Dan Slott (Spider-Man, She-Hulk) makes his Doctor Who comics debut with Doctor Who: Once Upon a Time Lord. Written by Slott and illustrated by Christopher Jones, Matthew Dow Smith, and Mike Collins, Once Upon a Time Lord is Doctor Who in its purest form. A light, breezy tale all about the power of storytelling that’s full of action, adventure, fantastical settings, and a healthy dose of heart. Like most Doctor Who comics, it feels a bit short, with everything happening at a break-neck speed. But for the kind of story that Slott’s telling here, that pacing mostly works. Once Upon a Time Lord reads like a campfire story in the best way possible – and it’s an absolute treat for Doctor Who fans new and old alike.
A Dangerous Campfire Story
While visiting an alien street fair with the Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones gets captured by the insatiable Pyromeths – aliens who feed off the power of stories. Martha’s only hope for survival is to keep them distracted by tales of the Doctor’s past glories long enough for him to find her and save her. But when your audience is as addicted to storytelling as the Pyromeths are, that’s easier said than done. And so Martha begins her story. A tale of daring adventure, a quest for the most valuable thing in the universe. Her story takes the Doctor all around time and space, visiting locales and foes old and new alike. A very Doctor Who story in its own right, and one that’s reminiscent of series three’s finale, Last of the Time Lords.
Slott has a lot of fun with the structure of these stories, too. In a way, the whole thing feels very Princess Bride – with Martha telling the story while the Pyromeths constantly interrupt her with their own questions and suggestions. The whole experience feels exactly like a night spent around a campfire. Just a group of friends, riffing with each other and telling stories. Except, of course, the Pyromeths are anything but friendly. And that’s the real rub. Slott never shies away from the danger Martha finds herself in. She’s stuck in this very Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights kind of situation. And there’s a real risk there that Martha might not make it out alive. But this is a Doctor Who story, after all. So, there’s always hope.
Quintissential Doctor Who
At its heart, Once Upon a Time Lord is a very classic Doctor Who story. The bulk of it follows the Tenth Doctor as he searches for the “most valuable treasure in the universe”. His quest takes him from an earth-based boating town back to an Egyptian tomb in World War II and all the way to the afterlife. All along the way, the Doctor meets friends old and new alike, all helping him find this mysterious treasure. And, of course, there’s far more to the story than initially meets the eye. But would you expect anything less from Doctor Who? What’s easily apparent, however, is Slott’s absolute love for the franchise. More than anything, Once Upon a Time Lord feels like a love letter to Doctor Who. It’s packed with action, adventure, and a whole lot of heart.
The Tenth Doctor is as swashbucklingly suave as ever, waltzing into situations and surviving them based on sheer bravado and charisma alone. Slott perfectly captures Tennant’s voice in these scenes. But even more impressive is his depiction of Martha. He gives her a real strength in her dealings with the Pyromeths. Martha’s no damsel in distress; rather, she’s a survivor doing whatever it takes to survive. And the balancing act between the Tenth Doctor’s raucous adventures and Martha’s desperation feels quintessentially Doctor Who too. Even in the face of absolute danger, there’s always room for a little fun. As is often the case, the breakneck pacing undercuts the story’s bigger emotional beats a bit, but Slott brings his story to a very emotionally satisfying conclusion nonetheless. Overall, a true one-shot in the best sense.
Breathtaking Artwork
It’s worth shouting out just how good Christopher Jones, Matthew Dow Smith, and Mike Collins’ artwork is, too. Jones and Smith handle the art for the majority of the story, bouncing back and forth between very atmospheric, fiery imagery for the Pyrometh scenes and a sort of scratchier, almost cave-like style for the Tenth Doctor’s adventures. The combination of those styles works brilliantly. Making the stories that Martha’s telling visually distinct from the reality she’s living is a very smart one and helps guide readers through this very timey-wimey tale. Plus, the art’s just gorgeous to look at.
Collins handles the artwork for the one shot’s backup story, a tale about the Ninth Doctor and Rose. The less said about that specific story’s plot, the better. But Collins’ artwork is very pulpy sci-fi in the best way possible. A real throwback, but one that captures Nine and Rose’s likeness beautifully. Put simply, Once Upon a Time Lord is a true marriage between a well-written story and gorgeous, atmospheric artwork. A feast for both the eyes and the brain.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Doctor Who: Once Upon a Time Lord is a delightful read from start to finish. A true celebration of Doctor Who in its 60th anniversary year. Slott packs a lot into a relatively short amount of space. There’s a ton of action, adventure, and warmth on display here. A story about the power of stories, it’s Doctor Who in its purest form. Sure, it could’ve benefitted from a longer page count to dive even deeper into the adventure and emotion at play, but for a one-shot, it’s hard to complain. And Jones, Smith, and Collins’ artwork really ties the whole thing together, too. All in all, Once Upon a Time Lord is sure to be a delight for Doctor Who fans old and new alike.
Doctor Who: Once Upon a Time Lord is available now in hardcover and ebook formats from Titan Comics.
DISCLAIMER: A review copy of Doctor Who: Once Upon a Time Lord was provided by the publisher. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
While a bit too short for its own good, Dan Slott's "Doctor Who: Once Upon a Time Lord" is a delight from start to finish. A tale about the power of storytelling, Slott combines an unabashed love for the history of "Doctor Who" with a light, breezy story that's sure to delight fans old and new alike.
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GVN Rating 8.5
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