Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf – Book One
Writer: Jody Houser
Artist: Roberta Ingranata
Color Artist: Warnia K. Sahadewa
Letterer: Comicraft’s Richard Starkings
Reviewed by: Steve J. Ray
Summary
The Doctor is in… or should that be Doctors? Titan Comics’ latest series sees the return of the Eighth and Eleventh Doctors, and Rose Tyler. Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf #1 was teased at the end of the most recent series, Missy, and as soon as I saw the Eighth Doctor in the teaser I got excited. After the War Doctor, Eight is the one who’s had the least screen time, but his adventures have thrilled us in comics, and over hundreds of hours of wonderful Big Finish audio dramas. Seeing him in comics again is a real joy.
Positives
A multi Doctor story is always a treat, but this series also sees multiple Rose Tylers! We got a hint of this in the recent “Alternating Currents“, series/graphic novel, and in my review I mentioned how great it would be to catch up with the Rose that was left behind on Pete’s World, with the Human Doctor. It seems like I’ve got my wish, as well as getting an all-new version of Ms. Tyler from an alternate reality! Jody Houser, I salute you!
Yes, Doctor Who fans, Jody Houser is still chronicling the Doctor’s adventures, and the wonderful roberta Ingranata’s back too! Of course, this means that we’re getting a great story to read, and beautiful artwork to look at. Jody has an incredible talent of making her comics characters speak and “sound” exactly like their live action counterparts, and Roberta’s art also captures the actors’ body langauage and facial expressions beautifully. Once again, their work in Empire Of the Wolf #1 doesn’t disappoint.
I was disappointed (at first) to see that Enrica Eren Angiolini wasn’t the color artist anymore, but having met the lady at the UK Thought Bubble Comic-Con, I’m happy to report that she’s still making amazing comics, and has a creator owned title on the shelves too (check out Temerity… it’s really cool!) What I must say is that the new talent on the book, Warnia K. Sahadewa, has filled some big shoes brilliantly. Sahadewa’s colors are more traditional comics style than Angiolini’s, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s lovely to look at, and fits Roberta’s line art perfectly. I hope this team has a run as long, and as successful as their predecessors’.
My hero Richard Starkings is also back, handling the letters on this great new series. Everything on the page is resplendent, as would be expected from a talent as renowned as his. Mr. Starkings is a legend in the lettering industry, but he’s also a great writer and creator, as his books Elephant Men, and Ask For Mercy clearly demonstrate.
Negatives
This gripe may prove to be unfounded as this series progresses, but with her TV adventures soon coming to an end, I was hoping to see the 13th Doctor in these pages. She doesn’t make an appearance in this issue, but there are still a few more to go, so I can’t say that this is a genuine complaint… yet?
Verdict
Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf #1 is a solid first chapter in what promises to be a strong, character driven and thrilling series. The creative team is still firing on all cylinders, and the fact that we’re seeing multiple Doctors, and all new and very different iteration of Rose / Bad-Wolf is also very exciting.
I’m really looking forward to reading what comes next.
Images Courtesy of Titan Comics
