I’m on record as having had a hard time with the Twelfth Doctor’s first season on new Who, despite loving Twelve himself. As such, it was nice to get some really strong stories for him in the comics, and as his TV adventures improved in subsequent seasons, the comic stories were just extra bits of awesome. Here are my favorites from Twelve’s run in Doctor Who Magazine (spoiler for "Blood and Ice.")
“The Eye of Torment”
Twelve’s first comic story is a good one. He and Clara find themselves on a spaceship skirting the surface of the sun, on a mission financed by an egocentric quadrillionaire. Rudy Zoom is super-fun in a terrible way, his crew features all manner of smart, badass ladies, and the Umbra are supremely-creepy baddies; I like the story of their origins, and the Doctor’s showdown with them is top-notch.
“Blood and Ice”
After the whole “Impossible Girl” reveal episode, this aspect of Clara’s story was basically never mentioned again. That’s why I really appreciate this adventure, which finds Clara unexpectedly running into one of her splinter selves while she and the Doctor are investigating mysterious goings-on in Antarctica. Great atmosphere, creative story, and wonderful exploration of what it’s like for Clara to reckon with this part of her past when it’s standing right in front of her. I also love the Doctor’s interactions with the splinter.
“Moving In”
I have a real soft spot for the Doctor settling into other people’s ordinary lives, however temporarily (hi, Craig!), and bringing back Jess Collins from “The Highgate Horror” was a great way for Doctor Who Magazine to bridge the gap between Clara and Bill on the TV show. With the TARDIS temporarily-inaccessible while it reconstitutes itself, the Doctor is taken in by the Collins family, and over the course of this one-shot story, he bonds with each of them in offbeat, delightful, Doctory ways. This is a warm and fuzzy story, and I love it!
“Bloodsport”
Another Jess story. Oh, how I love this tale of alien toffs on holiday on Earth to partake in an old-fashioned hunt… with slightly more sapient prey. Of course the Doctor offers himself up as the most dangerous game, and Jess and her little brother need their wits about them to survive their capture. We’re also introduced to DCI Hayes, who’s a fun recurring character in this arc.
“The Parliament of Fear”
This comic story was my first introduction to Bass Reeves, who was a really cool historical figure and a great pick for Who (I love Bill’s excitement over all the western clichés and her delight at meeting a Black cowboy.) Other than that, this Wild West tale with the Doctor and Bill is both exciting and creepy, with an engaging cast of characters. This whole arc is about the Dreamspace, and the region of it that we see here, along with the knowledge we gain of it, is especially interesting.
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