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Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor (Titan Comics) series
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 4: The Then and The Now
The Eleventh Doctor and Alice return for a second year of time-twisting adventures!
Accused of terrible war crimes that he can't remember committing, the Eleventh Doctor goes on the run with his companion Alice Obiefune, along with a mysterious amnesiac who calls herself The Squire! As they dig deep into the history of the Time War in hope of clearing the Doctor's name, the bounty hunter called The Then and The Now, a hideous perversion of spacetime, tracks them at every turn!
Accused of terrible war crimes that he can't remember committing, the Eleventh Doctor goes on the run with his companion Alice Obiefune, along with a mysterious amnesiac who calls herself The Squire! As they dig deep into the history of the Time War in hope of clearing the Doctor's name, the bounty hunter called The Then and The Now, a hideous perversion of spacetime, tracks them at every turn!
128 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 30, 2023
Year 2 takes a serious dip in quality. The Doctor is haunted by things he did during his time as the war doctor but he can't remember what that was. He's being chased by some nonsensical entity and I found the story to be obtuse and hard to follow what was even happening. There's so much nonsense jargon in here that it almost makes it impossible to distill what was actually even said.
September 11, 2021
The Eleventh Doctor's second year gets underway with a bounty on his head, two bounty hunters on his tail, and a mysterious woman claiming to be from the Time War trying to help him out. And Alice is here too, but she's just as confused as the Doctor is.
A fresh start and the addition of Simon Spurrier to the writing team makes this a solid beginning to a new story, forcing the Doctor to deal with the consequences of his past actions...if he can remember them. The comics have embraced the War Doctor far more than the show ever did, and these five issues bring that time of the Doctor's life into focus to great effect.
You can tell The Doctor's frazzled here. He keeps coming up against things he can't explain or remember, and so he rockets off at breakneck speed to try and find answers without explaining himself to his friends so he doesn't have to face the fact that he doesn't know. Alice gets dragged along, but it's new companion The Squire that intrigues me the most. She's far better than Jones from the first year, although that's not hard, and I sense that there's going to be some horrible revelations in her future.
The artwork remains as it was, with Simon Fraser and Warren Pleece handling these five issues between them.
A bold new beginning and a more cohesive story than Year One already - I have a good feeling about Year Two.
A fresh start and the addition of Simon Spurrier to the writing team makes this a solid beginning to a new story, forcing the Doctor to deal with the consequences of his past actions...if he can remember them. The comics have embraced the War Doctor far more than the show ever did, and these five issues bring that time of the Doctor's life into focus to great effect.
You can tell The Doctor's frazzled here. He keeps coming up against things he can't explain or remember, and so he rockets off at breakneck speed to try and find answers without explaining himself to his friends so he doesn't have to face the fact that he doesn't know. Alice gets dragged along, but it's new companion The Squire that intrigues me the most. She's far better than Jones from the first year, although that's not hard, and I sense that there's going to be some horrible revelations in her future.
The artwork remains as it was, with Simon Fraser and Warren Pleece handling these five issues between them.
A bold new beginning and a more cohesive story than Year One already - I have a good feeling about Year Two.
February 2, 2016
On the lower end of those three stars, but an improvement over the last collection of stories for the 11th Doctor. The Doctor sounded like himself without simply parroting lines from the series. I also have to say that I think these read much better when read as several issues instead of as single issues over a periodof months. Meaning that, sadly, writing for the trades has come to Doctor Who. Thusni begin questioning if I should continue to purchase the individual issues, or just wait and get the trade collections when they come out. This dod have a cliffhanger ending, which is frustrating, but it was still enjoyable.
June 3, 2017
The Eleventh Doctor and Alice are taken prisoner and the Eleventh Doctor is about to be executed after having been convicted in absentia for crimes he allegedly committed while the War Doctor. Soon, he's on the run and looking for the truth and he and Alice are joined by the others. There's the Squire who claims to have been a companion during the Time War, and then there's Absalom Daak, a violent anti-hero so tough that Doctor Who Magazine couldn't hold him.
The book features some really fine characterization of the Eleventh Doctor, capturing his voice and tone perfectly. There's clearly an emotional journey going on for the Doctor and Alice is a great grounding for the reader. The story is a fine mystery and keeps thrwing one mind-blowing blot twist at you after another. This was a story that had me fully and completely engaged. The guest characters are both fun with Daak being unpredictable and the Squire being part of the mystery. The titular monster for the book is awesome but is almost blown away by everything else featured in this book.
If that's not enough, as a break from all the intense action each issue has a cute 1-2 page light comic short featuring the Doctor, Amy, and Rory.
Overall, this is just delightful and one of Titan's absolute best Doctor Who releases.
The book features some really fine characterization of the Eleventh Doctor, capturing his voice and tone perfectly. There's clearly an emotional journey going on for the Doctor and Alice is a great grounding for the reader. The story is a fine mystery and keeps thrwing one mind-blowing blot twist at you after another. This was a story that had me fully and completely engaged. The guest characters are both fun with Daak being unpredictable and the Squire being part of the mystery. The titular monster for the book is awesome but is almost blown away by everything else featured in this book.
If that's not enough, as a break from all the intense action each issue has a cute 1-2 page light comic short featuring the Doctor, Amy, and Rory.
Overall, this is just delightful and one of Titan's absolute best Doctor Who releases.
November 7, 2017
Spurrier offers up one of the best volumes of the Titan Doctor Who run, in large part because he focuses on an extremely intriguing plot element: The Time War, and the Doctor's presence there as the War Doctor. It fills in the biggest gap in the new series, and asks the great question of what the Doctor is capable of.
Spurrier also includes some other great continuity elements, most notably Abslom Daak. And what does a Dalek killer do after the Time War? That's one of the fun things about the volume. (There's also another continuity element that's pretty wonderful, but I'll leave that as a secret, other than saying Spurrier's continuity rocks.)
The issue-to-issue plotting is probably the weakest part of the story, in part because a lot of it centers on the Doctor fleeing from an unstoppable menace, something that pretty much never works out well. With that said the highly unusual issue #3 is the best plotted issue in the comics thus far, with some very innovative storytelling and some surprises.
As a whole, this is closer to 4.5 than 4, and it'd be a whole 5 is so much energy weren't spent running from the Then and Now.
Spurrier also includes some other great continuity elements, most notably Abslom Daak. And what does a Dalek killer do after the Time War? That's one of the fun things about the volume. (There's also another continuity element that's pretty wonderful, but I'll leave that as a secret, other than saying Spurrier's continuity rocks.)
The issue-to-issue plotting is probably the weakest part of the story, in part because a lot of it centers on the Doctor fleeing from an unstoppable menace, something that pretty much never works out well. With that said the highly unusual issue #3 is the best plotted issue in the comics thus far, with some very innovative storytelling and some surprises.
As a whole, this is closer to 4.5 than 4, and it'd be a whole 5 is so much energy weren't spent running from the Then and Now.
March 26, 2017
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Volume 4 - The Then and The Now
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor - The Then and The Now (Parts 1&2)
The Doctor is accused:
“You are a capricious superorganism which likes to play at mortality.
You smash across the timelines of the tiny lives you encounter – pausing only to congratulate yourself on your own nobility.
You are a smug, cackling child with the power of a reckless god.”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – Pull To Open
“He called it 'a machine of such inconceivable complexity it can be perceived only as an expression of simplicity.' He said. 'The one and only thing it cannot do is stop.'”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – Outrun
“I think I might know who framed me, Alice.
A plan this intricate? This complex? Well .. It's MASTERful.”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – The Judas Goatee
Alice: “Let's, um. Give him some quiet time, eh, Mr Daak? He's got that PHYSICS-TEACHER-HAVING-A-BREAKDOWN-AT-THE-BLACKBOARD look.”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor - The Then and The Now (Parts 1&2)
The Doctor is accused:
“You are a capricious superorganism which likes to play at mortality.
You smash across the timelines of the tiny lives you encounter – pausing only to congratulate yourself on your own nobility.
You are a smug, cackling child with the power of a reckless god.”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – Pull To Open
“He called it 'a machine of such inconceivable complexity it can be perceived only as an expression of simplicity.' He said. 'The one and only thing it cannot do is stop.'”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – Outrun
“I think I might know who framed me, Alice.
A plan this intricate? This complex? Well .. It's MASTERful.”
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor – The Judas Goatee
Alice: “Let's, um. Give him some quiet time, eh, Mr Daak? He's got that PHYSICS-TEACHER-HAVING-A-BREAKDOWN-AT-THE-BLACKBOARD look.”
November 26, 2018
I'm mainly familiar with Simon Spurrier's work with the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra comics. His run on that series has been a bit of a mixed bag for me. I think this particular volume was decent enough. It's fascinating seeing the Eleventh Doctor deal with his past as the War Doctor. I'm not very used to seeing 11 have to deal with Time War related stuff. And, of course, this is before The Day of the Doctor, so his views are different compared to the end of that. This volume also seems to confirm that The Curator seen in The Day of the Doctor is indeed the final incarnation of The Doctor. With the appearance of River Song at the end, I'm noticing a pattern between this and The Tenth Doctor Volume 4, which teased the return of Captain Jack Harkness, a familiar face, after The Doctor's travels with an unfamiliar companion. I do wonder whether these will work. As for the art, I think it can be improved in some places.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2025
The Eleventh Doctor travels forth with comic-companion Alice, former but also new companion Squire, and a returning 'frenemy' from the DWM comic series. There are two other familiar faces who make themselves known here as well, but won't play major roles until later strips in this range.
There are also some familiar villains here with some striking new variations brought to life by fantastic artwork.
Since this collects only the first four strips in the 2nd Year of the 11th Doctor's TITAN range, treat this as more of the first part of a wider story, as there isn't really a conclusion here since it is feeding into a wider arc.
I would say this an excellent place to start for readers looking to get into the comics as this collection shows just how versatile the comics can be without TV budget constraints both in terms of characters and scenery (and also the full extent of two Sontaran battalions).
There are also some familiar villains here with some striking new variations brought to life by fantastic artwork.
Since this collects only the first four strips in the 2nd Year of the 11th Doctor's TITAN range, treat this as more of the first part of a wider story, as there isn't really a conclusion here since it is feeding into a wider arc.
I would say this an excellent place to start for readers looking to get into the comics as this collection shows just how versatile the comics can be without TV budget constraints both in terms of characters and scenery (and also the full extent of two Sontaran battalions).
February 9, 2021
I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this particular story arc given the rather interesting tangential exploration of the Doctor's life during the Time War. The comics managed to do this without actually showing us what exactly happened during those years while repeatedly stressing that even the Doctor's memory of this period may have been affected by the time lock that banished it all way.
The threat at the heart of this story goes beyond the strange temporal creature chasing the TARDIS through time but the answer to the question of whether or not the Doctor actually committed the crime he has been accused of. There's something about the Eleventh Doctor that seems to make him a magnet for such accusations and we don't get a final answer to that question within this volume. It does make for some exciting writing and I'm eager to see how this all resolves.
The threat at the heart of this story goes beyond the strange temporal creature chasing the TARDIS through time but the answer to the question of whether or not the Doctor actually committed the crime he has been accused of. There's something about the Eleventh Doctor that seems to make him a magnet for such accusations and we don't get a final answer to that question within this volume. It does make for some exciting writing and I'm eager to see how this all resolves.
December 18, 2018
Interesting plot, but a mixed bag storytelling-wise. On the one hand, delving into Time War lore is pretty great, and I certainly don't mind the return of antihero Abslom Daak. The introduction of a companion for the War Doctor is interesting, too. On the other hand, the authors don't quite have the Eleventh Doctor's voice down; occasionally he sounds like Ten, but often he doesn't sound like the Doctor at all, more like what a non-fan would expect him to sound. (Daak is similarly a bit off-character.) It's surprising, considering the authors are clearly pretty knowledgeable about Who lore. This is only the first part of a longer storyline, so we don't get much payoff in this volume, though we do get a cool foe in the form of the titular The Then and The Now. (B)
June 29, 2024
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-then-and-the-now-by-si-spurrier-et-al/
This is the first of the three-volume second series of Eleventh Doctor comics from Titan, and I must say it’s a good start. We’ve kept Alice, one of the great comics companions, and we add The Squire, who claims to have been a companion of the War Doctor; and also, of all great comics-only characters, none other than Abslom Daak, Dalek Hunter. Meanwhile the Eleventh Doctor is being pursued by a bounty hunter called The Then And The Now for dreadful crimes apparently carried out by the War Doctor that nobody can quite remember. And there is a twist at the end bringing in another favourite character.
This is the first of the three-volume second series of Eleventh Doctor comics from Titan, and I must say it’s a good start. We’ve kept Alice, one of the great comics companions, and we add The Squire, who claims to have been a companion of the War Doctor; and also, of all great comics-only characters, none other than Abslom Daak, Dalek Hunter. Meanwhile the Eleventh Doctor is being pursued by a bounty hunter called The Then And The Now for dreadful crimes apparently carried out by the War Doctor that nobody can quite remember. And there is a twist at the end bringing in another favourite character.
August 19, 2021
Stories about the 11th Doctor: Matt Smith, with companion Alice Hackney.
2.1. The Doctor has been sentenced for a crime he doesn’t remember committing: the annihilation of generations of the Overcast. So, they put a bounty out on him bringing in all the hunters of the galaxy.
2.3. Pull to Open. While Alice and the Doctor’s new squire wander the changing labyrinth of the Tardis trying to find a way out, the Doctor is again on trial by the Overcast.
2.4. Exterminate. A visit to the Time Wall, then a dead Cylon invaded world to try and jog the Doctor’s memory.
2.5. The Judas Goatee. A final battle between Sodarian armies, then a lead to the Doctor’s innocence.
2.1. The Doctor has been sentenced for a crime he doesn’t remember committing: the annihilation of generations of the Overcast. So, they put a bounty out on him bringing in all the hunters of the galaxy.
2.3. Pull to Open. While Alice and the Doctor’s new squire wander the changing labyrinth of the Tardis trying to find a way out, the Doctor is again on trial by the Overcast.
2.4. Exterminate. A visit to the Time Wall, then a dead Cylon invaded world to try and jog the Doctor’s memory.
2.5. The Judas Goatee. A final battle between Sodarian armies, then a lead to the Doctor’s innocence.
January 16, 2024
Si Spurrier Tags In
Ewing is off the book, but we get another British powerhouse writer. Si Spurrier made a name for himself writing darker weird stories and he immediately goes for the jugular here. His story isn't anywhere near as whimsical as with Ewing, but it is just as good.
The art is... weird. One moment it is the wonkiest thing you'll ever see, the other it is a fantastic splash page I want on my wall. But at the end of the day it works and serves the story well.
Ewing is off the book, but we get another British powerhouse writer. Si Spurrier made a name for himself writing darker weird stories and he immediately goes for the jugular here. His story isn't anywhere near as whimsical as with Ewing, but it is just as good.
The art is... weird. One moment it is the wonkiest thing you'll ever see, the other it is a fantastic splash page I want on my wall. But at the end of the day it works and serves the story well.
May 22, 2018
I still don’t have a clear sense of Alice as a character, but I suppose as she’s still grieving, it might explain that lack. Hopefully we’ll stop having so many cameo Companions and she’ll have enough screen time of her own.
Having said that, I can’t wait for our cliffhanger passenger to jump aboard the TARDIS!
Having said that, I can’t wait for our cliffhanger passenger to jump aboard the TARDIS!
April 7, 2020
I actually really enjoyed it. I rolled my eyes at the return of Abslom Daak but this time I actually enjoyed it. He actually worked in a Doctot Who story. Quite enjoying this romp though it continues into volume 5. Hope that dissent disappoint
June 17, 2020
The Eleventh is my favorite Doctor, and this collection captured the fun and character very well.
This is the volume that got me searching out more Doctor Who comics. Unfortunately, Si Spurrier seems to be a necessary element for me as many of the other volumes fell flat.
Very enjoyable.
This is the volume that got me searching out more Doctor Who comics. Unfortunately, Si Spurrier seems to be a necessary element for me as many of the other volumes fell flat.
Very enjoyable.
January 26, 2024
It was a good story but every now and then I found myself having a hard time following of course that could be my wondering brain 🤣. The end oh Sweetie how could you do that to me. Well I guess I better buy the next one!!
May 16, 2017
A surprising bit of Doctor condoned violence in this one.
July 16, 2018
What a ride! Some fun new characters and an ending that made me squee and run upstairs for the next volume.
September 1, 2019
2nd time reading. Still bummed it's a cliff hanger right where my favorite character comes in!
December 4, 2020
Great cliffhanger ending that made me hungry for more
November 21, 2023
Another enjoyable batch of stories with links to the 50th anniversary.
February 6, 2024
An enjoyable read. I did feel like not a lot happened in some of the issues, but it was really exciting to learn more about the Time War.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2025
Hmm. Much as I like the fact that this arc is dealing with the consequences of the War Doctor's tenure, it's all over the place. Alice isn't being utilised properly, either.
April 13, 2025
The first year of eleventh doctor comics was pretty fun, but I have no idea what happened here. As the story progresses, characterization is way off, especially for the Doctor. He kind of just goes insane and completely roasts his companions, and you’re thinking to yourself: “where did this come from?” Speaking of story, the story did not make any sense whatsoever. That continues throughout the series, because the concluding volume doesn’t solve anything either.
July 1, 2016
Titan Comics Doctor Who: The Then and the Now starts off it's collection of the second year of their adventures of the Eleventh Doctor as played by Matt Smith on the BBC television series, and his companion Alice Obiefune. This story mentions the Time War and glimpses of the War Doctor (as portrayed by John Hurt) occur throughout the book. But I was expecting to see the Eleventh Doctor and the War Doctor meet - or at least a full flashback and that didn't happen.
However, even though at times the story was confusing, and it ended on a cliffhanger, it was still a good book - exciting, with excellent characterization, and beautiful art.
This story also brings in Abslom Daak from Doctor Who Magazine and is used with permission. Daak's a chainsaw (chain sword) wielding Dalek-killing mercenary - and an odd choice for a one-time companion.
I think this story will be interesting once it gets going, however, this particular story felt like a very confused beginning, and it had no end because of the cliff-hanger. I'm thinking that Year 2 for the Eleventh Doctor will be like Year One, in that it's mostly a single story.
However, even though at times the story was confusing, and it ended on a cliffhanger, it was still a good book - exciting, with excellent characterization, and beautiful art.
This story also brings in Abslom Daak from Doctor Who Magazine and is used with permission. Daak's a chainsaw (chain sword) wielding Dalek-killing mercenary - and an odd choice for a one-time companion.
I think this story will be interesting once it gets going, however, this particular story felt like a very confused beginning, and it had no end because of the cliff-hanger. I'm thinking that Year 2 for the Eleventh Doctor will be like Year One, in that it's mostly a single story.
November 21, 2016
This graphic novel takes place during the eleventh Doctor's time. To be fair I am not a fan of much of the eleventh Doctor's time and this was really no exception. They capture the Doctor perfectly and he annoyed me as much as he did on TV.
So if you are a fan of Matt Smith's Doctor then this would be a great story for you.
I will say that story arc is interesting tying in the now with the Doctor past when he fought in the time war. I am interested enough to see what comes nest in the arc.
Overall my impression of these graphic novels has been one of admiration. They have done a great job capturing the essence of the various Doctors and each story reads like a top notch Dr Who adventure.
So if you are a fan of Matt Smith's Doctor then this would be a great story for you.
I will say that story arc is interesting tying in the now with the Doctor past when he fought in the time war. I am interested enough to see what comes nest in the arc.
Overall my impression of these graphic novels has been one of admiration. They have done a great job capturing the essence of the various Doctors and each story reads like a top notch Dr Who adventure.
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February 4, 2016Al Ewing, being a very busy man these days, steps aside as part of the writing team; his replacement is Si Spurrier, who only ever seems happy when his leads are thoroughly devious and unreliable. So we get more emphasis on the darkness and sorrow which always lurked just beneath Matt Smith's cheery manner, plus appearances for various of the Doctor's more dubious supporting cast, old and new. And yet, balancing that out (because it's usually a mistake to take Doctor Who too thoroughly dark - just look at Eternity Weeps if you don't believe me) moments of joy and pure sense-of-wonder remain.
April 30, 2016
The beginning of season 2 of the Eleventh Doctor comic series and it's better than the first. A returning companion and 2 new ones including an old favorite! Great start to the year. Can't wait for more!
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