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Doctor Who: Prisoner of Time #1-3
Doctor Who Archives: Prisoners of Time
Doctor Who Prisoners of Time Omnibus celebrates the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who with a twelve-part tribute to one of the most beloved heroes of all time. Follow the first 11 incarnations of the intrepid traveler on an epic adventure as he explores time and space with fan-favorite companions, and comes face to face with some of the galaxy's deadliest foes! Featuring the complete Prisoners of Time story arc, as well as a stunning cover gallery, this is a must-have addition to any Whovian's Doctor Who collection!
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
February 14, 2016
This collection contains all the volumes of the 50th Anniversary comic series "Prisoner of Time" published by Titan Comics. There are 12 volumes, one for each Doctor at the time and one to wrap up the storyline. So each section concentrates upon one Doctor and his companions, each telling a little story and then his companions get kidnapped. Who is kidnapping the Doctor's companions and why?
Each story is a new writer and illustrator team and so the quality of stories differ throughout. You can get corkers like the Second Doctor story and stinkers like the Fourth Doctor story. But even the stinkers aren't too bad. On average they are better quality than the short story enterprise by BBC books. There were some true stinkers in that lot with only a few gems.
But overall it is a fun anniversary type story. Nothing new or innovative here, just clean Doctor Who fun. There are a few references to episodes, lots of returning villains and friends. A great way for a fan to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Each story is a new writer and illustrator team and so the quality of stories differ throughout. You can get corkers like the Second Doctor story and stinkers like the Fourth Doctor story. But even the stinkers aren't too bad. On average they are better quality than the short story enterprise by BBC books. There were some true stinkers in that lot with only a few gems.
But overall it is a fun anniversary type story. Nothing new or innovative here, just clean Doctor Who fun. There are a few references to episodes, lots of returning villains and friends. A great way for a fan to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.
March 2, 2021
8.6/10
Geronimo!! Allons-y! Fantastic!. Reverse the polarity. Would you like a jelly-baby? Bowties are cool!!!
Does any of those phrases make you feel happy, excited or give you the chills? Well then, hello there fellow Whovian, you're going to love this graphic novel. Now if you are not familiar with the Doctor, i suggest you stop reading this review and go watch the show right now. Im telling you, its going to be a hell of a ride.
In "Prisoners of time" we have eleven stories about 11 Doctors and one great finale ( does it count as a spoiler saying that the end is great? hope not ). Each and every story is an emotional trip, which is logical since you see all the familiar faces again. The reason this graphic novel works so well, is the fantastic work of the writers on each characters personality. They really bring them back to life...and that is priceless.
This have definitely add to my pile of good things.
Geronimo!! Allons-y! Fantastic!. Reverse the polarity. Would you like a jelly-baby? Bowties are cool!!!
Does any of those phrases make you feel happy, excited or give you the chills? Well then, hello there fellow Whovian, you're going to love this graphic novel. Now if you are not familiar with the Doctor, i suggest you stop reading this review and go watch the show right now. Im telling you, its going to be a hell of a ride.
In "Prisoners of time" we have eleven stories about 11 Doctors and one great finale ( does it count as a spoiler saying that the end is great? hope not ). Each and every story is an emotional trip, which is logical since you see all the familiar faces again. The reason this graphic novel works so well, is the fantastic work of the writers on each characters personality. They really bring them back to life...and that is priceless.
This have definitely add to my pile of good things.
October 12, 2015
Prisoners of time was… fantastic!
Καθώς διαβάζεις τα 12 τεύχη της γραφικής νουβέλας νιώθεις λες και βλέπεις μια ολοκληρωμένη σαιζόν Doctor Who.Έτσι όπως στη τηλεοπτική σειρά υπάρχουν ανάμεσα στα τιτανομεγιστα και μαγευτικά επεισόδια κάθε σαιζόν καναδυο τεύχη με βαρετό περιεχόμενο και μετρίους κακούς ,έτσι και στο κόμικς τα περισσότερα τεύχη είναι άκρως συναρπαστικά ενώ ανάμεσα τους αντιπαραβάλλονται και μερικά κάπως μονότονα. Μάλιστα το τελευταίο τεύχος προσομοιάζει με τα εντυπωσιακά season finale που μας έχει συνηθίσει η σειρά. Το τεράστιο πλεονέκτημα όμως της γραφικής νουβέλας είναι πως μπορείς να δεις 11 ενσαρκώσεις του Doctor (δυστυχώς απουσιάζουν από το story ο 12th Doctor και ο War Doctor γιατί το κόμικς γράφτηκε για τα πεντηκοστά γενέθλια της σειράς πριν βγει το Day of the Doctor)να παίρνουν μέρος σε μια κοινή περιπέτεια κάτι που είναι δυστυχώς αδύνατο να γίνει στη σειρά(ίσως στο μέλλον αν το cgi εξελιχτεί ακόμα περισσότερο). Βέβαια όπως κάθε σαιζόν Doctor Who o main villain της συγκεκριμένης ιστορίας ,μια μυστηριώδης φιγούρα που ανατρέχει στο (όχι και τόσο μακρινό) παρελθόν του Doctor,την ταυτότητα του οποίου καταφέρνει να διατηρήσει επιτυχημένα κρυφή μέχρι τα τελευταία τεύχη ο συγγραφέας, είναι ένας αντίπαλος αντάξιος του ήρωα. Και σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό ο συγκεκριμένος κακός συμμαχεί με ποιον άλλον από τον Master, την αρχινέμεσις του Doctor! Αν όμως είναι πρακτικά αδύνατο να κερδίσεις τον Doctor μόνο του σκεφτείτε τι έχει να συμβεί όταν συνεργαστούν και οι 11 ενσαρκώσεις του.
Το κύριο σώμα όμως της ιστορίας αναφέρεται στη σχέση του Doctor με τους Companions του και εμβαθύνει στην σημασία που έχουν αυτοί για αυτόν καθώς και στην αλληλεπίδραση που έχει ο ένας στη ζωή του άλλου. Επίσης συμπάθησα πολύ τον Frobisher, έναν Companion τον οποίο θα ήθελα να φέρουν κάποια στιγμή στο μέλλον και στη σειρά!
Το Prisoners of Time αποτελεί σίγουρα ένα must read για κάθε Whovian! Οπότε τι περιμένετε;Allons-y!
Σς:Πόσο γαμάτο να βλέπω για άλλη μια φορά τον raggedy Doctor(personal favorite) ξανά σε δράση!
Καθώς διαβάζεις τα 12 τεύχη της γραφικής νουβέλας νιώθεις λες και βλέπεις μια ολοκληρωμένη σαιζόν Doctor Who.Έτσι όπως στη τηλεοπτική σειρά υπάρχουν ανάμεσα στα τιτανομεγιστα και μαγευτικά επεισόδια κάθε σαιζόν καναδυο τεύχη με βαρετό περιεχόμενο και μετρίους κακούς ,έτσι και στο κόμικς τα περισσότερα τεύχη είναι άκρως συναρπαστικά ενώ ανάμεσα τους αντιπαραβάλλονται και μερικά κάπως μονότονα. Μάλιστα το τελευταίο τεύχος προσομοιάζει με τα εντυπωσιακά season finale που μας έχει συνηθίσει η σειρά. Το τεράστιο πλεονέκτημα όμως της γραφικής νουβέλας είναι πως μπορείς να δεις 11 ενσαρκώσεις του Doctor (δυστυχώς απουσιάζουν από το story ο 12th Doctor και ο War Doctor γιατί το κόμικς γράφτηκε για τα πεντηκοστά γενέθλια της σειράς πριν βγει το Day of the Doctor)να παίρνουν μέρος σε μια κοινή περιπέτεια κάτι που είναι δυστυχώς αδύνατο να γίνει στη σειρά(ίσως στο μέλλον αν το cgi εξελιχτεί ακόμα περισσότερο). Βέβαια όπως κάθε σαιζόν Doctor Who o main villain της συγκεκριμένης ιστορίας ,μια μυστηριώδης φιγούρα που ανατρέχει στο (όχι και τόσο μακρινό) παρελθόν του Doctor,την ταυτότητα του οποίου καταφέρνει να διατηρήσει επιτυχημένα κρυφή μέχρι τα τελευταία τεύχη ο συγγραφέας, είναι ένας αντίπαλος αντάξιος του ήρωα. Και σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό ο συγκεκριμένος κακός συμμαχεί με ποιον άλλον από τον Master, την αρχινέμεσις του Doctor! Αν όμως είναι πρακτικά αδύνατο να κερδίσεις τον Doctor μόνο του σκεφτείτε τι έχει να συμβεί όταν συνεργαστούν και οι 11 ενσαρκώσεις του.
Το κύριο σώμα όμως της ιστορίας αναφέρεται στη σχέση του Doctor με τους Companions του και εμβαθύνει στην σημασία που έχουν αυτοί για αυτόν καθώς και στην αλληλεπίδραση που έχει ο ένας στη ζωή του άλλου. Επίσης συμπάθησα πολύ τον Frobisher, έναν Companion τον οποίο θα ήθελα να φέρουν κάποια στιγμή στο μέλλον και στη σειρά!
Το Prisoners of Time αποτελεί σίγουρα ένα must read για κάθε Whovian! Οπότε τι περιμένετε;Allons-y!
Σς:Πόσο γαμάτο να βλέπω για άλλη μια φορά τον raggedy Doctor(personal favorite) ξανά σε δράση!
May 3, 2017
3.5/5.
+1 An engaging plot featuring all Doctors from the First to the Eleventh and many of their companions. Also, I personally really like the timey-wimey-ness involving different incarnations meeting one another.
+1 The usual Whovian moral integrity in most stories
+1 Feels I wasn't expecting! The story revolves around Adam Mitchell's life after the Doctor refused to further travel with him, and his desire to get revenge (the Master also makes an appearance). At the end,
+1 Quite a lot of female companions make an appearance. Some of them are reasonably proactive: Zoe opens security locks effortlessly in the Second Doctor story; Liz Shaw and Sarah-Jane rescue the Third Doctor and the Brigadier from drowning; Peri Brown (alongside Frobisher) helps get the Sixth Doctor out of an institution he's been trapped in; Ace helps defeat the Master's allies in the Seventh Doctor story; Grace Holloway actively seeks to free an enslaved people in the Eight Doctor story.
but
-1 Others don't really do that much: Barbara and Susan get hipnotized in the First Doctor story and regrettably don't do much else, leaving the action to Ian; Rose Tyler in the Ninth Doctor story is mainly the focus of an Entitled Creep masquerading as a 'tall and dark stranger' (good thing is she doesn't buy it in the slightest, but still); Nyssa and Tegan hardly affect the plot in the Fifth Doctor story (to be fair, neither does male companion Adric); Martha Jones is simply recruited as an actress in a Hollywood production and then captured in the Tenth Doctor story; Clara Oswald barely makes an appearance before being captured.
-1 All companions get stunned and captured as part of the story-arc, but the female companions are nearly always shown as being carried away unconscious, damsel-in-distress style, in the arms of the antagonist. No male companion, such as Rory, Ian Chesterton or Jamie McCrimmon, is shown getting captured in this way.
-1 Objectification: A couple of the companions are sadly heavily sexualized in this comic story. The most glaring example is Leela, who is very much a Wonder-Woman-like character who 'kicks ass' while stuck with a ridiculously sexualized loincloth, so apparently the Patriarchy and neoliberal 'feminism' tells me it's all OK and 'empowered' and it shouldn't be bothering me :/ (Spoiler alert: It DOES). The Fourth Doctor story was very cringeworthy to read in that respect, and my least favourite. Really grating to see loincloth-Leela alongside the never-sexualized Fourth Doctor.
Other grating moment was the sci-fi costume Martha Jones' donned in order to make her debut as an actress in a 50s Hollywood production. I have nothing against fitting bodysuits, they're actually quite practical most of the times, but this was is also sexualized in a clichéd (and impractical) way: A bit corseted and with these ridiculous platform high heels. I'm still surprised she could walk at all :/ (this was also grating because the Tenth Doctor story was drawn by Elena Casagrande, the only female artist in the whole book - whose Tenth Doctor stories I actually love to bits :/).
+-1 "Fortunately", most female companions are not drawn in blatant sexualizing poses or with overly exaggerated anatomy (there are a couple of cases in this book veering in that direction, Liz Shaw in the last Third Doctor page or Leela, for ex., but they still don't really reach the level of what we're sadly accustomed to see in most comic books. I suppose I should feel 'thankful' about that :/).
-1 However, some female companions (Zoë and Liz Shaw in these comic story, for example) were shown in the series as nearly always wearing miniskirts just for the sake of the male audience and are also shown here sporting very short skirts. I'm all for (comfy) miniskirts, but having female characters wearing them just for the sake of a male audience is sexist. And sometimes wearing very short skirts, especially with bare legs (like Zoe, Liz and also tube-skirted Tegan), in space adventures where you might get cold or hurt easily isn't the best idea either (*wink wink Star Trek :/*).
+1 An engaging plot featuring all Doctors from the First to the Eleventh and many of their companions. Also, I personally really like the timey-wimey-ness involving different incarnations meeting one another.
+1 The usual Whovian moral integrity in most stories
+1 Feels I wasn't expecting! The story revolves around Adam Mitchell's life after the Doctor refused to further travel with him, and his desire to get revenge (the Master also makes an appearance). At the end,
+1 Quite a lot of female companions make an appearance. Some of them are reasonably proactive: Zoe opens security locks effortlessly in the Second Doctor story; Liz Shaw and Sarah-Jane rescue the Third Doctor and the Brigadier from drowning; Peri Brown (alongside Frobisher) helps get the Sixth Doctor out of an institution he's been trapped in; Ace helps defeat the Master's allies in the Seventh Doctor story; Grace Holloway actively seeks to free an enslaved people in the Eight Doctor story.
but
-1 Others don't really do that much: Barbara and Susan get hipnotized in the First Doctor story and regrettably don't do much else, leaving the action to Ian; Rose Tyler in the Ninth Doctor story is mainly the focus of an Entitled Creep masquerading as a 'tall and dark stranger' (good thing is she doesn't buy it in the slightest, but still); Nyssa and Tegan hardly affect the plot in the Fifth Doctor story (to be fair, neither does male companion Adric); Martha Jones is simply recruited as an actress in a Hollywood production and then captured in the Tenth Doctor story; Clara Oswald barely makes an appearance before being captured.
-1 All companions get stunned and captured as part of the story-arc, but the female companions are nearly always shown as being carried away unconscious, damsel-in-distress style, in the arms of the antagonist. No male companion, such as Rory, Ian Chesterton or Jamie McCrimmon, is shown getting captured in this way.
-1 Objectification: A couple of the companions are sadly heavily sexualized in this comic story. The most glaring example is Leela, who is very much a Wonder-Woman-like character who 'kicks ass' while stuck with a ridiculously sexualized loincloth, so apparently the Patriarchy and neoliberal 'feminism' tells me it's all OK and 'empowered' and it shouldn't be bothering me :/ (Spoiler alert: It DOES). The Fourth Doctor story was very cringeworthy to read in that respect, and my least favourite. Really grating to see loincloth-Leela alongside the never-sexualized Fourth Doctor.
Other grating moment was the sci-fi costume Martha Jones' donned in order to make her debut as an actress in a 50s Hollywood production. I have nothing against fitting bodysuits, they're actually quite practical most of the times, but this was is also sexualized in a clichéd (and impractical) way: A bit corseted and with these ridiculous platform high heels. I'm still surprised she could walk at all :/ (this was also grating because the Tenth Doctor story was drawn by Elena Casagrande, the only female artist in the whole book - whose Tenth Doctor stories I actually love to bits :/).
+-1 "Fortunately", most female companions are not drawn in blatant sexualizing poses or with overly exaggerated anatomy (there are a couple of cases in this book veering in that direction, Liz Shaw in the last Third Doctor page or Leela, for ex., but they still don't really reach the level of what we're sadly accustomed to see in most comic books. I suppose I should feel 'thankful' about that :/).
-1 However, some female companions (Zoë and Liz Shaw in these comic story, for example) were shown in the series as nearly always wearing miniskirts just for the sake of the male audience and are also shown here sporting very short skirts. I'm all for (comfy) miniskirts, but having female characters wearing them just for the sake of a male audience is sexist. And sometimes wearing very short skirts, especially with bare legs (like Zoe, Liz and also tube-skirted Tegan), in space adventures where you might get cold or hurt easily isn't the best idea either (*wink wink Star Trek :/*).
February 18, 2014
I absolutely loved this series, and it's one that ramps up in intensity and enjoyment as the end draws near and the villain's plot comes to fruition. The early chapters provided, to a relatively new Doctor Who fan from a family of lifelong fans, a really welcoming take on the early incarnations of the Doctor and his companions. Each story is different in tone, style, and adversary, reflecting the Doctor at hand and giving a hearty nod or two to his previous adventures in a really satisfying way. A great read for all fans, and I think, a great way to introduce newer fans to Doctors past in a way that will leave them clamoring for more.
July 26, 2018
Great introduction to Doctor Who - 12 tales with 11 Doctors
I have never seen a single episode of Doctor Who - but I feel I have a decent grounding now. 11 Doctors with one overarching through line - great collection for fans and novices alike.
I have never seen a single episode of Doctor Who - but I feel I have a decent grounding now. 11 Doctors with one overarching through line - great collection for fans and novices alike.
April 27, 2021
For the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who, a twelve-issue comic series was published. Each of the first eleven Doctors has an adventure typical for him. An overarching villain is depriving him of his companions for some nefarious purpose that gets revealed toward the end of the series.
The First Doctor visits Thomas Huxley in the 1860s for a little lecture on science and a confrontation with a London subway-dwelling enemy that shouldn't be on Earth. The Doctor and his companions (Ian, Barbara, and Vicki) fight the good fight. The Doctor mysteriously winds up alone at the end of the story when the three companion vanish into thin air.
The Second Doctor travels with companions Jaime and Zoe to an intergalactic mall where they discover an underground slave market. The slavers discover Jaime is from the past, and thus very valuable. They kidnap him, causing the standard rescue mission. The story is fun though it ends much the same way with the two companions disappearing during a trans-mat transportation. There must be some joke about them vanishing into thin air when they are dematerialized by the trans-mat, but I can't come up with it.
The Third Doctor is stuck on Earth in the 1970s and has an adventure with UNIT. The Brigadier has gone crazy and the whole planet is being flooded by freak storms. The Doctor quickly discovers the Remoraxians are behind the plot. The Doctor cures the Brigadier with a made-up doodad and they work together with Dr. Liz Shaw and Sarah Jane Smith to beat the Remoraxians. Then the three companions (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Dr. Shaw, and Sarah Jane) are kidnapped by a hooded figure.
The Best Doctor, I mean, the Fourth Doctor takes Leela and K-9 to the garden planet Agratis for a feast. When they arrive, the place is in anarchy. An irreplaceable gem has been stolen and the rhino-like Judoon have been brought in to find it. The Doctor helps solve the mystery and winds up at a feast where K-9 and Leela are kidnapped by the hooded bad guy.
The Fifth Doctor lands the TARDIS on an obscure planet with a slight crack in space-time. The power leaking out of it will recharge the TARDIS. The only problem is the planet is also a battleground in the thousand-year war between the Sontarans and the Rutan Host. The Doctor has run into both groups before and does his usual job trying to talk them out of war. As the Doctor and his companions (Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa) flee back to the TARDIS, the Doctor gives a little speech about the inability of people to deviate from their natural tendencies. The bad guy shows up and accuses him of endangering his innocent companions, which seems like a natural tendency of the Doctor. The bad guy kidnaps the trio of companions and the doctor starts to remember the previous kidnappings.
The Sixth Doctor visits 7200s Earth with Peri and Frobisher. Frobisher is a shapeshifter and has taken the form of a penguin since they are visiting Antarctica. Or I should write "Antarcticopolis" since the continent has become one gigantic city. They run into trouble when they visit the city and the locals think that the Doctor has kidnapped a penguin. A frantic chase ensues with the Master interfering, causing the Doctor to get locked up. Meanwhile, the bad guy captures Peri and Frobisher. By this point, a future Dcotor has left a message for the companions. Frobisher uses his shapechanging to escape his cell and starts to investigate the bad guy's lair.
The Seventh Doctor and Ace visit 19th century Scotland where two elderly aristocrats lie on their deathbeds. The Doctor is all too willing to help cure them, especially since there's an extraterrestrial element to what's going on. The villain turns out to be the Master, who says he is working with a partner who is trying to torment the Doctor. The villain is our recurring bad guy, who snatches Ace in the very last panel of the issue.
The Eighth Doctor takes Grace Holloway (also a doctor) on a supposedly quiet and unexciting jaunt through the universe. They wind up at a planet with a big moral dilemma and have an adventure resolving it. At the end, the Doctor confronts the unnamed bad guy/kidnapper, who indeed snatches Grace at the end of the issue.
The Ninth Doctor takes Rose to a colossal monument dedicated by the richest man in the universe to the richest man in the universe (typical Doctor Who stuff, eh?). They have their adventure and run into the bad guy at the end, who explains that he is Adam, a minor character in one episode of the first series of the Doctor Who reboot. Adam worked at the vault on Earth where they found a Dalek. He uses the other alien technology in the vault to get revenge on the Doctor. The Doctor had invited Adam to go adventuring but then left him behind with some weird alien tech in his head. After the exposition, Adam knocks out the Doctor and Rose, kidnapping Rose and presumably taking her back to his base.
The Tenth Doctor takes Martha Jones to 1950s Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory. There's a film crew there, but it's not Rebel Without a Cause, just some B-picture sci-fi thriller. The show is behind schedule because of disappearing crew. The Doctor and Martha investigate with the expected results. Adam shows up at the end and gets the drop on the duo, carting off Martha. The Doctor comes to and sends his message back to Frobisher.
The Eleventh Doctor starts off confronting Adam, who snatches Clara. Then the Doctor tries to find Adam's lair, which he eventually does. Adam explains why he's so angry at the Doctor and reveals the Master as his ally. The Doctor warns Adam of how evil the Master is. Adam is uninterested and delivers his ultimatum--he will kill all but one of the Doctor's companions; the Doctor chooses who will live. And thus, he chooses the others to die.
The big finale unites all eleven Doctors to fight Adam and the Master. Naturally, the Doctors free the companions while the duo release other minions to have a big fight scene. It all ends pretty much the way you'd expect.
I found the series mildly interesting. I wish they had gotten to the mega-team-up quicker and spent more time on that, rather than rushing through an adventure for each Doctor and then rushing through the ending. Individual stories had different artists, making the style shift a bit from issue to issue. Also, the art winds up being more and less good with so many people working on it. This book is a great idea but a mediocre execution.
Mildly recommended.
The First Doctor visits Thomas Huxley in the 1860s for a little lecture on science and a confrontation with a London subway-dwelling enemy that shouldn't be on Earth. The Doctor and his companions (Ian, Barbara, and Vicki) fight the good fight. The Doctor mysteriously winds up alone at the end of the story when the three companion vanish into thin air.
The Second Doctor travels with companions Jaime and Zoe to an intergalactic mall where they discover an underground slave market. The slavers discover Jaime is from the past, and thus very valuable. They kidnap him, causing the standard rescue mission. The story is fun though it ends much the same way with the two companions disappearing during a trans-mat transportation. There must be some joke about them vanishing into thin air when they are dematerialized by the trans-mat, but I can't come up with it.
The Third Doctor is stuck on Earth in the 1970s and has an adventure with UNIT. The Brigadier has gone crazy and the whole planet is being flooded by freak storms. The Doctor quickly discovers the Remoraxians are behind the plot. The Doctor cures the Brigadier with a made-up doodad and they work together with Dr. Liz Shaw and Sarah Jane Smith to beat the Remoraxians. Then the three companions (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Dr. Shaw, and Sarah Jane) are kidnapped by a hooded figure.
The Best Doctor, I mean, the Fourth Doctor takes Leela and K-9 to the garden planet Agratis for a feast. When they arrive, the place is in anarchy. An irreplaceable gem has been stolen and the rhino-like Judoon have been brought in to find it. The Doctor helps solve the mystery and winds up at a feast where K-9 and Leela are kidnapped by the hooded bad guy.
The Fifth Doctor lands the TARDIS on an obscure planet with a slight crack in space-time. The power leaking out of it will recharge the TARDIS. The only problem is the planet is also a battleground in the thousand-year war between the Sontarans and the Rutan Host. The Doctor has run into both groups before and does his usual job trying to talk them out of war. As the Doctor and his companions (Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa) flee back to the TARDIS, the Doctor gives a little speech about the inability of people to deviate from their natural tendencies. The bad guy shows up and accuses him of endangering his innocent companions, which seems like a natural tendency of the Doctor. The bad guy kidnaps the trio of companions and the doctor starts to remember the previous kidnappings.
The Sixth Doctor visits 7200s Earth with Peri and Frobisher. Frobisher is a shapeshifter and has taken the form of a penguin since they are visiting Antarctica. Or I should write "Antarcticopolis" since the continent has become one gigantic city. They run into trouble when they visit the city and the locals think that the Doctor has kidnapped a penguin. A frantic chase ensues with the Master interfering, causing the Doctor to get locked up. Meanwhile, the bad guy captures Peri and Frobisher. By this point, a future Dcotor has left a message for the companions. Frobisher uses his shapechanging to escape his cell and starts to investigate the bad guy's lair.
The Seventh Doctor and Ace visit 19th century Scotland where two elderly aristocrats lie on their deathbeds. The Doctor is all too willing to help cure them, especially since there's an extraterrestrial element to what's going on. The villain turns out to be the Master, who says he is working with a partner who is trying to torment the Doctor. The villain is our recurring bad guy, who snatches Ace in the very last panel of the issue.
The Eighth Doctor takes Grace Holloway (also a doctor) on a supposedly quiet and unexciting jaunt through the universe. They wind up at a planet with a big moral dilemma and have an adventure resolving it. At the end, the Doctor confronts the unnamed bad guy/kidnapper, who indeed snatches Grace at the end of the issue.
The Ninth Doctor takes Rose to a colossal monument dedicated by the richest man in the universe to the richest man in the universe (typical Doctor Who stuff, eh?). They have their adventure and run into the bad guy at the end, who explains that he is Adam, a minor character in one episode of the first series of the Doctor Who reboot. Adam worked at the vault on Earth where they found a Dalek. He uses the other alien technology in the vault to get revenge on the Doctor. The Doctor had invited Adam to go adventuring but then left him behind with some weird alien tech in his head. After the exposition, Adam knocks out the Doctor and Rose, kidnapping Rose and presumably taking her back to his base.
The Tenth Doctor takes Martha Jones to 1950s Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory. There's a film crew there, but it's not Rebel Without a Cause, just some B-picture sci-fi thriller. The show is behind schedule because of disappearing crew. The Doctor and Martha investigate with the expected results. Adam shows up at the end and gets the drop on the duo, carting off Martha. The Doctor comes to and sends his message back to Frobisher.
The Eleventh Doctor starts off confronting Adam, who snatches Clara. Then the Doctor tries to find Adam's lair, which he eventually does. Adam explains why he's so angry at the Doctor and reveals the Master as his ally. The Doctor warns Adam of how evil the Master is. Adam is uninterested and delivers his ultimatum--he will kill all but one of the Doctor's companions; the Doctor chooses who will live. And thus, he chooses the others to die.
The big finale unites all eleven Doctors to fight Adam and the Master. Naturally, the Doctors free the companions while the duo release other minions to have a big fight scene. It all ends pretty much the way you'd expect.
I found the series mildly interesting. I wish they had gotten to the mega-team-up quicker and spent more time on that, rather than rushing through an adventure for each Doctor and then rushing through the ending. Individual stories had different artists, making the style shift a bit from issue to issue. Also, the art winds up being more and less good with so many people working on it. This book is a great idea but a mediocre execution.
Mildly recommended.
September 20, 2024
3 Stars
A pretty good plot and interesting story. The meeting of all the companions and Doctors in the end was honestly a bit underwhelming as well as the change in art style for the very last chapter. I will also say that having this arc revolve around Adam and then some how forgiving him and honoring him after what he did within the story is certainly a choice. I would buy it if it was still season 1 Adam who just did something very stupid but this Adam kidnapped companions and planned to kill all but one to get a twisted revenge. Just because he ended up needing to fight against the master and sacrifice himself does not change that he was fully about to kill people.
A pretty good plot and interesting story. The meeting of all the companions and Doctors in the end was honestly a bit underwhelming as well as the change in art style for the very last chapter. I will also say that having this arc revolve around Adam and then some how forgiving him and honoring him after what he did within the story is certainly a choice. I would buy it if it was still season 1 Adam who just did something very stupid but this Adam kidnapped companions and planned to kill all but one to get a twisted revenge. Just because he ended up needing to fight against the master and sacrifice himself does not change that he was fully about to kill people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2025
I am unfortunately a big enough nerd that this was extremely enjoyable to read and I was physically giggling and kicking my feet while reading it
“This is the only way to truly hurt the Doctor. You can’t just take away his pets, he’ll always attract more. You have to take away everything.”
“This is the only way to truly hurt the Doctor. You can’t just take away his pets, he’ll always attract more. You have to take away everything.”
September 10, 2014
Yes Yes Yes!
This volume collected the 12 issues commemorating the 50th anniversary, each Doctor has his own issue in which he goes on his own stand alone adventure yet all of the adventures are tied together. At the end of each adventure the Doctor's companions are kidnapped by a mysterious hooded foe who is going through time snatching all of the Doctor's companions to torture our hero.
It was so much fun to go on an adventure with each Doctor. I loved the variety of adventures and the changing artwork for each, but some of the issues were very badly drawn. In the finale issue there are so many companions but because of the terrible artwork it is difficult to recognize them all, what a shame.
It was so much fun to see companions like Susan and Rose and Amy and Leela standing side by side BUT I was very disappointed that Captain Jack was absent! They had a perfect opportunity to put him into the story! They had a freakin TIME AGENT in the plot line, it would have been so great to have made him Jack Harkness! If you have time to give Mickey a line you have space for Jack!
Still it was nice that the companions were the highlight of this series rather than the Doctor.
“Look at this lot - how we all threw ourselves into a fight just for him. We're not soldiers. But we know that what we do when we're with him matters.”
This book was also infused with a dose of non-fiction, the history of the comic strips are inserted between issues.
For me the biggest highlight was seeing the Ninth Doctor and Rose, together again.
*sigh*
I just love them!
Another high point was the big reveal...who is the hooded man???....
Overall....
This volume collected the 12 issues commemorating the 50th anniversary, each Doctor has his own issue in which he goes on his own stand alone adventure yet all of the adventures are tied together. At the end of each adventure the Doctor's companions are kidnapped by a mysterious hooded foe who is going through time snatching all of the Doctor's companions to torture our hero.
It was so much fun to go on an adventure with each Doctor. I loved the variety of adventures and the changing artwork for each, but some of the issues were very badly drawn. In the finale issue there are so many companions but because of the terrible artwork it is difficult to recognize them all, what a shame.
It was so much fun to see companions like Susan and Rose and Amy and Leela standing side by side BUT I was very disappointed that Captain Jack was absent! They had a perfect opportunity to put him into the story! They had a freakin TIME AGENT in the plot line, it would have been so great to have made him Jack Harkness! If you have time to give Mickey a line you have space for Jack!
Still it was nice that the companions were the highlight of this series rather than the Doctor.
“Look at this lot - how we all threw ourselves into a fight just for him. We're not soldiers. But we know that what we do when we're with him matters.”
This book was also infused with a dose of non-fiction, the history of the comic strips are inserted between issues.
For me the biggest highlight was seeing the Ninth Doctor and Rose, together again.
*sigh*
I just love them!
Another high point was the big reveal...who is the hooded man???....
Overall....
February 19, 2016
Admittedly, I am a new who convert. I started watching in 2005 and when I go back and try to watch the older shows I just can't get into them. Thus, I don't have the nostalgia driven feels that might have made this book more exciting.
The art was very nice and the overall story was a decent plot. My issue came down to the writing. It was bland. There wasn't any real depth. I suppose that's partly due to the fact that these characters are popular and don't need much development as far as introductions. Though, there wasn't much growth or development anywhere in the book. Frankly, I was disappointed with the portrayals of the 10th and 11th doctors as well. The dialogue didn't really feel like words the TV characters would use. Rose and the 9th Doc were better.
If you like Who, I'm sure you'll love this book. I enjoyed it, but critically it could have been better.
The art was very nice and the overall story was a decent plot. My issue came down to the writing. It was bland. There wasn't any real depth. I suppose that's partly due to the fact that these characters are popular and don't need much development as far as introductions. Though, there wasn't much growth or development anywhere in the book. Frankly, I was disappointed with the portrayals of the 10th and 11th doctors as well. The dialogue didn't really feel like words the TV characters would use. Rose and the 9th Doc were better.
If you like Who, I'm sure you'll love this book. I enjoyed it, but critically it could have been better.
February 4, 2014
Hands down, the best DW graphic novel I have ever read.
December 22, 2025
Due to the nature of this story (the kidnapping of the various Doctors' companions throughout time), most of it is setup - which isn't as bad as it sounds, since the individual issues in that section are actually pretty good. Er, with the exception of the 8th Doctor's story, which managed to have abysmal art and for some reason Grace was his companion (was Charley busy? lol - it's just odd choice). So this is primarily setup with a teaspoon of payoff. Perhaps not enough payoff for most readers... it did feel a little disappointing, but I did always wonder about this particular character. I enjoyed this collection.
December 19, 2023
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time. Vol.1
Featuring the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Doctors.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time. Vol.2
Featuring the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Doctors.
In Their Nature – Façades – Cat and Mouse - The Body Politic
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time. Vol.3
Featuring the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctors, concluding with all 11.
– Mystery Date – Quiet On The Set - “Who am I? I'm the man who keeps this planet safe from fools like you who only want to steal everything that makes it special, time and time again.” – The Choice – Endgame
Featuring the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Doctors.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time. Vol.2
Featuring the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Doctors.
In Their Nature – Façades – Cat and Mouse - The Body Politic
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time. Vol.3
Featuring the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctors, concluding with all 11.
– Mystery Date – Quiet On The Set - “Who am I? I'm the man who keeps this planet safe from fools like you who only want to steal everything that makes it special, time and time again.” – The Choice – Endgame
February 4, 2025
I have trouble reviewing graphic novels. The stories always seem too simplistic but, the plot was quintessential Doctor Who. I loved seeing all the doctors represented and seeing all my favorite companions again. It was great fun and it had beautiful art.
June 4, 2025
The villain in the penultimate chapter: “Who knows what will happen to your precious universe and to be honest I don’t even care”
Same villain in the last chapter: “Nooooo destroying the universe wasn’t what I had in mind! Think of the children!”
Same villain in the last chapter: “Nooooo destroying the universe wasn’t what I had in mind! Think of the children!”
October 18, 2023
this is a Pretty good Doctor Who story. Like the idea of bringing back an old character, and making him the villain. Will read again.
January 25, 2025
This whole thing could have been avoided if someone had just worn a hat
August 2, 2025
This is an awesome omnibus story! I love the commentary in between and the phenomenal artwork. This gives me an all new respect for the Dr. Who comic world.
August 10, 2025
There's a certain irony in me giving this a glowing score, after coming off Legend of the Sea Devils. It's a reminder how, not too long ago, the series was at the top of its game. I'd ask "what happened?", but we all know the answer. :(
Anyway, this comic was made for the 50th anniversary of the show. I'll come off the bat and say that no, it doesn't have the same 'oomph' as Day of the Doctor, but it's still pretty solid regardless, and even has the same conciet of bringing every Doctor together (sans War in this case), but focusing on recent incarnations (in this case, Nine to Eleven). However, there's still more balance spread throughout the piece in comparison. It sort of acts a reminder of what comics can achieve what live-action shows on a budget can't.
Anyway, the graphic novel is a collection of comic issues, with one per Doctor, ranging from One to Eight (I'll get to Nine and beyond in a bit). Each of these stand-alone issues is mostly self-contained, in that the bulk of the story begins and ends within its own confines, as the Doctor and his companions does his thing. However, each of these end with the same mysterious cloaked figure incapacitating the Doctor, kidnapping the companion(s), and thus, ending the story. However, as we get further ahead in the Doctor's personal timeline, he starts to remember the past abductions, which means that he's able to start anticipating the arrival of the figure. As the figure explains, each strike is very close together in his own personal timeline, but the attacks are spread out over the Doctor's longer, wider timeline. This starts to stack up, with one of Six's companions (a shapeshifting penguin...huh...) getting a message from Ten, and Eight being able to call the figure out ahead of time, even if he still fails to stop him from kidnapping Grace.
Things reach a head in Nine, where the figure is revealed as...drumroll please...Adam Mitchell. Yes, Adam Mitchell. Remember him? The guy that appeared in two episodes of season 1 of NuWho? Yeah. I actually like the idea behind him, that due to being booted out by the Doctor due to his one mistake, he lived a miserable life, watched his mother die, only to be recruited by a benefactor. I actually like this idea, and Adam does make a valid point about the unfairness of him being forced to leave the TARDIS, while also showing how cold the Ninth Doctor can be due to his lack of remorse. But nonetheless, Adam still wins, and kidnaps Rose.
Ten is next, and by this time, he's fully aware of Adam's plan, so spends the episode trying to suss him out, but can't stop him from kidnapping Martha. Finally, Adam confronts Eleven, and reveals that his patron is the Master (one of the OldWho incarnations). Eleven visits the sites of the past Doctors before finally confronting Adam, who's got a whole bunch of companions in stasis. This, admittedly, raises a question - up until now, every appearance of Adam has been giving the Doctor a finger while kidnappning a companion, but the no. here is far in excess of all that. So how'd that work? Whatever, he wants the Doctor to choose which companion lives, while all the rest die, only for all the other Doctors show up due to Eleven's chronal trail, and cue Avengers Assesmble-esque moment. They fight and they fight and they fight, and the Master reveals his plan to kill all the Doctors across their timelines, which will mean the destruction of the universe, and Adam doesn't want that, so he gives his life to save the day. There's some reconciliation with Rose and Nine, and the Doctors attend his funeral - "Adam Mitchell, a Companion True."
...yeah, in case the writing didn't give it away, I don't think the ending really works that well, at least compared to the buildup to it. Having this story be with Nine or even Ten would be pretty good, but Adam has no relation to the Doctors before Nine, so the story's lacking some emotional oomph. Also, the ending is let down in a sense. I get the Master's idea - erase the Doctor entirely, so that the universe is destroyed as a side effect - but again, that isn't too in-depth a motivation.
Still, I did like this comic overall. While the ending is a bit of a letdown, everything up to the ending is good enough to put this in the "good" category. There's also how, between each issue, there's author/editorial notes going into the history of the Doctor Who comics across time, and I guess you could say space (e.g. UK comics vs. US comics). They make for interesting notes on the nature and development of them, and arguably wide-comic publishing over 50 years as a whole.
So, it's not "fantastic," as the Ninth Doctor would say, but still pretty good.
Jellybaby?
Anyway, this comic was made for the 50th anniversary of the show. I'll come off the bat and say that no, it doesn't have the same 'oomph' as Day of the Doctor, but it's still pretty solid regardless, and even has the same conciet of bringing every Doctor together (sans War in this case), but focusing on recent incarnations (in this case, Nine to Eleven). However, there's still more balance spread throughout the piece in comparison. It sort of acts a reminder of what comics can achieve what live-action shows on a budget can't.
Anyway, the graphic novel is a collection of comic issues, with one per Doctor, ranging from One to Eight (I'll get to Nine and beyond in a bit). Each of these stand-alone issues is mostly self-contained, in that the bulk of the story begins and ends within its own confines, as the Doctor and his companions does his thing. However, each of these end with the same mysterious cloaked figure incapacitating the Doctor, kidnapping the companion(s), and thus, ending the story. However, as we get further ahead in the Doctor's personal timeline, he starts to remember the past abductions, which means that he's able to start anticipating the arrival of the figure. As the figure explains, each strike is very close together in his own personal timeline, but the attacks are spread out over the Doctor's longer, wider timeline. This starts to stack up, with one of Six's companions (a shapeshifting penguin...huh...) getting a message from Ten, and Eight being able to call the figure out ahead of time, even if he still fails to stop him from kidnapping Grace.
Things reach a head in Nine, where the figure is revealed as...drumroll please...Adam Mitchell. Yes, Adam Mitchell. Remember him? The guy that appeared in two episodes of season 1 of NuWho? Yeah. I actually like the idea behind him, that due to being booted out by the Doctor due to his one mistake, he lived a miserable life, watched his mother die, only to be recruited by a benefactor. I actually like this idea, and Adam does make a valid point about the unfairness of him being forced to leave the TARDIS, while also showing how cold the Ninth Doctor can be due to his lack of remorse. But nonetheless, Adam still wins, and kidnaps Rose.
Ten is next, and by this time, he's fully aware of Adam's plan, so spends the episode trying to suss him out, but can't stop him from kidnapping Martha. Finally, Adam confronts Eleven, and reveals that his patron is the Master (one of the OldWho incarnations). Eleven visits the sites of the past Doctors before finally confronting Adam, who's got a whole bunch of companions in stasis. This, admittedly, raises a question - up until now, every appearance of Adam has been giving the Doctor a finger while kidnappning a companion, but the no. here is far in excess of all that. So how'd that work? Whatever, he wants the Doctor to choose which companion lives, while all the rest die, only for all the other Doctors show up due to Eleven's chronal trail, and cue Avengers Assesmble-esque moment. They fight and they fight and they fight, and the Master reveals his plan to kill all the Doctors across their timelines, which will mean the destruction of the universe, and Adam doesn't want that, so he gives his life to save the day. There's some reconciliation with Rose and Nine, and the Doctors attend his funeral - "Adam Mitchell, a Companion True."
...yeah, in case the writing didn't give it away, I don't think the ending really works that well, at least compared to the buildup to it. Having this story be with Nine or even Ten would be pretty good, but Adam has no relation to the Doctors before Nine, so the story's lacking some emotional oomph. Also, the ending is let down in a sense. I get the Master's idea - erase the Doctor entirely, so that the universe is destroyed as a side effect - but again, that isn't too in-depth a motivation.
Still, I did like this comic overall. While the ending is a bit of a letdown, everything up to the ending is good enough to put this in the "good" category. There's also how, between each issue, there's author/editorial notes going into the history of the Doctor Who comics across time, and I guess you could say space (e.g. UK comics vs. US comics). They make for interesting notes on the nature and development of them, and arguably wide-comic publishing over 50 years as a whole.
So, it's not "fantastic," as the Ninth Doctor would say, but still pretty good.
Jellybaby?
June 5, 2021
Unnatural Selection:
4/10
Verdict: Optional
Terrible art, seriously laughable at times. Depth perception is really dodgy, no one has a consistent form, especially their faces and the only one to even remotely look like their actors is the first doctor. Really standard plot that doesn't even attempt to be anything more than a homage to the 1st doctor era. Even then, you could trade the doctor in this story with any of his other selves and it would be the same. None of the charm of this era actually gets carried over. Only optional for the laughably bad artwork.
Bazaar Adventures:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
The Tardis team are top notch here, 2, Zoe and Jamie have their characters really shine through here and there's some great banter between them. The artwork is also great, giving me Lichtenstein vibes at points. The story isn't the best, but it's fun with some good pandering thrown in.
In With the Tide:
5/10
Verdict: Should Skip
Horribly boring plot with terrible villains, pacing and a laughably rushed ending. The aliens literally just pack up and leave earth at the start of the climax without even an argument. 3 and the others are really generic in this too, they could be swapped out with any other Tardis team. The artwork is fun in places, but pretty OK for the rest of it.
A Rare Gem:
4/10
Verdict: Should Skip
Another really boring story that you could put any doctor into and it would be the same, which is a real shame cause this story features the 4th doctor, and it's a big missed opportunity. The plot is nonsense and does whatever it wants, and I'd commend that if it were done well at all, but it hasn't been. Really iffy art as well, which veers into being unintentionally comical at times.
In Their Nature:
8/10
Verdict: Recommended
Really cute artstyle and a really nice, small scale story. The Tardis team are great here, and honestly this is one of the best stories for the sontarans.
Facades:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
Love the team in this one, there's some really fun banter here and Frobisher is entertaining as ever. Love the design of the robots, the artstyle as a whole is fantastic, with a nice scribbly design to it. The story has some great forward momentum as well, with spot on pacing. 10 coming in at the end was a bit jarring, but other than that, this is pretty perfect throughout.
Cat and Mouse:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
Fun little story but it doesn't do a whole lot. 7 and Ace are top notch in this, and the Master brings some good fun, but the plot feels a bit messy and there are some pacing issues, especially the resolution.
The Body Politic:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun little story with some good chemistry between 8 and Grace. The main plot is pretty dull, and the artstyle isn't really for me, but the charm of this one still shines through.
Mystery Date:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
This is a decent plot with some fine art, but it could have been so much better if given a longer run time. The plot twist at the end is alright, but I'm sort of in the camp that can't take 'A' seriously as a threat.
Quiet on the Set:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
Fun little story with some pretty funny moments. The art is pretty good, but other than that there's not a lot else to say about it. There was a pretty nice moment at the start that I appreciated, and 10 and Martha are a good match in this.
The Choice:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
Love the artstyle on this one, and I love how 11 brings a different perspective when dealing with 'A', that being remorse and empathy. His dialogue with 'A' in this is great, and having him try to explain the master to 'A' is a really entertaining scene.
Endgame:
3/10
Verdict: Recommended
Look, this is Recommended because you've come this far, you might as well get the last chapter. Everything good about 'A' is reversed on a whim in this one. The doctors and every companion ever all team up with no buildup and... start clobbering an army of Autons controlled by the Master. I'm not sure when we jumped the shark here but it's well gone at this point. Gotta also mention the seriously iffy artwork here as well. Such a shame it had to end like this, but ah well. Not the destination that matters, right?
4/10
Verdict: Optional
Terrible art, seriously laughable at times. Depth perception is really dodgy, no one has a consistent form, especially their faces and the only one to even remotely look like their actors is the first doctor. Really standard plot that doesn't even attempt to be anything more than a homage to the 1st doctor era. Even then, you could trade the doctor in this story with any of his other selves and it would be the same. None of the charm of this era actually gets carried over. Only optional for the laughably bad artwork.
Bazaar Adventures:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
The Tardis team are top notch here, 2, Zoe and Jamie have their characters really shine through here and there's some great banter between them. The artwork is also great, giving me Lichtenstein vibes at points. The story isn't the best, but it's fun with some good pandering thrown in.
In With the Tide:
5/10
Verdict: Should Skip
Horribly boring plot with terrible villains, pacing and a laughably rushed ending. The aliens literally just pack up and leave earth at the start of the climax without even an argument. 3 and the others are really generic in this too, they could be swapped out with any other Tardis team. The artwork is fun in places, but pretty OK for the rest of it.
A Rare Gem:
4/10
Verdict: Should Skip
Another really boring story that you could put any doctor into and it would be the same, which is a real shame cause this story features the 4th doctor, and it's a big missed opportunity. The plot is nonsense and does whatever it wants, and I'd commend that if it were done well at all, but it hasn't been. Really iffy art as well, which veers into being unintentionally comical at times.
In Their Nature:
8/10
Verdict: Recommended
Really cute artstyle and a really nice, small scale story. The Tardis team are great here, and honestly this is one of the best stories for the sontarans.
Facades:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
Love the team in this one, there's some really fun banter here and Frobisher is entertaining as ever. Love the design of the robots, the artstyle as a whole is fantastic, with a nice scribbly design to it. The story has some great forward momentum as well, with spot on pacing. 10 coming in at the end was a bit jarring, but other than that, this is pretty perfect throughout.
Cat and Mouse:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
Fun little story but it doesn't do a whole lot. 7 and Ace are top notch in this, and the Master brings some good fun, but the plot feels a bit messy and there are some pacing issues, especially the resolution.
The Body Politic:
6/10
Verdict: Optional
Fun little story with some good chemistry between 8 and Grace. The main plot is pretty dull, and the artstyle isn't really for me, but the charm of this one still shines through.
Mystery Date:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
This is a decent plot with some fine art, but it could have been so much better if given a longer run time. The plot twist at the end is alright, but I'm sort of in the camp that can't take 'A' seriously as a threat.
Quiet on the Set:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
Fun little story with some pretty funny moments. The art is pretty good, but other than that there's not a lot else to say about it. There was a pretty nice moment at the start that I appreciated, and 10 and Martha are a good match in this.
The Choice:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended
Love the artstyle on this one, and I love how 11 brings a different perspective when dealing with 'A', that being remorse and empathy. His dialogue with 'A' in this is great, and having him try to explain the master to 'A' is a really entertaining scene.
Endgame:
3/10
Verdict: Recommended
Look, this is Recommended because you've come this far, you might as well get the last chapter. Everything good about 'A' is reversed on a whim in this one. The doctors and every companion ever all team up with no buildup and... start clobbering an army of Autons controlled by the Master. I'm not sure when we jumped the shark here but it's well gone at this point. Gotta also mention the seriously iffy artwork here as well. Such a shame it had to end like this, but ah well. Not the destination that matters, right?
July 5, 2023
An cute enough story that has just an ok 3rd act ending that is maybe a bit too much fanwank even for my tastes.
July 2, 2021
This is a book that I've turned to time and time again, and even after what feels like the millionth reread, it still holds up. The world of Dr. Who comics is so vast and large, and I loved how this book helped show how vast and amazing that world is. Everyone who worked on this book was incredibly passionate about the show and it shows, and it's such a shame that this book isn't more popular. It really is a fun read, and even if you aren't a die hard fan, you'll still enjoy it. I myself read this for the first time without having seen any of the show, and I still got a lot out of it and had a great time reading the book.
I thought that the overall story was incredibly interesting, but I particularly enjoyed the smaller story arcs the most. My favorite of the stories was the second and the seventh doctor's stories, but I also really enjoyed the first, sixth, and eight too. I loved how different each of the stories was, and I loved seeing how each chapter had it's own charm and joy. I loved how each chapter took place in different locations, at different points in time, and had the Doctor interact with different foes. I also really enjoyed the art in the book, and I love how each chapter had such a distinct and fun style, and it really added to the individuality of each chapter. I just thought that the presentation of the book and of each chapter was phenomenal, and it made the book very enjoyable and memorable.
The only real issue I had with this book was the pacing of some of the chapters. Some of them I thought had a great pacing, but others rushed through the story incredibly fast. There were a few that blew through the main conflict and the action in a matter of a few pages, and it made the whole chapter feel sort of flat. Or with others, such as the third doctor's story, there wasn't really any climatic action, and everything sort of ended for no reason. The third doctor's story was really great up until the ending. I felt as if the writers took a large bite with that chapter, and they realized the needed to keep it within 30 pages, so the awkwardly made something up to finish everything. I understand that it would have been very hard to make longer stories, so I understand trying to make them short, but there were a few that could have done wonders if they were only 5 pages longer. That said, even the ones with bad pacing were lots of fun, so I guess in the end it really didn't matter that much.
All in all, this is an incredible book that anyone could enjoy, even if they only had a very basic knowledge of the world of the Doctor. This book, along with a couple of character encyclopedias, was my introduction to the Doctor and his adventures, so it proves that you don't have to be a die hard fan of the show to enjoy it. Certainly, there are some things that would make more sense to people who have seen the show, but it isn't too much stuff that someone with very minimal knowledge about the lore of Dr. Who wouldn't get something out of this book. I had a lot of fun reading this in an afternoon, and this book makes me want to read more of the comics available.
I thought that the overall story was incredibly interesting, but I particularly enjoyed the smaller story arcs the most. My favorite of the stories was the second and the seventh doctor's stories, but I also really enjoyed the first, sixth, and eight too. I loved how different each of the stories was, and I loved seeing how each chapter had it's own charm and joy. I loved how each chapter took place in different locations, at different points in time, and had the Doctor interact with different foes. I also really enjoyed the art in the book, and I love how each chapter had such a distinct and fun style, and it really added to the individuality of each chapter. I just thought that the presentation of the book and of each chapter was phenomenal, and it made the book very enjoyable and memorable.
The only real issue I had with this book was the pacing of some of the chapters. Some of them I thought had a great pacing, but others rushed through the story incredibly fast. There were a few that blew through the main conflict and the action in a matter of a few pages, and it made the whole chapter feel sort of flat. Or with others, such as the third doctor's story, there wasn't really any climatic action, and everything sort of ended for no reason. The third doctor's story was really great up until the ending. I felt as if the writers took a large bite with that chapter, and they realized the needed to keep it within 30 pages, so the awkwardly made something up to finish everything. I understand that it would have been very hard to make longer stories, so I understand trying to make them short, but there were a few that could have done wonders if they were only 5 pages longer. That said, even the ones with bad pacing were lots of fun, so I guess in the end it really didn't matter that much.
All in all, this is an incredible book that anyone could enjoy, even if they only had a very basic knowledge of the world of the Doctor. This book, along with a couple of character encyclopedias, was my introduction to the Doctor and his adventures, so it proves that you don't have to be a die hard fan of the show to enjoy it. Certainly, there are some things that would make more sense to people who have seen the show, but it isn't too much stuff that someone with very minimal knowledge about the lore of Dr. Who wouldn't get something out of this book. I had a lot of fun reading this in an afternoon, and this book makes me want to read more of the comics available.
September 26, 2016
Reprints Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time #1-12 (January 2013-November 2013). Someone is hunting Doctor…or more accurately, his companions. The Doctor in all his incarnations finds someone is picking off his friends one by one and the man always seems to know the Doctor’s next step. As the Doctor regenerates, he must remember the threat and work with his past lives to find out who has targeted him and why!
Written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time is part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Doctor Who which first aired on November 23, 1963. With art by a large collection of artists, the series was collected in three volumes and one massive twelve issue collection.
This is a really fun series for Whovians who have followed the Doctor in more than just the modern Doctor Who which launched in 1963. The series stretches back deep into the Doctor’s past and features tons of characters that have had lives of their own as the Doctor’s companions.
I am a big companion fan. As interesting as the Doctor is, he’s often only as good as who is travelling with him. This series focuses on his most popular companions and it is really nice to see some of them return. Characters like Sarah Jane, Barbara, Ian, and Leela get to mix with Amy Pond, Rose, and Martha…It is fun to get to see some of the characters who travels were cut short return and “learn” what became of the Doctor after his voyages with them.
The only problem is that the time seems very fleeting and by focusing on the most popular companions some of the less defined characters like Mel, Dodo, or even the malign Kameleon could have been explored more. We know a lot about the popular companions and it is great to see them back, but I’d love to know more about some of the “lost” companions that never really got in the spotlight.
This is also a problem with the finale of the series as well. *****Spoiler Alert***** It is revealed that the time travelling villain is Adam from the Ninth Doctor’s travels. Adam is a very recent villain and will appeal to watchers of the new series, but I think someone like the Time Meddler or the Rani would have been fun since it has been a while since they have been active. Plus, they had to throw the Master in there for kicks.
Doctor Who: Prisoners in Time is worth seeking out. It is a quick and fun read and a nice homage to the 50th anniversary. I kind of wish that the writers had been closer to the creators of the series to know more about the War Doctor and how the end of the 11th Doctor would arise. It isn’t necessary, but it could have been worked into the story in an interesting way that would be even more of a bonus to the readers and fans of the show (which also could have spurred more show fans to become comic fans). The series does have me yearning for more comic book series focusing on the first eight Doctors…I can hope.
Written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time is part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Doctor Who which first aired on November 23, 1963. With art by a large collection of artists, the series was collected in three volumes and one massive twelve issue collection.
This is a really fun series for Whovians who have followed the Doctor in more than just the modern Doctor Who which launched in 1963. The series stretches back deep into the Doctor’s past and features tons of characters that have had lives of their own as the Doctor’s companions.
I am a big companion fan. As interesting as the Doctor is, he’s often only as good as who is travelling with him. This series focuses on his most popular companions and it is really nice to see some of them return. Characters like Sarah Jane, Barbara, Ian, and Leela get to mix with Amy Pond, Rose, and Martha…It is fun to get to see some of the characters who travels were cut short return and “learn” what became of the Doctor after his voyages with them.
The only problem is that the time seems very fleeting and by focusing on the most popular companions some of the less defined characters like Mel, Dodo, or even the malign Kameleon could have been explored more. We know a lot about the popular companions and it is great to see them back, but I’d love to know more about some of the “lost” companions that never really got in the spotlight.
This is also a problem with the finale of the series as well. *****Spoiler Alert***** It is revealed that the time travelling villain is Adam from the Ninth Doctor’s travels. Adam is a very recent villain and will appeal to watchers of the new series, but I think someone like the Time Meddler or the Rani would have been fun since it has been a while since they have been active. Plus, they had to throw the Master in there for kicks.
Doctor Who: Prisoners in Time is worth seeking out. It is a quick and fun read and a nice homage to the 50th anniversary. I kind of wish that the writers had been closer to the creators of the series to know more about the War Doctor and how the end of the 11th Doctor would arise. It isn’t necessary, but it could have been worked into the story in an interesting way that would be even more of a bonus to the readers and fans of the show (which also could have spurred more show fans to become comic fans). The series does have me yearning for more comic book series focusing on the first eight Doctors…I can hope.
July 28, 2021
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, this maxi-series sees all 11 Doctors (at the time) unite as their companions are kidnapped one by one by a shadowy figure.
I'm not intimately familiar with Doctors 4-8, so you'll have to forgive me if some of the nuance of their stories was lost on me, but I'm pretty good with 1-3 and 9-11, so on balance I'm doing okay.
Each of these stories is laid out similarly - the Doctor and his companions have an adventure, and then the companions disappear, or are kidnapped as the cliffhanger ending. It's fine, if a little predictable, and then culminates in the final issue where everything gets explained and the 11 Doctors come together to save their friends all at once.
Few points of note, rather than individual reviews for the issues:
The First Doctor battles the Zarbi, my absolute least favourite 1st Doctor villain, although I can't hear their horrible noises through the pages so that was a blessing. Seeing Vicki fall over with a headache brought back terrible memories though.
I never liked Liz, but she and Sarah Jane manage to shine in the Third Doctor story. I forgot how hands-on the Third Doctor was, literally judo throwing a load of aliens in this issue. Very funny to watch/read.
I do think squashing Sarah Jane in here so that they could use Leela in the Fourth Doctor story instead was a bit of a disservice though. I do love K-9 though, and I'm glad he was in the Fourth Doctor's story and counted as a proper companion. He's a good dog, Brant.
Of all the companions I expected to see in the Fifth Doctor's story, Adric was the last. I thought everyone hated him?
Frobisher the shapeshifting penguin is not a character I am particularly familiar with but I love him already.
I was surprised that they revealed the bad guy of the piece earlier than the last issue - it made sense to do it when they did given his ties to that specific Doctor, but still, broke the formula.
I like that they mixed up the villains, so having the Tenth Doctor battle the Dominators rather than Tenth Doctor-specific villain, for example.
The final confrontation was fun. Although I'm not sure literally having the Doctor and the companions engaged in a massive brawl, even if it was with Autons, sat entirely right with me.
Also, the art's never particularly great. Twelve issues with twelve different artists, and none of them really did much for me. I think the Sixth Doctor artist was probably the best.
So, a fun anniversary story, if a little formulaic. Still, stories like these can only really be done on paper since a) three of the eleven Doctors and god knows how many companions aren't alive any more, and b) the cost of bringing all those companions back would be astronomical, so I'll always appreciate them for what they try to do.
I'm not intimately familiar with Doctors 4-8, so you'll have to forgive me if some of the nuance of their stories was lost on me, but I'm pretty good with 1-3 and 9-11, so on balance I'm doing okay.
Each of these stories is laid out similarly - the Doctor and his companions have an adventure, and then the companions disappear, or are kidnapped as the cliffhanger ending. It's fine, if a little predictable, and then culminates in the final issue where everything gets explained and the 11 Doctors come together to save their friends all at once.
Few points of note, rather than individual reviews for the issues:
The First Doctor battles the Zarbi, my absolute least favourite 1st Doctor villain, although I can't hear their horrible noises through the pages so that was a blessing. Seeing Vicki fall over with a headache brought back terrible memories though.
I never liked Liz, but she and Sarah Jane manage to shine in the Third Doctor story. I forgot how hands-on the Third Doctor was, literally judo throwing a load of aliens in this issue. Very funny to watch/read.
I do think squashing Sarah Jane in here so that they could use Leela in the Fourth Doctor story instead was a bit of a disservice though. I do love K-9 though, and I'm glad he was in the Fourth Doctor's story and counted as a proper companion. He's a good dog, Brant.
Of all the companions I expected to see in the Fifth Doctor's story, Adric was the last. I thought everyone hated him?
Frobisher the shapeshifting penguin is not a character I am particularly familiar with but I love him already.
I was surprised that they revealed the bad guy of the piece earlier than the last issue - it made sense to do it when they did given his ties to that specific Doctor, but still, broke the formula.
I like that they mixed up the villains, so having the Tenth Doctor battle the Dominators rather than Tenth Doctor-specific villain, for example.
The final confrontation was fun. Although I'm not sure literally having the Doctor and the companions engaged in a massive brawl, even if it was with Autons, sat entirely right with me.
Also, the art's never particularly great. Twelve issues with twelve different artists, and none of them really did much for me. I think the Sixth Doctor artist was probably the best.
So, a fun anniversary story, if a little formulaic. Still, stories like these can only really be done on paper since a) three of the eleven Doctors and god knows how many companions aren't alive any more, and b) the cost of bringing all those companions back would be astronomical, so I'll always appreciate them for what they try to do.
Read
April 7, 2016The Tiptons previously wrote the Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover, which won me over by its focus on the crucial rule that absolutely anything Who outclasses anything Trek. One day I'd like them to follow it up with a series of spin-offs in which eg Sergeant Benton singlehandedly defeats Q, or the Federation is powerless to resist the Bandrils. Anyway. This was their contribution to the 50th anniversary celebrations: an issue on each of the Doctors known at that point, plus a grand team-up finale. They do a pretty good job of capturing the various incarnations' voices, and if some installments never feel like more than a tribute act, well, sometimes that's all you need. They're generally helped by an impressive selection of artists (one for each issue, including such greats as Simon Fraser, Gary Erskine and Philip Bond - plus covers from the likes of Dave Sim, who does a particularly fine Matt Smith), though annoyingly let down in the concluding chapter by Kelly Hale, who doesn't quite capture any of the leads' faces. The overarching story...well, it does tie up one of the TV show's more baffling loose ends in a fairly plausible fashion, but somehow it still feels like it needed another redraft to remove at least one unnecessary complication. Still, a fun read overall.
Most - though for some reason not all - of the chapters are followed by one-page essays on the relevant Doctor's past comics appearances. Some are more illuminating than others, though at least one has been overtaken by events (it talks about the very different and more whimsical tone of the early comics, where you could get stories like the Doctor meeting Santa. Imagine that, eh?). Maddeningly, the one which closes the collection undoes some of the Tiptons' good work by reminding us that, for all they've ventriloquised this most British of shows pretty well for 12 issues, they bain't from 'round 'ere: was "watching from behind the couch" really a household phrase in the UK, gentlemen?
Most - though for some reason not all - of the chapters are followed by one-page essays on the relevant Doctor's past comics appearances. Some are more illuminating than others, though at least one has been overtaken by events (it talks about the very different and more whimsical tone of the early comics, where you could get stories like the Doctor meeting Santa. Imagine that, eh?). Maddeningly, the one which closes the collection undoes some of the Tiptons' good work by reminding us that, for all they've ventriloquised this most British of shows pretty well for 12 issues, they bain't from 'round 'ere: was "watching from behind the couch" really a household phrase in the UK, gentlemen?
February 9, 2021
I love a good Doctor crossover story. The more Doctors that are involved, the more fun the adventure. This crossover includes Doctors 1 to 11, and a slew of favorite companions over the last 50 years. The story is that the Doctors are going about their business, saving the universe, and their companions are disappearing. It comes down to all of them to figure out what's going on and save them. Caveat here: this is so much more enjoyable if you've watched at least one arc of each Doctor, and have seen the ninth Doctor stories "Dalek" and "The Long Game". The entire story will make so much more sense, and you'll be able to enjoy the individual doctors. Here's a bit of a break down as to which companions are in which story and if it helps to have watched another episode before taking in the comic:
1 (Hartnell): Ian, Barbara and Vicki as companions. Villains the Animus and Zarbi- helps to watch "The Web Planet"
2 (Troughton): Jamie and Zoe as companions.
3 (Pertwee): Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith and Brigadeer Lethbridge Stewart.
4 (T Baker): Leela and K-9 companions, features the Judoon as villains.
5 (Davison): Adric, Tegan and Nyssa as companions, features the Rutans and Sontarans. Helps to watch "The Horror of Fang Rock" beforehand.
6 (C Baker): Peri and Frobisher (comic only companion). Villains are The Master and Autons.
7 (McCoy): Ace as companion, and The Master as villain
8 (McGann): Grace as companion.
9 (Eccleston): Rose as companion.
10 (Tennant): Martha as companion. Features the Dominators and Quarks as villains. Helps to have seen Second Doctor arc "The Dominators".
11 (Smith): Clara as companion (very briefly).
Even though I think the ultimate villain is cleverly done, it's not someone I ever really liked. I did appreciate that he was given a bit of a chance at redemption, though. The art styles are beautiful, the characteristics of the individual Doctors and their personalities are well done, and it was quite enjoyable as a true Whovian. I would actually look to purchase this in the future for my personal collection.
1 (Hartnell): Ian, Barbara and Vicki as companions. Villains the Animus and Zarbi- helps to watch "The Web Planet"
2 (Troughton): Jamie and Zoe as companions.
3 (Pertwee): Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane Smith and Brigadeer Lethbridge Stewart.
4 (T Baker): Leela and K-9 companions, features the Judoon as villains.
5 (Davison): Adric, Tegan and Nyssa as companions, features the Rutans and Sontarans. Helps to watch "The Horror of Fang Rock" beforehand.
6 (C Baker): Peri and Frobisher (comic only companion). Villains are The Master and Autons.
7 (McCoy): Ace as companion, and The Master as villain
8 (McGann): Grace as companion.
9 (Eccleston): Rose as companion.
10 (Tennant): Martha as companion. Features the Dominators and Quarks as villains. Helps to have seen Second Doctor arc "The Dominators".
11 (Smith): Clara as companion (very briefly).
Even though I think the ultimate villain is cleverly done, it's not someone I ever really liked. I did appreciate that he was given a bit of a chance at redemption, though. The art styles are beautiful, the characteristics of the individual Doctors and their personalities are well done, and it was quite enjoyable as a true Whovian. I would actually look to purchase this in the future for my personal collection.
December 11, 2016
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2728251.html
One of the 50th anniversary publications that I had missed, this is a great romp of a plot line across the timestreams of the first eleven Doctors, with due homage to the characterisations and in particular bringing back a slightly forgotten but entirely appropriate character to ask what the role of the Doctor's companions actually is. These multi-Doctor adventures (of which there are now quite a number in different media) are always a bit dangerous to do, but the format of giving each Doctor an adventure for their own voice to be heard before bringing them together at the end works very well. The Tiptons obviously get it.
Rather bravely IDW have used different artists for each episode (full list: Simon Fraser, Lee Sullivan, Mike Collins, Gary Erskine, Philip Bond, John Ridgway, Kev Hopgood, Roger Langridge, David Messina, Elena Casagrande, Matthew Dow Smith and Kelly Yates). Even more remarkably - I thought he had completely disappeared - several of the covers were drawn by Dave Sim, of Cerebus fame; and they are good pieces too, including the cover for the book as a whole. (I see Sim is reviving Cerebus for a short run; one shudders in anticipation.) I wan't completely convinced by Philip Bond's art for the Fifth Doctor (and especially Adric), and several of the others struggled with the companions. But I particularly liked the Sarah Jane Smith / Liz Shaw matchup by Mike Collins above, and Matthew Dow Smith is great drawing his near namesake. Generally very good fun.
One of the 50th anniversary publications that I had missed, this is a great romp of a plot line across the timestreams of the first eleven Doctors, with due homage to the characterisations and in particular bringing back a slightly forgotten but entirely appropriate character to ask what the role of the Doctor's companions actually is. These multi-Doctor adventures (of which there are now quite a number in different media) are always a bit dangerous to do, but the format of giving each Doctor an adventure for their own voice to be heard before bringing them together at the end works very well. The Tiptons obviously get it.
Rather bravely IDW have used different artists for each episode (full list: Simon Fraser, Lee Sullivan, Mike Collins, Gary Erskine, Philip Bond, John Ridgway, Kev Hopgood, Roger Langridge, David Messina, Elena Casagrande, Matthew Dow Smith and Kelly Yates). Even more remarkably - I thought he had completely disappeared - several of the covers were drawn by Dave Sim, of Cerebus fame; and they are good pieces too, including the cover for the book as a whole. (I see Sim is reviving Cerebus for a short run; one shudders in anticipation.) I wan't completely convinced by Philip Bond's art for the Fifth Doctor (and especially Adric), and several of the others struggled with the companions. But I particularly liked the Sarah Jane Smith / Liz Shaw matchup by Mike Collins above, and Matthew Dow Smith is great drawing his near namesake. Generally very good fun.
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