IDW’s 1-2-3 Doctor Who Punch!

I recently got to the shop and got my hands on two Doctor Who one-shots that came out in the last month:

The Time Machination (IDW – Lee / Grist)

London, 1889 and a time-stranded Doctor needs the help of an old friend to fix the TARDIS… but is beset by pursuers sent by Queen Victoria herself! How is this connected to a previous tale of the Sixth Doctor—and a Fourth Doctor adventure that hasn’t happened yet? And what will happen if the Doctor is captured by the Torchwood Institute?

Autopia (IDW – Ostrander / Yates)

An All-American creative team tackles the celebrated Doctor in this special standalone tale. John Ostrander (Star Wars: Legacy) writes and Kelly Yates (Doctor Who: The Forgotten) illustrates an adventure where the Doctor and his companion Donna arrive on a utopian planet where robots do all the manual labor. But things aren’t quite what they seem…

These two books along with last month’s The Whispering Gallery shows that IDW’s vibe on the Doctor is alive and well!

The TIme Machination is a prime example of what a Doctor Who story is supposed to be.  Tony Lee does an outstanding job laying out plots within plots for an excellent stand alone while still having it fit precisely into the Doctor Who mythology – please new fans and old!  Paul Grist does an adequate job with the art for the issue, but it isn’t anywhere as strong as it could be, his blocky style might lend itself better to another type of story, just not one where the majority of the action is on the streets of Old London.

grade: A (story) C-(art)

Autopia reads like it might have been an episode from last season – clean, crisp and self-contained.  John Ostrander’s story-telling makes us feel like we are watching the Doctor and Donna move within this this automated world that is on the brink of self-awareness.  Kelly Yates’ art isn’t much different in style than Paul Grist, it’s just with this more fantasy-related plot I accept it with much more ease.

issue grade: A- (Story) B+ (Art)

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Updated: June 26, 2009 — 10:13 am

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