Comic Book Review - Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf #1

Rob reviews Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf #1...

It's not that often that we get a Doctor Who comic that features Paul McGann's Doctor. While we only saw him during the 1996 Doctor Who movie, this incarnation has been more fleshed out via various audio dramas and expanded works. Now, Titan Comics and Doctor Who stalwarts, Jody Houser and Roberta Ingranata are bringing us Empire Of The Wolf. A crossover that's going to bring a lot of the Doctor's past and future together. 

The plot of Empire Of The Wolf builds upon a few years worth of Doctor Who storytelling. On one side we have Rose Tyler, still trapped in the alternative timeline due to the battle of Canary Warf, and is still shadowed by "Bad Wolf". On the other side, we have a pre-Time War 8th Doctor and the 11th Doctor, who's fresh from losing Amy and Rory. Completing the group is alternative/alternative Rose who just so happens to be the 'Bad Wolf Empress'. Whether this is due to the original character's exposure to the Time Vortex or not has yet to be revealed. But in true Doctor Who fashions, it's a "big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff."

Storyline-wise this opening issue lays the groundwork for what's to come. We get to see each side of this triangle come together, as well as setting up various smaller narratives, and a lot of questions - The Sontaran invasion for example. Even as new threads open within the story, everything flows incredibly well. 

Jody Houser has written plenty of Doctor Who comics and she knows these characters inside out. Every line is crafted with a style that makes you fall in love with these characters all over again. Everyone has their favourite Doctor, yet with Houser, it's a tough call to pick. Much like what we saw most recently in Missy, Houser perfectly captures each vocal pattern, mannerisms, and overall charm of each Doctor - and Rose.

The artwork comes from Roberta Ingranata, who much like Jody Houser, isn't a stranger to working with these characters. There's a lot to like here as Ingranata draws a pretty incredible likeness to each character on-screen portrayal. Both Eight and Eleven retain what Paul McGann and Matt Smith respectively brought to their portrayals, the slight facial expressions, the outward emotion, all looks and feels exactly how the actors would have portrayed the same on-screen. The scenery is similarly very detailed. Each scene is perfectly rendered with some gorgeous looking backgrounds that help the narrative flow whilst not detracting from it. 

Warning K. Sahadewa’s colour work is also spot on with some gorgeous shadow work that gives everything an eerie alien vibe. 

Empire Of The Wolf #1 kicks off this adventure in that typical "Doctor Who" way. There's a sense of foreboding throughout as each character gets pulled from their respective timelines into this much larger adventure. Both newcomers and seasoned fans will find a lot to love here as Jody Houser and Roberta Ingranata build upon the rich history of these characters, whilst remaining mindful of what's come before. Empire Of The Wolf has a lot of history to call upon, and its going to be one heck of a rollercoaster ride!

Rating 8/10

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev