Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor Volume 1

What do cave paintings discovered in the Australian desert in the 1960s have to do with a derelict spaceship orbiting Earth in the 2020s? Quite a lot, actually, though it would take someone with superior intellect and a jaunty hat to figure out what. Thankfully, a face-changing alien known as The Doctor is here to help, and he might be the only chance not only for the survival of Earth but the entire universe when he uncovers the true threat lurking in the wastelands down under.

The Seventh Doctor, Volume 1 adds Sylvester McCoy’s inimitable take on the Time Lord to the Doctor Who graphic novel pantheon, and it’s about time. With his comedic timing, penchant for clownish trickery, and kickass sidekick Ace, he adds levity to a comic universe that’s often too dark and too timey-wimey for my tastes.

His debut collection isn’t without its flaws, though. The shorter vignettes didn’t really do much for me. One features the welcome return of the Psychic Circus but also features a Trump clone that spoils the mood with its heavy-handedness. The other is so quick as to offer no story at all, just a few great lines by the Doctor. The interlude with the First Doctor is similarly cute but pointless.

Thankfully this is all balanced out by a rip-roaring adventure in the main story, with aliens, spies, nuclear weapons, and all kinds of New Who-style fun, but with the 7th Doctor’s (and Ace’s!) trademark smarts and snark.