, 'The Crystal Throne' is a fun Doctorless adventure for 'the Paternoster Gang' of Vastra, Strax and Jenny. All really good, though it's Jacqueline Rayner's 'Blood and Ice' that's the standout for me, doing a great job of extrapolating and building on a concept that the TV series never quite managed to make the most of. The artwork in this collection from Martin Geraghty, Mike Collins and David A. Roach is excellent, with some really nice imagery and very good likenesses of the Doctor and Clara, and the now-customary commentary chapter at the end of the book is filled with interesting information about the creation of these stories. All in all, a very strong start indeed for the Twelfth Doctor.
February 3, 2023
The twelfth Doctor has epic adventures on the sun and on the ice. The story where the Doctor teams up with Nazis had a slightly odd "aren't we all as bad as each other?" vibe, but overall this was good fun. Felt very glamorous and big budget with its bright colours, top-notch artwork and full-bleed printing, plus an actual tv companion. Nice to know I've another four Capaldi books to go.
As ever, the commentary at the back makes working on the strip sound like a fairly miserable experience, all wasted work and impossible deadlines, due to the need to work around the show and not duplicate or anticipate its storylines.
It left me wondering who this chap was talking about: "There are plenty of men in the media spotlight who are oh-so keen to display their feminist credentials at every possible opportunity, but get them behind closed doors and they're as sexist as Alan Partridge on a stag weekend."
As ever, the commentary at the back makes working on the strip sound like a fairly miserable experience, all wasted work and impossible deadlines, due to the need to work around the show and not duplicate or anticipate its storylines.
It left me wondering who this chap was talking about: "There are plenty of men in the media spotlight who are oh-so keen to display their feminist credentials at every possible opportunity, but get them behind closed doors and they're as sexist as Alan Partridge on a stag weekend."
December 29, 2018
A good first set of Twelfth Doctor stories from Doctor Who Magazine. The titular story, the best of the four in my opinion, does a surprisingly good job of capturing Twelve's personality, considering that much of it was written before he first appeared. (There's still a bit of Eleven in there, mainly in the athleticism, but it's not a deal-breaker.) The Instruments of War is a solid take on some classic foes, with Rommel for good measure. Blood and Ice is a bit of a letdown as far as its crisis, but makes up for that with a really interesting twist involving Clara (one the actual show never thought to address). The Crystal Throne is a fun non-Doctor story featuring Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. This collection is definitely worth picking up for fans of the era. (B+)
August 11, 2021
Not every Doctor Who fan likes either the 12th Doctor or Clara; I happen to like both of them. As for the stories featured in this collection, some of them feature references to some of the TV episodes. This collection also features one of favorite comic strips; "Blood and Ice", featuring an alternate version of Clara called Winnie. The meeting of these two is a shock to both of them. It was nice to revisit the plot point of "the impossible girl" and to have the story set at the former Snowcap Base featured in the Tenth Planet.
August 28, 2019
A collection of Twelfth Doctor stories from Doctor Who Magazine. The art is wonderful and the stories interesting, with a look at Clara's splinters explored more than there is time for in the television series and the terrifying monsters from the title story. An enjoyable read that captures the era well and even includes a bonus story focusing on the Paternoster gang who enjoy a more ruthless angle than the Doctor.
December 26, 2017
The first couple of stories aren't that good, but the last few are really good, especially the Vastra story. Additionally, the story Blood and Ice was really spot on, since I watched the Christmas Special last night, and like the comic story, it had lots of callbacks to Tenth Planet.
April 14, 2019
A fun mix of tales that could easily have been episodes from the television series. And I’m always up for more Paternoster Gang! Too bad this collection’s size makes it awkward to tote about and most likely deters people from picking it off our library shelves.
August 13, 2018
3.5. A nice way to get a Doctor Who fix in between seasons!
August 2, 2024
I loveddd this comic as a kid
August 29, 2025
The Eye of Torment - 5/5
The Instruments of War - 3/5
Blood and Ice - 5/5
The Crystal Throne - 2/5
The Instruments of War - 3/5
Blood and Ice - 5/5
The Crystal Throne - 2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2015
I really loved seeing more of Clara's echoes and the closure on that. Also, the mini adventure with the Paternoster Gang was awesome!
September 15, 2016
The comic version of Capaldi's 1st season as the doctor is better than his 1st season on tv
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews