Doctor Who review: The Seventh Doctor #1 (comic)

The Seventh Doctor returns to comics, as Operation Volcano begins in the first issue of a new Doctor Who mini-series by Titan Comics!

Ever since I first heard about it, I’ve been excited about the new Seventh Doctor comic series from Titan for some time. It isn’t just the fact that Titan will have another Doctor involved in their many Doctor Who series.

(Well, in a leading role, at least. The Lost Dimension did feature all of them, after all. In that case, however, mainly in cameos.)

There’s also the fact that Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch are writing it themselves. For those of you who don’t know, both writers were a key part of the Seventh Doctor’s run on television.

In particular, both pushed the Doctor into a darker and more mysterious direction. Remembrance of the Daleks, which Aaronovitch wrote, was especially a key example of this.

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So it’s exciting to see them tackle the Seventh Doctor and Ace once more in a brand new comic series. But how is the first issue?

Operation Volcano

The first part of Operation Volcano is an intriguing beginning to the story. Taking place across decades, and told in non-linear order, we’re gradually given the story piece by piece. And the more pieces we’re given, the more questions we have to ask, as a result.

What’s especially enjoyable is that the writers aren’t just telling a sci-fi story. Set firmly in the Sixties and dripping with Cold War paranoia, it’s also a spy story, too.

As such, this first issue offers a lot of surprises, as well as a lot of mystery, too. Certainly, the amount of intrigue in this opening installment is enough to make me want to buy further issues.

Something else that makes me want to buy more issues? The artwork. Sometimes, artwork in Doctor Who comics can be a bit hit-and-miss. Artists can really struggle with getting the likenesses of particular Doctors just right.

Fortunately, that’s far from the case here. Christopher Jones gets the Seventh Doctor and Ace just right. In fact, he gets all the key characters right. Because Seven and Ace aren’t the only established characters from the TV series to feature in this story.

The Seventh Doctor gets a brand new mini-series, courtesy of Titan Comics!

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Titan Comics.

Image obtained from: Titan Comics.)

Counter-Measures

I love the Counter-Measures team. Originally appearing in Remembrance of the Daleks, the characters have always been a distinctive and memorable bunch. In fact, despite appearing in only one story on television, they’ve got their own spin-off series with Big Finish. Two of them, in fact.

So it’s wonderful to see them encounter the Seventh Doctor and Ace again. And they appear to be rather heavily involved in this story, too. Especially Group-Captain Gilmore. Because in Operation Volcano, he seems to be involved in something big…

Featuring much loved characters, great artwork, and writing from the people involved in the Seventh Doctor’s original era, this is certainly recommended to fans both old and new.

Next: Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/15

Have you read the latest Seventh Doctor issue? What did you make of it? Are you a fan of McCoy’s Doctor? Let us know in the comments below.

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