Even if you don’t regularly tune in to BBC, you’re probably familiar with this story: The Doctor–time-lord, last of the Gallifreyans, a race with the ability to regenerate into a new form rather than die–travels through the galaxy, generally with a human companion, righting wrongs and stopping criminals. In Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, someone is, once again, trying to defeat the Doctor. Someone is slowly abducting all of his companions.
Based on the classic British TV show, this graphic novel uses this plot device as a way to showcase each of the Doctor’s incarnations and their companions. Each incarnation of the Doctor has a different companion. Each doctor is showcased in their own chapter. We see him solve a problem, but then his companion is taken by a mysterious figure. At first, he doesn’t remember these incidents from incarnation to incarnation. As we move along the Doctor’s timeline, from his first incarnation to his eleventh, he slowly begins to figure out what is going on and begins to plan his counter attack.
The drawings are true to life, drawn to closely resemble the actors on the TV show. They also include a photograph of each actor in costume at the end of each chapter, so you can remember them. It’s not my favorite style of art, as the times when the artist does not capture the actor’s likeness successfully can feel jarring, but it succeeds in matching the overall feel of the show.
With a chapter for each doctor, plus a last chapter for the Doctor to confront his enemy and defeat him (that is not a spoiler–it’s the Doctor. He always wins), these three books are a lovely retrospective of the series for fans while still being a great introduction to the Doctor Who series for those new to the story. While there are unexplained aspects, such as the fact that each Doctor is the same Doctor, despite wearing a different form, there is enough information included to let the new reader follow along.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, vol. #1-3
by Scott Tipton,David Tipton
Art by David Messina, Lee Sullivan
ISBN 9781613778241
IDW Publishing, 2014
Publisher Age Rating: Teen to Adult
